Honda Newbie in LA
 

Hey Fit Freaks (can I call us that?!),
I just bought my first brand new car this past week, a 2015 Honda Fit LX. I've always gone with a gently used car and have stuck with domestic brands for my entire driving career. I've been a Ford loyalist for most of that time, having just sold my beloved 2005 Ford Focus hatch, and decided to buy a new car for once.

This purchase has been a surprise to me and my family, as I've never particularly liked Japanese brands, and Honda especially. Between the arrogant dealerships, dealer mark-up pricing, and how many modified Civics and Accords I see out there, there was nothing appealing about the brand to me.

But after looking at every small car out there, the Fit stood out. The Sonic felt too plasticky, the Accent had terrible visibility and no spare tire, the Rio was bland, and the 2 was cramped. Naturally I went to Ford, and although the Fiesta was fun to drive, it was also cramped and my husband hated it. The final candidates were a Fit and a heavily rebated Focus SE that ended up being $1600 less than the Honda. Although the Focus was a bigger car, more powerful, and a familiar name, I couldn't get over how cramped the rear seat was, the radio was complicated, and the wide console intruded on both our knees. I loved my old Focus because it was roomy and fun to drive, and the Fit felt most like it, with an extra dose of practicality.

So I bit the bullet and bought an Aegean blue LX with manual, and we opted for the interior illumination kit. The particular Honda dealer we bought from was very friendly and helpful (as promised in the ads!) and the car has been wonderful. Compared to the new Focus, I love the simplicity of the controls and how roomy it is, plus it does feel fun on some windy roads. The color is gorgeous and makes this car stand out. The base LX is well equipped and has everything we need; namely cruise, Bluetooth, and AC. There was no reason to go to the EX

We'll see how my first foreign ownership experience goes. For some reason, the car had a dead battery three days into ownership, but after a jump start, hasn't repeated that. Otherwise, I love the car so far and all of the thoughtful details, especially the hill assist and backup camera.

Not planning on making any modifications aside from possibly changing the badging to "Jazz" to reflect on my native Australia, and getting a bonnet protector and weathershield from over there


Hopefully, I can meet others who like their Fits on here and get information about the car and share stories. We're excited to have our first brand new car!!!


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Wise choice, after all these years. You should not be disappointed. Honda Fit is rated among the best subcompacts on the planet and has won numerous best car awards in the US. There is a reason for that.

Welcome to the Fit family. :wiggle::wavey::popc:

Hey everyone,
We are 2 1/2 months and 700 miles into ownership. The car has now been christened the name "Slim", as in "Slim Fit" and it's growing on me.


We've had some teething issues with quality that are mentioned in a thread about 3rd generation problems: the dead battery, a defective alternator, a creaking clutch pedal, and a broken plastic trim piece on the hatchback. All of it is being fixed, but dealer with certain Honda dealerships for service is a hassle. The original dealership we bought the car from has been fantastic though.


Aside from the quality issues, here are my thoughts on the car:
PROS:
The space is incredible and the main reason we bought this car. It is so nice to own a small car for city streets and still have the flexibility of a small SUV
The fuel economy over 700 miles has averaged 37mpg- very impressive since most of that has been scooting around LA
I love the cloth on our LX- it's soft, nice to touch, and seems durable
The radio, A/C controls, and gauges are so clear and easy to read
Handling is fun and controlled; not quite as good as the Fiesta, but nears to tops of the subcompact class
The manual is so smooth and easy to use. It almost shifts itself
The hill assist is a blessing on some of the steep hills in our area
Visibility around the car is superb. I don't even really pay attention to the rear camera unless I'm in a really tight parallel parking situation


CONS
Engine noise is very intrusive
Still getting over the looks; it's cute overall, but why are there two big holes punched out in the back bumper?
Front legroom is a little short for my 6'4'' husband; the front seats seem very limited on how far they go back. Seems like they did this to save rear legroom and make the claim of adding more rear legroom in the redesign


Would I buy a Fit again looking back? Hard to say. No other cars match the Fit's capabilities for interior space and flexibility and that's what drew us to this car. I may have bought an Accent in retrospect, because to be honest, I would trust its quality more and it was a good package too. But it's hard to say. We like the Fit and as long as no more quality issues occur, I still think we will still enjoy it for years to come. However, I do think this will be my last and only Honda given how badly some of their dealers have treated us. Time will tell

I'm looking to buy a Fit (EX Manual... only for the sunroof and the fog-lights) within the next 4 months. I live in LA, would you mind sharing which dealership you bought it from? Also were you able to talk them down from the asking price at all?

We bought the car from Carson Honda and they really were fantastic. Airport Marina Honda had the nerve to place a $3,000 dealer markup on all Fits, Long Beach Honda would not budge on looking for an LX that met our needs, and the salesman we had at Norm Reeves Honda was just annoying and sleazy.


In comparison, the experience at Carson Honda was bliss. They were really helpful and knowledgeable about the car. When it comes to the several repairs that the car has needed, the advisors were also just as helpful. It's a really good operation that they have there.


Carson Honda was on Edmunds Price Promise Guarantee, so when I went to Edmunds.com, there was a no pressure price quote that was given online, which was about $500 below MSRP. Not the deal of the century, but not bad considering no haggling was needed. It seemed fair.


They honored the price quoted online as well with no problems; there was no bait and switch.


Overall, the best buying experience ever with any car from a dealer