screw dat mang. i remember da GD like i was driving it in slowmo yesterday. no way in hell is dat car's seat comfy by any means but u tolerate it cause it kinda reminds u of da old time honda civic hb's. den fat people came around along with recession in 2009 and made da fit bigger and bigger ending up being longer dan my Golf-R. wtf..

wat were we talking about?

 

That's the reason for a GD. It was the last "Honda" from what I remember back in the day. My first Honda was a 1980 Prelude. The GD is raw fun.

For most people the GE makes the most sense to me. It's somewhere between raw and modern comfort.

I have to agree with Alfa on the price. If it gets too high, maybe better with a CPO GK. Then you just drive it while in warranty and don't care about minor things. It becomes a good low cost provider that is still fun in it's category.

If looking for a buy and hold strategy, get the nicest '12-13 you can afford. Oh...teach the significant other how to drive a manual!!! The Fit is the perfect platform for that as well!

 

modern comfort of yesteryear, yes. im not sure the GK is any better as far as comfort goes though.. still an awkward driving position car for people with long legs. i mean the car was intended for short female drivers.. not to be sexist or anything. it was just designed dat way.

 

So I took a look at the '13 Sport manual today. I enjoyed it. The driver seat was comfortable. After the drive, I sat in the back and it was decently spacious for a subcompact. But then again I have no fantasies about anyone being able to stretch their legs out back there.

It did seem to lag a little in power shifting into 4th gear, but it's possible that is because I'm not used to the transmission and I shifted early. The noise level seemed lower than I expected, but I didn't take it onto the highway and only got up to speeds in the 40s mph. The handling seemed fine and the roads around the dealership aren't that great. I was struck by how much glass there is. I felt a little bit like I was in a bubble and I worry about that from a safety standpoint - if I was struck, there might be more lacerations from glass.

Overall, I wasn't super excited but I think that is due to the fact that spending a big chunk of money doesn't excite me very much and I'm not a big car guy so I don't get much pleasure out of the kind of car I have. I also drove a Civic while there, and didn't like the driving experience as much but they were decently priced. I'm also considering looking at Subaru Imprezas.

So if I want to go ahead I just need to work on negotiating the price. No way that I will pay sticker price, almost $13k.

 

Excellent. You'll come to appreciate all the glass - the visibility is great. Compared to the Subaru (we've had numerous Subies over the years) the running costs will be lower, repairs will be a bit more affordable, and the car will depreciate less. Plus, I think it is a better driving car for daily use than the Impreza.

 

Thanks for the input. I have never driven an Impreza, but I do absolutely love Outbacks. It seems like Subarus are definitely built to last 200k+ miles with few mechanical issues. And an Impreza is probably a safer vehicle, definitely has more pick up than the Fit, though I'm sure worse gas mileage.

 

Also an Impreza's AWD might be useful in the increasingly frequent bad weather my area experiences in the winter.

 

Well, built to last until the head gaskets fail...or the steering rack... or....
I've had numerous issues, albeit they were post-125k miles.

 

The last Impreza I drove was a '16 loaner from our dealer while our Tribeca was in the shop. Drove me crazy on the highway the way it wandered - it required constant correction, both left and right, as if it didn't want to drive in a straight line. Maybe torque steer, maybe bad (new from factory, though) tires, or a combination, but it was quickly taken off of my purchase list for sure.

 

Good to know. I'll keep that in mind when shopping.

 

It could have been a one-off, who knows, but I prefer the economy and drive of the Fit. We do have a 2017 Outback 2.5, but that's a different beast than the Impreza or the Fit.

 

From the people I know with Subaru's, that is the norm. They are great to about 100k miles and then prepare for some major repairs.

 

That's interesting because I've heard fro multiple Subaru owners that they'll go 200k+ miles. One guy who was 60 something had had only two cars his whole life, both were Subaru Outbacks and lasted 20 years each.

I've read up on the head gasket issue, and it seems like it's been better from 2014 or so onward. Maybe I'll report back in 7 years how my Subaru is doing at that point!

 

I agree. It seems that, if buying a Subaru for dependability, you want one with an FB series motor built after 2014. It's too early to tell how well they will do in the long run, but it's predecessors weren't so good as they aged.

Early reports on the 2014 and later look pretty good!

 

After I decided on a Fit, I was looking at used GEs and was surprised they were still asking a lot. I figure for just a bit more, I could buy a new GK with a warranty. That's exactly what I did.

The Fits hold their value well. Good for reselling. Not as good if you're looking to buy used haha.

Since I typically own my cars for a really long time, I thought it was worth buying a new example. Now the Q/C of the 2015s were lacking as I had some warranty work and repairs under warranty completed. None of it was mechanical related and it's never left me stranded. Plus I'm getting consistently 42+ MPG.

If I were buying again today though, I'd seriously look at the new Civic Hatch Backs with the 1.5 Turbo. They get as good gas mileage, more HP, better suspension and aftermarket support and can carry nearly as much cargo.

 

As much as I want to pay as little as possible for a car, I would like one that holds its value. I hope to have whatever I buy for a long time, but want the option of a decent trade in if/when my needs change.

 

I'll say this: people here respond much better than a similar forum for Impreza owners that I joined and posted a similar thread. I got no response there at all! And I appreciate everyone's input here, it has been helpful as I conduct my search. Thanks!

 

did you post up on nasioc? I havent been on that forum in YEARS. they were (in my years), quick to respond but also quick to tell you to "GO SEARCH IT" .... smh

WarBiscuit ... if you do end up with a subaru, PM me .... I'm a Subaru Ambassad0r and can help out on new veh purchases.

as for HG's on EJ motors, it is something I've seen happen more often that not to other enthusiasts. my 05 sti was showing signs of a leaky hg prior to getting rid of it. my 04 wrx (which I still have till this day) has made it past 150k is still going strong and has no signs of hg issues *knocks on wood*

one thing is for sure, PLENTY of subies go 200k or 300k. iirc, there is a tv ad that states over 90% of subaru's ever registered.... are still on the road today

 

 

To the OP...what other cars are you considering? I always like discussing cars, even if not Honda's. Here would be my test drive list if I were shopping a Fit...

Civic Hatchback
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Corolla Hatchback
VW Golf
Ford Fiesta ST

We ended up with a Golf, but I don't think any of those above are bad vehicles. If shopping automatics, like we were, I'd definitely lean toward a Golf. It's the only one with a traditional automatic. To each their own, but I personally hate CVT's. If shopping manuals, I'd probably buy a Civic Hatch Sport. Lots of car for the money and great fuel economy. If you live in a snow climate, there certainly is some draw to the Impreza. For us in the South, the AWD is just a way to burn more fuel with little benefit unless it's got a ton of power.