I'm buying a new car, and I was looking at some sportier hatchbacks, but the fits are so economical and highly rated. But I'm concerned that that's all they really are. Do these cars have good upgrade potential? Can I pour a few hundred dollars and get the performance I was looking for in something like the Mazda 3 or something else? This would be my first "project car" would it be a good place to start? Basically sell this car to a guy who has been looking at Mazda 3s, ford focuses, and GTI's

 

Its a inexpensive (relatively) get around roomy car. Long before I bought a fit for performance I'd buy something else.. Mines a computer battle wagon.. They barely tap 35 MPG most of the time and drop more if driven hard. (My 07 averages about 26 being kind drove hard with the Automatic. ) If your expecting a GTI competition you'll be disappointed in the performance. Your comparing it to cars with almost 25% more engine..

I like it I just don't put lipstick on a pig.
I'd take one for a good test drive (See if you can rent one) and drive it for a day..

 

I agree with dwtaylorpdx, except I've generally seen a little better milage for mostly highway driving (at comparatively moderate speeds).

For a few hundred, there's very little upgrade potential for power (if indeed any). If you're willing to spend enough to put in a turbo, you can get some real power increases, but that's somewhere around a few thousand dollars. Intakes, exhausts, etc. have not much value at all on a Fit because there's not really one predominant limiting factor on the engine performance where getting rid of it lets everything else perform much better.

You can, of course, upgrade suspension and tires and wheels and things like that...same as any car. But a Fit is not a performance car in the sense that some of the other cars you list are. The Fit is, in my opinion, a fairly fun car to drive; but it's a fun economy car, not a fun sports car.

Where the Fit does very much shine is in seemingly being bigger on the inside than the outside. It's kind of like a micro-minivan.

 

I should have mentioned my number is mostly combined driving,.
It will probably hold 34 at the speed limit on the freeway.

 

My experience with mileage is similar to dwtaylorpdx's.

 

What really sucks is I have a 1995 BMW 318ti that gets a solid 30 around town and 35 highway as well.. The low city mileage blows me away.. I've gotten below 20 a couple times.. It seems to use WAY more fuel than it should at idle to off idle....