On paper the Fit is the best of the affordable cars, the options and safety incredible! I love the looks, the color, and the honda reliability standing behind it.

I am looking to dump my 2000 Mazda Protege with paint problems and move to an efficient car that is still fun.

After finding massive amounts of posts on this and other forums about the paint jobs, I'm a bit nervous about trading in my old Mazda with paint problems for a new Honda with the same issues.

My protege isn't bad, it is before they added the zoom zoom. I can still get in the high 30s on the highway. But I am absolutely tired of driving it.

Any imput would be greatly appreciated! I've been driving myself nuts shopping for cars. It seems that every model of every brand has problems somewhere.

 

18 K miles and my paint is fine. Really like the car and I have owned Porsches, Nissans, VW, Subaru etc

 

I agree with Tork - other then the normal wear and tear, and some slightly premature wear from me removing and putting back the front bumper to add HIDs and paint my headlights, my paint is still shiny - and after a nice wash and some soft microfiber cloth polishing, its like it was rolling of the lot the first day.
I've got alot of little nicks because I drove it between Maine and Florida, and have done major roadtripping throughout FL since.
Factors like your daily driving distance/habits, your geographic location, etc. all play a part in how the Fit, or any car, will stand up. I've been seeing alot of the paint issues on the forums and complaints people have but I've yet to experience them myself. The way I look at it is that every person out there with a Fit who hasn't experienced poor paint quality or premature paint chipping etc. isn't going to hop on the forums and post "got my fit, 16K and paint is still perfect!" but those who do experience the problems with paint are far more inclined to post and complain. So, in that sense, I think it only ultimately SEEMS like a lot of people are having problems with the paint, when in reality it's a minority.
Just my opinion...
No car stays perfect forever, and the fit to me is built first for function, second for fun...but they are pretty close in priority

I say go for it - like you said, you've got the honda badge to back up the reliability, and it's a bargain for the features you get - both of those things are what sold me, along with its fun sport look and feel, and total functionality. Besides, I'd rather be complaining that my paint is fading down the road then having to get new engine components or anything like that. I have every intention of driving my Fit into the ground, because I know without a doubt and routine maintenance/care, it'll last that long.

 

This is a great thread to start. I am also really thinking about buying a Fit. I have a Scion xB right now, and I'm looking for a change. I, too, have read the bad paint threads. This is the only thing that is holding me back from buying one. Any additional input will be greatly appreciated...

 

Hmmm, I didn't check to see in the bad paint threads if it was the same few people posting in the conversation, making it seem more numerous than it actually is (not to belittle their problems, paint flaking is a pain!)

I think sevenaprils might be right- I haven't seen any official recalls, just complaints on forums. When I test drive on Saturday, I will look at the bumper areas to see if those are chipping at the dealer.

Researching cars for me is a nightmare. I read about the Nissan Versa being unstable at highway speeds (and pretty crappy mileage, my test drive felt like I was always reaching for the wheel), the Mazda 3 with the whole "engine block falling out" thing (I have enough problems with my current mazda), and God knows I can't touch a Ford Focus no matter how hard I try.

The Yaris interior looks like it has downe syndrome. Everything in the center of the dash freaks me out!

I just want to get a nice, solid car, and I don't have too much to spend. I don't want a paint fleck to turn into rust on the body. I already had that and it cost me quite a bit to fix!

I wonder if it would be safer for me to get a 2008 instead of the new 2007 at the dealer. I hope the paint holds up.

 

The Fit is a great handling, fun as hell little hatch, theres nothing like it for the price, the amount of fun you can have with the car stock is just incredible. Honda makes a really solid car, yeah its entry level but it feels as solid as a Accord! Great gas mileage, very roomy interior and very practicle, plus a great aftermarket for 16k is a steal!

Now the only true downside to the Fit is the paint quality. Me and Manxman had a big long talk about this at the last meet, and it made me relize sooo many cars have paint issues, he has owned alot of cars and has had paint problems with them..My advice(and i wish i had done this) is to get a Silver Fit! It hides dirt and chips, and ive never seen a silver honda fade! So yeah get a SSM, they look good too!

 

yes the Fit's paint is kinda thin.... but any car is gonna get chips... there is nothing u can do to avoid it... plus a bit of touchup paint goes a long way

 

i am thinking about trading in my car in too... but the only thing thats holding me back is the current car i own now (see sig) but i hope all goes well and i get what i owe or i sell it privately

 

first off i can say that yes i was one of the many that complained about the paint qaulity on the forum. but like was said above it all depends on your location and what kind of driving you do. the paint in my opinion could better but for the price of the car and when you factor in all of the goods one bad shouldnt bother at all. its the american way to complain about something and apparently that is one of the only things that most agree on in this site. you cant let one small detail deter you from an amazing machine. nothing is perfect in the car world it just seems that honda is closer then everyone else in the small car market. good luck on your choice.

 

well, i can add that paint peeling is a LOT different than paint chipping, and once it happened to my fit i freaked out.

but the dealer handled the situation very smoothly, and in turn i got bumpers that have seemingly indestructible paint

if that's the only reason you're doubting getting the fit, i think you'll be missing out on a great car. the amount of problems i've had in my fit have been miniscule compared to how much fun i have driving it.

 

I know Im stealing someone's avatar here, but this tells you quite plainly what to do he he he
I love my car to bits, and it is seriously fun to drive. We have pretty bad roads here is S.A so my front bumper is already sporting some nasty cuts and bruises but I must admit the paint is holding up really well. I second the idea to buy a silver one, I love my amethyst colour cos its so unique but I still look longingly at the Taffy whites and wonder what could have been........

 

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Do metallic colors like orange and blue (the two I'm strying to decide between) hold up as well as the silver?

I'm fine with getting nicks and scratches from use, but I don't want stuff to come flaking off while I'm washing it. "Swirlies" from hand washing a car don't bother me either, I just want the main color to stay in place for the years I own it.

 

paint is not a problem. it can be if you drive your side panels through a wall, or another car, also may be bad for the top paint to ride with the 4 wheels up.

 

Hehe- it's good to hear some positive replies!

 

I testdrive new cars weekly for a mag review, been doing it for the past two years - best gig in the world, guys - and I first testdrove the Fit (Jazz where I live) this September, and you know what's in my driveway today?

You guessed it. Buy one!

Paint chips? Touch it up and keep on driving!

 

I want to thank everyone for your feedback. I can really stress myself out with the amount of research I do on a new car!

Hopefully the next time I post it will be a picture of a Fit Sport.

In blue or blazing orange? I can't decide...

 

Both are really nice colors...but I would go for the orange. Also, it's unique to the sport model. I was looking at orange until I found out Canada got white.

 

Make sure that you want the 08 becasue the 09 is going to be improved in pretty much every way..But if you like the current gen that much then go for it!
As far as color, i think they are both great colors, its just personal preference..

 

Ah, cars are like computers. There is always something new around the corner, and we can always wait for the next greatest model!

My Mazda will still get me decent money now, decent enough to help me pay for the Fit Sport now.

Plus the new model will be just a bit more expensive. Add a few hundred here, a few hundred there for inflation, and it starts to creep outside of my comfort zone for purchase price.

 

on my vbp I have found the majority of the damage tiny flea size chips after 25k are for the most part limited to the front.The under skirt piece of the front bumper gets it the most,then the bumper and finally the hood has the occassional nick.I have a miniscule area also on the rear bumper where there is a tiny area of peel,too minor to notice or complain about.I wax at regular intervals and my vehicle still gives the appearance of being new.That said I think the paint on the fit could be of a higher quality.I also would recommend 3m paint protection film as a means to protect the most effected areas