I've been trying to figure out whether i should get a fit or a toyota yaris. I will be selling my WRX because it wastes to much gas and im in college so im looking for something to save me money.

The Yaris seems to be a little cheaper which is great but the interior is also somewhat tackier. It does not come with a tachometer ( 5sp LB) so i would have to buy and install one. The handling also doesnt seems as good as the fit so i would most likely have to do some suspension work. But on the upside is has somewhat better MPG.

It seems like the fit has better handling and interior quality but lacks MPG compared to the yaris. I've been looking at used fits but many are over MSRP!!! Did you guys pay under MSRP or atleast at it for a new fit? Im looking at a base 5sp so what kind of prices did you all pay? It seems like the main benefit (for me) with the Sport model is just the cruise control, so i am curious if anyone has installed an aftermarket one. Im worried that i will end up with not so great MPG as this car is heavier than the yaris. Any suggestions, thanks.

 

I'm extremely happy with the Fit. I paid UNDER MSRP for a new '08 5MT Fit Sport. If you do a search there are a few threads with what people paid, but I think I paid 15.4k.

Cruise control was a must for me, that's why I got the Sport trim.

 

In on one...good question. I'm looking into both of these cars for the wifey, so I'm curious to get people's view on these cars.

 

i would say Fit > Yaris
good looking, more room, interior and function, and more

 

i looked at both these cars before i bought the fit. my take was this, if you just want a low priced but new/newer car to basically get your from point A to point B in an economical fashion, get the yaris.

if you are willing to sacrifice a little bit of economics for something that looks nicer, handles well, and has more space, go for the fit.

for me it was between the top end fit or the low end yaris. the top end yaris loses in all aspects to the fit and to me is not worth the money. however the cheapest yaris was about 11k gets what, about 40mpg. what a friggin deal.

measure whats important to you.

 

Thanks for all the responses, i was looking at the what people paid forums and it seems like i'd be to get under MSRP. As for selling my current car privately vs. trading it in i will get alot more cash and a salesman told me i could get tax credit even if i sold it privately. He told me to bring the buyer of my car into the dealership to make the deal and do the paperwork then he could give me tax credit. Does this actually happen?

 

I have an '08 Fit Sport and like some things about it and dislike other things. My mileage in town has only been about 22 mpg which I think is disappointing. On the road at 70 mph, it improves to about 34 mpg, but that is still less than my old '97 Civic which always got 36-38 mpg or more.

My Fit also has a VERY irritating dash rattle that seems to be not unusual in this vehicle. The rattle almost goes away when the temp is 50 degreee F or above as apparently the plastic in the dash expands enough to reduce the squeak and rattle of plastic on plastic. I did expect better materials and fit from Honda, but maybe this is too much to ask given the Fit's relatively low price.

On the plus side, the Fit is an extraordinarily capable handling vehicle. In the wet and in the snow, it handles very predictably. In the dry, it's just on rails with little body lean and a very, very solid feel at all times. Road feel is quite good, and you can place the Fit exactly where you want it on the road. It's also narrow enough that I can avoid most of the curbside potholes and still stay in my lane. I also like the higher driving position as it puts me in a little better position with all the monster SUVs on the road. In my beloved old Civic I was looking at hubcaps of other vehicles most of the time.

The interior is OK but the nonwoven floor covering is a little disappointing and cheap looking and front leg room is somewhat restricted as you might expect in a vehicle this size. The steering wheel controls are excellent though, and the gauges are simply outstanding. Radio and heater controls are very easy to operate and have none of the little tiny buttons that other systems use.

So, I hate the rattles and am somewhat disappointed in the mileage, but I really like the driving position, the interior room and the superb handling. I would have paid extra for some nicer carpet, some increased sound deadening and some better plastic in the dash, but I guess the marketing guys thought that not enough of us would do that and cut some corners in areas they thought wouldn't matter to most buyers.

The paddle shifters on my automatic Sport are just a marketing gimmick in my opinion as I've found no real use for them other than as a play thing. Just leaving the transmission in the normal "drive" position works well enough that there isn't much need for the sport "manual" mode. I quit using it after the initial play period. They could have left that off and given me better plastic and carpet and I would have been quite happy.

So, the Fit is like most things in life; not perfect, but not bad either. It has some really nice features and some that are a little disappointing. I wish it were a hatchback Civic, but Honda didn't ask me before making their model line decisions.

 

You have to look at things very personally. I went from a VW Golf to a Fit, and before I did I researched the hell out of the cars in this class. From what I've read and seen you get more for the money with the Fit, and it is worth it over the Yaris.

First off for me, reliability. Fit's projected reliability is rock solid. It beats the Yaris there.

Second is safety. Yaris has optional air bag configurations you have to pay extra for. The Fit has a higher crash rating with more safety features standard to all the models (not just the higher end one).

Base versus Sport is really just about aesthetics and a couple of extra items like the better stereo, the cruise control, keyless door entry, and the paddles (which are fun sometimes, but not too practical unless you live in a city with a lot of hills).

Look at both, and most importantly drive both to compare. I thought the handling and feel of the Fit suited me better. It matched my driving to a tee, and so there was no contest against the Yaris.

But then again, what was the name of the site again? I am a FitFreak, and I love my car. I'm biased. But look at Consumer Reports, Car and Driver, and many of the popular comparisons. They are biased too - for the Fit. It's won all sorts of awards, and has more critical praise than the Yaris.

 

you come into a fit forum to ask which one is better for you...

WELL obviously we chose the fit, since we are on this forum.


i say fit because the yaris looks like a platypus on 4 wheels. the fit looks really good with minimal work to it( ie drop).


for gas mileage and function it does it jobs. just get a fit, you wont regret doing so.

 

FIT all the way............

 

Also, keep in mind that the Fit does have 6 airbags standard, as well as ABS standard. ABS, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags are all optional on the Yaris.

I believe that safety is also something to look at in a new car.

 

Yaris has that fugly instrumentation panel smack in the middle, wth were the designers thinking?
Very inconvenient and again, fugly.
Go with the Fit.