Hi gang , this is my first posting as I just found this group.
My wife and I drove a FIT this weekend and I was very impressed with the car A to Z. My wife liked it also , but she is kinda concerned about the small front end...small hood...no protection etc.....like not enough metal up there , ya get my drift ?
I explained the air bags etc but she is really worried about this.....I mean I don't want to buy this car and she'll be afraid to drive it or even to be in it.
This will be our every day car.....trips on the super slab....going to work....getting groceries do all car.
Hey , I loved the FIT.... but mamma is worried about its safety being so small.....should we be ?
Do you feel safe in your FIT in daily driving? And do other cars ( ppl) want to push you out of the way knowing the car is small and under powered compared to what they are driving.
Thanks BOB

 

People tend to overlook it from time to time, but the car isn't really underpowered. That all depends on what gear you are in too. I wouldn't be worried, the car has excellent crash test ratings in everything but a rear end collision.

 

2008 Honda Fit Safety & Crash Test Ratings at Motor Trend Buyer’s Guide Click For Info.



kthxbye

 

Have you showed her the 5star crash test rating for front passengers? I feel very safe in the during daily drive. The hood is somewhat short, but the dash is pretty big.
I never feel underpowered either, has more then enough to hang with traffic.

Tyler

 

We have the following from our Fit customers:
The fit is a small vehicle with the best driving manners but Big squashes Little so if your reason for the FIT is good mpg and excellent reliability the Fit is a best choice. All good mpg in town choices are small cars; the better ones like the Fit have good airbag protection.
The short hood also has good colapsibility, which means the front will collarse controllably to slow any deceleration of the passenger compartment which is protection for you. The slower you decelerate the better you will be. If you go head-on into a wall at 60 mph even controlled collapsibility wont help.
If a small car makes you nervous there are bigger cars but you will pay the price in gas costs. Never compare highway mpg. compare city mpg to get a fair idea of what it will cost to driveOne advantage of the Fit is the quickness to get away from an impending incident unlike the slower reacting larger cars. You and your wife will have to work that out.

PS Do I feel safe. Yes, but I drove a 1889 Geo Metro xFi for 19 years and 200k miles without fear; the Fit is a step ahead in technology. And unless you have a lot of hills the Fit will do fine. If its hilly try using the sport mode; it shifts less.

 

I can say, from a crash standpoint, my Fit is definitely safer than the Suzuki Samurai it replaced. Does that help??????

Probably not but there are plenty of Yaris', Aveo's, Matrix's and other econoboxes of the same ilk on the roads these days. I get an infrequent jerk who decides a small car deserves a little abuse but I haven't found any significant increase in the overall amount of bad driving in DC traffic - there will be jerks no matter what you drive. That experience might differ a little in 'pickup-centric' societies though. Others from those regions of the country will have to provide their experiences.

 

hey, the Fit doesn't tip over all on its own.

my FitS is my dd. i feel safe in it. i have owned many different cars,
but this car does not seem any less safe.

dont let size fool you. there was a comparo between a MINI and a
some full sized domestic pickup. the domestic pickup failed miserably
during a crash.

 

well the Fit has a 5 star safety rating as mentioned before, do cars treat u like crap? yes usually the soccer-moms in SUV's that are oblivious to u... but on the plus side, the Fit is extreamly nimble... i have been able to avoid several crashes alltogether due to the Fits handling.... mine is a DD and i feel extreamly safe in it!

 

i also feel pretty safe in my fit.

there are some other threads showing the damage some fits have endured in accidents posted from articles and whatnot, and while the car is destroyed, passengers have been ok.

 

Seven air bags, excellent crash test ratings, standard antilock brakes, legendary Honda engine block collapsibility.....I feel safer in this car than I did in my '94 Acura Integra which was substantially heavier and had a much bigger front end. Your wife, sadly, apparently has been conditioned to buy into the American bigger-is-better mythology that has filled our highways with urban assault vehicles. That doesn't mean that subcompacts are unsafe, not with current air bag and automotive design technology. Also, remember that the Fit, because of its design, is exceedingly nimble and with quick reflexes you can actually avoid/get around many potential accidents that you wouldn't be able to with a larger car.

As for acceleration and so forth, I have had no problems along I-95, I-270, I-70, and I-495 in the Baltimore/Washington area except for some mild hesitation going up steep hills in western Maryland in 4th & 5th gear (I have a manual, which I strongly recommend for this car). No trouble whatsoever merging with oncoming highway speed traffic; in fact, I was as surprised as anyone that that was the case. Car & Driver, in their review of the 07 Fit, said that the only car that beat the Fit in their lane changing category was a Ferrari.

I have to say that the Fit is prone to a little shaking around when you're driving into strong winds (20-30 mph or so), but no more than any other hatchback is.

Overall, no safety worries whatsoever and very pleasantly surprised at the strong acceleration capabilities at highway speed with MT. Hope this helps.

 

First off, I feel totally safe in my fit. A drunk driver turned left through an intersection on a red light right in front of me last December. I hit him on the right side fender/hood at about 40 MPH. Aside from the normal fender/hood damage, the only real result was a slightly bent front rail. Fits may look small, but they're tough.

Also, with the manual , when cars try to push you around, you simply out-maneuver them. Just because lots of people drive 300 HP monsters doesn't mean they drive them fast or well.

 

i don't feel as safe in my fit as compared to my older bigger car.. but guess it's just normal.. but crash tests speak for itself.. you should go to that national highway crash test site.. i actually went there to ease my concerns.. they actually go through and explain what 5 stars mean and 4 stars and 3 stars.. each star down i believe corresponds to likelyhood in percentages how much you likely/unlikely to get injured.. 3 star is not too good.. and they are very good about ratings..even so specific about timing of airbag deployment, seconds late.. and might determine bad rating depending in the way in helps with impact.. the fit is small.. but if you're driving it.. it feels pretty heavy weighted.. also.. if she has a long commute with alot of hills.. she will feel underpowered driving the fit.. if it's flat commute should be fine.. but it is 109 horsepower.. so don't expect 125? get it?.. gl

 

The Fit is a safe car to drive. The only 'safety' thing that bothered me is when a strong gust of wind decides to blow my little car sideways. But after it happens its not a surprise anymore and you adjust to it.

You are fighting perception more than reality. Women love SUVs cause the size makes them feel safer. The reality is that SUVs are among the unsafest vehicles on the road. Sadly if your wife bases her decision on her feelings no facts we can give you will do a damn bit of good.

 

National Highway Traffic Safety

Check out that link...compared to smaller cars in its class like the Versa, Yaris, and the Aveo, it has better ratings.

 

Great post generally, but if you are concerned with safety, I would advise against merging with oncoming traffic.

 

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...its-loses.html

 

enough said......just drive defensively.......

 

Well gang , thanks for all the reply and info on the FIT.
I really loved the car when I drove it a few weeks ago as it was my first choice.....but my wife wanted to look at other cars.
Well , I drove the Scion tc...Honda Civic 2 dr( was my second choice over the FIT) Toyota Corolla.....Yaris.....and finally the Camry. My wife fell in love with the Camry , but my wallet could not do a new Camry.........soooo we ended up with a used 2005 36k 4dr 4cyl Camry.....yepppp it's in my garage.
I love the FIT and what it stands for and I will continue to be a member here and check this group daily and droll LOL.
Again , thanks gang......BOB
I shrug my shoulders..........

 

Chin up buddy, the Camry is also a nice car and is reliable. Family comes first and im sure it is more comfortable since it is a bigger car with bigger seats. The Camry will give you roughly 24/34mpg and will last a long time if taken care of.

BTW what color is the camry anyways?

 

Dark Blue , you can see every speck of dust on it haaaaaaa.

Hey whats a good wax or glaze to use on a dark car like this so it won't show all the swirl marks ?

Talk'n about cars listen to this........
I missed a 89 Toyota Supra turbo/ targa top, auto ( original mint ) from the South.....0 to 60 in 6.5 sec.....120k miles.
Old fella sold it for $3300......this has kept me up many nights just pouting.
OOOOHHHH well........BOB