Hi all!

My parents' 1991 Toyota Camry just broke down (296,000km ftw). I have a very poor/none knowledge of cars so I need some help.

My parents need a new car immediately. They will be using this for simple everyday tasks like groceries. They need good reliabilty/longevity/safety/fuel efficiency. My parents are on a tight budget so everything must be as cheap as possible.

Now we have to pick out a trim- DX or LX. Sport is out of the question.

Here's some questions I have:

1) DX or LX? Is the LX a better value for what it offers?
edit: I'm Canadian.
this is what I'm talking about:
Honda Canada

2) Any recommenced accessories and upgrades?

3) Is the fit a good choice for our needs? (would a civic be better?) Any other car recommendations?

4) How long can the fit last in terms of mileage/lifespan? Are resale values good?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

Resale values are one of the highest among all small cars. You can guarantee that the car will last you a long time as long as you maintain it with regular oil changes, transmission flushes, etc; because of the quality of car Honda puts out. With that said, there is no difference in the engine between the DX, LX, or Sport. All you are paying for in the different trim choices is the amenities. Thus, the trim is for you to decide. Do you want cruise control, fog lights, keyless entry, and etc;

Also, civic and the fit are not much different. If you want more power then go with the civic. If you want the extra cargo space, go with the fit. EPA readings for both cars are very similar, with the Fit edging the civic by one or two miles in city and highway.

 

i'm not 100% sure, but i think most people on here are from the US, where we only have "base" and "sport" models. i'm not too savvy on the differences between the DX and LX, but the base model we have in the states is still a pretty nice car. It gets ridiculously good gas mileage, it's more reliable than the sun, and probably one of the safest cars on the road. Standard antilock brakes, air bags... you name it.

As far as aftermarket mods and upgrades, there's a score of 'em for the Fit. You really couldnt ask for a better car if you're looking to modify.

The civic is a good car (in fact, it's now the best selling car in the US), but it's far less practical than the Fit. The Fit offers a huge amount of storage space for a car of its size, whether you're looking to put a 4-foot tall whatever in the back or a 7-foot surfboard (because i know you surf a lot in Canada), the Fit's got you covered. But the Civic is still a great car. It is a Honda, afterall, and you'll be happy with the civic if you get one. But if you're on a budget and the Fit Sport isn't even an option, the Civic is probably out of you price range also.

Good luck with your decision, let us know what you choose!

Doug

 

Not sure about the EX/LX thing in Canada, but I'd say go for the highest end one. EX I guess?

Don't buy anything from the dealers unless you can get them to give it to you for free. They're cheaper when you buy them separately online. ex. floor mats, trunk tray, turbo (jk), etc.

Not sure what your "needs" are, but the Fit is a great all around car. Just look at some of the links on the front page. Fit is the Best Price/Miles/Gallon, Car and Driver Top 10, #1 Yahoo Sub-Compact, etc. Lot of space, great mpg, looks great.

The Fit is a Honda. It will last forever if you take good care of it. I've met a lot of people whose Hondas have rolled over 200,000 miles. I think Toyotas and Hondas make the most reliable cars these days, but that's just my opinion. Resale value would be good because it's a small car. The smaller the car and the more expensive price gets, the more the car is worth. I'm not sure about over there in Canada, but over here in California they're selling out quick. Rarely does it seem like a Fit would sit on the dealer lot for more than a couple of days.

Good luck!

 

as i am from the us i don't know much about the dx and lx but what i remember the lx might be better bang for the buck, here we decided on the the sport because of the cruise control, as for mileage you will see mid to high 30mpg and sometimes into the 40's (sorry don't know the conversion to kilometres of the top of my head) Resale value of the fit is very good especially in this time of gas prices, also the civic is very similar to the fit we were looking at the 4 door civic we chose the fit because the rear head room and cargo space that it offered, hope this helped a little and good luck on your future purchase

 

Oh thanks for the quick replies guys!

I'm getting the Fit for sure now.

Can you please look through this list of upgrades/accessories and tell me what you'd recommend getting? I won't be getting anything that I can find cheaper elsewhere but are there any worthwhile upgrades?

http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/BuildYourHonda/step2.asp?L=E&ModelName=Fit&yr=2008&WebsessionID={ 4DBFFDD1-DB36-4740-9507-207D872BB2B8}



I have no idea of what would be useful and I don't even know what most of them are.

 

i'd get floor mats, maybe the rear cargo cover. most other things you'd probably be able to get aftermarket for a little less than the deal will charge you.

 

hi there Fuzzycow,

I'm from Ontario too, bought my LX Fit just a month ago. It was a no-brainer for me--the DX doesn't even have air conditioning as an option. Non-Canadians may think it's cold here all the time, but we know better, and there's no way I'm driving around on a sunny, 35°C, 80% humidity day without AC!!

Other things the LX has over the DX are power locks, power side mirrors, cruise control, two additional speakers, and.... well, that's it for built-in stuff. There are other options that aren't for the DX, like remote keyless entry, security system, etc. You've probably see the comparison chart, but here it is just in case.

I got manual transmission for my LX, which MSRP's for $17380. I managed to negotiate $725 off that price by pitting some local (Ottawa) dealers against each other over email, but didn't ask for or get offered any accessories.

On reflection though, I wish I'd gotten remote keyless entry thrown in, even if I didn't get as much of a discount.

Since your parents need it as cheap as possible, I'd forget about the OEM cargo cover. I'm also cheap (or at least, I don't believe the cargo cover is worth $250+tax!), so made a very cheap one for $15.

I might go with the all-season floor mats; I got a generic Michelin set on sale at Canadian Tire for $20, but it slides around a bit, even with an anti-slip pad I put underneath it. It hasn't affected my M/T clutching yet, but it's a concern.

There was a $1295 Pre-Delivery and Inspection charge, a $100 Air conditioner federal surcharge, and of course GST and PST on top of that.

Can't speak to lifespan or reliability of the car since I've had it less than a month . Edmunds.com did list the Fit as having the lowest "true cost to own" for its price range. Actual mileage on my first tank was 33 mpg, or 7.1 L/100km. Resale values in the USA are very good, in some cases selling above a new one (which I can't figure out ). We can expect this to continue as gas prices keep rising and fuel-efficient cars remain in demand.

If you're in the Ottawa area I can point you to the dealer I started with and ended up buying from. The particular salesman I had was pleasant to deal with, didn't try pushing accessories I didn't ask for, and even showed me their invoice price ($16337 for M/T LX at the time) and offered $500 off right away, without me even asking! Totally the opposite of every stereotype I've heard and was expecting. Of course, Fits are in even higher demand now so you might not get such a good deal.