Fit's are pretty easy to come by in my area. Huntsville got 7 Fits today. None appeared to be pre-sold.

I don't expect a huge demand until gas hits at least $4.00/gal, which might not take long.

I wasn't as impressed as I thought I might be. Nothing revolutionary in my opinion. The seats are cool, Honda engine is nice, but it doesn't inspire me to spend $6,000 or more than a Chevy Aveo or Suzuki(10 year warranty).

Maybe my mind will change after I see a few on the road.

 

Are you kidding me? I've not looked at the Aveo or Aerio closely, but from what I've seen on the road...there is no comparison.

 

I sort of agree with blazer. I test drove it today with my wife and was not impressed as much as I hoped to be. Yes it has plenty of room but the carpet looked like a mat and the zip just didn't seem to be there. I actually think it wasn't as quick as my civic stick hybrid. but there isn't much else out there for the reliability and money.

 

Did you even drive the 2006 Aveo? I took one out for a spin, and kept checking to see if the hand brake was still on. It was slow, unrefined, handled like a wet noodle and the interior was tiny.

And if you equip an Aveo similarly to a Fit, the price difference isn't 6,000$, more like 1,500$.

 

Compared to what?...is the first question of any financial negotiation.

For Blazer Deli- I agree with your "don't pay over MSRP" advice, but the ****ysis behind it isn't exactly exhaustive (eg. 1. need to buy a car; 2. test drive everything in the category; 3. make a fully informed decision).

Besides...(you're going to hate me...sorry...) but the whole marketing push for the Honda Fit is based on making fun of mullets, and isn't Alabama the ancestral home of those haircuts? Sorry, late here, cocktails etc. But it figures that the coasts are gonna be crawling with so-called hipsters who dig the Fit vibe, and the red states are going to respond with a collective "so what?." Doesn't Alabama have the cheapest gasoline in the nation right now?

Sorry, not to focus on you (or your good advice)! I just visited four Honda dealers in my area, and see all the lazy rascals have finally gotten around to pasting $1500 markup stickers on the remaining Fit inventory on their lots. Mind you, the sales monkeys STILL cannot accurately demo the Magic Seats (apparently having ditched the info portion of the recent salesperson demo day and headed directly for the free lunch), and nobody at the stores knows pricing for the accessories.

"Pimping ain't easy" ~ Big Daddy Kane

Props to the folks who wear white shirts and shove metal down Americans' throats. Tin Men (and ladies), at least the sneaky Nihon-jin are paying some Yankee salaries. Nevertheless, Fred Sanford said "I don't just have a white dentist...he's Jewish!"

If a black comic, famous for blue material, can comment incisively on US race perceptions...then any silly American who cannot cool their jets long enough for the (very brief, imho) price bubble in favor of the Honda Fit to passover, then to heck with you. What's the diff...you pay a few hunnies over retail. The moon will retain it's orbit, your kids will keep under achieving. Or not. *smile*

 

gcomstock: There are two things you have to remember:

1. Red Foxx died a long time ago.

2. It's only ok to be a racist and make racist remarks if you are not white. If you aren't it's not only condoned, it's encouraged. If you are, the PC community will string you up.

 

From pics i saw, the insides look like it was made of styrofoam.

 

i agree, the interior on the aveo is cheap and made of plastic.

 

Yes it is, but my g/f's Aveo cost $8500 w/ ac and an automatic. The Fit is a better car, but it is not a good deal. I got my '02 Civic Si (since sold) for $15980 - a lot more car for the money also.

And still, I consider replacing the Aveo with a Fit...

 

...Who's gotten it for under MSRP, which model, and by how much thus far? Post your results here.

Personally, I'd have no problems getting it at MSRP right about now at 1 dealership,..at another I saw them stripping 3 of them down already (the 2nd day they had them, the 19th) and getting ready to put their own stuff on them (for markups, obviously).

 

Hey if you guys are paying way over MSRP... Go to the dealers on this site and buy one and have it shipped

 

I bought mine 4-19 and as soon as it rolled off the truck it was quickly marked up $1500. I told them I would be fair, no haggling over price and just pay the MSRP. (I mean, on the 19th the car wasn't even supposed to be out yet) At first the sales guy said he would take off half of the mark-up because I was the first walk-in (non pre-order) and I laughed in his face. As I walked out he quickly agreed on MSRP.

As far as getting one below MSRP, you can do it, you'd just have to wait a little while for the buzz to go down.

-THE DON

 

And there is a buzz, because as we did the paperwork on ours, at least 3 people came and tried to test drive it. That was 1 day before the official launch and updated Honda site.

-THE DON

 

Is this habit of marking up over MSRP a behaviour that occurs a lot down in the US? Even 2 weeks before the Canadian release I don't recall any dealerships marking it above MSRP...

 

In So. Cal. yes. They still have the new Civics marked up

-THE DON

 

Part of the reason they mark up is so that they can still take $3,000 off of the car and make a profit. Because of all the rebates everybody is so used to huge discounts that they want to feel they got a lot off on the car.

 

Your 8500$ Aveo with AC and automatic must be a stripped down model, with maybe 2 airbags and that’s all. The Fit isn’t a stripped down model, and has a much better build quality. Its list of standard features and safety features and higher quality interior place it well above the Aveo. If $$ is your only concern, then the Aveo is the best deal for you.

I know in Canada the 2002-2005 Civic Si (SiR here) wasn’t a success, and the sticker price was more than the 2007 Fit Sport with AT. IMO Honda shouldn’t have even bothered bringing that Civic to North America. I wasn’t impressed by it.

 

If more people would refuse to pay for the additional dealer markup, it'd go away!

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE should refuse to pay dealer markups. I know it's a supply and demand thing, but if people refused to pay it, dealers wouldn't do it anymore.

Sorry, it's just frustrating.

 

Time will tell, but I don't see the 1st gen Fit making the impact on America that most on this board think.

Regular unleaded is $2.97 down the street, and GM just reported a "better" loss than expected due to increased sales of SUVs and trucks. Honestly, I can't believe people are still buying SUVs and trucks, but they are.

The average American is not as consumer saavy as an individual posting on an enthusiast site like this. That is why I can compare the Aveo and Suzuki to the Fit. We know the features are superior on the Fit. But to the average American, all three cars I have mentioned look very similar except for the price.

I am quite sure the Fit will sell on the coasts, but I've given you a view from the heartland.

 

I agree with you.

-THE DON