Well after reading the forum and other sites and most all of the articles available...

I did a compare of the other possible choices and it appears that the FIT is the leader..

My reason for getting a new car is
a. Need better gas mileage
b. Need easier access for my parents to get in out (Long story...they are in the late 80s)

Current vehilce is a Jeep Liberty (It is the 3rd Jeep in 20 plus years). Love the Jeep, love its versatility, not really into off roading.

Fit cargo space is great. Had two test drives and it was good.

Pending Issues

1. No Tow Bar (not looking to tow but I need it for a bike [RECUMBENT].
a. Roof Rack may be option for the bike
b. Alternate use (I hope not) but may need to assist parents and one may have to have a motorized cart
2. Riding Comfort for long distances (Road Trip)...
a. Change Seats, at least driver's seat?
b. Change Suspension?
3. Its not a Jeep (Something I have to get over after having Jeeps for over 20 plus years)
4. Hybrid on the horizon?
a. Increased mileage - a great thing
b. What will happen to the cargo space? Floor Higher?
c. Will it be 2007 or 2008 or 2009

5. Gas Mileage as reported by many seems to vary widely which means??

Any ideas or solutions would be appreciated. I have a few links saved from other threads on possible solutions.

 

you wont be able to change the drivers seat.
Over the gas tank.

 

I dont see why you cant change the drivers seat. It's doable. Not cheap though.

 

yea that

 

1. no idea there, i havent ridden a bike since elementry. i've seen some pics of bike without front wheel in the back seats, not sure how easy it is to take the front wheel off bikes.
2. cost very much, but doable.
3. of course without the room of a jeep, or the off roading ability, but with better just about everything else.
4. at least not for a few years. if it will happen, im going to guess sometime in 2010+.
5. driving habits, driving ability, road conditions, traffic conditions. under normal driving/conditions, you'd see mid/high 20s in the city, low/mid 30s in the freeway.

if you need the cargo room of the fit, get it. if not, consider getting a civic instead.

 

They say the hybrid is a long way off but they also say that the Insight engine is an exact fit so I'm not sure it will be that far away. Definately will not have as much cargo space.

There are airbags in the front seats, not sure if you knew.

What do you mean about change suspension? For comfort? I don't think the aftermarket addresses this well--suspension changes usually mean worse ride quality. Some coilover setups increase wheel travel but are usually much stiffer. I think you would get improved comfort with a tire change---perhaps going down to 13" wheels. You would loose handling and braking performance.

I'm sure a shop could outfit the car with a box receiver tow hitch (with a load bearing disclaimer!) I don't think you'd want to hoist the cart onto the roof!

I have been watching the mpg threads myself and it seems like the variation in mpg is based on driving style. Car and Driver got a combined mpg of 35. What I have seen is that the Fit's WORST mpg is better than its competitors best (when you are comparing simlar 5-door vehicles with cargo capacity). The Fit has the capacity of a mini-ute but none of them get good mpg.

What about a Prius for you?

 

I will answer where I can
1 The Honda Jazz in Europe has an after market fit towbar available both from Honda and from third party suppliers. Not sure if it would fit the US Fit because rear bumper may be different (front certainly is). You could try importing or wait until one comes available in US
1a - same with roof rack - but that should definately fit the US Fit - try searching on Ebay UK's site (use .co.uk rather than .com) to find suppliers.
2a - I don't have a problem so not sure why you are worried. They aint armchairs but then it is a small car.
2b - why?
3 - no it aint that for sure - not a lot anybody can do about that other than sell you a jeep badge to stick on it
4 - I am still not convinced the present type of hybrids makes either economic or ecological sense. A cynic might suggest that at present they are just a sop to conciences of film stars??

The saving in mpg is small. In real life use you will save much more mpg just by moving from a "gas guzzling" jeep to a supercompact like the Fit than you will moving from Fit to Fit hybrid. So how long does it take to pay off the additional capital costs?

And I would be interested in seeing what the real ecological resource balance is with hybrids, i.e. comparing the additional carbon fuels used to manufacture and maintain them with the real saving in carbon fuel when using them over their lifetime. You have to remember that you charge them with electricity most of which is generated by ..... carbon fuel.

Would be interested to see any (truly independent) research figures on this to see if my hunch is correct.

 

Thanks for the responses..

Going to the dealer either today or tomorrow to take some measurements. If I can get the Power Scooter to go through the back hatch (figure a small ramp) then the issue on tow bar may be dead, I will go with a roof rack for the bike. (Heck even with the jeep and the seats down the bike barely fits unless I take the front wheel off and seat).

Small car yes, the ride seemed fine on the two test drives. In fact the salesperson has a course layout to drive, it requires all right hand turns but two. It included 10 plus miles of highway driving including some inclines and some city driving with hills and shrap turns. I did notice the surface noise on the highway but then I hear that and feel it to some extent with the Jeep. I would say the fit was a bit more sensitive to the bumps...

Good idea, just change the emblems so it says Jeep... But the cargo space seems to match my needs and I don't really have a need for the off road stuff anymore.

I am still wondering if there is a real source that could give hard data on the hybrids (cargo space, when they would be available, etc.). Guess I need to continue to look.

The FIT would cut my fuel cost almost in half, using low end numbers that some have reported. That is a good thing. I was going to add that I don't run a vehicle hard, but remembering a number of post of those who found it fun and actually drove more than before, I probably shouldn't say I wouldn't do that, at least not yet....

Got get another test drive set up and do some measurements.

Thanks

 

If you take the front wheels off you can get the bikes in anyway - either in front of the back seats (when their bases are lifted) or in the back with the backs seats fully down. Trouble is when they are put in after a muddy ride.

Glad you liked my idea with the Jeep badge

Can you persuade the salesman to go where you want to go? If so try some rough roads (potholes etc), as some people have complained that the ride gets a bit choppy - I find it fine. Being smaller and lighter than the Jeep it will not absorb the bumps as well.

When we were looking the salesman just took our licence details and handed us the keys - said he would not need to go with us because the car would sell itself - and it did. So we gave it a good test for an hour or so.

 

hi martee! just wanted to add my two cents...

i traded in my liberty for the fit and i'm very pleased. (you're a bit ahead of me...but i've been a jeep girl since i learned to drive 10 years ago!) i thought i'd miss the truck feel/jeep thang...but i don't. not a bit.

one of the biggest plusses is the fit's cargo space. now, the jeep may seem roomier, but i know that the model i had (a 2002) had rear seats that didn't fold completely flat. this was always a bit of a pain...and now that i'm moving next month i'm thrilled to have the fit's magic seats. boxes and boxes and more boxes!

also...just a point to consider with the hybrids: i just double checked the civic brochure (so handy to work at a dealership!) and the seats do NOT fold down. i can't figure out how this would work in a fit hybird. i think it would rob the car of much of it's versatility. (hmm. maybe they're planning the fit/aria/hybrid?) not to mention peterc10's point about additional upfront cost.

good luck!