Didn't notice this posted anywhere else.

Consumer Reports recently ran a 'Best Values' article. Guess what came out on top? The Honda Fit Sport M/T.

This was followed by the Honda Civic EX M/T, a tie between the Honda Fit base (A/T) and Toyota Prius (IV), and the Volkswagen Golf TDI (M/T).

Scores were generated via '5 year owner cost', road test score, and predicted reliability.

But we all knew this already

 

Here's a link to the video review Car value information from Consumer Reports

 

yay! FIT is WIN.

 

Yeah, I read this article too and subscribe to the paper magazine (April 2010). Further, Honda is deemed "most reliable" manufacturer overall. The Honda Fit tops their list of "best values" and they estimate the total cost of operation at about $0.42 per mile. In the sub-compact hatchback category they crown the Fit Sport (MT) as #1 in class, citing it's fuel economy, handling, space utilization, cargo flexibility, crash-test results, and reliability. They also mention it as the top "standout hatchback" when seeking "practicality on a budget". Later in the magazine's model-profile section it's (not surprisingly) "recommended". We must all be really smart!

 

42 cents a mile sounds outrageous to a person that remembers the VW Beetle TV commercial claiming "Two pennies a mile"......The oil on a Beetle was to be changed every 1500 miles, the valves adjusted every 3000 miles, the belt needed frequent attention and most mechanics wouldn't touch them because they didn't have metric wrenches..... A guy that could work on one cheaper than the dealerships made good money for that era and the VW owners did better than 2 pennies a mile.

 

I suspect CR is figuring fuel, maintainance, insurance, depreciation, and everything else imaginable into that "$0.42/mile" figure. I suspect that VW was just figuring fuel, oil and maybe tires. Then too, the dollar doesn't go as far today.

My Dad owned a '59 Karmann-Ghia VW from '59 to '63 (he traded it for a Corvair). It was a cool car, and probably started my lifelong love of small cars.

 

True Gary, they included insurance and depreciation in this calculation (I doubt VW did BITD.) Then again Coyote, it's apples and oranges since the times have changed my friend. I'm paying over $3.00 a gallon in the great state of NorCal. Meanwhile, it's funny you both mentioned VW-- my first car was a '62 Karmann Ghia-- for sure a lot of fun for the money. Can you say 4-wheel drift? My grandma let me learn to drive using it on her farm property with nothing but a bunch of dirt roads!

 

I started with a Studebaker Lark VIII followed by a couple of Austin Healeys and then VWs, and lots of other good, bad and ugly driving experiences.