Hope no one minds my long post . . .

I have an 11-yr old Saturn (bought new) which I expect to be replacing in a year. For the longest time, I thought the Prius would be the next car for me. But, before the Toyota issues erupted, I decided against getting the Prius for purely economic reasons. Still wanting to be green (and liking the thought of a car that was small inside but roomy (enough) inside, I put the Insight, Yaris, Versa, and Fit on my list (in that order).

I decided I still wanted a small car but wanted the versatility a hatchback would give me. The Fit was last due to its slightly high price and exterior looks. I was willing to pay more for the Insight for the green factor. The Versa was bigger than a Yaris but the look was mediocre. I liked the way the Yaris 5-dr LB looks, but was concerned by the small cargo room (seats up 9.32 cubic feet/ seats down 25.7) compared to the Versa and Fit. Also, the crash ratings were a tad lower than the Fit's.

After visiting an auto show and sitting in the cars, the Fit became my first choice. What sold me was the room in the back seats and the interior seemed more refined than either the Yaris or Versa. Well worth the extra money upfront. And the Magic Seats opens up a lot of possibilities. The Insight was nice on the outside, but I thought it lacked room for back passengers.

I posted a similar message on a Yaris thread elsewhere. The topic was why the Yaris was better than the Fit. I wanted to respond with some rationality on why the Fit might be a good choice since their postings against the Fit seemed primarily based on how the Fit looks. The Fit may look like a minivan, but after a while, the looks do grow on you.

I'm not trying to instigate anything on the Yaris forum. I'm just interested to hear what other cars members here considered getting and why they eventually chose the Fit. I did a search on this forum for "yaris" but didn't find any relevant threads. Hope this thread isn't redundant. Thanks.

 

I only looked at Prius'es, (Prii?) but drove a Fit in the midst of all the crazy about Toyotas (about two weeks ago) and fell in love with it. I have not driven a Yaris, mainly because I'm sort of staying away from Toyota for a while til they get their story straight, so I can't compare those two. I did watch videos and read reviews til my eyes bugged out, and finally decided to test drive a Fit because it seemed to be the best choice just based on reviews.

I totally fell in love with it.....I liked it so much better than the Prius as far as driving goes, and I have two children and they have tons of room in the back.

I guess I don't care too much about how it looks....most of my friends have mini-vans and station wagons of some type, and so I feel like I have the cool car.

 

I considered a Yaris, glad I didn't buy one. The magic seat and low floor pan is worth any more paid for a Fit. I've had my Fit almost 3 years, if I had to buy a car tomorrow (I don't), it would be a Fit.

 

We looked at: Fit, Yaris, Versa, Aveo, Accent and Rio. The only two that we gave serious consideration to were the Yaris and the Fit. We almost bought a Yaris the day before I bought my Fit, but the salesdroid wasted our time.

The Versa has a lot of nice features for the price but just looks ugly, IMHO. Its base price was more than what I wanted to spend, too. The Aveo was just a "let's drop by and see" since I really didn't want to drive a Daewoo (aside: A friend works for 5th/3rd and they won't finance them, PERIOD). The Accent was just plain fugly, and the sales guy kept trying to get us to buy an Elantra instead.

I drove two Rios and was thoroughly impressed with both the Auto and Manual trans versions. The fact that EVERYTHING on a Rio is an option (just try finding that $9,990 car they advertise) and its Korean origins turned me off. The local dealer also tacks on a 'security' system utilizing a RFID fob that costs them maybe $50 to install. They want $1500 for that. That said, I would seriously consider something from the Kia line for my wife's car.

My wife liked the Yaris, but I didn't like the center dash, radio, or the engine. Interior room (sedan) was nice, but the materials used seemed rather cheap. With the whole family in the car, we took a ride out to the Interstate and ran it up to 70. I thought the engine was going to buzz apart, it was so noisy. My Fit, by comparison, is quieter at 100 (per the GPS) than the Yaris is at 60. At the time, the only options with the Yaris were 3 or 4 door. The 5 door didn't hit until later. The 3 door version does not have the room behind the seats that the Fit does, although the sedan does have a nice trunk. The 5 door Yaris sacrifices even more storage space than the 3 door to get those rear doors to actually be usable.

If you need even more storage and seating, I might suggest that you also take a look at the Mazda5

 

My wife was driving a 4Runner we had owned for 10 years when we went shopping a year ago for a replacement. We were thinking along the lines of a Rav4 or a Honda CRV. We were at the Honda dealer and had gone thru a long conversation with the salesman about the CRV and as we were leaving there was a Fit on the showroom floor. My wife thought it looked "cute". She opened the door and got in the drivers seat and that with a test drive was all it took. We've had it a year now and are very happy with our decision. Plus, compared to what we had set out looking for we loved the price.

 

Kia Soul
Ford Fusion
Mazda 3HB
Honda Civic

 

The other car I was considering before buying the Fit was a new WRX, just because of fun factor and sheer power! Buuut, the reason I bought a new car was because my SUV was eating gas so a WRX wouldn't have made much sense. And because I didn't want to end up like my buddy. Who like me, works an 8-5 monday to friday and goes to school full time except he shells out $500 a month for payments on his STI and an extra couple hundred I'd imagine, for insurance. I on the other hand only shell out about $375 a month for both; car payment, and insurance. The fit doesn't have the power but sure is fun =]

 

To the OP. Please do yourself a favor and test drive all the cars in your list then decide. Sitting down in a car in a car show is not the only basis of selecting the best car without a test drive. Just my honest opinion.

 

We were looking for a small, but roomy car, no longer than our 2003 Subaru Forester.

Considered, and test driven: Mazda3 hatch (before they uglified it with the fish mouth), Prius, Matrix/Vibe

If I had known about the Soul, I would have at least looked. VW turbodiesel was tempting, except for the price and historically poor VW reliability record. They say they have addressed the reliability problem, but we won't know for sure until after 2012.

Considered, but too big: Mazda5, Subaru Forester

Not even considered: Yaris, Scion, Versa, Cube, Mini

 

My first choice was a Prius, mainly because I thought Toyota dealers would
be giving them away with the current dilemma they're in. I thought that
would give us buyers who understood there's nothing to fear an advantage in the showroom. The Toyota dealership I visited though was still hanging on to their Prius's like they were gold

Since I have connections with a Honda dealer I thought I'd check out the Civic Hybrid, Insight and Fit there. The Civic Hybrid turned me off because I couldn't fold down the rear seat supposedly because of its battery. That means the Fit has a lot more luggage space than the Civic Hybrid.

I was interested in the Insight too or the poor man's Prius They didn't have any in stock there though So I decided to my surprise on the Fit. Even though my Altima had such toys as heated seats, 6 CD player, sunroof, leather, garage remote control + compass rearview mirror, Smart Key & push button starting, I was happy to get rid of the boat which I inherited. I don't like big cars and the way that thing handled was very Buick like I disliked parking it, especially since the 94 Sentra SE-R I owned before it was much easier. I only wish I found a Fit with a manual tranny, I just can't live with slush boxes. At least I'm back to my motorcycle this time of year and get to choose the gears

 

On my long list:
Yaris, Versa, Matrix, Fit, Hyundai Elantra Touring

I eliminated the Yaris because it's too small and I don't like the looks much. My friend has the 3 door hatchback, and a double stroller pretty much takes up the whole cargo space with the rear seat up. I looked at the 4 door hatchback and didn't think it had any more space. As you said, the crash test ratings weren't that great.

The Versa is alright on space, but the rear seat doesn't fold flat, and it has slightly poorer gas mileage.

The Matrix didn't seem to have much more room than the Fit, but had poorer mileage.

So those three were out. Then came the Fit and the Elantra Touring. The Elantra touring is a LOT of car for the money, though it may be bigger than what you're looking for. Pretty close in price to the Fit (the Edmunds TMV for the base Elantra Touring is a little less than the Fit sport, the SE trim of the Touring is about 1k more than a Fit Sport, but it comes with a sunroof). Also has standard stability control, which is only available on the top-end Fit. Has a more compliant ride than the Fit Sport, though it's not as tossable and the steering is almost as bad as Toyota's. I would probably would have gotten it except that I was too tall for the car; even with the seat all the way down, my eyes were level with the top of the windshield, and I couldn't lean the seat back because of my short arms :-/. And the gas mileage is lower, of course.

So that is my journey to get a Fit .

 

Okay I'll pitch in.

Here's my list before I decided on my GD3.

1st choice: 2004-2008 Honda element - I was amazed with the space it gives, how nice the exterior looks, I like the handling very much, the visibility is amazing, the water proof floor and seats and the seat configurations which can also be turned into a bed. I love the leg room on front and rear. The rear sunroof is perfect when the seats are laid down. The rear seats can be folded and stored on the side which I can put bicycles in it without removing the fron wheels. The seats are also comfortable(front and back), the visibility is good, easy to get in and out(except in a tight parking spot), looks like a manly truck. I test drove about 3-4 elements because it was so fun to drive. Honda Fit was not in my taste because it was too small, I test drove one and it handled good. Eventhough the Fit was okay it's still not in my list. When I test drove an element, the dealer and I did not agree with the price and I just decided to get a Fit which I'm glad I did but I still get excited when I see Elements on the road. The only downfall is the gas mileage.

2nd Choice: 2008 Scion XB. It is okay although I found the seat not all that comfortable like what the Element have. I test drove the XB and I was impressed but not as impressed when I test drove the Element. Fuel economy is descent and better than the element. I like the black and orange accent inside.

3rd Choice: Scion XD. I did not drive this one but it seems okay, when I went to see this car my heart was already on the Fit because of the rear seat folds flat.

4th Choice: 2005 Scion XB I test drove this car, I was impressed with the interior but not with the acceleration maybe because I was driving it carefully because the salesman is with me when I drove the XB. I found this car very sluggish and I was not impress with the rear seats folded(not flat)

5th Choice: 2008 Honda Civic. I test drove an LX with manual transmission and it was fun to drive(automatic is boring). I almost went with this car but after thinking that its not a hatchback my mind it on the Fit again.

6th Choice: Toyota Yaris. Its cheaper and that's about it. I did not get to see/test this car.

I have more but I can't think of it right now. My main goal when i was shopping to buy a new car is to get a car that is econonical, cheap and has lots of room.

 

I was also looking at the VW Jetta TDI (2010) but decided not to spend the extra coin. I'm now getting experiencing buyers remorse somewhat after last week. Took the car for a long drive from NorCal to SoCal (all highway miles via the I-5). Had it on cruise control the whole way set at 75 MPH (but had to drop it to 65 MPH when I was going up the grapevine because the car just didn't have the power to maintain it).

My fuel fill log states 331.7 miles traveled, took 10.2 gallons to fill back up giving me around 32.5 miles per gallon (the trip computer said 33.5 mpg). Started in Berkeley, the fuel gauge warning light didn't turn on till around Pyramid Lake, and I was already sweating bricks by the time I reached Magic Mountain Parkway to finally gas up.

The TDI's are supposed to be getting around 42-50 Miles Per Gallon highway and has 240 ft/lbs of torque making the climb easy. I can just imagine what will have happen if I have three passengers with me trying to climb up the grapevine (or through the I-15 going to Vegas) - big rig truck drivers will probably flip me off.

It's definitely un-nerving when the car is piddling (climbing) without any power to spare just in case one needs to pass Reminded me of Scotty's phrase in Trek - "I can't give her any more, Captain!".

 

I was looking at a GTI a Yaris and a XB (1st Gen) heres why i chose the fit although i could afford any one of these cars this is why they were disqualified.

GTI-German maintenance is a good deal more expensive and happens a lot more frequently. I loved how ballsy it was but at the time i bought my fit gas was 4 dollars a gallon and i wasnt having 4.20 gallons of Premium gas

Yaris- the yaris seemed fine but a little more flimsy than the fit sport. it was a good deal cheaper but the stick shift in it was a club HUGE and i wasnt feeling it. also the cargo space in the hatch is so small

XB- The xb was my first choice except for 2 things A) like the yaris the stick is a club and its kinda sluggish feeling (no aero dynamics) And B) When i was ready to buy a new car and i EMPHASIZE NEW the xb had a new generation and personally i think the new ones are god freaking awefull.

THE END

 

I drove the Fit only once and fell in love with it! I actually didn't want anything else after that for my daily driver

 

I agree, and appreciate your suggestion.

 

We were looking for the third car in the family (for two drivers) and we already have Mazda5.
For those who does not have Mazda5 this is much more car for the comparible amount of money. Unless you are going to save on gas on daily basis.

Toyota Matrix with 1.8 is comparible to Fit but not better, besides we traded 2005 Matrix for Mazda5 and did not want to repeat ourselfes.

In the beginning we were thinking to have this third car for my wife as daily car (and keep her Odyssesy on the side of the driveway for family trips only) and we were thinking about Xb or Mazda3 hatchback.
Both of them are good cars and they are very serious competitors in my eyes to Fit Sport.
But at some point we decided to save few dollars and get the car for the person who makes the greatest daily milage - myself.

And in this case I did not have many competitors in my mind - I test drove Fit in 2006, when they just came out and was quietly in love since.

The only thing I concedered too was XD, mostly because of resale value and 100%japanese. But after I tried to sit on it's short driver seat I never came back to it.

Besides, it was a great deal on Fit and I would not find anything for less - maybe Accent or Rio, but definetely nothing better.

 

Coming from a Subaru WRX wagon, I wanted to retain the hatchback but increase my gas mileage.

So I breifly considered the new Impreza but figured that trading in an old Subie for a new Subie wasn't going to accomplish much on the gas mileage front, and I didn't want/like the N/A version, so I moved on.

I then looked at the Versa because there is a Nissan dealer around the corner from where I work and thought I'd drop in. Although I think the Versa is fugly as all hell, I took it for a test drive anyway and was further unimpressed. The steering feels like it's attached to the wheels via jell-o and the brakes and clutch were equally as disconnected. Although the Versa feels like you're sitting in a Crown Vic in the back seat (tons of leg room), the penalty is in the cargo area where there basically is none. Does ride fairly smoothly though.

Next I drove a Matrix. The Matrix was (relatively) quiet, and had a good deal of torque (drove the 2.4 l version). The steering wasn't great in the Matrix either and although the car is fairly big on the outside it's quite small on the inside. I couldn't get the bike trailer for my son in the cargo area so I moved on again.

I had basically given up looking for a replacement when I ended up going to Honda on a whim to check out the Fit. I had originally written it off because I figured that it would be too small, especially after driving the other two vehicles, however when I opened the doors and hatch I was pleasantly surprised. So I took it for a spin and immediately knew that it would be perfect. The engine was lively and like to rev, the steering was quick and tight, the interior seemed out of place in a car as inexpensive as it was, and it had all the room I needed. The handling was heads and tails above the Versa and the Matrix as well, even with the wide 17" tires on the Matrix.

Anyway, picked up my Sport last fall and haven't looked back since. Although I did miss my Subie during the first snowfall this winter.

 

You guys are going to think Im crazy but here are the actual cars I was looking into. Yes I wound up going with a new at the time 09 manual Fit sport. I was in an 06 RSX-S at the time I was switching.



06 Wrangler V6 4x4 manual

06 350z Hardtop or convertible manual

09 Fit sport manual

09 Ridgeline rts v6 4x4 crew cab auto

09 Civic Si manual

09 Ranger v6 4x4 XLT

09 Tacoma v6 crew cab trd off road pkg + towing pkg

 

Wow...that's a diverse list you got there.