i dont publicly advertise for other dealerships, just doesnt make sense for me to do so.

i'm going this for you as a favor as you are out of state and not in my market.

in either case, i answered your pm, just remember to call the numbers before heading down, locator shows the car in stock, even sold ones that havent been delivered.

 

You might want to drive the Sport automatic because it has a 5 speed manual mode that you control through paddles on the steering wheel just like Honda's racing cars. The automatic is almost as fast as the standard, gets about one mile per gallon less milage, and you don't have to shift when you are stuck in traffic. Also, you won't have to replace the clutch which might not last to 100,000 miles. If they will give it to you at the standard MSRP, then it's a steal.

 

I'm sure the AT is fine and dandy and the paddle shifters very cool but he wants a MT. For some of us that's pretty important. In his words it was a "Crushing Defeat". Sure the clutch may not last 100k especially for those of us who live in hilly environs, but our transmissions won't slip in the same way ATs can. We can all argue the merits of both, there are pluses and minuses to everything but it's not just a simple compromise for some.

There is no way I would've bought this car as an AT. I have a base and would've preferred getting the sport, but I can add all the other stuff later, the same can't be said for the transmission.

 

There's no way they would lose money. The invoice price is not what the dealership pays for the car.

 

Hold out for the one you want. I have waited for ever to get mine and I plan on keeping it a long time. It will be worth the wait.

 

UPDATE:

we went to our dealer this morning, and they basically said, "you're screwed." there wasn't an available Sport Manual within 500 miles, and they couldn't even take an order for one. as others have posted around here, they said that Honda just wasn't making any, and that none were in the pipeline (that hadn't already been sold), and that the absolute earliest we could expect a car was late September, but even that was unlikely. they were very apologetic, and as pissed as I am, i have to say i agree that there doesn't seem like there is much they can do. they freely offered to refund our deposit.

as we need a car sooner than later, my gf and i decided to give up on the Fit and start looking at other cars. the versa and the xA were the only things that at all matched our criteria, and the damn versa isn't even out yet, so we went to the xA dealer, test drove one and prepared to bite the bullet.

then i went home and got a tip from aywwsd, and i managed to locate a Silver Sport Manual in Portland, that just got delivered tonight. after at least 5 phone calls from two sales guys i finally got them to cut there MSRP overage by $1k. I am still paying over MSRP (i can't say how much as i'd rather not think about it, but it is substantial) but I am getting the car tomorrow. from what i can tell this was really our last chance to get one in the next 3 months, at minimum. being on the verge of being forced to buy an xA, it was an easy decision. we're just about to leave to the dealer to sign the contract and check out the car, wish us luck.

so glad to be getting a Fit and not an xA,

oregonfit


ps: how did Honda screw up this badly on predicting the demand for manual? it is kind of crazy.

pps: THANK YOU AYWWSD!

 

let me know how it turns out.

if possible, why dont you pm me what you paid?

 

Congratulations on getting the manual. I was hoping you wouldn't cave to the "it's just as good as a manual-the paddle-shifters are cool" crowd. The bottom line is, the auto isn't as good if you want the manual. I have driven a rented CVT equipped Jazz around Thailand a few times, and I can unequivically say it isn't even as close to as good as a manual. You stuck to your guns and got your car. Actually, that's MY car! I will be looking to buy the SS Sport 5MT when I get back to the states in December.

I sure hope by then, Honda will have adjusted their supply to align better with demand. This thread has scared the crap out of me. I might have my brother go to the local Honda dealer and order me a car three months before I step on the plane. I had to wait 8 months for my 81 1500GL, I don't want to go through that again.

Enjoy my (sorry-YOUR) Fit!

 

Congrats!!!!

Hope You Enyoi It As Much As I Am. I Don't Know If A Silver Was What You Want, But For Geting The Manual , I Had To Deal With The Taffeta, And It Already Won Me Up. I Even Gaot An Name For That Little Ugly Son Of A Odissey And An S2000. It Is Called "pokemon Hototoro R"

Anyway Congratulations!!!!!!

 

NEW UPDATE:

Oh boy, so, right after I posted last night, we got in the truck and started driving to Portland, and the dealer calls me, and of course, he sold the car out from under me, probably to someone who paid more. Yep. (That was Gladstone Honda in Portland) for those keeping track of where to avoid at any cost.

We decided to end the chain of misery that is trying to buy a Honda Fit Sport Manual right then and there and drove straight to the Scion dealer. Put our order in for the exact car we wanted, color tranny and all the options. still came out $1k less than the Fit (and $2.2k less than I was about to pay a scumbag dealer), and better yet, we'll have in less than a week. No hassle, no suffering. I still think the Fit is a better car, but the xA is mighty fine in it's own right, and I can actually buy one of those. We decided that we just wanted a cheap, solid, reliable, capable and effecient car, and on the road, in real life, that's what we'd be getting. New plan is to drive the xA around for a few years and then check out the hybrid Fit when it's available. Thanks everyone for the support and help. No thanks to Honda who has made some serious mistakes with this car release. (Keep in mind we ordered ours 3 days after they were available, and basically couldn't get one until September.)

see y'all in a couple of years,

oregon—absolutely-could-not-find-a—fit

 

so sorry to hear that. the scion is not a bad car, in fact it is a great one. just not what you ordered and that leaves a sour mouth taste. I myself almost end up like you but just got a little more luck, not dealer goodwill. Anyway enjoy it .

 

This is the saddest, most frustrating story ever. I am so sorry. I really hope you enjoy your xA, though. You deserve to enjoy SOME car...

 

I'm sorry to hear it, but don't blame Honda as a whole. It was your fool of a dealer that screwed this up for you. In fact I would call Honda if I were you and give them an earful about this. Dealers get incentives when they get satisfaction praise from their buyers and they take a hit when they do business the wrong way (I'd call about that Oregon dealer too while you're at it).

Good luck with the xA.

 

Well, Honda is the only one to blame for not having anywhere near enough cars for rollout, and especially for what appears to be a completely screwed ratio of manuals to autos. But yes, the dealers are also to blame.

 

such a shame.

My local dealer has a MT Black Fit that has been available for the past 3 days.

I'm waiting for a blue or orange one...I test drove the Black one, and it drives great for the tiny car that it is.

 

It's not that they guessed wrong, it's that they haven't adjusted the ratio to match what buyers want.

 

I didn't say they guessed wrong, and they shouldn't have been guessing in the first place. any decent market research or even polling these boards, or whatever, should have revealed that a 1.5/10 ratio was waaaaaay off. and to say they haven't adjusted is an understatement to the extreme. across the country delaers are turning away manual sport purchases because it will be 3+ months before any more will be available. if they got their act together, even today, which would be very late in the game, they could still get cars here before three months.

 

I'm sorry as well Oregonfit (or is that OregonXA now?) That truly is a mightmare car buying experience and I'm sorry you felt you had to go elsewhere. Did you need the car ASAP or is it the principal of the matter?

I might've done the same thing though. I liked the XA enough and was about to buy it when I discovered the Fit in Jan. I guess having the heads up helped me get my hands on the first shipments. But I'm sure you'll be happy w/the XA and like you said in a couple years if you're done w/it trade up to the new Fit or maybe some of us 1st gen NA Fit owners will be ready to sell if you prefer this version.

Good luck and who knows maybe in the next week that elusive black sport MT will fall from the sky.

 

By "guess" I actually had market research in mind. The problem may be compounded by Honda US insisting on a unique transmission (frankly I'd prefer the same gear ratios as rest of the world). In any case someone should be disembowelling themselves over this.

 

Well forums tend to be bad representations of the true market because the forums attract enthusiasts who tend to favor manual transmissions much more than the average population.