FWIW, the VSA is on all 4 wheels. All wheel drive helps you go forward, VSA helps you go straight.

 

The Fit does get decent ratings in crash tests. The front and side air bags should be plenty in a fender bender.

But, lets be honest; it IS a little car. No matter how many protective devices they put on it, a small car is going to come out on the losing side of a run-in with a larger vehicle.

I feel like I am safe if I get tapped from behind at a light or bumped in the parking lot. But, if I rear-end a semi, I will probably be a goner. And, being t-boned by someone running a light at speed doesn't seem too healthy for me either.

I think that my Fit is a GREAT communter car. But, I probably wouldn't have bought it if I was a real 'road warrior' or had small kids in it all of the time.

 

I always get nervous around 18 wheelers as they cant see me all the time. Even vans and stuff you have to watch out for!

 

Even in parking lots! I try to park out a little further in the lot and pull through, so I won't have to back out. I am 'flying' blind trying to back up from between vans/suvs.

 

You need to be aware that if you can't see the side view mirror glass of a vehicle, you are in their blind spot and need to either pass them or fall back some.

 

And if you can see their mirrors it only means they CAN see you, not that they WILL see you.

 

People that drive the large barges a lot of the time will look you in the eye and still you won't register with them because you aren't a threat to them...This accounts for all of the first time Harley owners dressing to appear intimidating to these same people and as ridiculous as it may sound people give them room and they register as a threat.

 

Thanks, Pooks! It's nice to read a car-to-car comparison between the 2002 CR-V and the Fit.

Ford sold Volvo to a Chinese company called Geely in Aug 2010, so it's yet another step removed from its Swedish roots. It may be wishful thinking on my part that we could do again what we did in 1999: buy a two-year-old Volvo with 25K miles on it and have a fantastic car for the next decade!

After talking all weekend, I think we are going to table the new car discussion for awhile, rent a full-size car for our March road trip and see how that goes. If we're just talking about the mister's 1-mile commute every day, the Volvo may last us for another ten years!

The Pilot was another on my "short list" but somehow it seems bigger than the MDX -- which may be a perception problem on my part, since I haven't compared the specs on the two. Also, I guess we KNOW the MDX is comfortable, having been in my brother's. I've been in a friend's Pilot and it feels more trucklike, somehow. Again, that may just be a perception issue. I had to climb up into it, which the MDX didn't require.

 

i feel very safe in my fit, some lady hit me while i was sitting at a red light, even though her car was a big fucking boat, my fit was not really badly damaged, i even drove it to the mechanics for the repairs. she was going about 40miles ahour and hit my front driver bumper, cracked headlight, completely destroyed fog light, dented hood, and badly dented bumper. her car was really bad, whole bumper was off the car and her headlights, if i was in my 92 integra i think it would alot worse

 

>His commute is less than a mile each way


this would be the only concern. battery will not get enough charge, your oil temps will be low often that could introduce moisture.

my wife uses my 2yr old 09' to pickup kids often and the distance is like a mile. ive noticed that the battery is weak on that car vs my 08 which i drive at least 10miles each way daily....and on cold days drive 4k rpm for some duration on purpose to heat up the oil nicely to rid moisture in the engine and the exhaust system.

as for snow, just get some snow tires. i use Bridgestone WS60's. they work great.

 

I believe they are safe to a degree. I had a 2008 SSM A/T that was totaled last week. I was on my way to school when a Dodge Ram P/U rear ended me, pushed me up on a median and thru a sign. He was going about 35-40 mph and I was all most at a stop. The air bags did not deploy and there was no interior intrusion. I had a slightly sprained back. I agree that in a serious accident involving a large vehicle than it might not fare as well. I thought the damage was repairable...so when the body works people told me that it was a write off I was shocked. They told me it was due to the unibody construction *shrug*. I loved my Fit so much that I went and got a 2011 TW Sport A/T within a week of the accident. I was grinning ear to ear when I drove it off the lot...6 miles on the odo fresh off the boat!

 

If we're ta;ling about the overall safety of the vehicle, I unfortunately took mine off a huge ditch (20ft) in a place called garden of the gods. A lot of gravel played into this, anyway when the tow truck came to pull her up I was literally able to drive her home same night, so issues with alignment or suspension, nothing broken. very solid car. I also had the front and rear sway bars which help tremendously

 

For a car that seems so small, it isn't all that lightweight. My previous ride, a 2000 Saturn SL (MT), had a curb weight of 2332 pounds, while the 2010 Fit base model (also MT) tips the scale at 2489.

I never felt unsafe in the Saturn, but I feel safer in the Fit, mostly due to the better handling.

 

I feel safe in the fit because of its maneuverability.
OTOH, I never felt comfortable with the baby seat in the rear, so I put it in the middle to give it the most space.

 

i feel fine in mine (08 sport). it handles fairly well and you've got a crap ton of airbags. my previous ride is a 98 saturn sc2 and i felt fine in that as well. guy pulled in front of me and slammed the brakes on the interstate and i rear ended him at about 20. crumpled the hood and smashed the headlights but car still drives fine and dandy.

i imagine if a saturn can handle a wreck a newer honda can. i don't worry too much about rigs or big trucks or any land yachts really. other than rigs larger vehicles are starting to disappear and with gas continuing to climb and not getting any cheaper you'll start seeing folks jumping into mid/compact/sub compact over the ugly suvs they were buying a few years ago.

i wouldn't worry and don't.

 

Do you feel safe in your Fit?

Yes.

Next question.