Here is a little info about me.

I have been a member of forums for years. I'm 22 and live in NY. I currently have a 2006 Honda Accord EXL V6 5at. We bought it in August of 2009 certified used with 20,000 miles on it. The car was SOOO tight and amazing from the beginning. I have loved the car since the beginning, and I have tried my best to take care of it, and some people even call me crazy and OCD.... but I am a car guy and this is like my child.

I was going to school 5 hours away from home and drive a lot, so in 21 months, my car now has just under 64,000 miles. That translates to more than 22,000 miles a year.

But anyway, NY has the worst roads I've ever driven on, now at ~64k miles, I have already had the compliance bushings in the control arms replaced because they were completely torn, I need struts all the way around, ball joints in the front, and damper fork bushings in the front.

I'm going to end up installing the HFP suspension, and replace all the bushings/balljoints as necessary hopefully before this winter hits. From now on however, my car will not be daily driven on the streets of NYC as a result of all of this, nor will it be driven in the winter. Nice cars can't be daily driven in NYC if you plan on keeping it nice.

Anyway, I'm graduating EMT school at the end of this August, and I will be working on an ambulance within a month or so after... My goal is to have my own place with a garage by the end of the year, and hopefully even have my Accord all fixed by then. Either way, it will sit in the garage all winter, and even in good weather, it will be driven when and where I decide... Not just because I need a car to commute.

But by the beginning of next summer, I hope to buy another car I can use as a DD. That is where this site comes in to play.

I will want an inexpensive, gas sipping, practical, not extremely boring car for a DD to get to and from work and such, and also in the winter (I will buy winter tires). Of all the subcompacts, I really like the 2009+ Honda fit. I like the 2009+ alot better than the previous gen (although I've never driven either). However, I have browsed the local dealerships' sites and I've seen some 2008 Fit's with 20-40k miles for $12,xxx certified used, and when its time to buy a car next summer, the cheaper, the better....

Anyway, now that you know why I want one, and what I'm looking for in one.... What are the pros and cons of each gen? And what do some of you recommend for me?

Thank you

 

If you buy a Fit you will never drive the Accord again! I have a 2009 and absolutely love it and of all the cars I've owned, I'd have to say it is my favorite. There is essentially nothing that won't fit in it, gets great gas mileage and is quite zippy and fun to drive.

 

I have had a 1st generation Fit 2 months shy of 5 years.. I haven't driven a 2nd generation car but my wife has and said it was slow. She chose a new Forester instead.. I have found that the 2nd cars are very slightly more difficult to work on and others have said they aren't as much fun to drive... I do think they are a lot better looking and there is a lot of after market products becoming available for them so I'm certainly not saying one is better than the other.

 

Even though I haven't driven the Fit, I disagree with the first sentence.

My Accord has 244hp. I have done a retrofit to the headlights, installed a 17mm TL rear sway bar in place of the OEM 14mm one, I'm going to have HFP suspension which will make it even better in corners, I have Redline Racing Type F trans fluid (which has no Friction modifiers to wear the tranny down unlike the Honda Z1 stuff), Mobil 1 in the engine, and other misc. mods I've done. Its no sports car, but it is and will be a mildly sporty sedan. Which is really all I need it to be.

Basically telling you that my Accord is my pride and joy, and it is fun in its own right. I am also 6'2", and small cars aren't exactly my forte. However, I have heard how the Fit handles and all the other stuff that comes with it, and I have thought about the practicality of keeping the Accord in the garage while DD-ing a more practical car, and whether eventually it would be cost effective to sell the Accord, but the Accord has its place with me, and I still think at the end of the day, the Accord will take precedent, as it is also not the most impractical car. The leather and all other features don't hurt either.

But again, I do realize that the Fit is fun in its own right as well. I want to test drive one. I'll do that soon.
From what I've read and seen in reviews, the 2nd gen should be a slightly better handling car. Also, the engine has something like 10 more hp, which can easily be negated by extra weight so I'm not entirely too sure on that point. But I think the 2nd gen looks a little more "grown up" somehow.

Your 1st gen.... Have you had any issues at all?

 

Before you get too far into your research...

Visit a dealer and without going for a full blown test drive sit in the driver's seat and see how you feel at the wheel.

For some, with any vehicle, that can be the show stopper right there. I do know it has been for me with several vehicles. Personally, I am good in my Fit and like the more upright driving position.

 

I'll get to the dealer this week sometime. I've read something on here about an upright position with the seating or something but I'm not sure what exactly is meant by that... I mean, don't all seats these days recline?

I don't gangster lean or anything, but I'm just curious.

 

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Your 1st gen.... Have you had any issues at all?[/QUOTE]

Well my car has pretty low mileage, almost 38000 miles. It tends to wear out front tires very quickly and the clutch slips a little going into 2nd gear if I am able to get traction but only when on boost . Other than those two things I have just serviced it like I would any other car with a supercharged engine and adjust the belt when needed. Based on what I've read about the 2006 Accord with the 3.0 liter V6 I'm pretty sure I would embarrass anyone that thought that it would be possible to embarrass me late at night on an uninhabited stretch of road. It is really a very sturdy little car.

 

Well comparing a supercharged Fit to N/A Accord is really apples to oranges. Because now you're talking about power to weight ratios. If you're talking about cornering, then yeah, the fit is little and light. It will corner better. But they are two different classes of cars. The Accord is hands down more "car" IMO. But the Fit is good at what it does from what I've read.

I'm looking forward to the HFP suspension paired with the TL RSB to be a good corner-er... I rode in a 2004 V6 6mt coupe with HFP and TL-S front and rear sways, and the owner says the Accord handles better than his old Integra GSR with mods. It did corner/handle very well. I'm not saying mine is going to be like that because I don't have the same setup, but mine will be pretty competent. Will it be able to beat a fit cornering-wise? Not sure... I'm not claiming it will... I don't know enough about the fit or how my car in particular will be after these suspension changes... But I will say my Accord will be very competent. But yes, in stock form, the Accord is not near what the Fit is corner-wise from what I've read. Again, I haven't experienced a fit to make a subjective comparison.

I'm assuming your clutch slipping issue is because you're boosted correct?

 

Upright like a kitchen or dining room chair as compared to a recliner.

I like the upright position as it provides good visibility all around and makes me feel like I'm in charge... lol.

 

When someone says a seating position is more or less upright it usually refers to how high the seat feels from the floor is, not the angle of the seat back.

For example, an SUV feels a lot more "upright" than say a 370Z because the SUV has seats that sit high up off the floor while the Z has much lower rails that put the seat relatively close to the ground. Kind of like the difference between a regular chair (SUV) and a bean bag (sports car) - one puts you high off the floor and with straight legs and back while the other puts you lower down and stretched out. This greatly affects your relation to the controls and has a subjective effect also - a less upright seating position feels "sportier".

I have an SUV and a sports car in addition to my Fit. The Fit is in between the two in terms of uprightness and although it's far from fully upright like my SUV it is far from being low and snug like my sports car. To me it's a nice comfy seating position but it certainly won't fool you into thinking you're in a race car.

 

Yeah, I am very sure that it is the power increase that is causing the clutch to slip... I would not be surprised if your Accord wouldn't handle better than a Fit that was stock or had anything less than what you will have on yours... I don't race but I like to drive rather fast on desolate rural roads when the farmers aren't hauling hay or moving their tractors from place to place... Unlike some small econoboxes the Fits are pretty sweet at high speeds and as tall as they are seem to be pretty slick aerodynamically.. I kind of miss having to use the gearbox to keep my speed up since doing the supercharger.. If I drive it in a spirited manner now I will end up under the jail house.

 

Ok I understand a lot more now. Thank you
Well if the Fit truly does corner that well and I end up getting one, I guess I will have a pretty fun DD. Although there aren't many rural roads with corners in NYC. I'm a car guy, so having 2 cars I like (Even if one is miniature), will be better than having one I like and one I deal with.

 

I love my fit, but for long distance driving, my 04 Accord (EX with Leather) is the way to go. That said, anything less than 2 hours and I'll pick the Fit. But for driving in a straight line on the interstate, the Accord sure has the creature comforts down.

 

Camry are the way to go for highway.

 

Yeah. To me, the Fit seems like a good fuel efficient city commuter car, a good first car, a good canvas for tuning/customizing, etc....

But for me, a good all purpose, pretty much luxury, smooth, fast, more grownup car is the Accord. That is how I view the 2.

Its interesting you say the Accord is better for long trips, because I plan to use the Fit for shorter stuff in general anyway. So that works. Hmmm I'm getting more and more intrigued to check one of these Fit's out.

 

To me Camry is more for city too (like the Fit). The Camry has a very soft suspension which is better for bumpy roads and such...

My Accord's steering is very tight and precise (when all the suspension components are working properly ), and I've noticed the Camry's is not... It is more assisted and less direct... To me, that would get annoying and I'd have to correct the steering wheel much more often as a result and It would take alot of the joy of driving out of the equation for me. I like very precise steering.

But on the flip side of that, my Accord's suspension is more firm and less comfortable in the city. There are tradeoffs with anything... Which is why I would want a DD for the city... Hence the Fit

 

An accord for the highway and a fit for local driving would be my ideal combination.

I think you will like the steering on the fit it is quick and precise. It's a nimble enjoyable car to drive. While it clearly is no powerhouse it is a quick and responsive car (I'm speaking of the manual, I'll let others address the auto), well geared for city/local driving. Seat comfort is the weak spot for fit. Some have no problem but others have various complaints. This probably won't be a problem if you don't take long trips in it. There are various threads about the seats on this site, you might check them out.

I'm 6' 2" as well. Headroom is ample. I could wear a pretty tall hat while sitting in the fit if I wanted too. I find the newer generation easier to get in and out of then the previous generation. Not by a whole lot, but I don't have to duck when I get in, a rare experience for me. I have adequate leg room but I have a 30 - 31 inch inseam, if yours is longer it may be an issue.

It appears you understand the trade offs involved in downsizing to a subcompact, so if you can accept the fit for what it is, I think you may really like it. You might even like it better then your accord when driving in the city where its virtues shine. On the open road of course, the accord will still reign supreme. The right tools for two different jobs. Something of a dream team in my opinion.

 

I'm reading so many good things about Accords I'm thinking I need to check out the market on used ones...At my age I'm in need of a little pampering... I seldom drive very much but I have a lot of medical appointments that have me driving 4 to 6 hours round trip.. The only Accord I've owned was an 82 model with automatic transmission.. The thing was the most trouble free car I had ever seen and rugged enough to take down a telephone pole only insuring the idiot in the passenger seat that hated to wear seat belts... My Fit is a high performance luxury car compared to what it was but taking all things into consideration, the later model Accords have to be very nice and the ones with all of the horns, buttons and leather seats sound amazing... I want a coupe.

 

Before my FIT, I tend to slouch into my previous Accord bucket seat.. resulting in chronic neck issues and back pain.

After being forced by FIT to seat upright since I bought my FIT in Aug 2010, I found that my neck and back issues magically disappeared after about 2 months driving my FIT..... saving me about $720 a year in medical fees ($60 x 1 hr x 12 annual chiropractor sessions) apart from saving another $1,000 a year in fuel compared to my accord.

I am not saying that the FIT is medical car for everybody.. but it somehow works for me medically as well reaping the other benefits experienced by others

 

FWIW, both the Fit and the Accord have been on Car and Driver's 10 Best cars since they were released. I don't find the Accord to be nearly as much "fun" as the Fit, but mine is also a 4 cylinder sedan. And it still beats most cars I've driven.