Hello to all. I am seriously considering buying a 2013 Fit Sport, but my wife wants me to get an automatic so she can drive it once in a while. I have driven only stick for 30 years, but seems like she will make the call on this one. I know from what I have been researching online that the manual Fit Sport is better, but will I be sad/miserable behind the wheel of an automatic?

I have not made a final decision yet on the Fit. Other cars high on my list are 1. 2013 Accord Sport 2. 2013 Kia Soul + 3. 2012 Scion xb 4. 2013 Honda Civic Ex
For the most part I believe that a car should be able to do more than to get "you" from point A to point B, it should be able to move some stuff also. But if something like an Accord is a better value because of features and performance ( even though it costs a bit more }, I would be willing to sacrifice that utility which the hatches offer. Any thought or opinions?

Thanks for your time, Angelo

 

I drove stick for years. Got married, had a couple kids and drove a few automatics and really missed a manual transmission. I am really happy to be back to stick. It would make the cars you listed more engaging to drive.

 

The new Honda Accord is getting great reviews and the fact you can get a manual in a car that size is great. Still you wife may want a automatic I went through the same issue this time I got a manual transmission. She had to learn manual or she could not drive my Miata, either.

To me the looks of XB and Soul grows old fast and handling may not be the great depending how you drive. Of the two the Soul seems to be all over the place. The new XB is going to be at the NYC autoshow so you may want to wait.

Do not really know much about the Civic EX I am assuming the EX coupe since that offers a manual.

If it comes down to price the Accord and Civic depending on options could be $6 to $7k more.

Good luck car buying is such a personal choice.

 

Yes you will.



If you're getting an automatic get an Accord, at least you can have fun with the power (V6 only) and it has enough power and torque to not really care about downshifting, because you don't need to.

I just say this because of your background, lots of people are more than happy with their auto Fits, I just don't think YOU will be happy with it.

Go test drive one, report back.

 

Wanderer, are you happy with your Fit? I see that you have a manual. I am not sure that I was clear in my post. I seem to be excited about the practicality/cargo room of the Fit, but knowing the fact that my next purchase must be an automatic should I definitely look elsewhere or should I keep the Fit on my list? I have always driven stick just because they were always the cheapest to buy. 1992 Nissan Sentra, 2002 Hyundai Elantra (current car).

Thanks for your input, Angelo.

 

It sounds a lot like you haven't decided on what class of car you want, much less whether an auto or manual.

I'd ask the dealer to give you one for an extended test drive, say over a weekend. If they won't do this on a new unit, perhaps a recent year model used one (even better to know how they hold up after a couple of years).

I sat in a Civic and looked at the Accords, but the deciding factor for me was the hatch. That and it's a metro commuter for me. If I were on the highway all the time I'd probably go with a Civic or Accord.

Next time round I'd probably look more closely at what Mazda has to offer too. Corollas and Yaris turn me off.

 

There should be a lot of owners on the forum who drive automatics to give you their opinion of driving the fit. It is harder to get a manual transmission.

 

If you go with the Fit Sport auto it does at least have the option to put it in manual mode and shift with the paddle shifters. I find that using the paddle shifters does make the car feel peppier/more sporty and the tranny is quick to respond to the paddles.

-Dustin

 

Thanks Dustin. I never realized that it had the paddle shifters. All the video reviews I have watched were of the stick models. Do you use yours? If so, can you describe a little bit about how they work and when you feel that you need them? Are they for fun or function or both?

Thanks, Angelo.

 

I drove sticks for many years. I switched a few years ago to automatics [at least on SUVs (due to higher towing capacity)]. My Xterra is automatic. I now do alot more freeway cruise control driving in east Tennessee (hilly). A stick in a Fit would be about useless for this driving due to all the shifting and resetting of the cruise. That's my opinion, your results may vary. Steve244 mentioned Mazdas, my wife has a Mazda 3 (not Mazdaspeed) hatchback, It's a great car and will definately outperform a Fit, but less MPG.

 

The Fit WINS this one big-time !!!Its cargo space could just haul anything you could imagine...

 

I do think the Fit is still a good choice, even in automatic, if hauling stuff is a big point. If you do get an automatic spring for the sport so you can use the paddle shifters, they will come in handy and add a little more fun to the car. The base Fit automatic is a bit slower compared to the manual, so if getting the cheapest price is important that may be something to consider, as the Fit is already a slowish car and the base A/T makes it even slower. You will pay more for the sport.

I personally love my Fit. Base model just made more sense for me, but only because it was M/T, if I had to get an A/T I would have gotten the Sport, if only for the paddle shifters.

There's not a lot of cars as small as the Fit that can haul as much stuff.

 

Well, long term happiness with this car is going to take a couple of compromises. The big one: noise. It's small, light and thin. Power: I feel that the automatic version would not be powerful enough to be entertaining. Just barely on the cusp of that with the manual. That said, the manual with make you respect the car more in my opinion, and suits its high strung character a lot better. When people can't hear me on the phone on the highway, I just look down at the shifter, think about all the mods I've done, and lay into a corner or something. Quick reminder that a larger car simply can't do what the Fit can. Then I'm happy again. It's like a comfy Miata. If the car were quieter, while having the same weight/performance, then it would be that much better of a vehicle, and it's already stellar. My .02 If you like convertibles, you will like the Fit. You can really hear what's going on around you. Not a bad thing.. just not luxurious. You are shopping for a new Accord after all. Such a different vehicle.

 

My wife has a 12 Camry XLE similar in size to the Accord driving her car I could not imagine it having a manual transmission. ( a couple of years ago you could get a manual in the SE).

It seems like if you drove a manual for 30 years only, then your wife did not drive any your other cars. The last car I got my wife insisted on me getting a automatic for the same reason that your wife is. So I did, she may of driven the car all of 2 times over a 6 year period. So this time I went back to a manual transmission.

 

This thread makes me appreciate my girl a bit more...the one time I insisted she buy an Auto (it was a good deal on a temporary car), she complained non stop about it. Been all manuals for both of us otherwise.

I wouldn't think an auto Fit Sport would be a total disappointment. Sure it's not going to be fast, but it'll still handle like a go-kart and the utility of the hatch is great.

 

Personally this was the same reason we got an AT 2013 Sport. Personally I could care less if MT or AT but since I am getting older and lazy I have found I don't have a problem at all with the AT. But we also live in a fairly flat part of the country but I have used the paddles in sport mode to keep it in a gear so I was happy with that when needed.

 

I've driven my grandparents auto Fit. I hated it, felt sluggish and far removed. I was an occupant, not the driver.

The two manual Fits I've driven (my 08, my parent's '12) have both been worlds better.

Significantly better mpg as well, from what I've seen, Autos will average around 30, manuals around 40.

 

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I guess the best solution would be to test drive both. I planned on doing that today but we had a foot of snow here in the Cleveland area.Real world conditions might of helped in this case.

I am not looking to zip around town anymore, just get to where I am going in a safe/reliable way. I am trying to avoid that mid life crisis of wanting something bigger and faster. For me that would have been a Mazda Cx-5. I know, " that's not that big or fast" but for me and my conservative (base model) ways all my life, it would have been.
I am just hoping that an automatic will be just enough to satisfy me, because my wife wants to drive the new one every now and then and she can't drive stick. Angelo.

 

I have the 2007 MT and my wife has the 2009 AT with paddle shifters. For me the manual wins it. I rarely used the paddle shifters in her car. It just didn't feel... cool. With a faster car I can see why you need them, but in a slower Fit a stick shift feels far better. I would go for the Accord if you want to go AT.

 

I drove an '08 manual sport. The weather wasn't great, so I had to go easy with it. I bought a '10 auto sport. In two years of driving it, I have never found it lacking in power. We see some pretty steep hills, and loaded with gear, me, and my wife, it's just fine. I would rather have a clutch under my left foot, but the auto is appealing to me, too.

Get the auto fit. Your wife will be happy, and you will both enjoy the car.