Here's what I can say.
My Dad this past year did buy a 4 cylinder Toyota Rav 4. And he has been VERY disappointed in the gas mileage. He's averaging 18 mpg.

Recently he helped me move some stuff. He brought his RAV 4.

With his seats folded down...I'll admit he had a little more room for hauling than my Honda Fit......but very little more room.

My Dad was very impressed with how much cargo space I had in my Honda Fit when I folded the seats down. Plus the flat load floor.

Add to that, that The Fit has the option of folding the seats UP...to make a tall load area...and while being smaller, overall it makes it more versatile.

But the clincher? I actually GET the project MPG on my Honda Fit. Meanwhile my Dad bemoans the fact that he got the 4 cylinder for a gas mileage saving he is not seeing. Infact his statement is, had he known? He would of gotten the 6 cylinder.

 

My wife drives a 1996 RAV4 (the year they were introduced!) and we have had ZERO problems with it. All we've done is routine maintenance.

 

"I want something that's good on gas, is a breeze to park, and can haul a lot of stuff when I drive back and forth to and from my parents house."

I bought my Honda Fit, when they first came out in 2006, and still have it. It is the Best Car I have ever had. My Fit does everything you listed you want. As far as Safety, which your father wants, the Fit has 6 air bags to protect you.
Floyd Boat. 64 years old

 

I have a 2007 with 230,000 miles. I have only had normal maintenance work done on the car!! No probs whatsoever ! Love it!

 

If your dad is not paying for it, why does it matter?

 

I had a 2002 Rav4 AWD for about 8 years and I never had any problems with it, one of the best cars I've ever owned. Over that period I replaced one battery, brake pads, and did the regular oil changes... that's it. It had about 80k miles on it when I sold it and I bought a 2010 AWD V6 RAV4. They consistently get top ratings on Consumer Reports, etc. so don't judge things by a few posts on a Honda forum! It has a lot of carrying room in the back, more than most of the other bigger SUVs, if you need the room, and it gets good mileage.. I got about 22 in town and about 30 on the highway. The AWD works great. Like the Fit, used ones get premium prices.
If you don't need a car that big, I think the Fit is the best deal around, great mileage, lots of room inside, and really fun to drive along with excellent reliability.

 

My sister has a 2011 Rav4 V6 sport, sure it has power but its boring to drive, rides choppy and bumpy, factory carpets (not the mats) are cheap as hell and creeks and rattles all over already with only 25k miles. She paid 31k for a loaded otherwise a piece of crap. The brakes are already giving out (making grinding sounds) too. What im shocked is how noisy the car is, my fit is quieter at highway speeds then the Rav4. She is considering buying a Fit now that she has seen how well my Fit rides, comfort, fuel economy and utility of it.

 

...and everyone overlooks the main factor.

All I will say is that among the classes of car (subcompact, compact, mid-size, etc.) crash ratings are only relative to the standards set by that class. A 5 star rated Fit is not as safe as a 5 star rated pickup truck in a collision. Physics wins. If you will be doing a lot of high speed travel, especially at night, then I might reconsider. Otherwise, especially in the city, it's a very safe car for it's weight and class.

The car itself, from a technical standpoint, and a competitive one, is stellar. You will not find another package like it when it comes to being able to haul cargo. I'm almost positive it has more cubic feet of storage than the Toyota.

Have you considered a Ford Focus? They have some good financing deals going on right now. I wouldn't count on it to be as reliable or well put together as the Fit, but it's a larger car, and probably more comfortable, safer and quieter while still getting some good mileage. I like the way they look, but haven't drive one.

My other alternate recommendation would be the new 2014 Kia Forte that will be on sale in a few months. It may be way out of range on price, but has a similar thing going on as your old TC and looks like it's going to be a winner. Especially the 4 door hatch. Lots of whiz-bang techno stuff going on with that car for the money. Will be good to go for years to come when it comes to in-car tech.

You really can't go wrong with the Fit though. Amazing car with very few flaws. Just know what it is, and what it is not. It is not a very heavy car. It's not super-technologically advanced (read: reliable) and it's not quiet, smooth, and steady in high winds.

 

The thing is though, speaking of physics.. all your doing when bring a larger car to the accident is introducing more energy that needs to be dissipated.

That and the chance of braking/swerving around it in the first place is greater with the smaller more agile vehicle.. provided the meat interface is working and paying attention.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with the agility factor. I have avoided 2 or 3 collisions in the car.

As for physics, it situational. Getting whacked will just knock the car around, yeah. But what if there is another car in the way (pileup) or a wall? There is a lot of computer aided engineering in the Honda's structure, but they can only do so well with what they got. Funny thing is, despite a full sized GMC truck as being the safest car on the road right now in a collision, it probably has the highest vehicular deaths per million incidents. Why? Rollovers. Safest cars on the road statistically, for maintaining your life, are hefty, preferably German, sedans. Driver demographics plays into it too, so it's a tough thing to sort out because of the grey matter factor, but one that fascinates me. For instance, when it comes to pickup rollovers, where are they most driven and by who? Yep, bubba is in the country barreling down the road at night with a 6 pack in the passenger seat and deer everywhere.

 

If you are doing "real" research such as test drives and comparing real world fuel economy and insurance, you can say that you have learned how to MAKE a better decision. At 19 I made some crappy decisions too. But you can be proud that you learned that you made a bad decision with the Scion and now you're the wiser for what you know (think) that you want. Growing older is a journey rife with bad decisions and the best gauge of how well you're doing is how well you can say you've learned what to do or not do in a situation, and also how you know yourself. If you can say "my priorities now are better mileage/parking/interior space" etc then you can say you have some confidence in your decision. Plus, your priorities can change over time. When I was 19 all I wanted was a cool car that was fast (bought an old Trans Am). And now (age 38) I really like better fuel mileage and better reliability. But I also have a newer Trans Am only for sunny days. ;-)
Maybe he'll be more sway-able with some well argued (and true) philosophy and self reflection.

 

My 2010 V6 Sort is much quieter at speed than my 09 Fit and is not falling apart and the brakes are fine. It has almost 60K miles on it and only the battery has failed and a set of brake pads and tires were replaced. Sort of a biased comment, but to each his own.
I also love our 09 Fit, but it's a completely differnt kind of vehicle.. they each have streengths and weakeness. In the Fit, getting up a long freeway hill with even only one passenger or trying to pass is a high rev, very noisy experience and ground clearance is a problem on any off road, or only slight off road trips.
Each has it's plus and minuses.
Yes, OP, the Fit is a great car and I know you have decided on one or your wouldn't be asking the question on a Fit forum, right?

 

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and input!

My Dad and I ran some errands earlier today and, while he was in a good mood, we decided to stop into the Honda dealership next to us. We spoke to a sales rep and both he and my Dad were impressed with the amount of info I already had on the car. They only had 2 used Fits in stock so I choose to look at the 2012. We took it for a test drive out on the highway and Main Street and it handled great during lunchtime traffic.

I love it even more than I did before, if that's even possible. I made my Dad drive it too, just so he could get a feel for it. He admitted that it does seem like a good car for what I need, and he could see me driving this for a long time. He said it was a fun drive and he likes how spacious it is. We're both on the tall side so I knew he'd like that. He's even thinking about downgrading from his Lexus SUV because the gas is killing him and he likes the feel of the fit. So...mission accomplished? Haha I still plan on sending him this thread, but hopefully I think today clenched it for him

He may even help me pay for the one we drove today! I was only planning on spending around 11k but he may go halfsies with me on the 16k 2012 model. I'm excited!!

 

sweet! car def sells itself on a test drive...mission accomplished lol

 

The RAV4 is DEF not quieter, ive driven it in many times, once to Vegas as well, the V6 makes nasty growling noises like a old GM 2.8 from the Chevy celebrity or that droning v6 noise Tacomas make. The ride quality feels like its on coilovers, its quiet jarring on rough roads and the seats are hard as rocks. Everything rattles inside the car, so many rattles in soo many places i dont even know where to start. Her Rav4 sounds almost like it has a aftermarket exhaust because all the noises it makes, i haven't been in any other Rav4 so its hard to compare but i think its not good for how much $$ is paid. It has alot of power for sure but by no means was it or ever was even remotely as nice as my 03 4Runner Limited w/ 160k miles was. If it makes any difference her Rav was Canadian made, i know there is a Japan made Rav4 as well not sure if they were built nicer.

Hell her cars it is teh only one i can hear in the mornings or when she comes home cause it makes that noise lol. She never knows when i leave or come home in the Fit lol.

 

Mni_Odyssey

You seem to have your own opinion and that's fine, I'm not trying to convince you of anything, but look at every major car magazine over the years. The RAV4 has won awards over and over and in 2013, their dropping of the V6 has had more complaints and will be missed by a huge following as it was one of the most unique SUV's out there for the price. The "growling noises" you disdain is the sound of one incredible 3.5L engine that will sling shot it from 0-60 in just over six seconds.. I, and most other car magazine reviewers love the sound and the exhilaration of driving it.
I have the tuned Sport suspension, and yes, it is stiff, but not choppy as you describe, steering feedback is excellent in a car of this type and it handles surprisingly well on demanding curves and switchbacks.
There are no rattles in my RAV4.. maybe your friend has loose objects in her glove box, who knows. And the exhause is not loud unless you floor it, maybe she has a loud muffler on hers, again, who knows.
Anyway, this isn't about the RAV4 and your arguments are pretty lame when you look at all the reviews and owner feedback.
The OP has decided on a Fit and I think she will be really happy with it for all the reasons and requirements she gave. I'm glad her dad was open minded enough to give it a drive and read the reviews, instead of relying on a few misleading rumors on biased websites.

 

Rav 4 vs. Honda Fit is NOT an Apples to Apples comparison.

I realize my experience or more precisely my Dad's experience isn't a large sample size.

But everyone is going to react based on "their" personal experience. If you've had a Rav 4 or have one and love it? You're going to be "bias" as to loving it.

But just because this is a Honda Fit forum doesn't mean my or anyone's opinion about a Rav 4 is bias.

I have no dog in this hunt. I can only say my Dad is pretty unhappy with his less than a year old Rav 4. It get's nowhere near the EPA advertised mpg. He's actually taken it back to the dealership to try to track down if there is a problem causing the 18 mpg.

Does my Dad simply have a lemon? Maybe. I admit it could be a singular experience.

I also can say, my personal observations simply sitting in the Rav 4 and riding in it....is very underwhelming.

I like the "size", and the stance....the visibility looking out. It's not too big...and also not too small. (That's the positive)

Everything else? Pretty boring automobile. The dash, the seats, the ergonomics of the controls....all "rental car" boring.

Sitting in a Rav 4, is like sitting in any numerous generic automobiles.

I honestly enjoy sitting in, riding in and especially driving my Honda Fit a LOT more.

But honestly? I have no prejudice. My family...has always been a pretty evenly divided Toyota/Honda family. Have had Tercels, Corolla's and Camry's...as well as a Aunt who owned a Celica. My Dad currently owns the New Rav 4 and an older Toyota Camry. He loves the Camry.

It's the respect for the Toyota product that has him so upset at his so far disappointing Rav 4 experience.

 

Exactly, my sister bought her Rav based on rave reviews and was basically pretty disappointed after things she started to notice with the car. She does like the utility and the iust the right size but the car is far from perfect. She was a Toyota fan as she had her 98 Camry V6 for 10+ years been solid. And I'd have to admit her 98 Camry v6 was quieter and smoother then her Rav bar none. I think that car spoiled her.

 

Just had to add a note here and then I'll let this go.

The Honda Fit has 20.6 cu' back seats up and 57 cu' of volume with the back seats down. That is very impressive for this small car. The 2013 Automataic is rated at 28mpg city and 35 hwy.
My 09 Fit AT is getting about 24 mpg city and almost 38 on my last freeway trip of about 200 miles at steady speed. City would be higher if I didn't lead foot it so much.
The average mpg reported by drivers is around 30mpg city/hwy average, that is also really impressive. See over 700 owner reports at Fuelly (click here)

The 2013 RAV4 has 38.4 cu' back seats up and 73.4 cu' back seats down and has been awarded best in class for storage by several magazines now.
73.4 cu' is 16 cu' more space than the Fit. Your dad had "a little more room?" What are you smokin?
The 2013 is rated 24mpg city/31 mpg hwy, up just a bit from the earlier version. My 2002 RAV4 got about 20 city and 30 hwy. My 2010 V6 gets about 18 city and 28 hwy with cruse control on. Again, I tend to lead foot it a lot in town... can't resist, but I did drive it conservatively once in all stop and go city traffic for one gas tank (boy was that hard) and I got 21 mpg. Either your dad floors it a lot, drives erratically, or something is wrong with his RAV4 I4.. or maybe even the gas he is using, who knows, but his average is not typical or a good indication of what to expect. Are you sure he doesn't have a V6? Average combined city/highway driving by almost 300 I4 RAV4 owners at Fuelly dot com is 24mpg (click here).

FitnFoxxy: Be sure to come back and share with us what Fit you get.. you'll love the car.

 

doane2u I most certainly will! Probably won't be for another month though. But continue to talk amongst yourselves