Hello everyone! I've been lurking the forums for awhile now and decided to sign up tonight to see if anyone can help me out. Recently I've been looking at Honda Fits (both the GE and GD) as replacements for my aging 97 Civic (EK if I remember correctly). However most of the newer economy cars I've driven are nothing like my civic, and I really feel like entering the new millennium already so another (overpriced) old civic isn't an option.

So basically what I'm asking is which of the Honda Fits are more similar to the old EK(?) civics (non-Si). I'm looking for a car that handles well, can accelerate about as fast as an old civic, easy to work on, and some mod-ability would be nice.

I am also wondering which one of the Honda Fits sits lower?

I sat in a 2012 Fit and it felt really high up, are there any options for lowering the seating?

How do the GD seats (and seating position/height) stack up against the GE seats?.

Any other car suggestions besides the Fit?


Sorry if any of this has been discussed before, I gave it an honest effort but didn't find the answers to my questions

 

The Sport and Base sit at the same height although you can lower it if you like but there is no lowering of the seat position.

And although this video is comparing 2009 models (Fit vs Civic), I doubt much has changed so this may help you decide.

 

The differences between the current base and sport models are most all cosmetics and some small equipment changes. The basic chassis and engine is unchanged. (One exception is that the sport model has a rear anti-roll bar.)

Any of them should, at least with the manual transmission, provide performance roughly on a par with your civic. Handling is decent for an economy car. Maintenance overall is not too difficult, though space can be tight for some jobs; tight access is, of course, typical of small front wheel drive cars.

There are very few if any simple, relatively inexpensive mods that increase power or inherent performance, short of forced induction or massive engine changes. There are numerous cosmetic mods that can be done, and some changes that can improve handling under some conditions. On the whole, though, the Fit is not the best platform for mechanical tinkering.

All the current Fits have the same basic ride height. The seats cannot be lowered, as the fuel tank is underneath the front seats; the sliders for the seats are not on any sort of risers. Frankly, I don't really think you'd want to lower the seats too much, as the visibility out of the car would suffer. The beltline is pretty high (as is unfortunately typical of practically all cars these days).

Many people here do lower the suspension on their Fits.

The Mazda 3 comes to mind as a possibility...it probably outperforms your old Civic by a fair margin. Reportedly, they're quite fun cars to drive, and there's a broader range of performance doodads available.

The biggest benefit of the Fit, IMHO, is the practicality due to the excellent, Tardis-like interior space utilization. Raw performance and comfort are perfectly adequate but not exceptional; driving fun and milage are pretty good. But the ability to carry four real people without causing a mutiny, and then the next day to bring home a roomful of stuff from Ikea, is unmatched in any competitive vehicles.

 

If you not in a hurry I would wait until the new Mazda3 arrives suppose to be lighter and 40 mpg

 

Thanks for the replies, but I'm asking about the difference between the first gen fit and second gen fit seating, I know the sport and base are basically the same.

 

The 09 Civic is nothing like my 96 civic, the car itself is MASSIVE, the suspension system is entirely different, huge dash, list goes on. I appreciate the video though, but I'm not in the market for a newer civic, as far as I'm concerned the Civic as I knew it died in 2000. Don't get me wrong, they're still fine cars, just not what they used to be.

 

In regards to the Mazda 3 suggestion, I did find a sweet Mazda 3 SP3 (luxury trim) a few months back, but I heard the Ford block sometimes has a habit of pissing oil...or worse...so I passed, fine car but I'm a college student so I can't afford to be replacing engines.

The only mods I would do would be suspension mods, getting either generation of Fit up to 140hp would be nice, but I don't see that as a possibility without taking the engine apart.

 

I would jump all over a Mazda 3 that Fomoco had nothing to do with, but the price is a little too steep for me, as I said in another post I'm a presently unemployed (sorta) student.

 

Here is a thread on seats that may help https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/1st-...s-my-back.html

 

The fit is a good change from a ek civic. Im looking to upgrade from my 95 GS-R. In my case Ill lose alot of power and fun.

Mileage is pretty good too with the fit. I would recommend the 07-08 Fit S if I were in yoru shoes.

 

I just upgraded to an 09 from my old 96 Civic DX.

The chassis is amazingly stiffer. I understand the GE has a stiffer body and softer suspension, while the GD has stiffer suspension and softer body. I expect the GD would feel more like our old cars, but still be much more solid. That said, I'm loving the firmness and responsive handling I didn't have before. It feels lighter because it doesn't flex.

Everything is more responsive and quicker on this car. Less body roll in corners, quicker steering response, more sensitive throttle response. The steering gives less feedback, but it's actually better even though it's not communicating as much through the wheel.