Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice regarding my next car choice!

I've been a happy owner of a 2009 Fit Sport I got in Nov 2008. I have 177k miles on it now and I'm beginning to think about replacing it in the next year or so. No major problems so far so who knows maybe I will wait for 200k?

However should I replace it, I am a bit torn on whether or not I should get another Fit or go with something a bit nicer.

Cost and Fuel economy are huge factors for me. I drive a lot and I don't want to spend tons of money on a car that will depreciate so quickly. Plus I need something reliable. Here the Fit is perfect for those needs. And the bang for the buck is and haas been incredible.

On the other-hand I've found some annoyances about the Fit that make me want to upgrade to something nicer:

- Engine noise is loud on highways
- Noisy on highways in general, sound insulation is not very good.
- Interior isn't the nicest. The 09 model is very "plastic" and lacks a refined quality. Dashboard / console is cheap looking.
- It is an 09 so it missed the boat on a lot of the bells and whistles that are beginning to come standard on subcompacts.

Does the 2014/2015 Fit fare any better in these departments? I've been considering a Maza3 too.

Or am I ready for something higher on the food chain, so to speak. Any recommendations?

Thanks. I haven't posted much but there has been a lot of awesome info on these forums over the years.

 

Our son has a late-2008 or early-2009 five-speed GE Sport. So I can give you a comparison.

With the CVT, engine noise is nonexistent on the highway, until you accelerate to pass, etc. The engine loafs at a quiet, relaxed 2,500 rpm at 75 mph. OTOH, the additional sixth gear of the 2015 manual is between fourth and fifth. It got no reduction in highway rpm compared to the five-speed, and is extremely busy at highway speeds.

The EX trim has good sound deadening. The main noise on the highway is wind noise.

2015 interior is a bit nicer. We added a Dash Mat and Weather Tech digital floor liners.

The 2015 Fit EX or higher trim level, with the CVT, is perfect for your needs and will address some of your annoyances.

 

2015 Fit is no quieter if manual, a bit quieter with a CVT (Except when accelerating, then it is like a moped)

It has a lot of options, but is definitely not any better in terms of interior quality.

Just get an Accord/Camry.

 

Check your PMs.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

 

Some people love Mazda 3's, but I thought the instrument panel looked and felt cheap. You could take the whole panel and wiggle it up and down a half inch. Knew a guy who rented one and he was not very impressed.


A CR-V is a logical step up, but fuel economy isn't that great. Resale value is excellent and you get AWD for those NH winters.


Another one to check out if you can wait, is the 2016 Honda HR-V. Kind of a mini-CR-V with AWD as an option too.

 

Even though I'll likely keep my Fit another couple years, I've been researching potential replacements. There are 2 new vehicles not yet on sale I would strongly consider, and based on your criteria, perhaps you should too.

The 2015 Ford Focus Ecoboost 3 cylinder should get outstanding fuel economy in a very comfortable car. However, the only transmission is a 6 speed manual; that suits me just fine, but most folks don't drive a stick:
2015 Ford Focus First Drive - Autoblog

Another choice is the all-new Honda HR-V, expected to go on sale mid-2015. It's a small crossover (smaller than the CR-V) based on the 2015 Fit platform. It will have "magic seats" like the Fit, but will be larger with more cargo room and should be "nicer" in terms of interior refinement and ride noise. It will be offered in either 6 speed manual or CVT, but AWD will be available only with the CVT. If you live where it snows, you might be willing to sacrifice a little MPG for AWD & slightly higher ground clearance:
2016 Honda HR-V Debuts In LA - Video - HybridCars.com

 

When you say "nicer," how much nicer are you thinking of?

My brother had a 2000 Honda Civic EX that he got brand new and drove for 14 years... he just picked up a 2015 BMW 320i a few weeks ago. (It's a little nostalgic for him because his first car was a hand-me-down 1980 BMW 320i from our dad... also the same color as the new one, Alpine White.) It's already averaging better gas mileage than his Civic did, and that was during the break-in period. Even though he got the base, base model, it's actually pretty well-equipped, especially since he's coming from a 2000 Civic. It has manual seats, but it's not like you adjust it all the time. He, our dad and me are all pretty much the same height so we've never had to adjust the seat anyway when we switch.

It looks like you drive A LOT, and BMWs (and pretty much any German car) can be hit-or-miss when it comes to long-term reliability... but we're giving it a shot anyway, partially because we've had decent luck with ze Germans. The original 1980 320i that we had lasted for 20 years until it broke down (though we gave it to a relative, who fixed it and drove it for a few more years until they saved up enough to buy a new car), then we had a 1985 Mercedes 300D Turbo Diesel that we also had for 20 years then sold. My dad has a Tacoma as his DD but also a 1998 E320 and an 1999 CLK320, and both of those have well over 100k miles.

 

Please tell me the 320i got the Sport package and 6MT!

 

Haha, no and no. My brother has owned only manuals from 1994 up until now. He didn't mind either way, but he's not passionate or anything about manuals, so it wasn't a big deal to go with an auto when it costs the same and gets a little better mileage. Plus frankly I'm bothered with how he doesn't rev-match anyway.

 

2014 Accord is the way to go

 

You know, that is a car that we were considering too. But the interior is just weird to me... everything seems too big. The buttons on the center stack seem like they span too wide of a section and are larger than they need to be. The speedometer looks like it belongs in a minivan.

Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty solid car overall, and good looking too... just not so much on the inside. I'd go for the EX-L 4-cylinder coupe, if I were set on an Accord.

 

What's your budget?

 

Honda Civic, CrZ, Mazda 3, Corolla.

 

The 15 fit got rave reviews january automobile mag

 

Honda Fit: 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star

Nice!

 

ok so you put a lot of miles on your car, I can see how efficiency and reliability are a big factor. Personally, if I was driving that much, I'd be adding in a good fudge factor on my personal comfort for that amount of time in the car.

you could certainly do a bmw 3 series diesel and still pick up a few mpg and get a much upgraded car. If I was trading up, that is where I would go right now.

 

Or, if the BMW diesel is out of your budget range, the new VW Golf TDI is a refined car for its class and gets outstanding fuel economy. It has very good cargo capacity, but if you want even more the Sportwagen will be coming out in a few months.

 

Your post said reliability was very important. When I was getting ready to buy a new car, I asked my long-time mechanic (Swiss guy, total perfectionist) about cars he would suggest that were reliable. He said Honda or Toyota (or their upscale cousins Acura and Lexus); forget the rest. I notice when I'm in his shop for scheduled maintenance, I see a lot more Beemers, Mercs, Audis, etc. than I do of the Japanese cars. On reliability issues, Consumer Reports is pretty good source of info too. Good luck!