Hi, First post here
Coming from a very old Altima 2.4 with 260,000 odo miles...these old Nissans are as reliable and durable as a stone hammer...but the new Nissans seems to have a lot of problems...so I'm looking for a Honda instead.

Thing is, coming from a very torky motor with a very comfortable cabin, am I going to be dissappointed with subcompact car like the Fit ? The highway here is very fast, 70 mph cruise...need power to get out of the way of big SUV and pickup trucks...they rule the roads here...but I mostly drive in suburb.

Car.........................Tork.....HP......Weigh t
My old Nissan..........154......150......2800
'17 FIT....................114......130......2500

• I'm really worry about the Fit's tiny engine. I'm afraid I'll regret it after a month or two, of not having the instant tork factor.
• I'm worry about comfort factor. Can I buy aftermarket seat cushions to increase comfort level for long distance trip?
• Is it easy to add sound insulation to reduce road noise on the highway?
• Is the A/c really as weak as people say? People cannot survive out here on the Gulf Coast without cold A/c in the summer.

Anyone know if somebody rents out FIT?...If I can drive for a weekend to be sure it's the right car for me.

I only buy a new car once every 30 years...so I gotta' get it right.
Downsizing everything in...house...job...cars...getting ready to live a simpler life.

 

Compared to my other vehicle my Fit is an acceleration monster, despite the other vehicle having a V10 engine. I attribute that to the extra gear the Fit's transmission has. (Realistically, it has a lot more to do with the other vehicle weighing around 7 tons and having the aerodynamics of a barn.)

In my opinion, modest power is not a danger in a vehicle, though a driver who expects more power than the vehicle has can get in trouble. I've noticed when merging that SUVs and trucks and such have back ends as well as fronts, and merging behind them is as effective as rushing to merge in front of them.

The two cars don't differ that much in power, and even less in pounds per horsepower (though the Nissan is a bit better there). The main thing you can glean from the torque ratings is that the Fit's engine revs higher to produce its power. Driving one will bear this fact out pretty quickly.

At 260,000 miles, your Nissan may not be still producing its rated power.

As for the other questions, I find the seats are acceptable for me but not exceptional. I don't feel like I've been beat up after a day of driving, but I've also ridden in vehicles with more comfortable seats. The road noise is typical of smallish cars, and a good part of it is tire noise (and so quiet tires help considerably). There are ways of adding some sound insulation; I don't know whether I'd say it's easy or not, as that depends somewhat on one's comfort with doing such work. The A/C is not the strongest, but has been adequate for trips I've taken to warmer areas such as Florida. In hot sunny weather it can't keep the interior down to meat packing plant temperatures, true, but is enough that one isn't dying when dressed for the weather. Reportedly tinting the windows helps a good bit. I would imagine having a light colored car would also make a noticeable difference.

If you can't find one to rent, don't be afraid to test drive a Fit from a dealership. You might also ask if you can sit in one for an hour or two (bring a book to read or whatever) to evaluate the seat comfort. Seats that are comfortable for one person may be unacceptable to another with a differently sized or shaped or proportioned body.

 

Thanks for the responds. I see alot of Fit around here, eventhough I'm in truck country. The Fit looks better and better, every time I see one on the road. Although I prefer the styling of the 1st gen, I guess the 3rd gen is still pretty good looking. I'll probably get a '17 with manual transmission. Haven't driven stick in a long time, it should make me feel like a kid again. Looks like the Fit is like my first car: a 1975 Civic hatchback with 4 spd manual trans; just simple basic transportation.

 

By the way, do the '17 Fit still use Takata airbags?

 

I appreciate your goal to downsize. Housewise, I've done it once, and will do it again in 2 years. I'm just not sure what you are looking for in a car however. What is your price range? Are you tall and need extra room? Do you occasionally haul things? Will you need a tow bar for bicycles?
The Fit, no matter what generation it is, is a an urban car; period. It is a fantastic value no matter what generation you buy but there is only so much you can do with a car with a 1.5 liter engine. I own a Fit, a Vibe and an Elantra. As I age, and if I needed a car today, I'd be shopping for the current generation of Rav4, CX5 or Forester. All three are great vehicles and get very good gas mileage for their size. They also will easily fit stuff in them to include other passengers, and have shown an outstanding reliability record to date. My last choice of those 3 would be the Forester, only because it only comes with a CVT in the automatic. However, you can find one in a manual and skip the CVT. Just throwing those ideas out to you given that used, current generation Rav4s and CX5s can easily be had for well under $15,000. While I only drive small cars, I can only shoehorn myself DOWN into a vehicle for so long. As you age, it is necessary to slide across into your car instead of having to dive down to get into most small vehicles. Good luck with your choice.

 

Most Honda Dealers have rentals available.

Ask customer service if they have one available.

 

No problem cruising at 70 MPH. I took a 7 hour road trip, a lot of the highways here are at that speed and the Fit can still accelerate. Large inclines are no problem either, just don't use ECON or it'll feel like it's struggling. The power to weight ratios of the vehicles listed will be very similar. The Fit will have less torque, but it's also a lighter vehicle.

I was concerned that the Fit's seat would be uncomfortable, but after taking a 7 hour road trip I found that they were fine. On the family road trip SUV, the seats are actually less comfortable but that may be because it's now 12 years old while my Fit is almost 2. I normally use a seat cushion, but forgot it on the road trip with the Fit and at first cursed myself. I pleasantly found that I did not need it.

Road noise isn't that bad. Just turn up the radio. Also have to mention I have an HKS exhaust so there's a nice rumble that is a pleasant "white noise'

HVAC is adequate. It may take a little longer to cool down, but once it gets to temp it can maintain it. My advice is to tint the windows, use a windshield shade and if possible park in a shady spot. At work I park in a shady spot and it doesn't take as long for the car to cool down on a hot sunny day.

 

I've had my 07 Fit Sport manual since June 06. Only 49,000 miles on it (I walk and bicycle for short trips), but it has been a very economical and dependable car.

Absolutely zero reliability issues. Other than recommended oil/fluid changes only thing I've done is one new set of tires and one new battery.

Have done a few long road trips. Yes, the seats aren't the best. But if you get out and stretch every couple of hours it will be fine.

A/C not a strong suit either. If you live in a climate with lots of days above 90 degrees, you may want to consider something else.

I'd rate the power as adequate. As a driver, you will learn the capabilities of the car and drive accordingly. Would not consider it as a safety issue. I've taken many trips in the Colorado mountains and never felt lacking for power.

Overall MPG has been 38.5

So, overall, I've been quite happy and would recommend a Fit.

If you want something slightly bigger with more oomph, have you looked at a Mazda 3 ?

 

We've taken a few 600 mile (each way) roadtrips in our '15 .....seats are perfectly comfortable for me (I'm a smaller guy), and wife says they're fine. AC is adequate for any conditions I've encountered, including Gulf Shores in the summer....ours is black, tinted windows, takes a lil while to cool down, but, it works well enough. Power is easily more than adequate, at least feels that way with the manual trans. Great gas mileage, fun to drive, works for us.

But, really, no one of us can tell you you should or should not buy a Fit, a car is a very personal choice. I've been driving for 43 years, this is one of the most "perfect for me" cars I've ever had. YMMV, and so it goes...

 

I'm average size. The only thing I haul regularly is a small folding bicycle and groceries, either which fits in any size trunk (even a miata), and occasionally a bag of fertilizer for the lawn. I was very interested in the Forester; but then read about the problems that many owners wrote about on the internet. It seems like the current generation Forester is plagued with oil burning engine problems. Besides, I really don't need something as big as the Forester. Although, I think I really like the large windows in the Forester, for the good visibility. I just hate cars with little windows. And I will probabliy like the high seating position, too, to see better of the traffic.

I'm not a Mazda fan. Had one many years ago, and it suffered from early transmission failure when it had less than 100k miles.
My coworker's Mazda 6 is having a lot of little (but expensive) problems after the factory warranty period. Mazda, based on my personal experiences, drives really great but doesn't seem to be that durable. I pray the newer ones are better.

 

I wonder if the problem is there's too much interior space for the A/c to cool.
I imagine a small engine is limited to a small A/c system.
Otherwise, a big strong A/c will drag down the motor too mcuh.

 

Your comments on the Mazda are good; I came to my 08 Fit from a Mazda 3, and to the Mazda 3 from an Accord. The Accord and the Fit have close to zero maintenance costs; the Mazda was always needing new struts, shocks, made me crazy. The Mazda was fun to drive with lots of power and great handling for a car that price, but the costs were bugging me. also, like you, I like lots of window to see out of. The Mazda wasn't satisfying; the Fit is very satisfying window wise. Yes, the Fit doesn't ride on the highway like my old Accord did, but it's proving very capable, even around SUVs and big trucks. It blows around a bit in strong winds, nothing dangerous, but you have to hold on to the wheel. My first car was a 77 Corolla; after the Mazda I wanted a car that reminded me of that Corolla, and the Fit does exactly that. Small and fun to drive, dependable as heck, gas sipping and reliable, nice to park and negotiate downtown traffic, turns on a dime. I love my Fit. The only problem with it is it doesn't demand I spend money on repairs and such, so I'm tempted to spend money on mods! and I have a couple coming up in the Spring! I'd recommend renting a Fit from a dealer, for a few weeks; it will take a few days to *come down* to the Fit's size and power, and to appreciate it. I can't comment on AC in a hot climate, but the heater/defogger is underpowered. Not in a problematic way, but I wouldn't have minded greater defogging capacity.

 

I don't have comprehensive insurance.
I only have liability insurance.

Do I need to buy extra insurance from my insurance gal (State Farm) for the rental? In case I wreck it or it gets stolen.

 

most people who rent cars don't have insurance. You pay for insurance when you rent the car.

 

Check with your credit card company. Some have rental car insurance as a perk (if you pay for the rental on the credit card).

 

I have driven my Fit Sport 33k miles and it moves and handles like it is on rails.

I highly recommend the Fit Sport it has a timing chain and is a lot of fun to drive. It also has great gas mileage usually 37 to 39 per mile.

 

I highly recommend TireRack, I ordered 14 inch black steel wheels and 4 snow tires on Wednesday at 9am and on Thursday at 1130am I received them.

Great price and excellent customer service for $620.00.

Snowing tonite will post some pictures.


I highly recommend the Fit Sport, I am six feet five inches 250 lbs with broad shoulders and I fit in my Fit Sport comfortably.

Great Car lots of Fun !

 

No but.... You need to ask when renting.

They always carry liability so you are covered there. Some cover collision damage which is your fault. With some you need to get additional CDW (Collision Damage Waiver). Finally most credit cards will give you free CDW if you use their card for the rental. I have never bought CDW but my insurance company and my credit cards will cover the Collision Damage automatically for free.

You need to ask first.

 

I talked to my ins agent. She said I don't need to buy additional insurance.
She said my liability insurance covers me from lawsuit.
She said comprehensive covers the car (which I should not buy, because I don't own the car).
I assume that means if the rental company sue me for damage to the Fit, and if other drivers sue me for hitting him; my liability will cover everything.

I hope she understood what I was asking, and I understood her correctly.

 

That is true IF... You have collision on your current car. I thought that you stated that you only had liability. If you only have liability then your insurance will only cover liability on the one that you rent.