As the title says, I'm looking to make the transition from a GTI to a Fit for my 58km each way (116km round trip) commute. The reason is that I do about 33K km/year, and it's killing me seeing the poor GTI go through the grind of my commute plus shuttling the kids and myself around on weekends. Every new scratch/chip/dent kills a small piece of my soul. Secondly, my commute is a bit pricey because it involves spending a good chunk of time on a pricey toll highway (the 407 for anybody in the GTA). I figure trading the GTI for a Fit will save me $1200/year on gas alone, plus reduced running costs (tires, brakes, oil, repairs), so this will noticeably decrease the overall cost of commuting for me.

What I'm hoping for from you Fit experts/enthusiasts is to help me decide if the Fit is something one can live with for this daily grind after having the GTI for 2 years. My recent car history is 03 WRX Wagon 5MT, 03 Jetta TDI 5MT, 13 GTI 6MT so I'm all on board with small cars with manual transmissions. I'm also interested on any input comparing the newest generation (15+) to the previous (09-14). I understand that with the newest generation the crash test rating has improved, and that going from 5MT to 6MT has reduced the highway engine buzz a little. Is there anything else in there that could help sway the decision one way or the other? A gently used EX 6MT goes for around $17K here while I can get 09-14s for around $6-$12K.

Thanks for any advice!

 

The 6MT does NOTHING for reducing revs at highway speeds. Sixth in the new cars is the same as fifth in the old.

The 15+ is better on gas. They both get blown around a lot by the wind/other cars.

 

I can appreciate the idea of saving money. Just some info to help with your decision...

The 6-speed in the GK has the same top gear ratio as the 5-speed in the GE, so no help there. Fuel mileage increases are due mostly to the direct injection, but that has it's own disadvantages. That being said, the GK is more comfortable and quieter.

Are you only shopping used? The new 1.4t Jetta's are supposed to get really good fuel mileage and your trade in at a VW dealer might be better.

My wife went from a GD Fit to a 1.8t Golf. The VW is a whole lot quieter and nicer inside, but the fuel mileage isn't as good and the paint quality on our particular VW is horrible. It already looks equal to or worse than our 9 year older Fit.

 

This is my main complaint with the Fit. Cruising speed with a side wind...hang on to that wheel!

 

Thanks for the info guys. I didn't realize that the 6MT just made for closer gear ratios but no improvement on the top end. Seems like a strange choice from Honda.

Also thanks for mentioning direct injection. Does that mean the new Fits require an occasional carbon cleaning? That is something I have to deal with on my GTI that I was hoping to leave behind. The GTI has to be done about ever 60-100K kms and is a significant repair bill. Pretty much as bad as having a timing belt! Quite a turn-off for me actually given that I'm trying to reduce my transportation costs. Maybe that's a good reason to look for a 09-14.

 

Honda's don't seem to have near the problems that VW's have with carbon fouling. Word on the street is that the newer VW's with the revised EGR systems are also not having near as many issues as previous generations.

Just from what I've see here on the boards though, 2015 Fit's seem to have the most problems of any year. The switch to Mexican production and direct injection seemed to have some drawbacks.

The most trouble free Fits are probably 2012-2014 models.

 

Well that's something I guess. Not sure why the mk6 VW was so bad for carbon. It's generally a fantastic engine otherwise .

The newest Fits in my price range seem to be 2016s. There is some appeal to the 2016 because of the better crash test safety (I have a couple kids to think about) and the backup camera (my neighbourhood is teeming with kids and their bikes so this is a nice feature that I don't have on my GTI).

 

how much is your GTI worth blue book? might be smart just to keep it.

 

Not sure of bluebook value, but looks like they're going for 17-18K retail, and 15-17K privately. As I mentioned, I can trade it in almost straight up for a 16 Fit (GTI is a 2013). Which would admittedly be a painful thing to do.

 

The newest car you can get is going to be the safest car you can get. That's what I'd do. I wouldn't buy another GE as a daily driver (nor would I buy a 2015+, but 7 years of various Fit ownership has me beyond burnt out on the cars)

 

You should go test drive a 2012-2014 model and then a 2016 one for comparison to determine which one you like better.
Both will likely feel as a downgrade in driving experience based on your recent car history.
However in terms of cost savings and reliability you can't go wrong with the 2012-2014. I have a 2013 LX (5 MT) and it came with 15" rims (the Sport comes with 16"). Sticking to the OEM tire size, I was able to buy both winter (Blizzak WS80) and all season tires (Bridgestone Ecopia LRR) from Costco for only $900 (CAD) in total after installation & taxes. Most people with SUVs, trucks, big sedans spend that much on one set only.

 

Just be prepared to miss your GTI. The Fit is a good car but the GTI is a couple of notches higher in the pecking order. You'll miss the drive, the power, the smoothness and the higher end trim pieces of the GTI.

Unless the economics really doesn't work in your favor, at least consider a Civic.

FWIW, our '17 Fit has been problem free at 7k miles. Not even a nary of a shudder. I really think the Mexican plant QA issues have been smoothed out by the '17s and '18s.

 

I've got a similar commute to you, about 80 miles round trip. I've ridden in VWs and they are much quieter and ride better than my GK. I gave up driving a comfortable Toyota 4Runner because my commute would increase. Do I regret it? Yes and no. The 4Runner was definitely more comfortable but the mileage was horrible @ 17 MPG if I'm lucky. My GK is getting 43+ MPG even in the winter, though it will dip into the high 30s if it's in the single digits for a while. Mine is a CVT so a manual will get slightly lower (probably from the gearing at highway speeds). I'm spending about $70-$80 in gas a month.

Keep in mind the GEs did not get as good mileage numbers than the GK.

4Runner is still in the family and driven by my wife, and I get to drive it on the weekends

 

Such good advice and honest opinions in this thread.

I've owned both Honda's and VW's. Even have one of each now!

I think you trade quietness and driving experience in the GTI for cost of operation and usually trouble free ownership with the Fit.

A 1oth Gen Civic might be somewhere between the two if your budget allows.

 

Agreed! If the 10th gen Sport HB 1.5T was available when I was commuter car shopping, I would have spent the $$$ on it. Alas my fiance's mustang was on its last leg. I let her use the 4Runner and got the Fit since I knew my commute would increase once we got married.

The new 1.5T Civic gets nearly identical mileage as the Fit in a bigger more comfortable package, and an independent rear suspension! LOL

54k trouble free miles on my 2015 Rice & Beans GK5. I did have Q/A warranty issues and recalls done, but mechanically it has not let me down.

 

i’m not familiar with those older gen VW’s but reliability might cost you more.
if you do swap cars do the 12-13 GE fits

 

This is 100% what I'd do.

 

As mentioned above, very good advice from everybody. Definitely appreciate everybody stepping up to give advice to a newb to the forum!

The issue with the 10G Civic option is that they are going for about CAD$25K+. That's roughly $8K+ more than I could get for my GTI. So at least in the short term I'd be sinking a lot more money into my transportation costs which is what I'm trying to avoid. The appeal of the FIT is that I can make the switch from the GTI and come out with a newer car that will last longer and be cheaper to operate, *and* not be out a significant amount of money up front. Or I could even come out with extra cash if I go for a 10-14 Fit. If I have to put in several thousand dollars to move to another vehicle, that is money that I could have been using to maintain and fuel the GTI for several years while still enjoying it.

Now I know I'm not factoring in depreciation etc. My thinking there is that any car I own will be pretty love value when I sell it in 5-7 years because of my high mileage, so I have tended to not worry about that too much. Maybe that's the wrong approach?

 

 

I can definitely see your point regarding the up front cost.

I would recommend taking Andrei's advice above and find a couple to test drive. If a '12+ GE works for your needs, I'd stop there and go with it. They are reliable and super cheap to operate. Make sure the test drive includes how you would use it daily to make sure you're happy with it's road manners.

As has been said above, they aren't the quietest or the most stable at highway speeds.

That being said, my wife put almost 200k trouble free miles on our GD before switching to the Golf. She loved it so much that we kept it as a toy. The '12+ GE's are smoother riding and quieter than our GD.