Which of these would you prefer, and why?

I'm looking for a used fit (ideally an 09 Sport), but 1st gen sports and 2nd gen bases seem much more common in my area. If I had to compromise on the generation or the trim, which should it be?

 

This is extremely subjective, but Sport trumps all for me because of the leather steering wheel, cruise control, and better stereo.

I won't own a car with hubcaps, but that's easy to fix with aftermarket wheels. The body kit looks good, but isn't a necessity at all. Foglights are nice, but not mandatory in my mind and can be added if desired.

It's really that cruise control and leather steering wheel that are toughest to add. Can be done, but in the end, it's just easier to buy a Sport.

This is all based on US trims though. I think Canada got a trim level that we didn't get maybe? Or, one of the items above was included in the base in Canada? Can't remember what it was, but there's a difference for you.

 

Thanks for the reply! You didn't mention anything about the added rear sway bar in the Sport. Could that be the difference that you're referring to? According to Autotrader Canada has three trims, the DX, LX, and Sport. https://www.autotrader.ca/research/honda/fit/2009/ Is it the same in the US?

Leather steering wheel and cruise don't really matter to me, though I would like the better sound system because I've read that the Fit has a lot of road noise. Would prefer not to mess around with aftermarket wheels unless it's to assemble a set of winters. I suppose the features that I'm focused on would be the ones that effect that actual handling and driving of the vehicle: fog lights, sway bars, larger wheels. The better stereo would be nice. The other features, to me, are cosmetic.

 

yay for duplicate threads!

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...d-you-buy.html

 

If you don't care about cosmetics,leather steering wheel or cruise control, buy whatever Fit you find in the best condition that is within your budget.

2007 - 08 Fit's do not have a rear sway bar regardless of trim level.
2009 - 13 Fit's only have a sway bar in Sport trim

Either way, I'd just buy a Progress RSB.

US does not have the LX trim level which I believe had leather wheel and cruise. We only have base or sport.

One other difference is sport paddles for the transmission if you are shopping for an auto. However, I highly recommend not shopping for an auto.

 

don't get the base... NON power door locks suck, and missing two rear speakers.. (Canadain base)

 

Ah, interesting. So if I got an LX it would have most of the Sport's interior feature package.

I would definitely prefer manual, though if I saw a great deal on an auto it would be hard to say no. Is your recommendation based on your personal preference, or is there more to it? I have heard that Honda has built some weak transmissions, is this one of those?

I'm completely new to the idea of adding mods to a car. The most work I have ever done on a car is rotating tires. Is a sway bar something I can reliably do myself with that level of experience? I guess the alternative is paying an hour of labour for a mechanic to do it.


I hope it's not too bad a breach of etiquette, but I wasn't getting any replies on the original post so I thought I should try again in a different section.

 

Sport takes it all the way to power with keyless

Everyone is different, but I just wouldn't buy the lowest trim level of Honda's cheapest car in the used market. New, I could see the value, but used the costs become so close.

To be fair, I'd probably be looking at Kia's and Hyundai's also. Honda's hold their value too well to be competitive in the used marketplace unless you find one you can steal. I see reports on here all the time of people picking up used Fit's for $1,000 or less. Those are GREAT buys! On the flip side, I see people paying $5,000 and more on old, high mile Fit's. That is just not money well spent in my mind.

 

I wasn't getting any replies so I tried posting a similar thread in another section. Apologies if it was a breach of etiquette.

Any reason for avoiding auto other than personal preference? I have heard that Honda has made some weak transmissions. Is this one of those?

Yeah, I guess I'm just waiting for a Sport to come along at the right price... I made an offer on one awhile back but the seller sold it out from under me. It was an AT anyway... Where I am, it's rare to see a GE8 Sport advertised for less than CA$7,000. And those typically have around 150,000km. Occasionally I see one that's sub-$5k, maybe an LX with some cosmetic damage. If those are the prices I have to work with, should I bother?

Do you think I'll find better value in a Kia or Hyundai? They don't have the same reputation for reliability as Honda, so they seem like more of a gamble in the used market.

 

Any high mileage automatic transaxle vehicle by ANY manufacturer is not a good purchase unless it's either cheap or you can repair it yourself.

They ALL have a finite lifespan and it's not very long in the scheme of how long a vehicle can last.

You'd be better off buying a Kia or Hyundai with half the miles at the same price and that seems to be possible in the used market.

Manual Fit's on here have gone 400k miles and more. No auto's make it near that far without a complete transmission swap. Maybe I'm just biased, but I would not pay more than $2,000 USD for any automatic Fit with over 100,000 miles. The transmission is a ticking time bomb in my opinion because it likely has not been serviced.

 

What would be your opinion of the value of an 09 Fit LX MT with 153kkm? Looks to be in good shape except for one small, ugly bit of cosmetic damage on one wheel well. (LX has all the features of the Sport except the wheels are 15", no rear stabilizer bars, security system, chrome headlight bezels, chrome exhaust finisher, fog lamps, under-body spoiler kit, leather-wrapped wheel, six speakers and USB jack.) The seller is asking CA$4,500.

 

I would say that is a decent deal. That works out to under 100k miles and under $3500 in USD. If it drives well, see if you can buy it for CA$4,000?

The 15" wheels that are on it would make good winter tire wheels and you could pick up a set of 16" alloy wheels for summer use. A Progess RSB fixes the no sway bar issue and OEM like fog light kits are available on Amazon.

 

Thanks. Had a test drive lined up for today and I was getting ready to make an offer, aaand it sold a few hours before I could see it.

I'm seeing a few Fits for sale locally with low kms and lots of mods. Seems like added value, but I can't help wondering about the driving style of someone who puts a cold-air intake into an economy car to squeeze out a few extra hp. Would you avoid these or could there be some good deals there? I feel like I'm taking my own thread off-topic now so I'm going to put up some examples in a separate thread.

 

I feel like a CAI for the Fit (or more likely just a short ram) isn't indicative of a risk. Where I might be concerned is if you feel suspension issues (i.e. it "clunks" over undulations or speed bumps, or wobbles the steering wheel at speed), or if there has been a collision. Likewise small mods like axleback exhausts or rear sway bars.
I suspect a Fit with just a CAI, isn't different enough from a stock one to be a major concern to engine longevity.
If it was CAI + lowered, then maybe I'd be a bit more concerned. If it had been turbo'd or something like that, I'd just walk away.

Ask any prospective seller when they replaced the coils and sparkplugs too - I had to do that on mine soon after purchase (got mine for $5,000CAD) - it's not a major issue, but it might let you push the seller to bump off a few hundred dollars.

 

Yeah it's definitely lowered. Has Tein coilovers. Why is that more concerning? Also the CAI is a K&N Typhoon. Here's the link: https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rds/...734535272.html

It's a bit out of my price range but I'm still curious what the guys on here would think it's worth. As a newbie to cars, my first thought is that it's been driven hard so it might be thrashed.

 

Have started a new thread about used modded cars here .

 

Personally, I feel that a lowered car takes more wear and tear on all suspension-related components (bushings, joints, etc) because they aren't designed for the lowered ride height in daily use (of course, a track-only car is a different animal).

Edit: almost $12k is way too steep... Especially for someone else's project car...

 

The most cost-effective way to own a car is to buy a relatively low-mileage, but a few years used, car. Pick one of the most reliable models on the market and one they made a ton of (those two things tend to intersect). Then drive it for ten years and get rid of it once safety features have moved on or it starts looking like it needs major repairs.

Not too much fun involved with that strategy, though. You'll be driving a seven-year-old Camry forever. Not the worst thing that could happen in life, but. As gramma used to say, you only go around once.

 

I like the way you think. I might have an opportunity to get a mint condition '09 Fit MT with 95,000kms for CA$9,400. Would you say that qualifies?

 

Honestly, that sounds pricey to me.
You could probably get an Acura TSX for that money and mileage... When I was shopping TSXs (and I bought possibly the worst lemon one of all), I saw a few asking just over 8,000CAD for low 100,000km (or less).
Of course, the cost to own a Fit is going to be lower...