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So it looks like we're going to be leaving the Fit family. It was a good little car: cheap, safe, easy to drive. But after ~2 years, Mrs. BeardedGTI just couldn't take it anymore. "Everyday I feel like I'm driving one of the cars in Mad Max. Every little bump and pothole... the cabin noise..."
Silver one is my 2017 Sport. They just salted the roads heavily so this is about as clean as they are going to be till spring.
Believe it or not, I did not push her in this direction. She wanted a new car but for reasons I'll never understand, likes giant impractical SUV's. We have zero use for any of the utility an SUV/truck would bring but whatever. It's her car.
Her first pick was the Subaru Forester, then the Volvo XC90, and so on. So at the last stop of the night we're at the VW dealership with a Tiguan (I had to talk her down from the Atlas). Was okay, but I don't think either of us were impressed. She was starting to get tired and just wanted to go with the Forester. 30 minutes left before closing time and I spotted a GTI sitting over in the corner of the lot, last one they had. "Why don't we try something that's not a giant SUV. Just try this, you'll see why I like mine so much. And maybe we can try some others (Mazda3, Accord Sport, etc)." Well after 20 minutes of hooning it in a nearby abandoned parking lot, she was sold. Didn't want anything else. Won't consider another Honda, didn't like the way Mazda's look, etc etc. Couldn't even convince her to save $10k and go with the Golf either. Had to be the GTI.
But, she's found a car that she has finally connected with and that's all that matters to me. Despite my distaste of the giant SUV's, I would have been fine with the Forester. But that one didn't quite drop her jaw as she was pushing down on the accelerator and taking turns. Now I get to spend the week trying to clean up the Fit and trying to sell it which I am not looking forward to. I hate private party sales.
Congrats on the new ride!
We were also looking for a "sporty" car after getting rid of the boring IS350.
We put a deposit on a 2014 Fiesta ST, but it had some transmission noises....so we passed.
After a while of searching, I stumbled on a mint 2016 Fit EX with 6 speed stick 3 years of comprehensive warranty and in yellow (the wife insisted she didn't want a "boring" colored car....yep, this checks that box!)
We were also considering more conventional cars like the Miata etc, but the premium they were asking, wasn't worth it.
After perusing the classified sites, I'm impressed by the aftermarket support these things have.
Combined with the stock "fun to drive" aspect, makes this car the clear winner for us.
I'm actually thinking of having this as my replacement for my 88 325is which Ive had since 2003.
Funny enough, I find the Fit is the closest in terms of fun, simplicity and low purchase price since buying the BMW years ago.
I promised myself I'd never sell it, but with increasing values, I think the time has come - it'll also afford me more Fit mods!
I've been thinking about getting one of these. Hard to let go of the Fit though, it does everything I need (just wish it did it a little quicker sometimes).
I've been thinking about getting one of these. Hard to let go of the Fit though, it does everything I need (just wish it did it a little quicker sometimes).
Go test drive one and see what you think. I think you’ll love it - acceleration, handling, comfort, fuel economy, it checks all the right boxes.
I won’t deny The Fit certainly has a little bit more utility in its usable space. I had to take it out a few nights ago to pick up a small chest freezer that was a few inches too large to fit the GTI hatch opening. But the whole way there and back I couldn’t shake the fact that this car had the least refinement of any Honda I’ve previously owned or driven. It’s not a terrible car by any means, it just doesn’t seem to excel at anything (other than maybe cargo space).
Go test drive one and see what you think. I think you’ll love it - acceleration, handling, comfort, fuel economy, it checks all the right boxes.
Considering the GTI and Golf have rated tops in the hatchback category for several years, it's hard to admit it's supremacy.
But when you compare it's reliability to ANY Honda as it ages, you'll be sorely disappointed....if you don't believe me, just ask those with GTI's prior to 2014
Considering the GTI and Golf have rated tops in the hatchback category for several years, it's hard to admit it's supremacy.
But when you compare it's reliability to ANY Honda as it ages, you'll be sorely disappointed....if you don't believe me, just ask those with GTI's prior to 2014
My experience with my last 3 Honda's has been less than stellar (2007 - 2013). Our Fit currently has a little over 90k miles. I'm debating on whether to dump money in it or just sell it as-is and take the hit. It currently needs:
starter
blower motor
rear window regulator
TPMS sensors reprogrammed (apparently only the dealer can do it)
repaint front and rear bumper (all 3 of my last Honda's have had paint issues)
This is on top of all the other $$$ I've already dumped into it to fix or improve little things. And I also feel like I need to do due-dligence and pop off the front cowl to make sure the spark plugs have't loosened themselves again, which is a common issue on the GE (https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-generation-ge-08-13/99679-finally-plagued-loose-spark-plugs.html). Seriously, I don't know what to do with this thing. 90k miles. Not even at a 100k. I've owned over a dozen vehicles in my life and never had this many issues getting past 100k.
I'm not here to crap all over Honda. But I think this idea that their quality is above and beyond is misguided. Feel free to prove me wrong with actual quantitative data. The pre-2001 Honda's I've owned or driven have all been stellar. Hell, my dad still drives his '91 Civic with 350k+ miles and all original parts. But the stuff post 2001 I have not had much luck with. And here's what it ultimately comes down to: how much effort do I put into $$$/maintenance of a car vs. what does it offer me in return? I'm not in any way claiming VW is some sort of bastion of reliability. But I'm willing to put some effort into maintaining them because of the sheer fun that they offer in return. I can put that same effort into a Fit and what do I get? A car that gets from A to B, but that's about it. There's no fun there. In fact I don't use the word "soul-sucking" very often but...
I realize you recently went from BMW to Honda and are happy with your purchase. And that's cool. And I hope you continue to enjoy it and don't run into anymore issues like this: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/3rd-generation-2015/87459-what-did-you-do-your-gk-fit-today-161.html#post1453720. And I certainly hope you don't run into the issues that I've had. But I wouldn't put a ton of stock in this legendary Honda reliability on their more recent stuff. It's not bad, but it's not quite what it used to be.
Last edited by beardedGTI; Dec 4, 2020 at 09:15 PM.
Yay on the GTI! A fine choice. My wife loves her '17 Golf Wolfsburg 5M (pictured below). It's our second VW and even though it's not a GTI, it's a blast to drive (170 HP/184 LB-FT with 5-Speed Manual). This spring I'm planning to buy a '21 GTI SE 6M and we too will be a two Golf family. We both love small vehicles and always have.
2017 Golf Wolfsburg 5M
Last edited by Alco RS-1; Dec 5, 2020 at 08:49 PM.
Guess I'll chime in here & say your wife made a great choice. While it won't haul as much cargo as a Fit does it will haul much more arse that a Fit. The GTI is such a complete package. Hope your wife can keep her drivers license intact. ;-)
Nice choice! Our Golf was perfect for 76k miles. Traded it in, but I have no doubt it would have kept going strong.
Thought we made the right decision trading it for a 2020 Accord 2.0 Sport, but not so sure. Only a few months in and one of the axles is leaking and, I'm not positive yet, but it seems to have a fuel dilution issue bad enough that it's gaining oil.
It also, honestly, doesn't drive as well as the Golf. VW is truly on their game with the newest generation.
