I have been enjoying my USDM 1988 CRX Si for almost twenty years. It continues to be economical to operate, easy on gas, and thrilling to drive. Heck, it was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year!

I would like to hear from a few Fit owners if they feel that the USDM 2007 Fit Sport with Manual Transmission is a car worthy enough to replace my venerable 1988 CRX Si.

The critial specs on my current CRX include:

0-60: 8.2 secs
MPG: 33 avg.
Weight: ~2020lbs.
No Back Seat

Do you all think it would be worth waiting to see if Honda puts out an Si version of the Fit in the US market? Or would it be better to just buy a Japanese-made 2007 model and modify it up to CRX Si performance standards before Honda gets a chance to ruin the Fit in the US market like it did with the Civic? Or do you think I should wait out the long haul to see what Honda will do with the new A-VTEC?

Enquiring minds want to know!

Honda leaves me little choice as they only sell the 2007 Civic Type R in Europe, and they don't even offer a hatchback Civic in the US at this time!

I figure with a new timing belt and a few other parts my CRX could last another 10 years. I don't need to buy a new car right this minute...

After looking at the Mazda Speed3 I just couldn't justify buying a new car that only gets 20/28 MPG and further ruin my hippie reputation with the gratuitous bling of 18" tires that will be expensive to replace over the years. Not to mention those faulty engine mounts...

The Fit is clearly economical and ecologically sustainable. But is it sporty enough for me? This is a critical element of the perfect balance in a car in my humble opinion... otherwise I will not enjoy driving it.

 

Wouldn't a test drive be alittle easier than writing all that :D

 

Um... no, actually. It's difficult to arrange a test drive because there are so few Fits available here in my market, and even fewer with manual transmission. The Mazda lots are overflowing with Madza 3s however! It's weird when it's easier to get a test drive of a 250hp Mazdaspeed3 than a 110hp Fit. American values might have something to do with it...

 

Keep your car, Fit aren't quite as fun as the CRX in stock trim.

 

Does it seem strange to anyone but me that Honda hadn't bested their own 1988 car of the year in all this time?

There's probably no money in it, eh? :confused:

 

Well, they are in business to make a profit. Thus, I don't think they've had to make an "improved" vehicle as their cars still sell.

Plus, it might not be such a bad thing. With the mod market so good, sometimes it is nice to just get the "basic" package and build to taste... It might get pricey that way, but it's all about the bottom line to these companies anyway.

 

i would keep CRX. it still has its style and power...comparing to CRX Fit is slower, less nimble, more expensive(currently), has 5 doors lol

but, it is bit better seat arrangement and spacious than CRX.
also a/c would work better than CRX etc..

after all,,,, it is up to you... i sold my 91 prelude Si which was fun to drive for my fit... i think it was worth it....:D

 

Good to see another CRX enthusiast/loyalist on here besides myself. I too have been driving a CRX Si for 18 years as well. It has about 350,000 miles now on the original motor and runs like a champ- it still runs a decent quarter mile time and gets close to 40mpg.

When I got my Fit, I noticed that it handles so much better- even with my CRX having mucho $$$ spent on suspension upgrades. But as far as power, you will miss that if you get rid of the CRX- the CRX will run circles around the Fit because of the power/weight ratio. Don't get me wrong, the Fit has alright power, the acceleration is ok, and with some mild aftermarket performance upgrades, may get to the level of a stock CRX in acceleration.

The thing they both have in common is that they are both built 100% in Japan, and the quality of workmanship should last for the Fit, based on my experience with my CRX. So I would get one now before they start building them here.

I don't know if you check out The Temple of VTEC - Honda and Acura Enthusiasts Online - Rumors and News, but it looks like there may be a hybrid succssor for the CRX coming out soon (perhaps for the 20th anniversery of the 2nd gen CRX) that does not compromise performance for the gas economy. I would wait for that!

PM me if you have any more questions or would like to discuss offline.

Cheers!

 

I think that's not the right time. A fit is 8.7. That is likely to be the 5-60mph time. Also your mileage is pretty low. My bro crosses bridge and he gets maybe 35-40mpg. I guess a car that fast u're tempted to drive hard. my bro's, the third gear pops out, and soemtiems teh fifth gets stuck unless you double clutch.

 

I owned a 91 crx si before getting the fit. Turbo charged, tons of upgrades on it, mugen kit, etc. I don't regret trading for a fit at all. Although the Fit is wayyyy slower in a straight line, the handling feels much better. Only things i didn't like about the Fit that the CRX had is sunroof, and disc brakes all around. Reason i traded to the fit is because it was just getting to be a pain always working on an old car every few months trying to fix stuff. Too bad i don't get to hear my TurboXS RFL blow off valve anymore lol

 

Comming from a CRX and Civic, The Fit is a great replacment, it feels just as sporty, a little slower(maybe DX CRX). The only thing i think the Fit needs is lowered with some wider tires. But after that The fit is probably the closest thing Honda makes now to a "Sports Car" everything is big and pig heavy.

 

I bought a '89 CRX DX new. One of my daughters has it. I gave it to her for HS graduation. It has ~260,000 miles on it and going strong. I autocrossed it many, many times. Heck, I even took it on a road course several times. It was a blast!

I purchased a '91 CRX Si in April, 2001. I sold it day before yesterday to my oldest daughter's husband. His Accord served him for over 300,000 miles. Then a '93 Civic Si that I had lasted him well over 200,000 miles. It snapped the timing belt last weekend. (I told them to change it!!!)

These cars were very fun, and I've had many fond memories of them.

Now, I purchased a Fit Sport on 5/17/06. I have about 22,500 miles on it. I got the auto with the paddle shifters. It's not as fast, or as quick as the CRX (it weighs 500 pounds more, with the same horsepower,) but the handling is just as good. The steering ratio on the Fit is much quicker which adds to the nimbleness of it.

I ran an autocross this past Sunday with the Fit, and my "normal" competition and I were about the same time apart as I was with my CRX's. Not much difference there.

I really enjoyed my CRX's, but now that I've had the Fit for a while, I believe that I'll enjoy it just as much.

Feel free to ask anything you'd like, I'm well versed in the CRX's!

 

well i just sold my '88 CRX SI about a month ago in order to get a Fit.

now, my CRX was given to me by a friend (cause i desperately needed a car, and thus got me into hondas). he did all sorts of mods to it, it had an acura engine, all kinds of stuff i can't even remember.

the difference between that and the Fit is ENORMOUS. granted, the Fit is quick when i need it to be, and i don't know if it was that Acura engine or what (i could rarely get it out of 1st without stalling, haha). my dad was driving it for a while because it was amazingly good on gas. but, my Fit is doing well on gas so far too.

so, i wouldn't be able to say which one is necessarily better, but for my needs the Fit is perfect.

 

Hey thanks to all of you who responded to my question! I totally appreciate it :)

I think I'll wait to see what's on the menu for '08 in the Honda and Toyota lineups... seems like there could be a lot of interesting changes...

In the meantime, looks like a little maintenance and repair is in order for my CRX!

 

I got rid of my 91 CRX Si 2 years ago and have regretted it ever since.

Don't do it!

 

David, was this the yellow one? That was a nice car from the pictures you had.

I remember when the last generation of CRX came out, I was in college, neat cars. They were common in Showroom racing then too.

Here in Nashville you almost never see one that has not been "improved" (generally involving primer somewhere on the car) anymore, and a lot of Civics are seeing this treatment also. Not sure if the rest of the US is like this or not?

 

Sold my 90 CRX Si to a neighbor who needed a car. I miss the CRX but I rather have my new Fit for the space and better working A/C. I have a 3 year old son also, so I needed the Fit.

 

If you don't need to sell the Crx then don't just keep it then. I had a 89 Crx Si and they fit reminds me of the Crx but drives alot smoother. I miss my Crx but I don't regret selling it, I really like the fit.

My old crx

 

I used to have a 1988 CRX SI, sold it after I got my Fit. They are fairly similar for performance, but the CRX has a much more go-kart type feel, that just makes it a lot more fun to drive. I don't know if I regret it or not.

 

this thread is starting to make me miss mine :(