I'm in the market for a new car and it will be a honda product. I have an Integra that I can no longer daily drive. I'm stuck between the Fit Sport and the Civic LX sedan, both in 5M. I'm in Canada, so the Civic LX comes with defrost, mirrors, temp gauge, 16" aluminum wheels and the rear armrest. The Fit Sport is essentially the same as the US model.

Anyway, financed and insured, it's $9 more monthly for the Fit S and $5 more the the Civic LX repectively. I'm borrowing my mother's 07 Civic EX sedan 5A right now and it' has a nice ride, but barely quick enough, IMO. I know I'd be happy with a manual. Browsing through the web and looking at 0-60 times and 1/4 times, the fit is quicker to 60 than than the Civic 5A I'm driving right now, but slower in the quarter mile. The only reason why I'm all about these specs is that I'm worried about having enough power to merge on the highway and highway stability. If I went with the FIT, it would get an intake to squeeze a little bit more power out of it and springs to reduce the amount of drag at higher speeds and to make the car more stable by keeping less air from getting under the car; not to mention it looks cool. I know there's turbo kits and superchargers, but I want to keep the car pretty much stock as i will still throw money at my Integra.

I don't mind driving the car to redline and downshifting to pass, as that's the beauty of a honda.

I like the Fit. It's a cool looking car and seems fun to drive, good on gas, handles well and since my integra still is 4x100, both my sets of rims will fit. I admit I have yet to test drive one. I haven't tested the civic in a manual either. But I've been trolling this forum for ever.

So to end my rant, did any of you Fit owners consider a Civic? (non Si)

 

I had a fully loaded '06 EX coupe, and I traded that in for a '07 Fit Sport MT. Completely worthwhile. I don't really miss the accessories the Civic had. It had rattles galore and was getting 27mpg is I drove conservatively, 24 or under if I gunned it here and there as I like to do. With the Fit, I could go over 4000rpm half the time and probably still get at least 30mpg (my lowest mpg: 29.5, my highest: 33.9, my average: 32.1).

Highway speeds aren't a problem for me. That's usually when I take it over 4000rpm in 4th to merge; no problem. 5th has some go to pass and merge, but downshifting to 4th would probably be better (I haven't mastered the downshift yet :-( )

Fit is worthwhile IMO. MT is awesome.

 

Merging on the freeway isnt a problem for the Fit even in the AT. Ive never onced felt a lack of power while just driving, maybe a lack of power while racing lol.
Ive drove a 2007 Honda Civic coupe and i really did not like it one bit. It felt heavy compared to the Fit, and slow to react. The Fit is much more responsive. Also, i like the Fit interior a whole lot more then the Civics.

 

I test drove an 07 Civic with the 140 hp L18, (whichever model that is) the day I bought my 08 Fit 5spd. The Fit handled way better than the Civic, and was $2,000 less with 44K less miles and a warranty that the Civic no longer had. I've had no problem merging, but that could be because the on-ramps are kinda long-ish around here. So, i'd say go with the Fit, but test drive them both first... only you know how you like your cars!

 

[quote=kingoftheapex;200020]I test drove an 07 Civic with the 140 hp L18, (whichever model that is) ...quote]

8th gen Civic's engine is the R18. I compared the Fit and Civic engine, and it looks like the L15 is a modified and compact version of the R18 o.O

 

Oh, my bad, I knew they were related, so I just plopped the L in front of the number...

 

I traded in my 07 EX coupe for a 07 fit sport and have never looked back. The fit might be a bit slower but it's more fun to drive, more versatile and has more character then the civics.

Lower it get an intake and exhaust and your all set!

 

I tested both the 07 civic and the 07 Fit when I got mine. If Honda had made a hatchback version of the Civic I would have gone that route, but the fact I like to put my bike in the back, and sliding it through the mailslot of a trunk seemed kinda dodgy to me kept me from being really intersted in the Civic. It definitely had more power than the Fit, but the handling wasn't as sweet. They have very different character, but not hugely different in actual performance. Only you can tell what is right for you though, so some test drives are definitely in order.

 

Another thing about the Civic, they are EVERYWHERE! On my 4.5 mile drive to school today i saw 4 civics, 3 coupes and 1 sedan. They are very popular for a reason, they are good cars and reasonably priced. But to me they are just plain and boring...theres not one thing exciting to me about a civic. The Fit excites me, looking at it its unique. Its a pleasure to drive and you feel really connected compared to the Civic.

I have driven the Civic ALOT. For a total of about 7 hours ive been behind the wheel of the 07 Civic coupe for my drivers training class lol..That being said i really just plain dont like the car...The Si on the other hand is a really nice car and a performance bargain. i would buy a Si in a heart beat, it still seems kinda big and fat to me but the K20 makes up for that.

 

i agree with TOOL, i've had no problems merging on the highway in my AT.

i was thinking about a civic as well, but the price difference, albeit not that much, was still too much for me. plus, the fit is way more unique :)

 

When I was looking, it was between the Fit and the Rabbit. I didn't even consider a Civic, primarily because I wanted a hatchback and well as the fact that they are EVERYWHERE. I didn't want a car that I could find in every 5th driveway.

When I test drove my Fit, I knew it was "the one". It was just plain fun to drive, had a great interior, easier to get in and out of than a Civic, more versatile and it also had great character. For me, it was definitely the right choice. Yeah you won't win any races, but the power is ample for how I use the car and when you have it in the right gear on the right road, it is a fun ride! The handling is also great.

If you aren't really sure about which one to get, I suggest you test drive them both. Some people really like the Civic's and there is no doubt that they are a good, reliable car. To me, when compared to the base level Civic's, the Fit just seemed like a more appealing package from the design and styling, to the ride and uniqueness factor.

Good luck!

 

The civic's are nice...however I say go for the Fit.

1. They aren't as common as civics.
2. I still dont like the dash in the new civics...it's just a little too futuristic for me. (Just my opinion)
3. Fits are assembled in Japan...while civics are assembled in Canada.
(Some might think that Japanese Hondas are made better.)
4. This model Fit has been around for several years around the world...so it is less likely to be involved in any recalls. I think there has been a couple of recalls since the new civic came out in 2006.

The big problem with the Fit that I can see is the peeling paint issue on the bumpers...but if you install some spacers...things should be cool.

Good luck. :)

 

I bought an 08 Fit just over a week ago. I also test drove the new CRV's, Accords and Civics. In all honesty I found the Fit to be more comfortable than the other 3. I liked sitting higher in the CRV but price and gas mileage were a downer.

In the Civic I was hitting my head on the ceiling unless I had the seat reclined to the point that nobody could sit behind me in the rear seat (I'm 6-1). Plenty of head room in the Accord and CRV though both the Accord and Civic would require me to make frequent trips to the chiropractor if I ever had to sit in back (ceiling was WAY too low).

I felt the dash of the Civic sucked. Something about the speedo not being part of the dash cluster but upon top of the dash itself just didn't sit right with me.

Foot and knee room in the Civic was also a no go as it was just too cramped. Forget about the back seat.

I test drove the Fit and found a hill as I was skeptical of the 109 hp. Running slow in 5th to the base and tried to maintain speed but had to downshift to 4th. Speeding up in 4th was a non issue. That hill sold the car.

 

i have a 06 CivicEX sedan 5AT that i got new last Spring as my daily driver... already kinda
bord of it and been thinking about getting a 08Fit Sport 5MT. :rolleyes:

 

[quote=cojaro;200022]
the l15 is NOT a 'modified' version of the r18.

the l15 is a lot older, the r18 made its debut in the new civic.


I owned an 06 ex sedan, and the auto tranny in the civic is tuned for economy, not sport. C/D listed the last lx 5 speed civic as hitting 0-60 in mid 7's which is not to shabby. (but they drive the cars hard.) The lx weighs less than the ex as well, even when transmissions are not taken into consideration.

the civic is better as a high speed cruiser, i got great mileage with my civic. gotta try slightly harder to accomplish it with the fit.

As far as power goes, both will do fine, but a manual equipped civic will be quicker than a fit. but there is a MUCH bigger aftermarket for the fit than there is for the r18 civics.

I miss a lot of things about the civic, but if i ever got back into one, it'd be a nice taffeta white si sedan.;)


the fit def has a more go cart type of feel...but unless you are running 16 inch performance tires, the civic simply grips harder; the fit on the other hand has better body roll control.

for me it came down to hauling stuff, which the fit can do much better, and the fact that everyone and his mother has a new civic. its funny because the new civic (despite what some have said) is the most radically styled compact out there right now. its just that you see it so often, its uniqueness has faded a bit. its still a handsome car though.

 

With the automatic EX civic, sometimes when I need to merge onto busy highway I can't get it to move quick enough, so I end up slowing down and waiting for the car in the lane I want to merge into pass first. Personally, I'd rather merge as soon as I can, rather than doing it towards then end of the merging lane. This is my concern with the Fit, but as I said, I guess I need to test drive one first.

Funny you mention the Si sedan as I added that to my list, just because Honda Canada has really, really good lease rates on the Civics right now (except the hybrid). Based on the term I am looking for, the Fit Sport and Civic Si sedan have the same monthly payment. I called my insurance company and the Si sedan will cost me the same as an LX sedan Sure the Si is less fuel efficient, requires high octane fuel, but one part of me is looking for something that is more comfortable and stable on the highway, as my commute to work is 90% highway. The Si sedan is more sort of on the Q-ship side....

Thanks for everyone's input. FITFREAK fu@#ing rocks!!!

 

The Fit, in stock form, is not going to give you the get up and go that it sounds like you're seeking. My cars over the years have ranged in hp ratings from 70-340, and while it feels peppier than the 109 would make you believe, it's by no means gonna push you back into your seat and give you that "Woah!" surge that some cars do.

That being said, I haven't had any problems getting up to speed on freeway onramps, although anything around 70mph or above will have you in the 4k+ range on the tach, and it definitely sounds like the car's running out of breath... wish the car had one more gear to drop freeway rpms into the 2-3k range. The automatic volume control on the head unit helps in masking this, but it's definitely there.

All in all, though, I love this car, and always look forward to driving it!

-Mike

 

so i went to the dealer today and test drove a fit sport and then test drove a civic lx-sr sedan. (it's pretty much same as the us ex, without the dash tweeters and steering wheel control)

the fit is a fun car, it's much quieter on the highway than i expected, even at 120 kph. when i got on the highway, it accelated ok when merging. there was enough pickup when i was cruising in 4th, then dropped it into second. i didn't have a chance to cruise at 100 and downshift as the highway was bit bit crowded. i felt bad for the car because i was sort of beating on at it at it only had 20 kms on it and a dealer plate slung over the bumper. it was very easy driving and getting used to the car. i got used to it and comfortable driving it much quicker than my mother's civic. from the drivers seat, pretty big inside.

i then drove the civic sedan. like i mentioned above, i'm driving my mom's civic ex automatic. the manual is nice and i think i'd be happy with it. for some strange reason i felt more comfortable in the civic, it might have been the armrest or just because i drive one everyday. (i know the armrest is a $350 fix, and after thinking about it, it's safer to not have one as i'd me more inclined to have both hands on the wheel)

so bottom line is that the fit is a bit more fun, but i have another car for that. after getting a preliminary sales quote based on msrp prices, the fit sport if i go for a lease will more than a civic, but less if i finance.

i'll have to test drive both AGAIN as i'm still on the fence. :(

 

Leasing is never a good option.

 

Sorry for bumping this thread, but I'm also deciding between these two cars....I just wanted to get clarification on something you said....if you're cruising @ 70mph in 5th in the Fit, you are at 4k rpm? That seems awfully high....or do you just mean it gets that high when you're merging?

I'm looking for reliable, economical transportation and the Fit seems to meet that need. The Civic has a bit more power but it also lacks the utility of the Fit. Not to mention it's about $1,500 more.