2010 Honda Fit mini review

[Kaido]

Sounds good. People do like the Fit. I'd consider a Prius for your next one unless you're dead-set on two Fits. Even with the $2500 down (about $70/month over 36) it would cost only $20/month more than that Fit, relatively speaking, but you'd make up more than that in gasoline, so it would be cheaper and it has all windows power up/down push-button start, auto climate control. I assume the fit has none of those but probably for pure space it's comparable. The Prius is a hatch back and has folding seats but I am not sure if they have more or less space in that configuration.

I strongly recommend against spending any money--I mean evern a PENNY--upgrading any vehicles in this price range, leased or not, don't do it.

I took a Prius out before the Fit and really, really liked it, but had a couple complaints:

1. There is a hesitancy on takeoff from zero
2. Passing at freeway speeds is sloooooooow

When I'd come to a complete stop, and then accelerate, there'd be up to a 1-2 second delay while the engine kicked in. Sometimes it was just a split second. But it was just enough to annoy the crud out of me - I was turning left to merge back on the highway and that small delay made me feel like I was going to get run over by oncoming traffic because I couldn't zip out there quite in time. The Fit, OTOH, has LOTS of acceleration for the first 15mph, so it just zips right off the line, which I really liked. I talked to the Honda dealer about the Insight and they said it has the same hesitation on starting from takeoff, so I didn't even bother taking it out.

Merging on the freeway isn't too bad, but passing wasn't so great. If a semi tried merging into me, it didn't feel like I'd be zooming past it anytime soon. Even in my Saturn I can gun it and shoot past if I need to. So those two things were what turned me off to the Prius - otherwise I really liked it a lot - lots of room inside (surprisingly), really great interior design, great fuel economy - just didn't like those little niggles with it.

 

[Kaido]

My local dealer just got 10 in one day, I saw them all parked out front.

When I drove past the dealer again the next morning, there was only 1.......lol

Yeah, my local dealer said he's only ever seen one in person - every single one has been pre-ordered and delivered straight to the customer. He said I could order now and get one on the next batch, but meh. The other dealer hasn't even gotten ANY in, they all just get sold out ASAP too.

I am attracted to the 40 MPG. I like the candy colors (Skittles green, whoohoo!), but from what I've read it's a tighter fit on the inside than the Fit and has less cargo room. I also read a review that said the interior build quality is cheap and stuff kept falling apart on them.

I like the Fit enough to look at a second one - compact on the outside, roomy on the inside, pretty decent gas mileage, easy back seats (which I *love*), Honda engine reliability, quick acceleration off the line, good price, and nice financing right now. It's a pretty straightforward car - not really any bells & whistles other than an iPod jack. It's easy to use and "Fits"...I like it! Considering I wasn't even aware of them a week ago, I think it's pretty funny I'm looking at a second one now 😀

 

[dbk]

I have a 07 Fit and i love it. Wish it was manual, though

 

[StageLeft]

I took a Prius out before the Fit and really, really liked it, but had a couple complaints:

1. There is a hesitancy on takeoff from zero
2. Passing at freeway speeds is sloooooooow

When I'd come to a complete stop, and then accelerate, there'd be up to a 1-2 second delay while the engine kicked in. Sometimes it was just a split second. But it was just enough to annoy the crud out of me - I was turning left to merge back on the highway and that small delay made me feel like I was going to get run over by oncoming traffic because I couldn't zip out there quite in time. The Fit, OTOH, has LOTS of acceleration for the first 15mph, so it just zips right off the line, which I really liked. I talked to the Honda dealer about the Insight and they said it has the same hesitation on starting from takeoff, so I didn't even bother taking it out.

Merging on the freeway isn't too bad, but passing wasn't so great. If a semi tried merging into me, it didn't feel like I'd be zooming past it anytime soon. Even in my Saturn I can gun it and shoot past if I need to. So those two things were what turned me off to the Prius - otherwise I really liked it a lot - lots of room inside (surprisingly), really great interior design, great fuel economy - just didn't like those little niggles with it.

I think a lot of this is perception. I've floored mine from the lights several times (fell that torque) and the electric motor is instant but it really does turn on the gas motor pretty quickly, it's definitely a small fraction of a second (under half I'd guess) delay before the gas starts going. It likely is slower than the fit on highway but not that bad, I find it reasonable at highway speeds. The most frustrating lack of power is on country roads at, say, 55 where you need to quickly hit 70 to safely pass and you don't have long to do it.

About this ford, when a new hotly desired model comes out yes it's hard to get but I remember when I checked out a Camaro a year ago the dealership had an air of superiority like "oh YOU want to buy a Camaro? HAHAHAHA silly peasant" and now they have a dozen in front, I bet I'd get much better attention. The Fiestas will all be eaten up soon enough then you get your pick of the litter.

I do bet the Fit is a nice car. I've not driven one, though. Hatchbacks are, however, KING. They beat sedans in a huge way when you have to move anything at all.

 

[Kaido]

I think a lot of this is perception. I've floored mine from the lights several times (fell that torque) and the electric motor is instant but it really does turn on the gas motor pretty quickly, it's definitely a small fraction of a second (under half I'd guess) delay before the gas starts going. It likely is slower than the fit on highway but not that bad, I find it reasonable at highway speeds. The most frustrating lack of power is on country roads at, say, 55 where you need to quickly hit 70 to safely pass and you don't have long to do it.

About this ford, when a new hotly desired model comes out yes it's hard to get but I remember when I checked out a Camaro a year ago the dealership had an air of superiority like "oh YOU want to buy a Camaro? HAHAHAHA silly peasant" and now they have a dozen in front, I bet I'd get much better attention. The Fiestas will all be eaten up soon enough then you get your pick of the litter.

I do bet the Fit is a nice car. I've not driven one, though. Hatchbacks are, however, KING. They beat sedans in a huge way when you have to move anything at all.

Yeah, it's not really that long of a delay - but it was long enough to bug me. My brain kept saying "go go go!" haha. I bet if they made a stick-shift Prius, there's be more power at higher speeds :awe: Electric motor gear shifting ftw? haha.

Funnily enough, the new Camaro was actually the first car I looked into. They had a single black model with the sunroof in the showroom when I started looking. I sat inside and my head was literally touching the ceiling. The dealer said if I didn't go with the sunroof, that would add 2" of headroom - but then what do you do on bumpy roads and over speedbumps? lol. The Fit gives me easily 5" of headroom, even in the backseat. WAY more roomy.

Also, two Fits for less than the price of one Camaro 😀

I also checked out the Mustangs, which I don't really like (what's up with the Dustbuster design?). I played around in the Shelby Cobra on their showroom floor (yum!) and it had plenty of room inside, but the price tag was super high to make it look nice like that ($47k).

Honestly I'm not really too interested the Fiesta. The 40 MPG is nice, but the car just doesn't attract me. Not that the Fit is a hot car, but the Sport trim is kind of fun. I don't know. I guess I'm just really happy with the Fit - the rear seats are easy to use, it's little on the outside, and big on the inside. I don't really have much more requirements in a car, and the Honda dealership is offering me a great deal on my trade-in plus zero down payment, zero dealer fees, no first-month's payment, and nearly $100 less than the competitors per month for the lease. It's the best deal I've been offered all month from dealers, plus they're giving me a small discount on a second model. Seems like a no-brainer 🙂

 

[Kaido]

I think my only real gripe after a few days is that there's no Traction Control. I'm curious as to how this car will handle in the snow being small, somewhat underpowered, and not having Traction Control. Hopefully not too horribly 😀

 

[jpeyton]

It's FWD; as long as you have decent tires and watch your speed, you'll do fine in snow.

I would buy a Fit over a Fiesta for the rear "magic" seat alone. I love how you can fold it flat or lift it up for tall boxes.

 

[fbrdphreak]

It's FWD; as long as you have decent tires and watch your speed, you'll do fine in snow.

What you really mean is that if you have snow tires, you won't have any trouble getting off the line. Otherwise, you will need to be careful and maybe even start in 2nd gear.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Seriously? I was really happy with the seats! My wife isn't crazy about them though. I also spent an hour in the backseat on the way home this past weekend and enjoyed those as well.

I didn't find the seats comfortable or supportive at all. It really felt like 2 pieces of wood with some cloth on them.
Though I may be spoiled by Recaro seats and the seats in my Spec V.

 

[Imp]

I took a Prius out before the Fit and really, really liked it, but had a couple complaints:

1. There is a hesitancy on takeoff from zero
2. Passing at freeway speeds is sloooooooow

Merging on the freeway isn't too bad, but passing wasn't so great. If a semi tried merging into me, it didn't feel like I'd be zooming past it anytime soon. Even in my Saturn I can gun it and shoot past if I need to. So those two things were what turned me off to the Prius - otherwise I really liked it a lot - lots of room inside (surprisingly), really great interior design, great fuel economy - just didn't like those little niggles with it.

I've taken a second gen Prius out a few times, and I like it. Major complaint is also passing speeds. I haven't felt the merging, acceleration from a start issues like you, but it definately lacks power at the upper end. It can do 115 Km/h fine, but try to pass by going faster than that (technically this is over the speed limit and you shouldn't but...) and it'll take you a while. I had to floor it for about 5 seconds straight to get it from 120 Km/h to 135 Km/h the one time I tried. On the otherhand, once you know the limits of your car, you drive accordingly.

 

[Pulsar]

Have you ever been in a Fit before? I'm wondering how it compares with the Fiesta - none of my local dealers have any in stock, they all get sold out before arrival. My buddy is trying to convince me to go with a Fiesta for my 2nd car, but I'm really liking the Fit and wouldn't mind two in the family at all...

Before I say anything else, I like to remind folks I do work for Ford.

I've never driven the Fit.

We did drive the Fiesta with 5 people in it and had one major complaint. The rear leg room simply wasn't there. in checking the specs on line, it appears that the Fit has 2 more inches of rear leg room. If I was buying a vehicle of that size and planned on transporting people in the back on a regular basis or during long trips, I would definitely have to think hard about getting something other than the fiesta. It is a smaller car that simply doesn't have a ton of room in the back seats.

However, if I was looking for a sportier car (Mazda 3, etc), then the Fiesta would be a shoo in. It was a hoot to drive.

 

[Kaido]

I didn't find the seats comfortable or supportive at all. It really felt like 2 pieces of wood with some cloth on them.
Though I may be spoiled by Recaro seats and the seats in my Spec V.

Well 😛

 

[Kaido]

I've taken a second gen Prius out a few times, and I like it. Major complaint is also passing speeds. I haven't felt the merging, acceleration from a start issues like you, but it definately lacks power at the upper end. It can do 115 Km/h fine, but try to pass by going faster than that (technically this is over the speed limit and you shouldn't but...) and it'll take you a while. I had to floor it for about 5 seconds straight to get it from 120 Km/h to 135 Km/h the one time I tried. On the otherhand, once you know the limits of your car, you drive accordingly.

Merging was okay, it was really just that hesitancy and the highway passing that kinda bugged me. Neither was huge, but the Honda Fit just had an edge over it (plus no $2500 down payment, haha). Quick takeoff (well, up to 15mph!) and roomy. The Prius I was looking at was really pretty though...a really nice candy metallic red with what looked like a body kit on it. Really great interior - far better than the Fit's. Can't beat Toyota's interiors!

 

[Kaido]

Before I say anything else, I like to remind folks I do work for Ford.

I've never driven the Fit.

We did drive the Fiesta with 5 people in it and had one major complaint. The rear leg room simply wasn't there. in checking the specs on line, it appears that the Fit has 2 more inches of rear leg room. If I was buying a vehicle of that size and planned on transporting people in the back on a regular basis or during long trips, I would definitely have to think hard about getting something other than the fiesta. It is a smaller car that simply doesn't have a ton of room in the back seats.

However, if I was looking for a sportier car (Mazda 3, etc), then the Fiesta would be a shoo in. It was a hoot to drive.

I'll still probably take a Fiesta out for a test drive, just for fun. I've got a friend who is looking so we're planning on going when the local dealer gets one in. Although after test-driving that Jetti TDI with the turbo diesel and electronic stability control...whoo! That was a trip 😀

 

[Kaido]

Local dealer got some Fiestas in. All 3 sold ASAP, one left. I had a chance to sit in it but the other test driver didn't get back before I had to run. It was the $20k sedan hatchback model - the leather seats were pretty nice. The green looks real good, like a metallic Skittle haha. Fits the car well. The yellow was horrendous. It was like metallic school bus yellow. Like shiny mustard. Like one of those yellow road signs. It doesn't look completely terrible in pictures, but in person - bleh!

http://images.passionperformance.ca/photos/0/3/5/035231_2011_Ford_Fiesta.jpg

Front seats were roomy enough. Feels cramped after being in the Fit. Visibility is a bit worse on the sides and rear - rear side windows are tapered. Backseat is pretty much useless unless you're under 10 years old. Trunk wasn't as big either. Front interior was much nicer - the dashboard looks like something out of Transformers - much more nicely appointed. It's a bit more snug, as evidenced in this picture:

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/11044295%2Bw750+st0/0811_04_z+2011_ford_fiesta+interior.jpg

Going back to test drive it tomorrow if they still have it. Not really sold on it though - it feels like a single guy's car, or a couple's car - not really something you'd throw your friends in the backseat in and cruise around town comfortably. I did like the seats quite a bit more than the Fit - leather grippy seats, really comfy too. Just...small. Front was roomy enough, but the headroom was a bit more limited and the sides felt a bit more tapered than the Fit.

It was also smaller on the outside than I expected it to be - like Yaris size! They make it look a lot bigger in the pictures. That was the first thing I noticed after the color, just how small it was. At least the Fit tries to fake it by making it a giant bubble 😀

 

[jpeyton]

You're not just imagining it. I recently sat in a 2011 Sonata, which on paper has a larger interior passenger volume than the 2009 Accord that I own. But the visibility was poorer (higher belt-line, more taper to the windows), it felt like it had less headroom because of the high seating position, and the rear cabin felt smaller too. The Sonata still deserves a lot of praise for being a great all-around package, but I'd rather carry passengers in my Accord anytime.

 

[Silex]

You guys wouldn't be complaining about the Fiesta if you had one these:

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

auto or manual?
a car with a small engine like the Fit NEEDS a manual.

 

[Mide]

I got a 09 Fit. Love the MPG, back seats, and paddle shifters. Hate the HP when AC is on and also the lack of audio steering wheel controls. Cheap insurance though so that's a plus.

 

[Kaido]

You're not just imagining it. I recently sat in a 2011 Sonata, which on paper has a larger interior passenger volume than the 2009 Accord that I own. But the visibility was poorer (higher belt-line, more taper to the windows), it felt like it had less headroom because of the high seating position, and the rear cabin felt smaller too. The Sonata still deserves a lot of praise for being a great all-around package, but I'd rather carry passengers in my Accord anytime.

I think it's just crazy how design can change the feel of a car. My '05 Saturn ION is a much larger car than the fit, and yet feels smaller. The front feels a little smaller and the back is MUCH smaller. Trunk is a little bigger though, haha.

 

[Kaido]

You guys wouldn't be complaining about the Fiesta if you had one these:

I wouldn't be complaining about much of anything if I had one of those - I'd be too busy saying "wheeeeeeeee!" :awe:

 

[Kaido]

auto or manual?
a car with a small engine like the Fit NEEDS a manual.

My wife's fit is an Auto, with paddle shifters (which shift much too soon for my tastes - I can't really rev it up because it does auto-shift too soon haha). It's what I'd call "adequate". The Prius was a tad underpowered, but the Fit just makes it in to usable territory for merging, passing, etc.

I took a manual out for a test drive the other day and was sold as soon as I pulled out of the lot. TOTALLY different car with a stick. Still a 4-cylinder, but much, much more fun. I have them out looking for a blue one for me :awe:

 

[StageLeft]

My wife's fit is an Auto, with paddle shifters (which shift much too soon for my tastes - I can't really rev it up because it does auto-shift too soon haha). It's what I'd call "adequate". The Prius was a tad underpowered, but the Fit just makes it in to usable territory for merging, passing, etc.

2010 Prius has 0-60 about 10 flat. 2010 Fit with manual according to edmunds is 8.9 but the auto is "noticeably slower" so my guess is the Fit is no faster, at best.

 

[StageLeft]

You guys wouldn't be complaining about the Fiesta if you had one these:

That is to a fiesta what kirstie alley is to jessica biel (both women, but a world apart).

 

[Kaido]

I got a 09 Fit. Love the MPG, back seats, and paddle shifters. Hate the HP when AC is on and also the lack of audio steering wheel controls. Cheap insurance though so that's a plus.

A/C is one of my chief complaints - it's pretty anemic. I mean, it keeps you cool, but my Saturn is like an icebox when I crank the A/C. I have to put the Fit's A/C to max to keep from sweating on a hot day here, haha. It's been 95F lately (plus humidity) so we've given it a real workout.

The paddle shifters are actually pretty fun - you feel like you're driving an indy car or something, hehe. Does yours shift really fast despite being in Sports mode? As soon as those RPM's start climbing, it auto-shifts for me and takes the fun out of it!

I'm considering a DIY steering-wheel audio controls installation using OEM parts:

http://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-i-c-e/6543-audio-controls-steering-wheel-6.html#post797484

I believe the NAVI model comes with steering-wheel audio controls, which is available separately (just the buttons) for about $115. The official Honda part number is 36770-TK6-A41 and is available here:

http://www.hondapartsnow.com/genuine/honda~switch~assy~36770-TK6-A41.html

I'm debating if it's worth it though - the audio controls are only like 5 inches away from the steering wheel and is controlled by a huge knob, so it's not like it's super difficult to change the song or whatever. But it'd be nice!