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Comments: 1-15, 16-27
No problems so far, I keep finding things to like about it!
Very comfortable all around and a great value.
Handles like a cross between a sports car for handling and a jeep for turning quickly and easily.
Plenty of space, classic analog controls with beautiful contemporary lighting and look to the entire interior. Cute Japanese small car looks on the exterior.
Able to cruise at 90 mph easily.
If you expect a lot -- if you expect features found in a car costing $5-10,000 more than the fit -- then you'll find things to be disappointed in. But as a basic car it's comfortable, fun, and versatile.
"Handles like a cross between a sports car for handling and a jeep for turning quickly and easily."
Well I can believe that it turns around fast due to it's tiny size, but theres no way that thing handles like a sports car with those skinny economy tires and front wheel drive.
8:23 knows this because he owns a 2007 Fit and he owns a Ferrari.
<<"Handles like a cross between a sports car for handling and a jeep for turning quickly and easily."
Well I can believe that it turns around fast due to it's tiny size, but theres no way that thing handles like a sports car with those skinny economy tires and front wheel drive.>>
Hate to burst your bubble, but you obviously have never driven a Fit or done any research on it. Not only is the car extremely sporty in the vein of the original Civic Si (a car which I owned and loved), but its tires are 195's, hardly "skinny economy tires" especially given some older BMWS used to run 185's.
The Fit is nothing like it appears, both inside and the way it drives. That can't be said for any of its competition, including the Yaris, Sentra/Versa, Cobalt, Caliber, and even Honda's own Civic (excluding the more expensive Si).
Having checked out the Fit, I find it not only slow and ugly, but not particularly good in the handling department either. Never having driven a Ferrari I can't fairly compare the two, but I do know the Fit doesn't perform or handle anywhere nearly as well as my 6 year old GM compact.
<<Having checked out the Fit, I find it not only slow and ugly, but not particularly good in the handling department either. Never having driven a Ferrari I can't fairly compare the two, but I do know the Fit doesn't perform or handle anywhere nearly as well as my 6 year old GM compact.>.
Sorry the Fit couldn't match the sloppy handling and walllowing of your GM compact - maybe if Honda made the panel gaps a lot greater you would like it. But those of us who have owned BMWs and other sports cars know full well the Fit has fantastic handling and significantly better than the domestic competition.
And it is NOT slow compared to the competition and even a lot of SUVs.
"But those of us who have owned BMWs and other sports cars know full well the Fit has fantastic handling and significantly better than the domestic competition."
If you actually need to buy a Honda Fit odds are you never owned a newer BMW or sports car. The fit handles just a bit better than most other econoboxes out there, but nowhere near sports car levels. FWD coupled to skinny (by modern standards) economy tires has its limits and they aren't very high compared to what else is out there.
Just thought I'd pop in and help restore some sanity to this review and it's subsequent commentary. :p.
I've had a Honda Jazz (i.e. the same car as the Fit, only this is the name it's sold under in Europe and Australia) for 2 years, and whilst it is a very good car, one of its few weaknesses is the handling. It's not sporty. It's a little firm, but it's still not all that communicative. I'd say that on the open road, the steering and handling is vague without being all that comfortable. There are much better handling cars in the same class as the Fit/Jazz (such as the Suzuki Swift and Mazda 2), but given that the fact that US car makers appear to be very good at making their market feel inadequate about driving cars that are smaller than the Titanic, don't expect to see any better compact cars in the States any time soon. For you guys, the Fit is as good as it gets.
Meanwhile, back on topic, I do wonder what the reviewer has actually driven previously to give the handling such a glowing review.
To quote, but one review of the Fit, from Car and Driver:
"What truly set the Fit apart was its handling — not a pretense of handling, but the real deal, with springs and struts that allowed one gentle rebound and no more, the only car here that felt happy storming the switchbacks. We later confirmed this when the Fit sailed through our lane-change test 6 mph faster than anything else here — faster, in fact, than a Corvette Z06."
While I can't claim to have driven a huge range of cars prior to buying my Fit, I will say that it handles very nicely. A lot of folks who have driven a lot more than I have seem to agree. It's a blast to drive.
Why can't some people accept that a small car can be desirable, even compared to cars costing twice as much?
18:49 I've tried to explain those same handling issues to some other commenters on this site. I've never driven a car for even twice the price of a Fit that was as fun to drive overall, and nobody has ever made a car this versatile. I'm so glad to see Honda going a little more in this direction again; like the late '80's CRX's, and with the huge success of the Fit, I'm sure we'll see a lot more Honda redesigns that fall in that category. The comparisons to the Vette are pretty funny, and true. Chevy doesn't seem to understand that just dumping a larger engine into something doesn't make it a better car if it handles like a haywagon. If I worked at GM, I'd be pretty embarrassed that a 1.5 liter economy car that costs $12,000 handles better than their so-called sports car.
I've been driving Miatas the last 6 yrs. so I have some reference to sports cars. I agree that it handles like one. I have only had mine a week, but the manual gear shifting and even acceleration is not much different. It hangs in the curves yet feels some wind at hwy speeds where there are transfer trucks passing. Like the Miata it has great consumer report ratings so unless you want to spend 25k plus, then say "well done Honda".
I have a Fit Sport and have driven it about 500 miles so far (I have a rule against posting reviews without having the car at least a year so I don't have a review up yet), to address some of what I've been reading...
1. Handling - The Fit has phenomenal handling for its configuration. Comparing it to a compact car is not fair because the center of gravity on cars is much lower. The Fit was designed to... FIT stuff and people in it, considering this, it has absolutely amazing handling with little fuss.
2. Tires - The tires on the base model are probably a little narrow for performance driving, the wider rubber and alloys was a big part of the reason I got the S (which for the price, is a GREAT deal). I would expect the sport model to handle noteably better than a base model just for this reason, so when you leave comment please indicate which model you are talking about.
3. Fuel Econ - I read a lot of people aren't getting the promised fuel econ, I am reserving judgement on that until the motor is broken in (1-2k miles). The engine though has enough power to pull a full load if NEED BE, but is OPTIMIZED for commuting around town with maybe a couple friends.
Glad to read that no one has any problems with theirs yet, mine had a weird white string coming out of the door, taking it to dealer next week.
I am the above poster returning with more feedback.
- I have driven this car about 4000 miles no still with no problems, the fuel econ DID get better not that the engine is broken in.
- I HAVE driven a WIDE variety or cars (93 Toyota Celica, 78 Datsun 280Z, 90 Nissan 240SX, 87 Nissan Pulsar, 77 Chevy Corvette, and the 07 Fit) and you guys have to understand that the car's suspension is very well designed for what ITS INTENDED FOR. NO the car does not handle like a Ferrari (cause that's fair to begin with ^_^) around a TRACK. The car delivers exactly what it is designed to give you... a sporty car feel, absorbtion of minor/medium bumps, a comfy and quite ride, good turning radius, and poised control while braking/accelerating.
- Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, not the general public. I personally really like this car's styling.
That's all for now, some of you guys have really high expectations for a car that costs $17k in the high model brand new. For your money you are getting a LOT of car.
<<<1st May 2007, 17:53.
"But those of us who have owned BMWs and other sports cars know full well the Fit has fantastic handling and significantly better than the domestic competition."
If you actually need to buy a Honda Fit odds are you never owned a newer BMW or sports car. The Fit handles just a bit better than most other econoboxes out there, but nowhere near sports car levels. FWD coupled to skinny (by modern standards) economy tires has its limits and they aren't very high compared to what else is out there.>>>
Excuse me sir..
You do realize.. BMW's are a waste of money correct?
You buy one.. Go ahead.
No, the Honda Fit with its base hp of 109 isn't fast stock..
But.. if you can afford to keep your piece of crap Fords, Pontiacs and BMW's running, you could afford the K20A swap into the Fit.
Oh.. Lemme guys..
You don't know what that is?
I just bought the 2008 Fit Sport last weekend and after owning 8 Hondas and 4 Acura's from 1986 to now I love it. The 200 watt sound system and storage out the wazoo. I haven't tried it yet, but the front seats lay flat with the rear seats for a huge level padded area. MPG is a real plus. I bought my last 8 cars from the same salesman and I don't have to go through the usual I'm looking for a car... I know it's going to be a Honda every time.
OK, so the K20A is the DOHC iVTEC engine with 154 hp (like, this is really inside knowledge). Putting one into a Fit would make it a lot faster.
Putting a small block V8 into a '73 Ford Pinto 1600 would make it a lot faster. So what?
You can make any car faster by swapping in a more powerful engine. We are talking about the STOCK Honda Fit here, not what you could make out of it, and the Fit is NOT that fast in STOCK form.