The Money Mustache Community
Other => Off Topic => Topic started by: CowboyAndIndian on March 12, 2017, 04:25:57 PM
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I was dropping off my son for his cross country practice when I noticed a Blue Honda fit.
He was driving quite fast and at the light, I happened to be right next to him. Expecting a college kid (we live quite close to Princeton University), but I saw a couple around 50 years old.
Immediately, I thought he/they must be Mustachian. Maybe someone who is on the forum! So was someone on the forum driving on Alexander road on Princeton?
So, do you also see a Fit and think Mustachian?
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Well, not particularly, but now that you say it, a honda fit driver I know coupons like crazy and is fairly frugal with their spending.
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They don't particularly make me think about Mustachianism, although I understand they're very economical. I think they would work for anybody who can get through life with a little car--students, retirees, singletons, etc. I couldn't fit my dog crate and harp case in a Fit, so can't even consider it.
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No, not really. First think come to my mind is Environmentalist.
I thought all hard core Mustachians rode a bike. :P
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I have a blue Honda Fit!
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I have a blue Honda Fit!
Were you in the Princeton area on Saturday?
If so, I am thrilled to have met a fellow Mustachian!!
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No, it wasn't me. I was in Connecticut all weekend.
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I usually think they are smart.
I love Hondas. I am on my third Honda, and I love them for the peace of mind of driving a car that requires so little maintenance. I have a CR-V now, but I could see driving a Fit someday, although my husband is kind of a large guy and might not be comfortable.
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Maybe someone who is on the forum! So was someone on the forum driving on Alexander road on Princeton?
I was, but I don't own a Honda Fit! Glad to see some locals on here.
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There are Honda Fits all over the place here, so I really don't think much of them at all.
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They're common, good cars. I don't really think of anything.
They aren't really a car that elicits a specific reaction out of me, like a BMW or a giant 70s station wagon.
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Maybe someone who is on the forum! So was someone on the forum driving on Alexander road on Princeton?
I was, but I don't own a Honda Fit! Glad to see some locals on here.
Awesome. Good to see a fellow NJ mustachian here!
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I had a blue Honda Fit when I lived in Japan. Man, I loved that car.
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Honestly?
(http://pics.imcdb.org/1281/vlcsnap-2015-03-12-00h56m51s213.jpg)
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I'd rather grow old with a smallish car than be 80 yrs old trying to park an 18 ft long Buick or SUV.
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First thought is man I bet a manual would be a lot of fun. Second thought is, boy that tiny car will get flattened like a pancake in a crash with a lifted 3/4 ton.
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When I see a red Fit, I check to see if my 70 something mom is at the wheel. She is zen master frugal.
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I couldn't fit my dog crate and harp case in a Fit, so can't even consider it.
Are you sure? The rear seats fold down completely flat creating a TON of room in the back! It's truly an engineering marvel. I could hardly believe it when I first tested it out.
I test drove one a handful of years back, but alas the seat didn't go back very far, which was a bit strange. If they expanded the leg room a bit up front, it'd be near the top of my list if I ever buy another car.
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First thought is man I bet a manual would be a lot of fun. Second thought is, boy that tiny car will get flattened like a pancake in a crash with a lifted 3/4 ton.
Your second thought was why I didn't get one. I'd have a baby in the backseat, and even a small rear collision there was like no space between the bumper and the backseat...
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First thought is man I bet a manual would be a lot of fun. Second thought is, boy that tiny car will get flattened like a pancake in a crash with a lifted 3/4 ton.
When I had my Lotus Elise, I once looked over next to me on the highway and thought to myself: "I wonder what kind of SUV that is". It was a FIT.
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First thought is man I bet a manual would be a lot of fun. Second thought is, boy that tiny car will get flattened like a pancake in a crash with a lifted 3/4 ton.
When I had my Lotus Elise, I once looked over next to me on the highway and thought to myself: "I wonder what kind of SUV that is". It was a FIT.
Haha! Yes, I think the fit is pretty big. It's one of the largest cars I've ever had.
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As to cargo room, I agree, it's flipping amazing how much you can fit in a Fit. We had one back when we were doing a lot of work on our house, and it was great for hauling stuff. I don't think a harp case and dog crate would be a problem at all, as long as you didn't have multiple people in the back seat. With people, you could probably fit one or the other. Possibly both depending on the size of the dog crate. As to safety, the reason I don't have one anymore is I was sideswiped by a mondo SUV in a hit and run. They were going crazy fast and decided they wanted to change into my lane on a road with no shoulder. It broke an axel but I was totally fine even though they swiped the driver side. I almost bought another Fit after that, but this was back when gas was around $4 a gallon, so I went with a Hyundai Accent, which purportedly had better gas mileage. Also, it's my favorite color.
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How noisy are they are interstate speeds? I think they would be a great car for a 100 mile radius of home. Not sure its the car I'd take on vacation though.
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As to cargo room, I agree, it's flipping amazing how much you can fit in a Fit. We had one back when we were doing a lot of work on our house, and it was great for hauling stuff. I don't think a harp case and dog crate would be a problem at all, as long as you didn't have multiple people in the back seat. With people, you could probably fit one or the other. Possibly both depending on the size of the dog crate. As to safety, the reason I don't have one anymore is I was sideswiped by a mondo SUV in a hit and run. They were going crazy fast and decided they wanted to change into my lane on a road with no shoulder. It broke an axel but I was totally fine even though they swiped the driver side. I almost bought another Fit after that, but this was back when gas was around $4 a gallon, so I went with a Hyundai Accent, which purportedly had better gas mileage. Also, it's my favorite color.
This. I drive a fit and have moved my stuff in one trip. Yes, I'm a minimalist and didn't put a bed in it but you put down the back seat and it's like a whole world of space. It's the most practical car ever and I used to think it was ugly as hell, but like an ugly baby, it's a beauty to me.
I wanted a blue one but the cheapest price I got, they didn't have a blue one, so I took the white one home. It's also got great features on the standard level.
Hoping mine will last me at least 15 years.
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How noisy are they are interstate speeds? I think they would be a great car for a 100 mile radius of home. Not sure its the car I'd take on vacation though.
I can confirm the 2012 and 2013 Fits are noisy at interstate speeds. The automatics are probably a little quieter than the manual models. The manuals are geared a little lower so they rev higher at the same speeds.
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Someone who appreciates a high value vehicle and isn't driving just because they are broke.
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I have a blue Honda Fit!
So do I and I love it!
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I have a blue Honda Fit!
So do I and I love it!
I have one, too. We got it when my elderly MIL stopped driving. We'd helped her and my FIL pick it out when it became clear he needed to stop driving into the side of his garage with a big old SUV.
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How long is it from the front seats to the tailgate with the back seats folded? We have a CR-V (1st gen) that is positively huge inside with the rear seats folded. People can't believe what we have hauled with that thing. Then park it next to the average modern SUV and it is tiny again.
We're thinking Leaf or Fit for our second (local) car eventually.
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I used to love my Fit, but not anymore. It's had too many problems for being a bit over 5 years old.
First there was the airbag recall that the dealerships dragged their heels about fixing.
Then there was the little bit of road debris that flew right through the poorly protected lower front grill, killing the AC condenser. Dealership wanted close to $1200 to fix what seemed like a Honda design flaw (newer Fits fixed this, class action lawsuits on other models). Honda wouldn't pay for it, so I found an independent shop that did it for $350. I also had to do a DIY fix to prevent this from happening again, there's no official Honda solution/recall.
Now the driver's side power mirror has mysteriously stopped working.
Doors ding super easily.
Maybe the newer ones are better but I won't recommend them anymore myself.
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I used to love my Fit, but not anymore. It's had too many problems for being a bit over 5 years old.
First there was the airbag recall that the dealerships dragged their heels about fixing.
Then there was the little bit of road debris that flew right through the poorly protected lower front grill, killing the AC condenser. Dealership wanted close to $1200 to fix what seemed like a Honda design flaw (newer Fits fixed this, class action lawsuits on other models). Honda wouldn't pay for it, so I found an independent shop that did it for $350. I also had to do a DIY fix to prevent this from happening again, there's no official Honda solution/recall.
Now the driver's side power mirror has mysteriously stopped working.
Doors ding super easily.
Maybe the newer ones are better but I won't recommend them anymore myself.
This is the part about owning Honda products that SUCKS! They are real bastards about doing the right thing when it comes to warranty work. I had a base model 2013 CRV with steel wheels. The wheels looked ten years old after the first winter here in the northeast. Rust staining and bubbling all over. As I argued with the dealer, he told me it "was to be expected here" I then had him look at the pics. of the eight year old, steel wheels on my van that looked a lot nicer. He only agreed to have them "professionally refinished" at a local body shop, on his dime, since Honda wouldn't do a thing. The wheels came back looking like crap, and I refused them. They didn't prep a thing, just shot a color coat over the old paint, and over existing chips and rust. He then forced Honda to supply a new set. Next it was the rear differential controller pump that makes an odd croaking sound while operating. The dealer denied that it was an issue. I replied that it is such a non-issue that there are You-tube videos of it, long forum threads on how shitty Honda is dealing with it, and the part number for the replacement unit. It then took SIX MONTHS of nagging the service manager until the problem was finally corrected. The repair takes fifteen minutes. I only have a CRV since it is on the short list of vehicles that can be flat towed behind my motorhome. If I didn't need it for a very specific need, I'm not real sure I would continue to put up with their bullshit. They CAN make great cars, they are often less than great, and they have a real ethical issue when it comes to standing up and doing the right thing for their loyal owners.
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I think of the Fit as an inexpensive, decent car. They look a little top heavy, but hey, it's gotta be safer than driving an SUV rollover death trap. Surprisingly popular amongst the tarmac road rally crowd. They started popping up everywhere right after they came out.
I'm not a huge fan of Honda in general though. My opinion is that they're well engineered, but *appear* to be pretty much built to exact (minimum) engineering specifications. Compare to Toyota where they always seem to over build (5 bolts when 4 meets the standard, etc). So, any material fault is exposed in a Honda whereas you might not even notice in a Toyota. I hit big craters in the road in my Toyota and nothing bad happens. Hit the same one in a Honda and at a minimum you need an alignment and might have even done more damage type stuff. Lots of anecdotal stuff that's lead me to this impression, but the sample size of the reports is really small, just Toyota and Honda owners that I personally know, so it doesn't count as statistically valid data. :-)
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The Fit is the only Honda model that has 4 lugs. The equivalent Toyota model (Yaris) has the same thing.
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We too have (had now) a fit, and bought it purely off MMM's recommendation. We're switching to an Odyssey now (hoping to pull some capital out of our garage with the switch too) mostly for the comfort aspect of it. We had the 5 speed manual, and while the 31.7 average mpg that we got was nice, most of that was highways and my wife would only get 27-29 mpg around town, making it hard to sacrifice cruise control, intermittent wipers, reclining rear seats, more substantial front seats, and a third row. We also found that the body dents very easily, and unfortunately between one of the drivers and kid toys in and out of the garage we've managed to put a number of dings in it.
We did move a sleeper sofa (loveseat size) in it with the hatch closed, and the open space in the back is great. It would be a great car for a college grad or a couple, but with two teens and a 5 year old, it was a little optimistic of me to try to impose on our situation.
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I think of the Fit as an inexpensive, decent car.
I think of it as a "get-your-groceries" car. I wanted one 3 years ago but when I test drove it, it didn't have enough leg room. I couldn't fit in a Fit. So I bought a used Yaris instead. I've had it for 2 1/2 years with no problems. An idiot teenage texting driver plowed into the side of it while it was parked last summer. Unfortunately for her I had just gotten out and was only about 30 feet away when I heard the crash. It was very loud, yet even though the doors were crumpled there was no frame damage. Teenager was in a huge SUV. I'm surprised she got off the phone when the SUV stopped. Anyhoo the Yaris sustained no frame damage and, after door decrumpling, is still tooting along. Thumbs up Yaris - in case you are open to other cars in that category.
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Honestly?
(http://pics.imcdb.org/1281/vlcsnap-2015-03-12-00h56m51s213.jpg)
My mom's parents used to have a BMW Isetta in which they shuttled their 3 kids all over Peoria Heights, IL. I love those cars, but I think a Honda Fit would be more practical. People think we're crazy for hauling 3 kids in a Prius.
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What do people expect from this price point of a vehicle? It's an "indestructible economy shitbox" that should be bought used to use up until it dies. Point A to Point B. It'll get the job done and last a long time. Plus there are shitloads of them out on the road, so the availability of used parts is gonna be good.
Protip- don't take your used Honda to a Honda dealership for maintenance or repair.
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Protip- don't take your used Honda to a Honda dealership for maintenance or repair.
+1
Good one. How do you find an independent, reliable mechanic?
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If it's a purple 1st gen, I look for my sister. I owned it 2 years before passing it on to her. (Now I drive a 4 door 4WD truck...)
I owned a silver 1st gen for 4 years.
I fit an Ikea king-sized bed frame assembly and compressed mattress in the car with the windows and doors all shut.
I fit a chest freezer in the back.
I fit two friends, a big cooler, two tents and the rest of our supplies for a weekend of camping.
When I see one now, I think "hmm could I enjoy one of those again?" But I do enjoy (and USE) my truck. I'm a terrible Mustachian though ;)
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I'd think it's weird that someone imported that car. We call them the Honda Jazz here ;)
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I think "ooh, I like!"
My grandma got a small zippy car at about age 50. She called it her pocket rocket. She drove like a banshee.