Tell me about your Fit

[Khaetra]

So I am in the market for a new car (no face-punches, I buy new, pay cash and drive 'em until they just about fall apart) and have my eye on both a Civic and a Fit.  I'm leaning more towards the Fit but I am wondering if it's comfortable enough for someone with back issues.  Do you find it comfortable?  Is there anything you really like/don't like about it?  Have you had any issues, mechanical or otherwise and is it easy to work on? 

[MrDelane]

I have a 2015 Fit, which I bought after my 1998 Civic finally reached the end of its days.
I've been really happy with it.  Mechanically it's been fine, no issues.  As far as comfort goes, the only complaint is the lack of a decent arm rest (which is only an issue for long car rides).

We took a road trip last year where I drove roughly 5,000 miles all together - no issues, no complaints.

That said, I'm on the short side myself and don't have any back issues to speak of.
But I can't imagine that the difference between a Civic and a Fit would be significant in that regard anyhow.

My main reason for going with the Fit was storage space (which I need for my work) and MPG.
So far I've been thrilled with it - no regrets.

[neo von retorch]

I have a 2008. I've driven it on 6+ hour drives (Pennsylvania -> to Boston, to South Carolina.) Easy to work on brakes, replace spark plugs/ignition coils, easy to change oil. Wouldn't know beyond that. At 84k, it hasn't needed anything else except tires, which I didn't do myself. Also, I'm 6'2". I think it's comfortable enough. I actually found that the 2007ish Civics were too cramped for me - the e-brake pressed into my side. Seems those seats are more narrow.

I also fit an Ikea king-sized bed frame and rolled up memory foam mattress in the car, at the same time. All windows and doors completely shut. I transported a chest freezer from Lowes for my mom.

[LaserCat]

Don't love having a car period, but since I have to the Fit is pretty awesome!  My favorite part is the fact that all the seats fold down flat, so I've slept back there on camping trips as well as hauled lumber and compost!

[Choices]

Not sure about back issues, but my cousin has trouble with her knees and the Fit rides pretty low, so it's harder for her to get in and out of it. The Civic might be a little higher, but it's worth looking into.

Other than that, she loved, loved, loved everything else about the Fit.

[ChairmanKaga]

I miss my '07. That said, I don't think it's necessarily the best of the small car segment.
They tend to retain more resale value because they're almost universally the FIRST small hatchback people think of when they're shopping.
So look at a Mazda2. Smaller, less powerful, but better to drive and much cheaper.
The Versa isn't as well made, but it's larger and far cheaper, if not as fuel efficient.
The Yaris is sort of an also-ran. Not very good to drive, too small, not nearly as versatile as the Honda or Nissan.
My personal favorite is the Mazda3 hatchback. Bigger, but generally more efficient if you get the newer Skyactiv version. 2013 and newer was the start of the "hard" Skyactiv platform which saw fuel economy jump something like 30%. The base trims are actually pretty well appointed, and you can also easily find a manual transmission of that's your thing, although I believe the auto actually got better fuel economy.

[protostache]

My wife loves her 2009. Right now it's more difficult for her to get in and out of than our SUV but once the baby is here she'll probably switch back to it for around town stuff. It gets great milage, it's sporty, and we can fit an awful lot of stuff in it. If I had to nitpick I would say the interior is on the loud side compared to other cards we've had, but it's not horrible or anything.

[SECB]

I have a 2013 and love mine. It's great that it's a hatchback because we do a lot of skiing/camping/etc. it has ample storage space. Gets good gas mileage and my 6'8" fiance drives it all the time without issue. Also bonus - idk about other years but the 2013 has so many cupholders (like 8) which is a huge plus for roadtrips.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I like our 2008 fine.

I have known more than one tall person who finds it comfortable--it is said to have good headroom--but Mr. FP complains about the lack of armrests and the lack of a "dead foot" pedal. (Since I am 4'11" tall, I have never been able to reach this part of my own vehicle and thus did not know it existed as a thing.)

[Monocle Money Mouth]

My wife and I have Fit Sport automatics. Her's is a 2012 and mine is 2013. I've spent a lot of time in Fit's the last 4 years. Here are my pros and cons.

Pro
- Plenty of space for hauling stuff when you fold down the seat
- Good headroom
- Fairly reliable. I've had 2 warranty claims on mine. The battery died about 6 weeks after I bought it and I had to have some work done on the AC a few weeks ago. The evaporator and coolant line were icing up and eventually it would feel like no air was coming through the vents. They replaced a bad relay and evacuated and recharged the system. My wife had a wheel bearing go bad on hers which they covered under warranty.
- Good Fuel Economy. I usually get way better than the 33MPG on the freeway. My best economy was 46 MPG on a road trip. I usually get between 33 and 38 in my mixed driving.
- Handles well. It feels like a sports car compared to the Buicks I used to drive.

Cons
- No power. This thing sucks if you need to accelerate in a hurry. It will downshift, make a lot of noise, and inch forward. It does not inspire confidence.
- Weak AC. Even when the AC is working correctly, it has a hard time keeping up on really hot days. If you live in the southeast or the desert, you might want something with stronger AC.
- Very little elbow room. The fit has great head room, but if I don't have my hands at 10 and 2, I have a hard time finding a comfortable spot for my left elbow.
- Noisy on the interstate. The automatics are less noisy because 5th gear is taller than the manual's 5th gear. The manual version from my understanding can be several hundred RPM higher at the same speed as the automatic. There is also not much sound damping material so 3000 RPM sounds way worse than it really is.

If you aren't worried about moving stuff and want more space, I would go with a Civic sedan. It has more power, more room, and the sticker says it should get comparable fuel economy to the Fit. I can't say whether the AC is any better on the Civic though. If moving large items is a concern and you don't have to merge in to freeway traffic often, the Fit is great.

[Khaetra]

Thank you all for the replies.  I thought the Fit would be a good fit for me (sorry for the pun), since I don't really do a lot of highway driving.  Mostly in town for groceries, appointments, etc. and I don't need to haul anything.  I'm in FL, so if the a/c sucks then maybe I will have to look more towards a Civic or maybe an Accord if the price is right.

[MrsTuxedocat]

Excellent question. I owned a 2007 Civic Coupe and Mr. Tuxedocat owns a 2008 Honda Fit. My Civic was much more comfortable and fun to drive. It also has more power and is a smooth ride.

I find the Fit not comfy. It is better on gas and the hatchback is more convenient.

We are a one car family and decided to sell the Civic. It was a tough choice and I believe the right choice. As long as, you use the Fit for shorter trips it's perfectly fine.

[MrDelane]

I know the 2015+ models are very different from earlier models. I'm not sure if the AC was one of the things that were improved, but I haven't had any issue with the power of my AC (and I live in central Texas where we routinely see temps above 100 degrees).  My only complaint on the AC is that it's pretty loud... it's definitely cold enough when you put it on high, but it's pretty loud.

I would highly recommend you test drive a new Fit if you're thinking about it.  In fact, you should wait until the hottest time of day and go test drive one that's been sitting in the lot - that will give you an idea of how the AC works, and how the car drives.