Another Honda Fit Question!

[Duchess of Stratosphear]

I have friends selling a 2009 Honda Fit (only 57,000 miles) for $6500. It's been meticulously cared for and looks brand new. My current car is a 2008 Subaru Impreza (138,000 miles). It seems like a good idea to get the Honda because it still has years left in it, but I worry about safety. The Impreza is small too, but it seems a little more solid, but it is starting to have some problems that are getting expensive. Is anybody here worried about crash safety for the Honda Fit? How do you evaluate this when buying a car?

[PDXTabs]

Assuming that I got this right, the Subaru does get slightly better crash ratings:

• 2009 Honda Fit
• 2008 Subaru Impreza

I wouldn't let that stop me from buying the Fit. The both made "top safety pick" status from the IIHS.

[merula]

I own a Honda Fit (2013) and my MIL owns a Subaru, I think it's a 2014 Impreza.

I've found the Fit to be much more responsive and handle snow better. (I'm in Minnesota.) I wouldn't have expected the snow thing, but it's a big deal here.

Also, you can fit practically anything in a Fit. I fit a storm door, 30" x 80", in its packaging, just last week. (Back seats folded down, passenger seat folded back.) Week before that it was a futon, though the foot had to stick out the passenger window.

[Khaetra]

Go for the Fit (says the Fit owner).  I love mine, it'll carry quite a bit of stuff and I feel very safe in it.

[Duchess of Stratosphear]

I'm so happy to hear your responses because I really do sort of want to buy this car! Thanks!

I will miss the Subaru, though....

[loyalreader]

Duchess, sold my 2012 Subaru Forester a couple years ago and bought a 2010 Honda Fit. Never looked back. Maintenance is cheaper, the thing sips gas, and it's a surprisingly nice ride.

Snow isn't the issue so much as rain. I definitely felt more confident in my Forester than I do with my Fit in heavy rain, if I'm being honest. But I've just driven slower the very few times this has come up.

I'd go for the Fit. Bonus - I live in the city so it's a lot easier to park and navigate through narrow streets.

[detroital]

It's probably going to be a reliable car for just a little bit of money, albeit a tiny little shit shaker.  I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.  I can't deny, Honda does what they do very well, usually. 

[Duchess of Stratosphear]

Good to hear that it does okay in snow because I live in an area where we occasionally get a fair bit of it. But I also live in the mountains. Any concerns about how it does on hills? I'm also concerned about the clearance on rough roads. It's a rural area.

[PDXTabs]

I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.

If your metric is where they were made, and where the parts came from, Honda is one of the most American brands that there is:
https://www.cars.com/articles/carscom-2018-american-made-index-whats-the-most-american-car-1420700348632/

[CalBal]

I don't know about the Fit specifically, but I drive a Yaris (Toyota equivalent). I live in a winter snowy place in the intermountain west, though it doesn't stay snowy the entire winter (freeze-melt cycles). Good quality snow tires are the key. I drive fine in the snow. (I experience some hills, but not super steep ones, and remember these cars are light, so YMMV.) Also not sure about clearance, but years ago I drove a Mazda 626 and actually took it on forest service roads (lol). Pretty low clearance on that car, and I actually bottomed out a few times (but survived without damage). If you are careful, and the roads are not actual two tracks, but just dirt that are occasionally graded, it's probably fine. (But I would take a look and judge for yourself.)

(Subaru's are fine cars too, my sister drives an Outback and my parents drive a Forrester. But AWD is not cheap on gas.)

I say buy the Fit!

[GreenSheep]

Good to hear that it does okay in snow because I live in an area where we occasionally get a fair bit of it. But I also live in the mountains. Any concerns about how it does on hills? I'm also concerned about the clearance on rough roads. It's a rural area.

I have a 2015 Fit, and I love it. It's not going to pass every vehicle going up a hill like my old clown car used to, but maintaining the speed limit hasn't been an issue for me. My house is at the top of a 1/2 mile steep uphill gravel road which is privately maintained, and the neighbor who used to maintain it died a year ago, so it is... not in the best condition... but my Fit does just fine!

[detroital]

I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.

If your metric is where they were made, and where the parts came from, Honda is one of the most American brands that there is:
https://www.cars.com/articles/carscom-2018-american-made-index-whats-the-most-american-car-1420700348632/

The profits and most of the white collar jobs go to/are in Japan.  Buy American (my advice/my wish, no need to fight over it).

[AccidentialMustache]

It's probably going to be a reliable car for just a little bit of money, albeit a tiny little shit shaker.  I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.  I can't deny, Honda does what they do very well, usually.

2009 fits -- at least the sport variants are on the bumpy side, but they're supposed to be that way. It is fun to fling them through corners too. It is noisy (not a lot of sound damping in the car) though. That's impressively low mileage -- we're just over 70k on ours and yes you can stuff ridiculous things in them. The stock tires left a lot to be desired in snow though. If you have serious snow, a second set of rims and snow tires are a thing you should do.

If US brands made mustachian vehicles maybe they'd get recommended more. Oh wait, Ford just cut all cars but their sports car in favor of suvs? #fail.

Signed,
- 2k9 fit owner.

[Radagast]

I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.

If your metric is where they were made, and where the parts came from, Honda is one of the most American brands that there is:
https://www.cars.com/articles/carscom-2018-american-made-index-whats-the-most-american-car-1420700348632/

The profits and most of the white collar jobs go to/are in Japan.  Buy American (my advice/my wish, no need to fight over it).

Do you have recommendations for a small-medium Ford/GM vehicle, gets 40+mpg highway without necessarily being hybrid? Honest question, I may buy one within the next few months.

[NorCal Stubble]

I have a 2015 Nissan Versa Note, which is similar to the Fit. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't make any changes. We've fit loads of stuff in there and it has a LOT of leg room in the back seat. My 6'3" dad and 6'7" brother were plenty comfortable while my front seats were back all the way for tall people in the front. Plenty of head room so no feeling of claustrophobia. The general consensus is that it's much roomier than it looks.

[I'm a red panda]

I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.

If your metric is where they were made, and where the parts came from, Honda is one of the most American brands that there is:

The profits and most of the white collar jobs go to/are in Japan.  Buy American (my advice/my wish, no need to fight over it).

Could you name some American brands that make reliable small cars with similar MPG and price to the Fit?

Ford is dropping cars by 2020, so that isn't really an option...

[neo von retorch]

Do you have recommendations for a small-medium Ford/GM vehicle, gets 40+mpg highway without necessarily being hybrid? Honest question, I may buy one within the next few months.

Do you mind diesel? ;)
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/269527-2018-chevrolet-equinox-diesel-suv-review-42-mpg-highway-cruiser

It is interesting, in the GM camp, it looks like you hit 36-38 mpg with their small gasoline hatchbacks (Cruze/Sonic). Not quite the magical 40. Ford is mostly in the same boat.. 35-37ish (Focus/Fiesta). C-Max is 42 city, 38 highway... because it's a hybrid. Of course, the real world difference between 38 and 40-42 is almost nothing... (5-10% better, very different from say 20 mpg to 25 mpg, which is a whopping 25% improvement.)

[PDXTabs]

Ford is mostly in the same boat.. 35-37ish (Focus/Fiesta). C-Max is 42 city, 38 highway... because it's a hybrid. Of course, the real world difference between 38 and 40-42 is almost nothing... (5-10% better, very different from say 20 mpg to 25 mpg, which is a whopping 25% improvement.)

I have really good things to say about the 2012+ Ford Focus base model with the manual transmission. Too bad that they don't make them anymore.

[Duchess of Stratosphear]

It looks like my Honda Fit deal may have fallen through (I told them I would think about it and if they got a better offer to go with it. Oh well).

I'd be glad to have an American-made car if they made what I want. As it is, the nature of manufacturing and supply chains these days makes it hard to define what is "made in America." This article lists Jeep as the most made in USA car, but I have no interest in Jeep and I don't think they have tended to perform well in reliability and performance testing (or at least not as well as Honda, Toyota, etc.). Honda actually has four cars in the top ten list of most made in America cars. I don't really care if I'm making Japanese corporate executives rich as opposed to American ones since the American ones just dodge taxes anyway. Since neither scenario helps me, I might as well buy the car I want.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/06/22/american-cars/724724002/

[Cadman]

I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.

If your metric is where they were made, and where the parts came from, Honda is one of the most American brands that there is:

The profits and most of the white collar jobs go to/are in Japan.  Buy American (my advice/my wish, no need to fight over it).

Could you name some American brands that make reliable small cars with similar MPG and price to the Fit?

Ford is dropping cars by 2020, so that isn't really an option...

We've been very satisfied with our 2012 Sonic hatchback; 6-speed, turbo, fun to drive and high 30's MPG with our cheap ethanol. We know several people that have gone with the automatic and 1.8L and like it, but I personally think the 1.4L/manual trans is a better pkg in these.

[CoffeeAndDonuts]

I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.

If your metric is where they were made, and where the parts came from, Honda is one of the most American brands that there is:

The profits and most of the white collar jobs go to/are in Japan.  Buy American (my advice/my wish, no need to fight over it).

Could you name some American brands that make reliable small cars with similar MPG and price to the Fit?

Ford is dropping cars by 2020, so that isn't really an option...

I've really enjoyed the Chevy Cruze each time I've had them as rentals. It doesn't have the versatility on sedan form of the fit but I'd consider it. Saw 39mpg overall on a road trip that was mostly highway with some around town.

Not an economy car but with Subaru coming up so much, I've got to say I really like the reviews of the new Buick tourx wagon.

Old car interests die hard... But we don't need a car and won't for a long time and haven't bought new in 12 years for my wife, 18 for me.

[detroital]

 Oh wait, Ford just cut all cars but their sports car in favor of suvs? #fail.

So they should continue making unprofitable vehicles?  Few people buy shit shakers that make little or no profit for the car makers.  Most want and buy or lease trucks and SUVs. 

[okonumiyaki]

I wish Americans would buy American brands, though.

If your metric is where they were made, and where the parts came from, Honda is one of the most American brands that there is:
https://www.cars.com/articles/carscom-2018-american-made-index-whats-the-most-american-car-1420700348632/

The profits and most of the white collar jobs go to/are in Japan.  Buy American (my advice/my wish, no need to fight over it).

They are all listed (Ford, GM, Honda, VW, Toyota) so if you want the profits you can buy the shares,

[Radagast]

Do you have recommendations for a small-medium Ford/GM vehicle, gets 40+mpg highway without necessarily being hybrid? Honest question, I may buy one within the next few months.

Do you mind diesel? ;)
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/269527-2018-chevrolet-equinox-diesel-suv-review-42-mpg-highway-cruiser

It is interesting, in the GM camp, it looks like you hit 36-38 mpg with their small gasoline hatchbacks (Cruze/Sonic). Not quite the magical 40. Ford is mostly in the same boat.. 35-37ish (Focus/Fiesta). C-Max is 42 city, 38 highway... because it's a hybrid. Of course, the real world difference between 38 and 40-42 is almost nothing... (5-10% better, very different from say 20 mpg to 25 mpg, which is a whopping 25% improvement.)

The diesel would be pretty sweet, but I doubt I will ever see one on the used market for a price competitive with gas vehicles. I looked up vehicles in the local area and at first glance the best was a C-Max using my criteria. The Fit was second, followed by the Versa Note, and then Focus. I did not see any Chevy's or Fiestas, but available vehicles will be constantly changing.