Fit vs xD vs Corolla

The Hyundai might be a great deal when it's $2k and the Honda is still $5k.

Drove a 2010 Fit last weekend with 50 miles on it. I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be.

Good: It feels like every Civic you've ever driven, and will apparently get decent gas mileage. Consumer Reports (I know a lot of people don't care for their opinions on cars, but FWIW) just ranked the fit #1 used car, and I think #1 in it's class new as well. The flip-up rear seats are a really smart idea, and great use of space, though there's still a hump between driver and passenger sides, which seems silly.

Bad:

It's drive by wire, which I didn't know until I drove it, but is immediately recognizable. The lag, even in the manual, makes it feel like a CVT. The revs also hang between shifts, which is weird, annoying, and I can't think it helps fuel economy.

There are no gauges save a tach and speedometer.

The one I drove DID NOT have cruise; something to look out for. With an 80 mile/day, all hwy commute, this was pretty much a deal breaker for me.

Back seat looked miserable for the 6' + sales guy; to be expected, I suppose.

Granted, I didn't break out the tape measure, but there didn't seem to be much more room in the hatch than in my 87 Civic.

At 75mph in the manual, you're pinging along at over 3,500 RPM.

Popped the hood, and while the oil filter, alternator, starter, etc., are all relatively easy to get to, it looks like you can forget getting your hands on any thing on the backside of the motor with it still in the car.

We're going to drive an xB next. Similar REAL WORLD fuel economy to the Fit, dead nuts reliable, and cheaper w/more interior space.

poopshovel wrote: We're going to drive an xB next. Similar REAL WORLD fuel economy to the Fit, dead nuts reliable, and cheaper w/more interior space.

That's great to know, but where are you getting real world figures? All I can find is EPA ratings

We were (are?) curious about the early xB, but they've got cult pricing, and the late xB just seems too big.

A friend had an early xB in white, which he referred to as the stormtoaster.

Recently around the office we have had:

Honda Fit

Suzuki SX-4

Hyundia Elantra

We got the Mazda 2 in yesterday, and it is my favorite out of this group by a longshot. The shift linkage feels almost Miata-like, the dash is nicely laid out without being gimmicky, and the entire car feels good. It is a minimalist car, but it just flat out works. It feels honest, and straightforward. At less than $15K, I'd buy one in a heartbeat!

The others are nice cars, and I really dig the SX-4's funkyness, the Fit's utility, and the Hyundia's styling, but the Mazda 2 just feels better as a whole. I think it may be the most important car for our crowd since the MINI.

For real-world fuel mileage I refer to fuelly.com - it's at least a large sample so there's a lot of data there. You can get an idea of trends and throw out the outliers.

We're going to drive an xB next. Similar REAL WORLD fuel economy to the Fit,

You must be talking about a 1st gen, otherwise LOL.

Vigo wrote:

We're going to drive an xB next. Similar REAL WORLD fuel economy to the Fit,

You must be talking about a 1st gen, otherwise LOL.

You mean a 3000lb box with a 170hp 2.4L isn't going to be as efficient as a 2300lb wedge with a 1.5L?

We've had a string of tiny cars in the press fleet over the last two weeks; They'll show up in our new car reviews section over the next few weeks.

Highlights for me were the Suzuki SX4 and the Mazda2. We'd tried the AWD SX4 already, but the FWD version we had this week costs less and seemed like a better option unless you live in a snowy place. The Fit is still a solid bet, but the competition is really catching up in this segment.

The Mazda2 knocked my socks off. It's a little smaller than the examples you're talking about, but it was the first press car that convinced me to actually write a check. It helped that they're stupid cheap around here lately...13,800 for a brand new (and FUN, albeit slow) car works for me.

FWIW, I'd rather have a Nissan Cube or Kia Soul than any of the Scions. If I didn't have a "slow car fast" bug I'd have probably gotten one of those.

Having just gone through a similar car buying process with the fiancee, we looked at a bunch of stuff in this price range. She had a 2007 Elantra, and it gave us a lot of trouble in the 3 years she had it (she bought it used). Most recently, the final straws were the air bag system failing and the rear shocks clunking. Honestly, it was kind of disappointing, because the cars got good reviews when they were new.

We looked at a lot of cars. We considered the new Fiesta, the Kia Forte sedan, the Kia Soul, the Mazda 3 2.0L, the Corolla, and the new Elantra. The goal was to get something new or a year old for less than $16k and have it not be a penalty box. It needed to have at least 4 doors. Also, it had to be an auto, as she sits in traffic on a daily basis. We didn't consider the Honda Civic or the Scions because she didn't like them the last time she was car shopping, and they haven't changed anything in their lineups since then (save for the Tc, which was too much anyway and doesn't have enough doors).

First car we drove was the Fiesta. It was the sedan, and it was a mid-level SE package. We were not impressed. It was really slow, even around town. I know it's not supposed to go fast, but this thing was pathetic. The dual clutch auto was strange. It does a lot of shifting, and makes burning clutch smells. It didn't drive all that great, and the outside mirrors were distracting, since they have 2 panes of glass in them. And it was really expensive compared to some of the other offerings out there.

We looked at a few of the others, but most of them could not be had at our price level. We also avoided the Kias for the most part, because they really don't hold their value. She had one a few years back (a Spectra), and at $10k brand new, it was ok, but at $16k+, it's not really all that great.

The Elantras offered no incentives and no one would budge in price because they are "hot" right now. FWIW, they are a vast improvement over the outgoing model. We would have considered it if not for the price.

We got a good offer on a leftover 2010 Corolla S, but she doesn't really like the Toyotas, and I haven't liked them since they stopped selling the Supra.

We settled on a used 2010 CPO Mazda 3 i Touring with the 2.0L. We got a great deal on it with the trade, and it's a really nice car. It actually has a few options, and the interior is a very nice place to be, WAY nicer than my WRX! Yes, it does look like it has bucked teeth with the license plate in the grille, but the interior makes up for it. It gets up to 33mpg's on the highway according to the window sticker. Also, it should hold its value pretty well.

Another thing: check out Truecar.com. It helped us with figuring out what the invoice and hold-back prices were.

ransom wrote:

poopshovel wrote: We're going to drive an xB next. Similar REAL WORLD fuel economy to the Fit, dead nuts reliable, and cheaper w/more interior space.

That's great to know, but where are you getting real world figures? All I can find is EPA ratings We were (are?) curious about the early xB, but they've got cult pricing, and the late xB just seems too big. A friend had an early xB in white, which he referred to as the stormtoaster.

Cult pricing? How much are they going for out there? Buddy of mine just sold his with 48k miles on it for $8k i think...

In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:

Might be referring to the no-haggle pricing scheme they have going on. You can't really mess with the price on the window much. What you see is what you get. My sister used to be a finance manager for them, and she couldn't even cut a deal for the Tc she bought for herself.

SilverFleet wrote: In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac: Might be referring to the no-haggle pricing scheme they have going on. You can't really mess with the price on the window much. What you see is what you get. My sister used to be a finance manager for them, and she couldn't even cut a deal for the Tc she bought for herself.

I don't think there's any new 1st gen xBs on the dealer lots anymore.

In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:

Oops!!!

I can't believe you traded that in... I was going to buy it from you! Sadly, the 200k mile Accent is fixed with a $45 CKP sensor so I guess I'm stuck with it for a few more years.

Bobzilla wrote: I can't believe you traded that in... I was going to buy it from you! Sadly, the 200k mile Accent is fixed with a $45 CKP sensor so I guess I'm stuck with it for a few more years.

Dude, you wouldn't have wanted it, trust me. It had hit everything but the lottery.

I've had no complaints out of my 2003 Corolla. Well, other than it being a gutless, ill-handling toaster.

My family used to all be VW people, but my sister is the only holdout left and that's just because she can't afford to replace her turbo Beetle. Once VW put out the A4's, we slowly gravitated to Toyotas as our A3's died (my Jetta) or got sold on (his Cabrio, Mom's New Bug). Dad's had a T100 truck since they came out and it hasn't needed anything but maintenance, and his daily is a Scion xB that has had NO problems in the 3 years he's owned it. Contrast this with years of headaches, courtesy of Pueblo, Mexico not knowing how to wire a damn car.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

ransom wrote: We were (are?) curious about the early xB, but they've got cult pricing, and the late xB just seems too big. A friend had an early xB in white, which he referred to as the stormtoaster.

Cult pricing? How much are they going for out there? Buddy of mine just sold his with 48k miles on it for $8k i think...

The best looking one locally at a quick peek (I hadn't checked CL for a while; we had sort of cooled on the search and picked back up with our friend looking) is $9000 with 70k miles. I love the one next to it for $8500k with 125,000 miles on it... I think both our friend and ourselves are at this point planning one something closer to the beginning of its life.

I guess that's not completely mental. I think cars maybe do less initial depreciation than I was once taught. Up to now, I've never bought anything remotely newish.

Ok, just came back from a night out with the lady and her new Mazda 3. I LOVE this car.

Since it has the 2.0L, it's not the fastest car out there, but even with the automatic, it's a pretty entertaining drive. It's comfortable, handles surprisingly well, and is just plain fun to drive. It has really sharp turn-in and loves to corner. Honestly, it is almost as fun to drive as my WRX. Color me extremely impressed! I would absolutely put this car on your list.

SilverFleet wrote: Having just gone through a similar car buying process with the fiancee, we looked at a bunch of stuff in this price range. She had a 2007 Elantra, and it gave us a lot of trouble in the 3 years she had it (she bought it used). Most recently, the final straws were the air bag system failing and the rear shocks clunking. Honestly, it was kind of disappointing, because the cars got good reviews when they were new. We looked at a lot of cars. We considered the new Fiesta, the Kia Forte sedan, the Kia Soul, the Mazda 3 2.0L, the Corolla, and the new Elantra. The goal was to get something new or a year old for less than $16k and have it not be a penalty box. It needed to have at least 4 doors. Also, it had to be an auto, as she sits in traffic on a daily basis. We didn't consider the Honda Civic or the Scions because she didn't like them the last time she was car shopping, and they haven't changed anything in their lineups since then (save for the Tc, which was too much anyway and doesn't have enough doors). First car we drove was the Fiesta. It was the sedan, and it was a mid-level SE package. We were not impressed. It was really slow, even around town. I know it's not supposed to go fast, but this thing was pathetic. The dual clutch auto was strange. It does a lot of shifting, and makes burning clutch smells. It didn't drive all that great, and the outside mirrors were distracting, since they have 2 panes of glass in them. And it was really expensive compared to some of the other offerings out there. We looked at a few of the others, but most of them could not be had at our price level. We also avoided the Kias for the most part, because they really don't hold their value. She had one a few years back (a Spectra), and at $10k brand new, it was ok, but at $16k+, it's not really all that great. The Elantras offered no incentives and no one would budge in price because they are "hot" right now. FWIW, they are a vast improvement over the outgoing model. We would have considered it if not for the price. We got a good offer on a leftover 2010 Corolla S, but she doesn't really like the Toyotas, and I haven't liked them since they stopped selling the Supra. We settled on a used 2010 CPO Mazda 3 i Touring with the 2.0L. We got a great deal on it with the trade, and it's a really nice car. It actually has a few options, and the interior is a very nice place to be, WAY nicer than my WRX! Yes, it does look like it has bucked teeth with the license plate in the grille, but the interior makes up for it. It gets up to 33mpg's on the highway according to the window sticker. Also, it should hold its value pretty well. Another thing: check out Truecar.com. It helped us with figuring out what the invoice and hold-back prices were.

also so you know on the elantras.... on a 20k limited invoice is 18.900 so not much to play with anyways.

Since it has the 2.0L, it's not the fastest car out there, but even with the automatic, it's a pretty entertaining drive. It's comfortable, handles surprisingly well, and is just plain fun to drive. It has really sharp turn-in and loves to corner. Honestly, it is almost as fun to drive as my WRX. Color me extremely impressed!

I had the same impression of the 04 mazda3 we sold last year. I think the 1g mazda3 was a milestone in small car design. The 2g i imagine is better in everything but looks.

Got an '09 fit. just recalled for some vtec spring breaking issue. also had to have all locks replaced under warranty. very solid appliance. marginally fun to drive (5speed only-the auto is a dog) Supreme at its mission-40ish mpg comfy for up to 5. and while the back seats don't slide, they do lay incredibly flat, and the bottoms fold up if you gotta carry something tall. the gas tank is under the front row seating to accomplish all this.

Vigo wrote:

Since it has the 2.0L, it's not the fastest car out there, but even with the automatic, it's a pretty entertaining drive. It's comfortable, handles surprisingly well, and is just plain fun to drive. It has really sharp turn-in and loves to corner. Honestly, it is almost as fun to drive as my WRX. Color me extremely impressed!

I had the same impression of the 04 mazda3 we sold last year. I think the 1g mazda3 was a milestone in small car design. The 2g i imagine is better in everything but looks.

Yeah, it's got the goofjaw going on in the front but actually, I don't mind it as much as I used to. When you sit in the interior and drive it, you pretty much forget anything about the outside. It's a very nice place to be in there.

ransom wrote:

poopshovel wrote: We're going to drive an xB next. Similar REAL WORLD fuel economy to the Fit, dead nuts reliable, and cheaper w/more interior space.

That's great to know, but where are you getting real world figures? All I can find is EPA ratings We were (are?) curious about the early xB, but they've got cult pricing, and the late xB just seems too big. A friend had an early xB in white, which he referred to as the stormtoaster.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=mpgData&vehicleID=22128&browser=true&details=on

vs.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=mpgData&vehicleID=22861&browser=true&details=on

There are also 252 pages worth of people's ACTUAL gas mileage with the fit (along with dip E36 M3s who are bad at math, and those who trust the digital readout rather than a calculator) here:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0c139c

and 51 pages on the xB here:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef98910

...Plus people I've talked to who have both. Smart-ass comments aside, yes, a 2006 xB, and a 2007 fit get similar gas mileage, especially at highway speeds, where I do 99% of my driving. As mentioned before, the fit is pinging along at over 3500 RPM at 75mph in the manual. I'm ASSuming the xB is geared a little better for highway speeds.

The Mazda2 knocked my socks off. It's a little smaller than the examples you're talking about, but it was the first press car that convinced me to actually write a check. It helped that they're stupid cheap around here lately...13,800 for a brand new (and FUN, albeit slow) car works for me.

Damn. Is $13,800 the sticker price, or negotiated price? All of them around here are loaded with destination fees and crap. Nothing under 14 and change, and most are over 15. According to Mazda's website, the MSRP is $14,180.

SilverFleet wrote: Ok, just came back from a night out with the lady and her new Mazda 3. I LOVE this car. Since it has the 2.0L, it's not the fastest car out there, but even with the automatic, it's a pretty entertaining drive. It's comfortable, handles surprisingly well, and is just plain fun to drive. It has really sharp turn-in and loves to corner. Honestly, it is almost as fun to drive as my WRX. Color me extremely impressed! I would absolutely put this car on your list.

also 100% agree. I have been test driving a few with my dad. although the ones we looked at were all the 2.3 but still, great car to drive and they are getting to be great used bargains imo.

The first one we test drove was a 04 5 speed hatch with 44k miles, the dealership was asking around 9k. rims were curbed bad but car was super clean under the hood and it drove fantastic. Test drove an 04 auto hatch (with that awesome solar yellow mica) with 76k. I was surprised that I actually liked the auto a lot too. It had enough get up and go and the car was still every bit as fun to toss into corners. This dealer was asking a few hundred more, my dad and I thought the color was cool but mom did not agree. haha.

We were going to go back and get the 5 speed, but it was sold later that day.

Last weekend he agreed on a deal from a private seller, a black 3s sedan auto, loaded with leather, only 38k miles. Seller was a student and moved to the city where the car only accrued 4k miles in the past 2 years and was parked in a garage. I cant remember the exact number but i believe he talked the seller to under 9k on it. He picks it up this weekend.

Having driven a few 3's now if I needed a newer economical commuter, I would consider one over any brand new subcompact for sure.

In reply to failboat:

Yeah, I've been so impressed with her car that I've actually explored the idea of getting out of my WRX and into some sort of 3, probably a hatch with the 2.5L. Paying damn near close to $4 per gallon for premium fuel and getting 23mpg at best with the WRX is getting old, and I drive a lot.

But...spending money to save money just doesn't make sense. I just can't get over how fun that car is to drive.