Yaris v Fit

[2o6]

Given the fact I'm pissed off at the fact my car is going through some mechanical issues in my 3rd month of ownership, I went and looked at a Honda Fit.



What do you Yaris guys think about the Fit? (First generation) I was impressed by the car, but it's just too gosh darned expensive.

[richard_rsp]

I had a 2007 Honda Fit (base, not Sport). Its a good car; the issues I had with it were mainly related to it being a Base model (no Cruise, crappy stereo, etc). I had a 5-speed and it had enough pickup. Test drove an Auto and it was pretty weak. (my wife actually decided NOT to get that car for her because of the lack of acceleration scared her)

The only three things I didnt like (that were design issues) were that the A/C cycles on and off (this is a pain in the hot Georgia heat), the A-piller is a bit hard to see around, and that the gas tank is quite small - i felt like I was filling it up every 180-200 miles.

I liked it, but not enough to keep it more than a year. However, had mine been a 'Sport' I would have likely kept it longer. Maybe.

Note: I was actually considering another Fit (2007-2008) before purchasing my Yaris. However, by the time I figured up the monthly payments, I was able to get a NEW Yaris for the same basic monthly cost of $213 (due to a $1000 incentive, which was a no-brainer).

example (estimated numbers):
2008 Fit Sport --- $11,000 @ 6% for 60 months = $212.66 a month
2012 Yaris L --- $14,662 MINUS $1,000 (incentive) @ 3.88% for 72 months - $213.00 a month.

[jay cobbs]

HI JAY here. Can read other blogs by clicking my name or others. We were very carefull on droping 13k on our yaris just a few months ago. Had many cars to select from but the yaris gives us a " Money well spent Feeling ". Sorry to here about your trobule. Can you tell us whats wrong. That way some of us may have been there ourselfs and can maybe help with some real world help, not serviceman techno babble....Just a thought.. Let-her rip Helping one another is the real solution....Hey, from Jay...

[thebarber]

i wanted a fit in 07 but the seating position didnt work with my wife as we were looking at standard transmissioned fits

also, the base models didnt have power mirrors....so you had to adjust the mirrors manually from the outside. since my wife and i differ in height about about 9", that wasnt going to work for us as both mirrors need adjusting when changing drivers....and it REALLY wouldnt work in winter.

ended up with a yaris instead

but id rock a fit any day of the week.

[matti]

I've got a 2012 Yaris L on order from my dealership right now. I've only test-driven the Yaris once, and I liked the ride. My wife has s 2009 Honda Fit Sport (5 MT) that has been a very good car, but I think the ride is very uncomfortable. The steering is very stiff and the suspension is much to stiff and "thunky" for my liking.

[Hershey]

We have both . The '08 base model sedan with the 4 speed auto and an '11 base model automatic FIT . Both were bought new . Both are getting 38+ m.p.g.. Here they are living side by side in harmony ( unlike some people ) . http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33679 . Few months ago test drove an 2012 base model ( or was it the Sport ?) FIT with the 5 speed manual and it was a smooth engaging clutch along with easy shifting . Try out a MAZDA 2 as well . Easiest clutch and shifting I've ever encountered . Good luck and keep us updated .

[2o6]

I've driven both generations of Fit. I much prefer the 1NZ in our cars; the 1.5L in the Fit is much too annoying. There's no torque anywhere, then all of a sudden VTEC kicks in then quickly disappears. The new Fit I feel is overrated in regards to the competition. Many cars can out handle it, and the fuel economy is mediocre.


The Fit does handle much better, though. The steering is nice, and the suspension is perfectly damped.

[Hershey]

Are you not the one who asked for others take on the FIT due to your dissatifaction with the Yaris ? Then go test drive a Mazda 2 , Hyundai or other small cars . Hopefully one of them will be of your taste .

[2o6]

I'm just asking what you guys think of the Fit. I've driven pretty much all subcompacts (save for the old Versa). I'm keeping my Yaris now that I know what's wrong with it.

[Betrivent]

I drove a 2007 or 2008 one (it was auto), and I didn't like the way the transmission felt. First felt weak, 2nd had lots of torque, though.

[Yury]

If you live in the salt belt, I am quite sure Fit will have rust perforation much earlier than Yaris. I see a ton of older civics and corollas around and all civics have rust in the rear quarter panels and most corollas show no rust at all.

[thebarber]

Originally Posted by Yury

If you live in the salt belt, I am quite sure Fit will have rust perforation much earlier than Yaris. I see a ton of older civics and corollas around and all civics have rust in the rear quarter panels and most corollas show no rust at all.

that's pretty idiotic. You're comparing the new yaris and fit to mid-late 90's civics and corollas? I see WAY more civics still on the road today than old corollas.....

Originally Posted by 2o6

I've driven both generations of Fit. I much prefer the 1NZ in our cars; the 1.5L in the Fit is much too annoying. There's no torque anywhere, then all of a sudden VTEC kicks in then quickly disappears. The new Fit I feel is overrated in regards to the competition. Many cars can out handle it, and the fuel economy is mediocre.

The engine in the fit doesn't have vtec like a civic si's k20....its vtec is like the 1nzfe's vvti

[JTDBT903]

Originally Posted by Hershey

We have both . The '08 base model sedan with the 4 speed auto and an '11 base model automatic FIT . Both were bought new . Both are getting 38+ m.p.g.. Here they are living side by side in harmony ( unlike some people ) . http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33679 . Few months ago test drove an 2012 base model ( or was it the Sport ?) FIT with the 5 speed manual and it was a smooth engaging clutch along with easy shifting .

I have one of each!

2008 Yaris Sedan 5spd base with the 15'' wheel and power options.
2009 Honda Fit Sport 5spd

Both are dropped, the Yaris on M2 springs and the Fit on Teins.
The Fit is my wifes car and the Yaris is mine.

I love both cars for different reasons.
The Fit is way more fun to drive!
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Flame suit zipped and ready!

[Hershey]

. The Fit is her pride and joy . The Yaris sedan is the work horse . No animosity here .

[Captain Slow]

Test drove all of the small hatches before buying my Yaris, the Mazda 2 was the only one that was even a close second to me. Then again, I like "sporty" and the Yaris and Mazda 2 are both "chuckable" little hatches that can take corners and accelerate at a decent clip.

I used to be a huge Honda advocate, but I've been terribly disappointed in them the last few years. Their cars keep getting bigger and heavier, more expensive, and the sporty suspensions that made them fun years ago are now being replaced with ones more suited to doting grandmothers.

[chocolab]

I don't like the look of the Fit at all. The shrunken minivan just doesn't do it for me. And Hondas have gotten so overpriced... The Fits I see cost a fortune even for used ones. In fact, Civics do, too. Hondas in general seem to have become very bland for the money lately, unlike years ago when they were reasonably priced and fun to drive.

Captain Slow, I agree with you on liking the Mazda2. I'm still a prospective buyer, but the M2 is about the only other competition for the Yaris for me. I finally was able to test drive a used one that only had 25k miles on it, and was pretty disappointed. I've always liked firm rides, coming from German cars that are biased to handling, and like you I favor tossability over a ride that's too soft. But the M2 was *extremely* rough and uncomfortable, especially on the highway. The Yaris I test drove was four years older and had 110k miles on it, and wasn't like that at all -- it rode just great on the highway and was still pretty fun to drive around town. Was your Mazda2 jarring like that? I wonder if I could've gotten one that had been abused or something -- it was a rental, after all. But I don't see how it could have been ruined after only 25k miles, either, no matter how it was treated.

[SpaceShot]

I looked at the FIT at the auto shows, and I just didn't like the driver's seat height compared to the Yaris. I am fairly short, and both the Honda and Ford small cars made me feel like I was sitting on the floor pan.
Also, in my immediate area the Toyota dealers out number Honda, and are much more likely to work with you on price.

[Captain Slow]

I don't think it's the mileage on that Mazda 2 you drove as much as the year. If it was used then it obviously wasn't a 2012 model. I test drove one when they first came out and wasn't impressed, it was jarring, felt cheap, and had little pickup.

My wife's Mazda 2 is a 2012 though and it has the "SkyActiv" thing. Basically they removed as much weight as possible and retuned the engines for better performance and gas mileage. Her's is an automatic, so I'd definitely say it's slower than my Yaris, but I think with a manual transmission it'd be a match. Quality wise her 2012 is way better then the earlier one I had driven.

Comparing ride quality on her car and mine is difficult, but I'll try:

Yaris - Feels light, you ride high. Feels more "simple" like it's going to fly apart when driving hard (but it's a Toyota so I know it won't). I like the raw simplicity of the thing. When I go over railroad tracks at high speed or take a super hard corner it feels like I really shouldn't be doing it in that car, but it's also exciting. The Yaris feels like an oversized go-kart, just like my Miatas did and that's what I like so much. I definitely notice the smaller bumps in my Yaris as compared to her Mazda 2, but again it feels light so it's not that bad.

Mazda 2 - You sit lower and it feels much more like a "car" as opposed to the Yaris' "go-kart" feeling. The seats have better bolstering and the driving position is more comfortable/natural. Her chassis definitely feels stiffer and I believe in a very tight course where power is not an issue the M2 would likely handle a little better than a Yaris. Of course the M2 also comes with factory Yokohamas. For most things I'd say the Mazda 2 rides better. It's certainly a little quieter on the highway and you barely notice small bumps (in this it reminds me of my BMW 3 series) BUT, and it's a BIG BUT, when you finally do feel a bump it feels like a crash. Where my little Yaris translates every little bump into your but big or small but keeps going the Mazda 2 makes travel more civilized until you finally hit that big hole and it feels like an impact.

So what we typically do is for running around in town we take the Yaris, it's more zippy and better suited to town. For highway cruising we take the Mazda 2 since it's a little quieter and has an automatic transmission.

One more thing of note with the Mazda 2, even though it's a 4-door car it has way less interior room than my Yaris.