When Jason Shafer recently gave us a long-term report on his 2007 Chevy Silverado company truck, a comment was made that we should do some more long-term test reports here. I had long been thinking that I should do one, having just having crossed the ten year mark with my trusty little Honda Fit. Being thus kicked over the line, here we go with my report.
When I was young I traded cars with great frequency. Fall in love with something new and get rid of what I had, get to know it, get disillusioned with its failings, and repeat, ad infinitum. The older I have gotten I have pretty much gone to the opposite extreme: Once you get me into a car that I like, it can be nearly impossible to get me out of it, the result being that I sometimes overstay the window of good sense with an older car. But not with this one.
I have mentioned this car fairly often in comments for as long as I have been writing here, so some of you know its story quite well. It began in July of 2006 (eleven years ago last month) when my ’94 Club Wagon required a four-figure cash infusion (at something north of 160K on the odo) which the finance committee at my house voted down with no discussion. That month also saw us into “The Summer Of $4 Gas”. $4/U.S. gallon for gasoline may not seem odd to some of our overseas readers, but here in the U.S. it was a seismic jolt. The world was changing and I figured I had best change with it. Because used small cars were so exorbitantly priced, I knew that we were better off to shop new. While the van had been our main family car, I decided that rather than replacing that, I would start with the small car. After all, a used van could be had for dirt cheap in that environment, so the big car could come next. And anyway, my other car was the 1993 Crown Victoria (with 63k miles) I had just bought from my mother. So the only requirements for my new car were two: economical to run and the ability to hold our entire family of five in a pinch.
I had not bought a new car since 1985, but resigned myself to start looking. We drove several. At the time I was under the spell of the Mazda3 five-door. But my two sons were quite a bit taller than average and not done growing. A test-fit revealed that the Mazda would not cut it for rear headroom over the long haul, so it was out. I was also briefly in love with the Honda Element, but it would not accommodate more than four seat-belted occupants. While at a Honda dealer, there was a little white Fit Sport sitting outside the showroom. “Let’s try that” said Mrs. JPC. “Uhhhh, OK” was my reply. It looked fun. All 5 of us piled in and I took it for a spin. Thought number 1: This is the first four-cylinder engine with an automatic that did not make me want to pull my fingernails out. Thought No. 2: Wow, there is more room in here than I expected. Thought No. 3: This thing is actually fun to drive.
I did not realize then just how lucky we were. Although introduced in Japan as the Honda Jazz in 2002, the Fit had been introduced in the U.S. only a couple of months earlier and was selling like wildfire. Within days that demonstrator had been sold and we never saw another Fit available to drive anywhere we looked. Every example was already sold as soon as it rolled off the truck. We put in our order. The base sticker was about $14K. The Sport model (alloy wheels, body cladding, cruise, leather steering wheel and keyless entry) added $1k and the automatic which Mrs. JPC strongly preferred added another $1k. Add sales tax and that was the number. I waited for the dreaded “Additional Dealer Handling” or whatever else they were going to call the price gouge that often accompanies a hot model – but there was none. Given the state of supply and demand for the car at the time, I concluded that paying full sticker and no more was a huge win. So with papers signed, this began the wait, because given the dealer’s two-car-per-month allotment, our Fit would not arrive on the boat from Japan before late November.
Several times I got a call from our salesman offering another car that someone had given up waiting on. The problem was that the Mrs. did not want black interior. We could get tan (and black) but on the Sport model it was only available with Taffeta White paint. Don’t ask me why because I have never figured it out. So had someone backed out on a white Fit Sport with black and tan interior, we would have been all over it. But no such luck. Now about that color combo: I’m not a “white car guy” (which is odd, given how many white cars I have ended up with) but sometimes you just have to take what you can get approved by the person who holds veto power over such things.
Finally, as Thanksgiving approached, I got the call, which resulted in our trip to pick up our new car. And thus began our Fit-ness program. It was on the rainy drive home I first noticed that odd system of one really big windshield wiper coupled with a really small one.
We quickly figured out that on drives of up to an hour, the kids could handle being wedged into the back seat. Anything longer and the Crown Vic got the job. And for any kind of weekend (or longer) trip the smart play was to rent a minivan, and we did this several times. As time went on, I discovered one of my few gripes about the car: The seats are relatively hard, making trips of longer than two to three hours not all that comfortable. The car is also not overly generous in front leg room. Now maybe some of you might have no problem here, but I was spoiled by the most recent decade of driving in a Ford Club Wagon Chateau, an Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Regency, a Cadillac Brougham and said Crown Vic LX. Life has its trade-offs.
So what are the highs? This thing is still nearly as fun as my Miata to drive. The steering is fast (2.4 turns lock to lock) and the suspension is tight. The little 1.5L four is a happy revver and the ratios of the 5-speed autobox work really well with the engine’s torque characteristics. The brakes are good as well, so this thing starts, stops and turns with almost zero complaints from me. And there are paddle shifters. Yes, this little Honda has paddle shifters. I don’t put the gear shift into S (Sport Mode) often but when I do, those paddle shifters are a hoot and a half. This was also the first car I have owned with electric power steering. I have found it to be a nicely done system with better road feel than I get out of the hydraulic steering in my Kia Sedona. Did I mention yet that the car is really fun to drive? Oh.
As mentioned above, the 5-speed automatic works nicely with the engine. Interestingly, both 4th and 5th gears are overdrive gears (with ratios of .756 and .550, respectively) which sounds like some tall gearing until noting the differential’s 4.56 ratio (which makes those first three gears so lively). Oddly, 5th gear in the 5-speed manual has the same ratio as 4th in the automatic, although it is mated to a slightly taller 4.29 axle. So perhaps the automatic has been a good thing after all.
Another high is the packaging. This thing has room like few other cars, even those much larger. The rear seats fold completely flat, making this almost like a little cargo van. I bought some patio furniture, consisting of a loveseat, two chairs and three end tables, all in boxes. And it all fit in the Fit, much to the store staffer’s amazement. The only thing from keeping cargo utility absolutely perfect is the slightly rounded shape of the hatch opening. Oh well. And for taller cargo there is “tall mode” where the seat bottoms fold up, clearing an area for floor-to-ceiling cargo. By the way, the photo to the left shows the rear legroom with the front seats all the way back.
The seats’ “refresh mode” is also quite nice. Here, the back seat “reclines” a few degrees and the front seat scoots forward and folds down, creating something like a chaise lounge. Two can do this if the car is parked and one can when we are on the move. Mrs. JPC has become quite fond of traveling this way, as have I on the rare occasions when I am allowed a turn.
This picture reminds me how much I love the simple cable-controlled three-dial HVAC system.
Finally, the interior materials have turned out to be of very high quality, both from an appearance and a durability standpoint. Nothing has cracked, torn or worn through and a good cleaning/detailing makes the interior look near new. The only places where Honda really cheaped out was in the chintzy carpet and the general lack of sound deadening. And the lack of a temp gauge, replaced by lights for “cold” and “hot”. But then something had to give in order to have so much good in a car of this price range. A tradeoff for the great interior packaging is the teeny 10.9 gallon fuel tank under the front seat.
Every car has its disappointments, and the Fit is no exception. There have been, however, very few of them. The battery was the first. This car uses a very, very small battery and they have a short life, particularly in our midwestern climate where it can get quite hot in summer and very cold in winter. The first battery failed within the three year Honda warranty and the replacement battery lasted just as long. The rule is a new battery every three years. But they are relatively cheap and easy to replace. The second disappointment was the tires. The Dunlops that came on the car made for go-kart-like handling, but I had trouble getting and keeping them balanced. Later sets (Michelin and Yokohama) have been progressively softer with the expected handling penalty. Also, there’s the tire size. P195/55 R15 is not a common size. There is very little choice when it comes to replacements, and they are quite pricey for “little car tires”.
The Fit has also been very choosy about brake materials. I am on my third set of brakes all around. First, the linings on the rear shoes are very thin, so they don’t last any longer than the fronts do. No, that is not a typo – the Fit has drum brakes on the rear. Also, pad set no. 2 was supplied by my indy mechanic. They were not Honda pads and after a while, I began to have a nasty pulsating whenever I stepped on the brake pedal. I was ready to replace rotors when I took it to a Honda dealer. New Honda pads solved the pulsating issue, and my original rotors are still fine. I had the same situation years ago with the ’88 Accord. There is something about Honda rotors that really, really prefers Honda pads.
On the outside I continue to mutter bad words after I inevitably wait too long between waxings. I have written here before about the single-stage enamel paint on this Fit, and it continues to be higher maintenance than the clearcoat finish used on other colors. At least it is a small car. And finally there is the matter of the fuel mileage: I have been disappointed here in that I have rarely approached the EPA ratings of 31/37. The word on the forums is that some folks get great mileage and some don’t. For whatever reason my car is at the lower end of normal, where I can get about 30 in mixed city/highway driving, with 34 being about the best she’ll do on the highway. The car is tall and the gearing is low, so 70+ mph interstate travel is not the way to maximize fuel mileage on these cars.
I got through the first ten years with no actual mechanical failure. Other than a handful of no-charge recalls (Takata airbag and a power window switch bank that was prone to getting wet and shorting come to mind). The only warranty repair I recall was a deep disassembly of the dashboard to find the object that was rolling around in some deep metal channel – which turned out to be a walnut mysteriously placed there by one of the many squirrels in my neighborhood. (After several days and multiple calls to Honda Engineering they found the walnut. The service manager said he was too embarrassed to charge me anything.)
About a month into Year 11, however, the car snapped an axle shaft. I was a bit irked about this (how many cars break axle shafts in this day and age?), particularly once I found out that it is a known issue on these in rust-belt states, where salty brine finds a good home under the rubber vibration damper on the shaft. But my irritation was salved when my indy shop replaced both axles/CV joints for a bit over $200. A month later an idler pulley began a nasty squeal and it was replaced also. Finally this spring I broke down and replace the coil packs that had been causing an intermittent misfire for awhile. Those and new plugs solved that issue. And there is this car’s total repair history.
Wait, I had two more failures in the past year – two pieces of plastic, one functional (part of the latch mechanism for a rear seatback) and one cosmetic (a trim piece on the outside of a rear door) that were inexpensive to replace and easy to install myself. Oh well, we have to keep it in good shape so that you can play “Where’s Waldo” as the little Fit continues to photobomb my other CC pieces . . .
. . . or when it meets its friends.
The Fit in 2007 and in 2017
It is hard for me to believe that this car will hit eleven years of age later this fall and has now traveled over 114,000 miles. Some scrapes on the bottom corners of the front spoiler are the main giveaways of its age. The car still starts, drives and operates in all respects as it should, and remains tight and free of squeaks, leaks or rattles. It reminds me every day why Honda’s small cars have been beloved by so many for so long. Would I buy another? My answer is a qualified absolutely (if there is such a thing). The qualification is that neither of the two generations of Fit that has followed mine has been as attractive to me. This is a little car that is all happy and friendly and always looks like it wants to go out and play. It is like a puppy. Later Fits have gotten that “irritated adolescent” look to them and just don’t visually appeal to me as much. However, I suspect that a drive in a new one would win me over.
The other qualification is whether I would want another car of this size. I guess my answer is “I’ll see when I get to the point of replacing this one”. Which, given all indications as of now, will not be for a very, very long time. With our Sedona there for trip duty the Fit is the go-to for short runs and for utilitarian jobs. Together they make an almost perfect garage. Add a Miata for fun on sunny days and it is hard to see what automotive need I don’t have covered. Stay tuned, perhaps I will hold on to this one long enough to write it up as a genuine CC. But for now, the Fit is still Go.
These little hatchbacks grow on you, Ive got one a similar size fits four full size adults with ease comfortable fun to drive very very economical and has been with only one or two glitches very reliable, replacing it will be quite hard but my daughter wants it for when she goes to university and Ive kinda said ok to that, the only shame being all the wear and tear and broken interior fitting that accumulated during my ownership have been fixed I bought a nearly identical car with very low mileage but dead cheap and swapped out most of the inside its now back to very tidy better than when I got it, I think I’ll buy another from the same company.
I rented a Jazz in South Africa in about 2008 and spent a month doing some serious miles. For a budget car, it did an excellent job. Engaging to drive with the manual gearbox, economical and coped uncomplainingly with a full load of family and luggage.
A couple of weeks ago I was driving a brand-new rental Citroen C3, which would be the same class of car – it compared very badly, especially considering the 10 year difference. Unwilling engine, awkward controls, mediocre handling and poor luggage space. It’s cars like the C3 that really make you appreciate what Honda got right with the Jazz.
Great review JCP.
“… Later Fits have gotten that “irritated adolescent” look to them…”
That’s the term I was looking for; it fits (sorry) other cars as well, especially the Prius.
Debbie has a 2005 Element and I can tell you they are probably just great big Fits. But the four sets of seat belts was not a problem for her. There were rumors the Element would return, but with Honda selling every CRV it makes at higher prices than any Element (which shared the CRV platform and many components), I doubt they will bring the Element back.
An enjoyable Friday morning read. Long term reviews are probably the most accurate; too bad they take ten years to develop.
Thanks, RL. I still find the Element very appealing, especially the later ones painted a single color. We drove one in 2007 and drove one again in 2011, one of the very last ones. That time we needed something bigger. A somewhat bigger version of the Fit wasn’t it. At this stage of life I could see replacing the Fit with a used low mile Element that has AAA or AARP stickers on the bumper.
Unfortunately, most Element owners love them, know they are no longer built, and are keeping them till death do they part.
Or they’re asking high prices with an “I know what I’ve got” sort of vibe.
The non-plastic paneled Elements are attractive and in 2007 they got 5 speed automatics rather than 4 speeds. But when I wash the 2005, I armor-all the blue panels and it looks quite nice.
This is a silver all wheel drive model with the rear skylight. It has [about] 98,000 miles on it, so we’re good for a while.
One maintenance issue. The cat converter heat shield was making a racket as the 4 bolts holding the two halves together were rusting away, so I put two large stainless steel hose clamps over it. Every once in a while I check the tightness, but so far so good.
I was in Albuquerque this week and pulled into a What-a-burger. There were TWO Elements in the parking lot. I should have taken a picture.
They are rare enough that I was surprised to see two in the same small parking lot at the same time. The next day I stopped to get my car washed and what was behind me in the automatic car wash queue?
Another Element!
The exhaust heat shields rotting and rattling off are a regular salty-climate thing. That and disk brake dust shields. Most shops will just clip them off once they get far-gone enough.
“… Later Fits have gotten that “irritated adolescent” look to them…”
Cross Fit? (c:
I have the newest iteration of the Fit, which will be 3 years old this fall. My 2 complaints: 1) non-variable intermittent wipers — one speed, never the one you want; 2) the tire pressure monitoring system with the manual reset, that never wants to reset. Being in my very late 50’s, the ride can be a little wearing. I drove it 500 miles to and from Tulsa last weekend, and felt a little beat up when I got home. My last passenger car was a first-gen Focus, which was a very nice little road-car, as cheap little cars go. The other day at work, someone needed a jump. I have too much trepidation about that motorcycle-sized battery, so I politely declined. It will be interesting to see if it makes it through its 4th winter, and if wherever it dies actually has an R151 to replace it. I have the 6-speed manual in mine, which makes absolutely no practical sense, but sure is fun to run through the gears on the on-ramp.
I was in California last month, and these things are all over LA and San Francisco, for a very good reason: it’s almost the perfect city car.
I have the opposite reaction on the intermittent wiper feature. I have had those with infinitely variable delays. Too many choices means that it’s never just right. When all the choices vanish, I’m content.
We’re about the same age, and I don’t think I would look forward to 500 miles in my Fit. My daughter’s 98 Civic is a more comfortable distance car, as is my Sedona. Perhaps my posterior region is not flabby enough, but my limit in that seat is maybe 300 miles in a day.
As has been recounted on CC, I sold my ’15 Fit after 2.5 years and 52K miles. Not because of any issues with the car, though. A Chev SS opportunity presented itself, otherwise, I had planned on keeping the Fit long term as JP has done.
I’ve not driven or ridden in the Gen1/Gen2 Fit, but understand that the Gen3 suspension was softened up a bit, so they’re less go-kart-like. I “fixed” that on mine with wheels/tires, springs and a track alignment, and it was a hoot to drive. The CVT was definitely the right choice for longer highway trips, but wasn’t anything you’d call engaging on a twisty road, even with the paddle shifters simulating seven gear ratios.
I had a few recall or TSB issues on mine in the 2.5 years, but nothing serious and zero issues that required roadside assistance.
It’s a very high utility vehicle, and I averaged around 38mpg (hand calculated) during my ownership. It will swallow a new in-the-box dishwasher in the back with the seats down.
I’ve owned two other Hondas, both 3-door hatchbacks – an ’89 DX and a ’90 base, both stick. I’d say they were more fun/engaging to drive than the Fit, but not by a huge amount.
This is an interesting counterpoint. At my house the Gen1 Fit is the go kart while the 98 Civic LX is the mini-Buick.
Just to be clear, the Fit handled better after my mods, but the overall driving experience was a bit better in the old Civics. More comfortable on a long trip, light and very tossable, great gearbox, airy greenhouse, etc.
Thank you for writing this up–I really enjoy these long-term personal use reports. When I read about your Fit, it reminds me of all the things I love about Honda: clever use of space, thoughtful details, a bit of driver engagement, a dash of engineering-centric quirkiness, high quality materials and lasting value. The best Honda products have shared these attributes (leading to the brand’s strong reputation), and it’s great to see that your Fit does too.
Nice to hear that you had such a good experience with your car. Honda definitely did a great job with the Fit, though the current edition worries me a little. It seems a little like the Scion xB’s second generation: blockier, less nimble, smaller greenhouse, etc. I haven’t driven one to know personally, but I hope Honda’s not ruining a good thing.
It doesn’t scream “ruined FOREVER!” to me like the xB2 did, but I have a wary eye on the HR-V which seems pointlessly overstyled.
This is something that makes me tear my (remaining) hair out; small CUVs are nothing more than lifted hatchbacks, so why do auto manufacturers insist on giving them distinct sheetmetal stampings and lately withdrawing the “straight” small cars from the US market at the end of a design cycle when the answer is SO obvious – follow Subaru’s lead with the Crosstrek, build a lifted-and-cladded hatchback that is exactly that and not one iota more “truckish”, and leverage its’ popularity to offer a complete selection of B-segment hatchbacks.
It’s good to see your Fit remains quite fit.
Having driven this particular Fit, I will admit to liking it quite a bit and it really is fun to drive. Seeing the chaise lounger ability was a very pleasant surprise.
Something tells me you’ll still be driving this Fit five years from now.
I thought the lounge seating was kind of a gimmick when we bought the car, but it turns out to be really comfortable. Discovering completely by surprise after the purchase that my strippo Sedona had the same feature felt like winning the lottery. 🙂
In the event of a crash you’re not strapped in or even if you were your not really in the best position to prevent injury.
Actually you are fully belted in while riding this way, it is just that you are sitting in the back seat and belted there. It is really no different than sitting normally except that your legs are stretched out instead of down on the floor.
I did not quite understand how that worked, but I can see now why Mrs J P is fond of it.
I have a 2009 Fit Sport. It replaced a jeep during the “cash for clunkers” deal. This article does the Fit justice in regards to pro’s and con’s. My only change to the car was replacing the stock 185/55/16 tires with 205/50/16 to firm up the handling. I guess the smaller tires were there for fuel economy ratings. Great little urban car.
A very nice write-up, JP.
We liked the 1st gen Fit, but subsequent Fits aren’t as attractive to me, at least. I also read that they are not good for highway cruising – pretty loud and aggravating. Is that your experience?
A Fit is something I would look at if and when my Impala dies, as I have no need of a large car since I retired, so we’ll see.
As for our old 2002 CR-V, we decided to sell it in February, as it was almost 14 years old and wanted to unload it before rust and nickel & diming took over. We replaced it with a CPO 2015 CR-V and glad we did, for Wifey is very happy with it and it is much more refined than the old one. Sure gets better fuel economy, too.
Thanks for a great article, JP!
I will confirm that the car is not all that quiet on the highway. Part of that is road noise and part is engine noise. I should note that another squirrel has shredded much of the fiber insulation pad on the engine-side of the firewall, so mine is probably noisier than it should be. I need a pellet gun . . .
Fox urine works well as well…
I had one take up residence in the air cleaner on my 04 Buick Rendezvous, thankfully didn’t shred any wiring or insulation.
Glad the Fit is working out for you. My Aunt had a base trim 2013 and, while she had it (2 years 2,000 miles) it was trouble free. I don’t know if I was spoiled by my 98 Civic, or my present primary ride a 2014 VW, but I hated every molecule of that Fit. I spent about a half hour at the helm and, besides the noise that others have commented on, I found the gas pedal return spring way too weak, which made it very difficult to modulate the gas. I am also not a fan of overstyled instrument clusters and controls. Maybe it’s just me, but my 98 Civic and the VW seem very orderly and straightforward while the Fit’s borders on the cartoony. While riding shotgun, I noticed the radio was on, but the volume turned all the way down. It took several minutes of studying that monstrosity to find the “off” button. Only thing I can think of is her son must have somehow roused the thing, but, when finished with the car, could not find the “off” button so turned down the volume and called it good. I used to have a Renault, so the bar is set pretty high for eccentric design, but I could not live with that Fit.
Here’s the office of a 2013. Not my cup of tea.
You are not wrong about the gas pedal. Compared with my daughter’s Civic, the Fit has the driver sitting higher with legs closer in. This exaggerates the issue with the easy-press gas pedal. Using the cruise over distances helps with this.
One of the things I like about mine is that it is an older design. I should have mentioned that this car started out as a 2002 model elsewhere in the world and was called the Jazz. We only got the last two years of this first generation here, a long 2007 model year and 2008. This car seems to have been a holdover from an earlier era of sensibly simple cars from Honda.
Steve the combination of gas pedal with weak return spring and the relative angle of taller drivers’ feet when behind the wheel creates an excrutiatingly uncomfortable experience when trying to cruise at a sustained speed on the highway. We ended up adding an extra spring to the gas pedal, a few washers under the front seat mount to improve thigh support, but the issue is still largely there. Around town it is a fantastic runabout, but highway trips in it are no fun (our Base trim lacks cruise control).
…an excrutiatingly uncomfortable experience when trying to cruise at a sustained speed on the highway.
Ayup. The pedal in my Civic was almost perfectly weighted. The worst that came of the pedal spring was a slight tendency to gain speed. The engine was so smooth and being a vintage Honda, all the power was at the top end, I often found myself inadvertently sailing along at 85, instead of 70. A good thing as the Civic didn’t have cruise and I was driving to Kalamazoo every other weekend to check on my mom in a nursing home, for 13 years. That is a 2 1/2hr drive each way.
The spring in my VW is more on the too soft end of the scale as it gets very tiring holding my foot off the pedal by the time I hit the two hour mark. Fortunately, the VW has cruise. But at least I can drive the VW smoothly in local traffic.
This car seems to have been a holdover from an earlier era of sensibly simple cars from Honda.
Indeed. Honda lost a totally satisfied customer when they A: stopped making hatchbacks, and B: went with goofy, gimmicky design in 2006.
My 98 when I sold it in 2013. One of the best designed cars ever.
By the way, my 98 with it’s non-V-Tech engine and 5 speed routinely returned a hair over 40mpg, in either freeway or suburban driving, until late in life. It might have been the Sears Michelin tires that went on around 85K that did the damage as the last few years I was consistently at 39 and a fraction. My 97 DX Civic coupe, without power robbing power steering, routinely gave me 42.
Nice! My brother took a road trip with a friend once in a ’92 CX hatchback (8 valve motor?) and got 50mpg on the nose. My 2012 Civic LX 5spd could eke out 40-41mpg on a number of occasions, it did particularly well in flowing fast traffic mixed with construction zones where you’d find yourself zipping up to 75-80 mph, the coasting down and spending time at 55mph.
The Civic’s more traditional shape helps its fuel mileage. The Fit, in contrast, is very tall so it’s drag coefficient and frontal area hinder its mileage. Cd*frontal area for the Civic hatch is 6.63 while on the fit it is 8.085. The Fit’s number is about the same as that of a 91 Buick Regal.
In addition to the weight of the spring on the gas pedal, the whole seating posture is different between a Civic and a Fit. The Civic is more traditional where you sit low and your legs are stretched out in front of you. The angle of your right leg is such that your ankle is at rest most of the time no matter where you are in the gas pedal travel. My recent time in my daughter’s Civic brought this home to me. You sit up higher in the Fit and the pedal is closer to you, so the seating/pedal relationship is more like in a van than a normal compact car. The problem for those with normal length legs is that your ankle is at rest only when the pedal is floored. As you note, a stiffer spring would give some relief, but otherwise you are always keeping some “up” tension on that foot/ankle and it can get old after awhile.
…a stiffer spring would give some relief, but otherwise you are always keeping some “up” tension on that foot/ankle
Some bright person should invent either a pneumatic spring with pump or metal spring with adjustable tension, so a driver can dial in exactly the right amount of tension to perfectly balance the weight of his foot and solve the problem, rather than pedals being set for dainty little feet and the rest of us having to put up with it.
It seems like the perfect car for running around town (or the major metro area) in and getting stuff done. You DO have pretty much all the bases covered with your fleet. As I think I’ve mentioned before your 2-car garage could easily be a 3-car garage if you’d just replace the Sedona with a Mazda5…(That’s the Realtor in me speaking – adding value wherever I go. It’s all about the low-hanging fruit 🙂 )
The Fit is yet another car I have never driven, and if I’ve ridden in one it wasn’t for any kind of distance. I’m glad they didn’t see fit (heh) to add a sedan version though even though it may have sold better, assuming high sales of this line in the US was ever a priority which it does not seem like.
The Fit though is one of those kind of rare cars that isn’t really entry-level, in that I mean that buyers don’t seem to eventually replace it with a Civic and then an Accord (or CR-V I guess). The ones I know of all seem to be long-term owned and are considered the end-game of their particular driveway spot. Except for Ed Stembridge. But he’s the outlier that proves the rule…
A very nice summary that I’ve been waiting on without even realizing it, thanks JP!
The Fit came at the concept of a minicar from a completely different direction than Toyota did with the Echo or Yaris. Those were just bare bones basic small cars. The Fit has surprised a lot of friends and relatives with the high level of content in such a small car. Funny, my Sedona is the total base strippo while the Fit (as the Sport model) is loaded with features, plus a few dealer accessories (like the cargo cover and the black vinyl protective strip on the back bumper below the hatch.) Base model Fits with the plastic wheelcovers and lack of several plastic spoilers look half naked to me, but still contain most of what makes this car appealing.
If we really think about it, the Fit is “The Honda of the Mini Car Class”.
The recipe (adding value with features people don’t really think they need but suddenly seem to understand they should expect) was the basic formula in the original Civic and Accord back in the late 70’s. They eventually caused a sea change in the way small cars were packaged, starting with simple little things like a coin tray or a remote trunk release. Honda have kept to their core principles with the Fit. Adding things like modular seating options, etc. to a segment where they’re not really commonplace nor necessarily expected allows Honda to tick the sticker price up a few notches, adds value, both perceived and quantifiable, and locks in a new generation of buyers with a slightly different set of parameters. (Namely the expectation of buying a single small vehicle with multiple use capabilities, long term reliability and ease of operation and ownership that will accommodate a single, couple or family for a decade or more through changing lives and lifestyles…which is a very Millenial set of expectations, BTW…if it can’t “Do It All”, then it ain’t worth it.) All by using essentially a 40 year old strategy. Gotta hand it to ’em.
There was this Yaris Verso though…
My partner Matt bought a 2011 Fit last year. He needed something to replace his 2006 Focus hatch which had serious rust issues. He wanted another car that was small but roomy, easy to drive and one that you didn’t fall into since he has back problems. He loved the Fit. The dealer had three for sale, an ’07, and ’11 and a ’14. We test drove the ’07 but after 10 mins in the passenger seat both my hips started to ache. There was just something about those seats that didn’t like my posterior. When we finished the test drive I asked to sit in the driver’s seat for a few mins and yep, same aches on my backside.
We took the ’11 model for a test drive, and guess what – no back or hips issues at all! The seats looked exactly the same, same design, same shape/contours and even almost the same upholstery, but the ones in the newer car were just so much better. So I encouraged Matt to buy the more expensive ’11 model since there was no point in buying a vehicle I’d never be comfortable riding around in esp on long trips. He’s been very happy with it ever since. It drives and rides well, has lots of pep and gets fantastic fuel mileage. Oh, and it’s also bright red too!
Damn it; I just left a very long comment and it got eaten, because I had been logged off (automatically), and when it asked me to go back and add my e-mail, my comment was gone. It’s happened a few times first thing in the morning. Argh!
The short version: Very much liked the gen1 Fit when it came out, and could have readily seen myself in one. But something about the quirky xB grabbed me, and I’ve been extremely happy with it. It’s now 13 years old, and has needed absolutely except oil, filters, a battery after ten years, and a set of front brake pads. Not bad for 13 years. It’s never seen a dealer or mechanic except for the clutch issue early on, under warranty. By FAR the most reliable, trouble-free car I’ve ever had. Kind of amazing, actually.
Back in the day, a 13 year old car with almost 100k miles was essentially shot. I’m planning to keep mine for likely another 13 years.
I’ve never driven a Fit, but would be interested to compare the two.
Stay Fit! 🙂
How is your xB on I-5?
I’ve come close a few times to buying a Fit. I was “too slow on the draw” when the 2nd generation was making way for the 3rd generation and a local dealer was almost giving them away. It didn’t help that all his inventory was equipped with automatic transmissions and I wanted a Fit with a manual transmission.
The Fit would have been my 5th Honda product, so I know their “usual” foibles. Like others here, I think the styling has gotten more and more aggressive-looking with each generation…and the HR-V looks WAAAY overstyled.
What’s holding me back now is that the Honda dealers in this area want full MSRP AND…they all want a bit extra for “documentation fees”. The lowest is $500 and the highest is nearly $900.
I wish Honda still made a car like my 92 Civic hatchback.
The manual in the third-gen Fit has horrid ratios, unfortunately. Otherwise I would have definitely gotten mine with the 6MT.
Our family has likewise owned a ’07 Fit since new, grey a Base 5spd manual with black interior. Had similar experiences with lucking into having one to test drive locally, but then drove 4 hours away to Patterson NJ to pay MSRP for our relatively rare Base trim. I feel like the 5spd manual is a must in this car, we’ve gotten phenomenal mileage out of ours, regularly topping 40mpg on longer drives (a record of 43 mpg on a trip to the Adirondacks on 55mph state highways). Summer average up and down Ithaca’s hills in local driving hovers around 35mpg. Dead of winter with snow tires and short (2 mile) trips still yield 30mpg. In terms of acceleration too the stick shift makes it a fun little car to dart around town in. Ours has been almost totally drama free mechanically, I think we’ve replaced a battery, tires, brake pads once maybe, and a rattling exhaust heat shield (they rot off around here). I will disagree on steering feel and handling, it feels like a lifeless video game and much more tippy than the 1990 Civic wagon that it replaced. I agree for long trips taller drivers are quite uncomfortable, and the gearing (3500rpm at 70mph) in the 5spd really grates on me.
Ours is now my parents’ farm trucklet, it always has the rear seats folded down with a tarp in the back, hauling bee hives, fencing, tools, etc for my parents’ hobby farm south of Ithaca. A lot of beat up and unpaved roads have passed under its wheels now, I think the rear shocks started to seep a bit a few years ago. It does surprisingly well scampering up the wet grass slope at the farm too, areas where I have to engage 4wd in either our ’98 MPV or my ’96 4Runner.
Very nice! Spending its life in salty New York, if they have not seen to those axle shafts, they should probably do so soon. When one snaps the car will need a tow. The price at the Honda dealer using Honda replacements is obscene, something over $1k. When the dealer offers a NAPA alternative part in its quote (around $600) you know something is wrong with pricing on the genuine Honda part. I was surprised that the cost was so low at a local indy shop and what are surely Chinese-made parts. I doubt that the parts are the same high quality, but if the repair lasts over 2 years I am ahead of the job with factory axles.
Your car shows the gas mileage mystery. With shorter gearing of the 5 speed, you have cracked 40 mpg with no sweat. My eldest son tends towards hypermiling and was able to eke 38 or 39 out of it under optimum conditions (and keeping speeds to 55 or under). If he couldn’t get it to 40 it just can’t be done on this car. The numbers improved with the new plugs and coils and 30 in relaxed mixed suburban driving is the number. I have wondered if something is amiss in the V-Tec electronics, but if so it has been that way from the start.
If I keep to my usual habits on long interstate slogs where I’m 5 mph over and running the A/C, my Note returns 36-37 depending on the posted speed limit. As an experiment driving back home late one night at 3am with absolutely no traffic where it was cool and I wasn’t using the A/C, I set the cruise for 60 and listened to an audiobook to pass the time and I was rewarded with 49 mpg.
Right, I see the Toyota is also still around. Good.
An aunt of mine drives the same gen Fit, called the Jazz here, as in your picture. It even seems to have the same color too.
Tall and small cars, most of them Japanese, were very popular among the 60+ folks. By now the boxy designs have been replaced by more stylish sub-compact crossovers and SUV look-a-likes. Still popular among the senior citizens, but now young couples -with or without kids- also love them and buy them as their family car.
They are affordable, fuel-efficient, roomy, practical, and spiffy looking. Exactly what the majority of the car buying public is looking for. Many of these models are offered in a wide variety of colors, two-tone is often optional.
Johannes yes the Toyota is my “forever” car, just took it down to the Outer Banks for a week of driving around on the beach (and helping hapless Subaru drivers, see pic).
I know what you mean…Once you’ve owned a car for many years (15+ in my case), without having the slightest malfunction, it’s hard to let it go. As we say here, it’s a car “one can read and write with”.
JP: Love the tail lights and the modest, functional console.
Sticking with a car one likes for the long term is also financially and environmentally prudent. [I’,m not a greenie, but actually am due to my frugal lifestyle bent. An accidental environmentalist as it were].
Your comment reminds me of a couple financial/environmental questions that I often wonder about:
1) When gas prices are high there are always stories about people dumping their thirsty old cars for more efficient ones. How much of an mpg improvement over the old car would be needed to offset the expense of buying the new car (presuming the trade didn’t completely cover it and that it was a voluntary purchase)?
2) If buying a new, more efficient car for environmental reasons, how much more efficient does the new car have to be over the old one to offset the environmental impact of producing it, compared to just maintaining the old car for additional years?
I feel like there’s a way to calculate an answer to both of these questions, and that 1 may be easier than 2, but I never have the time to work it all out (and don’t know where to go for things like CO2 emissions of factories or mines).
The CC Effect is strong today. I rarely see third-gen Fits around here, and just passed two within five miles of each other on my way back from lunch.
You aren’t kidding, I realized this morning there are three Fits (two 1st and one 2nd-gen) in my new neighborhood and just now saw a first-gen at Target.
Good review. While reading this I was pleasantly surprised at the fact that I could have replaced “fit” with “cube” and written the same thing. We are on our second Nissan Cube right now. Our 2010 6mt model was rendered obsolete by a bad left knee and has been replaced by a 2013 model with cvt. They are a hoot to drive and combined 225k miles have had one brake job and one AC compressor.
I think the limiting factor on our cube may turn out to be the CVT trannie although it is at 125k miles without incident. Think we would buy a new transmission before we would dump the car. The wife loves it and I admire it’s capacity as a people mover without actually being so attached. Our 6′ 6″ son can set behind himself with no problem (wearing a hat). I am jealous of the versatility of your seats but otherwise feel I am virtually driving the same car. The use is obviously different as our 2013 model has 125kmiles. 10 years is a long time at that annual rate of use.
Hope you are able to keep driving it past the 200k mark and hope I do as well.
Thanks Lee, 200k is kind of my new goal. With today’s cheap gas prices, my car’s value is not very much so there is really no reason to get rid of it until I just plain wear it out. It is almost perfect for me – old enough that I don’t care about parking lot dings but still too good looking and reliable to be considered a cheap heap.
The Cube was not out when we were looking or I might have checked it out. We did check out a Versa which came out about the same time. I just didn’t like it. The seats didn’t fold flat in back and I preferred the standard 5 speed automatic of the Honda to the CVT in the Versa.
Sounds impressive! My nearest co-op car share, long a battered but oddly lovable 2006 Yaris, has recently been replaced by a white 2017 Fit. I look forward to driving it.
These first gen. Fits, along with the initial Scion xB really hit a sweet spot between size, stuff, and spry for their time. The only thing that really has emulated their success since is the the Kia Soul, a car my sister bought new and got one hell of a deal out of between 2009-20014 when she sold it for more than half the original purchase price. There is no greater recipe for efficient packaging than a box, style be damned. I think I’ve already pointed out to you JP that your particular color combo was a one year (and rare) affair, but it is actually what I would prefer out of all the subsequent Fits since myself (with the possible exception of Raspberry Pearl in the final year second gen). All that said, I’m not particularly impressed with the current model; the mechanically related HR-V makes way more sense to me when the starter LX is $21k and an EX Fit is equal money. The CUV shape hides quite a bit more interior space, and the quality level seems a legitimate step up. I’d still be all about the Kia, except they really have poor fuel economy figures compared to nearly anything else relative to their class.
Your car should be fit for at least another 10 years without major drivetrain issues. Enjoy reading long term relationship experiences with different makes, always wondered how Fit ownership is long term, seems like the only real weakness is in seat comfort on long trips.
A little over 300k miles in the ’86 Jetta bought in ’91 with 100k miles on it at the time. 26 years later, being semi retired the car makes a perfect around town runner with decent MPG, 5 speed stick, still gets mid 20’s around town and mid 30’s on longer trips. Seats are really comfortable even on long trips. Although my last 1000 mile only stop for gas trip was in 1996, my 21 years older body today may have a different view now!
I do need to replace the front wishbones soon, the replacements have been riding in the trunk far too long, the original bushings are really sloppy now. Engine and trans still original, paint was getting thin on hood from engine heat, but a fender (and hood) bender in 2007 fixed that with newly painted replacement. The the interior still looks great, no tears or cracks on dash, headliner came unglued but now has a u pull replacement. Carpet has a hole from my heel under the gas pedal, as does the floor mat and it’s repair patch I put on it a few years ago. Last year the drivers backrest frame broke, I replaced the seat from my ’89 parts car, it was grey but I was able to switch out the brown seat covers from the original seat without damaging them. As a second vehicle that only gets a couple of thousand miles a year, I don’t plan on replacing any time soon, if ever.
Great write up!
I hear you for avoiding long continuous drives as we get older…even when young I think they really aren’t safe, I recall one 875 mile one day trip I know I wasn’t mentally as up to snuff as I should have been at the end (made me think I needed a dope slap or something as I exited the car at the end). I started out working as a transporter for Hertz while in college, and though the trips weren’t always megamiles (sometimes they were, by routing, you had to go to a bunch of cities that were geographically disbursed to do what they needed done) a lot of the times you got called later in the day (when you’d been up for many hours already) for a long trip, as we didn’t get to pick our schedules, and could be very tired indeed when you finally got home. Ending 5 years ago I used to take my parents on long car trips to visit relatives half way across the country, and they also gave me the excuse to drive much shorter days (but more of them)…we’d go maybe 350 miles per day, starting out early in the morning and often getting in around noontime, if we could find a motel that would let us in that early, we’d relax a few hours, go for an early dinner, then go to bed early and repeat. It took us 5 days to do the 1750 mile trip (each way) which meant that we actually spent more time driving than visiting our relatives which might sound dumb, but I got to spend time with my parents, we’d plan side trips to visit something that each one of us was interested in, so we got to know the country and found our favourite routes; I found myself really looking forward to the trips, they were hardly an ordeal. Back then I was still employed with the luxury of enough vacation time to take these trips of many contiguous days; nowadays I think they’d lay me off if they thought they could do without me for 3 weeks at a time (many people don’t take all their earned vacation in fear of being let go), so I’m glad we did it while we could.
Kudos on keeping your 1986 Jetta so long; I had my ’86 Golf (GTi) for 15 years before I bought my current Golf…it was a nice car to work on, though the GTi seats were contoured for those skinnier than my girth, they also wore out quickly, both the fabric and the underlying foam….I got good at reupholstery redoing the seats when the seatback release lever cable broke once inside the seatback and then again when I was able to locate some NOS fabric and foam to redo the seat. Still, there was always particles of degraded foam dust under my seats so it was a continuous issue. I also redid the suspension with variable rate springs, ended up with the car having higher ride height than stock…but I wondered about you mentioning the wishbone, I think that you might have been referring to Honda on that, as I recall my ’86 and current car have front McPherson struts which I’d also think would be on your Jetta.
Somehow no one in my Family has bought a Honda (yet)…my 2 sisters were Nissan fans, having a total of 4 similar models (200SX-240SX)…and I’ve owned only watercooled VWs since 1981 myself, though might consider something different next time now that compact hatchbacks are again becoming more available in other makes.
The wishbone is what VW calls the lower control arm, carries the balljoint. It is a McPherson strut type suspension. Has bushings on the pivoting ends, when they wear badly the car tends to wander from all the movement in the worn out bushings.
I can relate to the burn out of long drives, I made a lot of trips between Washington and SoCal in the ’90’s, had family up north. The 3 day weeknd trips were worst, I would drive all Thursday night after work, arrive Friday morning, and leave early Sunday morning for work on Monday. 1000 miles each way. Finally moved up to PDX area in ’97 and that ended the long road trips. If I was well rested I would leave about 6:00 am and arrive around 11:00 pm. I did once make the trip when I was not well rested and probably was a hazard on the road, I can relate to feeling like a zombie at the end of that trip.
The German built VW’s like my ’86 Jetta GL had much more durable interior than the US built Golf/Jettas, family had an ’87 Golf (not GTI) with the crumbling seat padding and much less durable seat cover material. The GTI’s seats were tight fitting if you were larger. I did notice my 4 door car actually has the backrest release for 2 door cars, minus the cable and knob. I can reach under the seat and release the backrest and fold it forward. Guess it was cheaper to just to make them all the same and add cable and knob when using them in 2 door cars.
I do tend to keep my vehicles a long time, had a 70 C10 pickup for 30 years, it’s replacement bought new ’04 Titan is my newest vehicle, at 13 years old now. Seems like it was just yesterday I bought this this truck, time is flying by.
Interesting report. There is a 2002 Jazz in my family, which is basically the same car. Over 120.000 miles now. Batteries have lasted around 6-7 years. The rear brakes shoes never needed changing.
During this time it needed an EGR valve and a rear wheel bearing. That was it.
It’s quite fun to drive on smaller roads. One can really feel the stiffness of the chassis.
On the freeway the tall body makes it too susceptible to side winds.
I really like the Fit and considered them when I went shopping two years ago, but the ride and highway behaviors kept me away. I’m getting to the age where I want something that makes long drives easier.
If this was going to be my only car I would be right there with you. Cars of this class have not traditionally been my playground, though I have had one other that was close (83 Colt hatchback) but it was bought cheap and used. You bring up an interesting idea – where you only have one car it has to be a jack of all trades. When you have two, my idea has always been to pick two things that are each excellent at one thing. The Fit was bought for a mix of economy & capacity and the minivan was bought for the combination of capacity and price. Each of them does one or two things very well, but is not so good at other things.
Exactly, if I had to have two cars, one would be a small economical beater like a Tracker, Justy or Smart for ease of parking in Portland and a comfy highway cruiser like a Taurus or Grand Marquis for trips.
But I can only have one right now. Maybe in a few years
You’ve given me inspiration to write up a long term article, J. P. C.
I bought my current daily driver brand new 29 years ago.
(I think I will wait at least another year–some things still haven’t fully sorted themselves out).
My niece just got a good-shape 2007 for her “heading off to college car”. I reviewed the magic seat process with her, and bought her a center console for the 800-mile journey south to school. Great cars for college kids and a hoot to drive around town.
JP: A 2007 Fit Sport 5/MT was my first NEW car. I had to wait about 3-4 months for the manual, due to the popularity of the car and the spike in gas pricing. Since I was buying new, I WAS NOT going to “settle” for any color/transmission, other than what I wanted. I ordered the chrome side moldings from Thailand before I even had the car, LOL! I changed front brake pads about 63k, and unfortunately, I was T-boned by a hit and run driver in December of 2011. I ended up replacing it with a 2012 Vivid Blue Pearl, 5/MT, on which I currently only have 15K miles. I will never like the GE as much as I liked the GD! 🙂 BTW: My ’07 surfaced on Craigslist w/ a salvage title!
Here’s a pix of the replacement:
Thanks JP, really well done article. At first I didn’t liked these Fit Mk1 but later I came to like them very much. I’d buy one used if I could find a nice example or buy a new one if possible.
Happy motoring!
As the VERY satisfied owner of a 2nd gen Fit (2010) I have to jump in. I have a few friends with gen 1 Fits. While styling, especially the dashboard, was not an improvement, the rest of the car did get incrementally better. The chassis is even stiffer, slightly more power, slightly more legroom (due to extended wheelbase) and larger wheels.
This car replaced a 1992 325i, so my expectations were not necessarily for a cheap car, but a RELIABLE fun car that I could afford to pay cash, not lease. Cross shopped Golf GTI, Civic coupe, Versa hatch, Fiesta and Yaris. Only the GTI drove better and I was scared of reliability issues after the BMW. A blue M/T base model was found in San Diego and shipped to Gardena Honda in a day.
The only disappointment were the OE Dunlop tires, No grip in the wet and noise. In a few months it had a set of similar Yokohamas to the ones on the BMW. 195/60-15 is a super common older Honda size, same diameter as the Dunlops.
The tiny battery lasted almost six years and a NAPA replacement was only $90. Other than oil, filters and wiper blades, it has needed nothing else. EPA mileage is 27/33 and I easily get 30/38 driving 5-10 over the limit and in heavy traffic. I got 46 on one SD-LA nighttime run keeping it below 65.
Many here talk about highway driving and comfort. The problem is that my other car is a 2500HD Chevy 4×4 pickup, not a cushy quiet ride at all. With properly adjusted tire pressures, the Fit is an ok highway cruiser for me.
Seems like it could be almost the perfect jack-of-all-trades car if it weren’t for the long-term highway manners. We’ve recently started thinking about replacing the Forte Koup, since an addition to the family is on her way and it will probably be no fun to take a car seat in and out of the back of a 2-door repeatedly, and its replacement will probably be used of similar vintage so as not to pick up a second car payment. I’d still like a wagon, but if I can’t find a good one (as the selection gets quite small if you don’t want something from Germany), this article has me thinking a Fit might be the perfect choice…