I really liked this car, surprisingly enough. I thought it was going to be claustrophobic since it looks so small from the outside and that the materials would be cheapy but I was pleasantly surprised. The materials are actually a better quality than what one would expect from a $15K car. Love that leather-wrapped steering wheel...
And even though the Sport model has 109 horsepower, with the five-speed manual, I was able to get around Corollas that didn't know any better. (Actually a lot of drivers who didn't know any better. Fun!)
My friend who is in the market for a new, economical car was intrigued by all the features present in our long-termer at such a low price -- cruise control, aux input and keyless entry are all standard. After spending a weekend in it as the passenger she ended up looking it up on our site, wanting to buy one herself.
But what impressed me most was when I had to do a bit of grocery shopping at Costco for a large housewarming party, the Fit easily stored the grocery bags, two 20-pound bags of ice, beer, etc. with room to spare. I'm sure if I had even more to lug, the folding rear seat would have accommodated that. Too bad that the cargo area didn't come with a cover, though.
Production Editor Caroline Pardilla, 2,188 miles
My friend who is in the market for a new, economical car was intrigued by all the features present in our long-termer at such a low price -- cruise control, aux input and keyless entry are all standard. After spending a weekend in it as the passenger she ended up looking it up on our site, wanting to buy one herself.
But what impressed me most was when I had to do a bit of grocery shopping at Costco for a large housewarming party, the Fit easily stored the grocery bags, two 20-pound bags of ice, beer, etc. with room to spare. I'm sure if I had even more to lug, the folding rear seat would have accommodated that. Too bad that the cargo area didn't come with a cover, though.
Production Editor Caroline Pardilla, 2,188 miles
99si2fun says:
09:22 PM, 11/21/06
I am surprised that this car was as expensive as my new 2006 ford fusion ($15050 + tax and title). I was shopping for this exact model of Fit when discovered I could buy the fusion for $200 less. Granted it was a stick and I4 base model, but it still had all the amenities and gets a respectable 30 MPG. The fusion had sat on the lot for quite a while, probably because it was a stick.
FYI was Civic Si was stolen and stripped. IMHO the fusion handles better than the 99 Si.
desmolicious says:
12:56 AM, 11/22/06
You buy Bud Light? Ack! Seeing that you were in Costco, you coulda picked up their Belgian beer 18pack selection for $19.99. Or so I've heard.
billt9 says:
01:57 AM, 11/22/06
$15k is a high price for a subcompact.
That said, the Fit is the best of the subcompacts, and I love it too.
But it's price is just...
Think of it this way, Aveos are $8000 market price, Cobalt $9000, Ford F-150 $12,000, Malibu $14,000, Fusion $15,000...
If you can live with American styling, It's a big market in that real world price range, and below.
When you are trying to buy a low cost car, what are you looking for?
99si2fun says:
06:31 AM, 11/22/06
billt9,
Exactly when I was looking for a low cost car I did not expect a handsome mid-sized sedan with great driving dynamics (based on the mazda 6 chassis), with a strong yet fuel efficient I4 at that price range. Then as an added bonus the fusion just scored well on the CR predicted reliability.
I was expecting a stripped VW Rabbit or a Honda Fit Sport; what I bought was a an elongated mazda 6 chassis and the mazda 3 2.3 I4 and 5-spd for thousands less than even a mazda 3. For that kind of money I can live with the Ford on the attractive chrome grill.
alpha01 says:
12:02 PM, 11/22/06
Bilit9, this is 2006, practically 2007. Cobalts with any features that people want (like this Fit's alloys, ABS, side curtains) is WAAAY more than 9 grand, and you get what you pay for. Without disrespect to 99si2fun, the Fusion that is 15,000 will be a rare one, and if it's an '06, its likely to be stripped (sans aforementioned safety features), and is going to depreciate a good deal faster than the Fit.
~alpha
desmolicious says:
01:23 PM, 11/22/06
Fusion, Focus, F150, whatever... stay focussed people, the crime is she bought Bud Light!
rennf says:
01:28 PM, 11/22/06
rennf says:
01:36 PM, 11/22/06
My sister just bought a "new" (used) car in this price range. I was heavily recommending she test drive a new Fit, but she ended up finding an '06 Kia Optima at Carmax with only a few thousand miles on it for $14k and went for it. It was a gold exterior (meh), but with the huge manufac. warranty I reassured her she didn't make a bad decision.
I agree that $8k-$9k sounds too low. I did a reasonable amount of internet shopping on her behalf, saw nothing in this price range that had anything approaching an acceptable level of safety and options.
hondacura4 says:
01:56 PM, 11/23/06
Well this is the highline Fit, you can get the base model much cheaper than the $15K the Sport costs. I find it amazing that even in its 7th year of production that this car still is top or extrememly competitive with others in its segment. Honda, just make one Fit Sport with the Si's drivetrain specifially for me!
caroscuro says:
11:40 AM, 01/ 9/07
Hey, don't blame that Bud Light on me. That's my roommate's fault and her "dietary requirements."