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So, in that configuration, price is about the same either way.
Focus advantage:
* Much more cargo capacity, over 70 cubic feet, vs. about 40 for the Fit
* At the price I spec'd, I also included traction control, which is not available on the Fit
* the CD player plays MP3 discs (a minor point, I know, it just happens to be something useful to me; you can also spring for a 6-disc changer with steering wheel controls as an option)
Disadvantages:
* fuel economy (rated 26 mpg sity vs. Fit's 33)
* I'm guessing it won't be as fun to drive, though Focus in general has gotten high marks there
* it's presumably not going to have the Honda quality/reliability, though they have been pretty good lately
The cars I've been looking at are the Fit, Focus, Matrix (possibly used), and Aerio. Each has pros and cons...
If someone wants to siphon gas, it'll just take 2 seconds with a screwdriver to take off a locking gas cap--or open one of those locking filler doors for that matter.
Stealing gas is just not worth the risk. I'd think there'd be much more profitable lines of criminality than that.
As for protecting you against vandalism (sugar in the tank; etc.), it would only take a few seconds more to pop the door or the cap without leaving a noticeable mark. Besides, these days, sugaring a gas tank might get charged as a "terrorist act". Are people going to risk that for a practical joke?
But if it helps you sleep easier, buy the lock.
I've noticed a few comments like this scattered about this forum, but I'd have to say that the Fit's handling is a major factor in my decision to pay $15+ for a compact car. I've always been big on performance, and haven't ever put that much thought into gas mileage and cargo space...until now. As gas prices have shot up, I've been thinking more and more about going the practical route--trying to find a car that will last forever, get great gas mileage, but will STILL BE FUN TO DRIVE. The Fit gives me the best of everything. (Previous cars: 1995 Pontiac Firebird with a modified 400 horsepower V8, 1993 BMW 325i--gladly sold this last week and very much looking forward to the Honda Fit)
LOL - sad part is I could see this happening
1) there is a strong offer in subcompacts with French, German and Italian brands. many such models are not available in the US
2) Most Europe tests are done with manual shifter, automatics being a small fraction of the available models
3) Many models come with Diesel, which is not available on subcompacts in the US
4) the FIT comes with small 1.2 and 1.3 Engines which makes it sluggish while most subcompacts available in the US at least come with 1.5/1.6 Liter
It would be interesting to have such European models avaialble in the US. Those looking for Economy cars would really get a good comparison
While I think the days of the current generation Jazz winning awards in Europe are coming to an end, it still beats the competition in many ways. Totalcar, the most highly respected car show/website in Hungary tested 5 B-segment cars last summer. Jazz beat them all. It was also rated the "Best car in Hungary" :surprise: when it came out on top in a survey of 10 000 vehicle owners. That survey is now at 15 000 owners, but I think the Jazz is still at the top. I know it still scores well in other countries too. I was reading a recent issue of CAR magazine (UK) and the Jazz was still considered a respectable contender...probably the oldest model in the category too!
The main thing keeping the car back is the price, which is a bit high compared to the competition. Of course, the time for a FMC (full model change) is nearing for the EUDM Jazz, it's still a competitive car.
I think a good addition to the Jazz line in Europe would be a low-volume 1.5i ES Sport model to replace the not-so-sporty 1.4i ES Sport. Even the smaller Suzuki Swift has a 1.5L engine producing 102 HP.
"2) Most Europe tests are done with manual shifter, automatics being a small fraction of the available models"
Manual transmissions are by far the popular choice in Europe. I think it's 95%+ in many countries and automatics are very rare. I have never actually seen an automatic transmission Jazz :surprise: (or Fit for that matter), and the popular 1.2i engine can only be had with the 5MT!
I really REALLY hope they address this with the upcoming reworking of the model.
about 3500 RPM at 85Mph stabilized. Engine stays very discreet unless when flooring the gas pedal.
City mileage : 9 L/100
2) Agreed. Even add a turbocharger with direct Gasoline Injection like VW. would be a dream
3) Agreed as well. I prefer a more informative gauge, rather than two leds saying either "too early" or "too late"
4) allow display of Liter/100 or mpg + trip mileage at the same time
5) improve road noise insulation
I wonder if anyone can point me toward a link that show pictures of the AMERICAN colors for the Fit? There are so many diffeent color pages from different countries, that I can't keep them straight.
Thanx.
claustrophobic but I would love a fun hatchback
so why do I obsess about the Fit car.I presently
have an SUV that gets 15-20 mpg and it is not fun.
It is about 8 inches wider than a Fit so it fits me.
One of my hangups is warranty and 3/36 is not a good
warranty.Whenever a sales person mentions extended
warranty I say if you don't trust the car you are selling
why should I.At least the Fit has a 5/60 warranty
on the drivetrain which is equal to Toyota
Regarding the gas cap lock... great news!...YOU DON'T NEED ONE!! I repeat.. YOU DON'T NEED ONE!
Let me tell you that I was under the same dilemma when I bought my Fit thinking "how can they missed the inside shift PULL to unlock the Gas door like every Honda I've known". Thinking to must buy a locked cap... then when I went to fill up the gas the first time myself (11/05) I noticed that I couldn't open the Gas door and I was "WHAT?... A defect! oh No! .... (by that time My car was locked due to some snack Shopping during the trip). any how,so I unlocked the car with the Remote.. got in side.....went back to open try to open the gas door and ......Voilá...for some strange reason the door was free again.
In One sentence: there I was again, amazed once more by the Fit.
Cut to the Chase:
THERE IS A METALLIC PIN (ELECTRIC) THAT WORKS IN SYNCH WITH YOUR DOOR LOCKS....EVERYTIME YOU UNLOCKED THE DOORS THE GAS COMPARTMENT GETS UNLOCKED. WHENEVER YOUR RIDING AND/OR HAVE YOUR LOCKS DOWN THE GAS DOOR IS LOCKED...PRETTY NEAT!!!
EVEN BETTER THAN THE LIFT PULL...YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.
What did I told you...YOU DON'T NEED A GAS CAP WITH LOCK!
:surprise:
So, I'm still not 100% sure, until a canook comes on this board and confirms it.
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
http://www.nuxx.net/hondamusiclink.html
I think it would be simpler, faster, safer, and less frustrating to use MP3 CDs.
On my current car, I use an iPod (3G) through a cassette adapter, and even that is so clumsy that I hardly use it. (Of course, on the Fit, with no cassette player, that isn't an option either, and the FM things are awful in NY.)
I think navigating the scroll wheel is just too dangerous to do while driving. It requires too-sensitive motions, which means more of your attention (i.e. to move it "just a little bit"), and it requires that you take your eyes far off the road, for multiple seconds. With an MP3 cd, the more hierarchical structure, large anchored car-radio controls, and big text display closer to your normal eye-line mean you can do some basic navigation pretty easily, and swapping CDs is also easy, so you can pretty easily change what you're listening to.
With the iPod, apart from "skip song," whatever I pick at the start of the trip is what I end up with for the whole trip, because it's awkward/unsafe to operate while driving. So I think Honda was right in realizing that a whole different interface is needed for a car, but from what I read, their implementation isn't quite there. At least for now, MP3 CDs would seem a much better choice, at least for me.
Though since I haven't actually seen/heard the Honda adapter in action, I will add, "I could be wrong..."
I thought the fear was that the trap lock would not be strong enough and that it could still be pry open.
I can't believe some people though the door would not be locked in any way.
I think they are going to bring the new, FMC Fit here next year. So they don't want too much hype, too big an opening for the Fit this year. They have to get it in the game here to compete with Yaris, Versa, etc., but they don't want to make too big of a splash. I think next year, with the FMC, they will have a huge, coordinated, sophisticated marketing campaign--and kind of act like the first year Fit here in the US was just some kind of anamoly.
They're saving their ammo for next year.
Just a guess.
By the way I still haven't gotten my car yet. My dealer says that the Fit is still stuck in the port of Houston (20 miles away) awaiting transport.
Theres an unmistakeable buzz you get behind the wheel of the Jazz Sport. Its that feel you get when you drive well-sorted BMWs, Porsches and Subarus, namely that this car has been built by enthusiasts, car nuts who cant resist engineering a big shovelful of fun into even the most sensible transport. Of course, the Jazz can play the sensible card with aplomb, but get it on a twisty road and itll plaster a big grin across your face in a way that few of its rivals could ever countenance.
...the inherent excellence of the Jazzs underpinnings mean that it never feels like its trying to hoodwink us with its competition credentials. This is a car that has motorsport in its blood. However distant the family link, its there.
You can feel it the moment you turn a wheel, whenever you feel the suspension load up, every time you lean on the low profile tyres. Its not hot, or warm, heck its barely tepid, but you wont care. The Jazz Sport has been tickled by the fun stick. Have you?
In response to the mp3 CD guy, the Sport trim in Canada has a mp3/wma compatible player. Also, all trim levels here have an AUX in port (even the base), which means that if you use the lineout, it should come out better than a FM transmitter or casette converter, moreso if you use the ipod dock's lineout instead of the unit's headphone out. There is ample space in the cubbyhole next to the AUX jack (which is located near the shifter, right next to/above the cig lighter).
One last thing. The deck provided by Honda has really weird contours, with the volume knob and oversized buttons. I'm not sure how you would go about replacing it, since removal of the cd deck would leave a circular hole where the buttons used to be. It's a hell of a mod to change decks, that's for sure.
The parts department at the dealer I ordered the car from says they don't know enough about the Fit if the wheels would work. However, I e-mailed College Hills Honda (hondapreview.com) and they said they would not recommend the older Civic wheels since they have a 45 mm offset while the Fit has 55 mm. While I know what the offset is, I'm not sure how much a 10 mm difference would affect the car's handling, etc.
...just a thought.
In the U.S., though, I don't believe the base has an Aux in port.
I think navigating the scroll wheel is just too dangerous to do while driving. It requires too-sensitive motions, which means more of your attention (i.e. to move it "just a little bit"), and it requires that you take your eyes far off the road, for multiple seconds. With an MP3 cd, the more hierarchical structure, large anchored car-radio controls, and big text display closer to your normal eye-line mean you can do some basic navigation pretty easily, and swapping CDs is also easy, so you can pretty easily change what you're listening to."
i totally agree with your thoughts on using an ipod. If you are using a 3g ipod, the honda music link wont work. I have a 3G ipod and i think im going to go with the sport model AND get an aftermarket stereo. its kind of a waste, but at least i'll have the Aux port (maybe use it with a cassette walkman...) and two extra speakers
However, I think in order to get a replacement stereo, you need a new panel for the dash. im not sure if its available in NA yet, you may have to import it and its probably a pain to install...
My nephew has a new LX Civic with it installed and it works just fine.
You need to LEARN how to work it. The best part is the Menu is spoken not displayed - you keep your eyes on the road and if you learn the button assignments you don't have to even look at the stereo.
Just people bitchin' about new technology before they check it out first hand for themselves... :mad:
Thanks for sharing the other side. Do you know if your nephew has a large ipod library (over 20gb), or something in the smaller (5-10gb)range? it seems that the honda tts system would work better for someone with a smaller library, but, of course, i havent tried so i dont know for sure.
either way, myself and the original poster cant test without buying a new ipod first since honda doesnt support 3G ipods.
Among the interesting points I agree with:
"Honda Fit a pleasing but pricey subcompact package" (headline)
"Unfortunately, it is priced beyond what comes to mind, too: $14,400 to start, an additional $1,500 typically equipped — as much as a larger, if less lavishly appointed, Civic."
"The Fit Sport, which Honda says will be the preferred version, starts at $15,720. Sport is all cosmetics; it doesn't have a bigger engine or stiffer suspension as the name implies."
Interesting that the Sport is the "preferred version" according to Honda - it's also the higher priced version, with a bunch of features many people might not want.
Anyway, many other interesting positives and negatives, certain to generate debate
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/2006-04-14-test-drive-honda-fit_x.ht- m
Less lavishly appointed...yes, that's the point. You can get a Civic DX for only $14,760. That's only $910 over a base Fit. However, you will be forgoing many convenience features: A/C, power locks, power mirrors, CD player, etc. The base Fit is equipped almost like a Civic LX, save for the cruise control and keyless entry. Suddenly the $2,860 difference offers some price differentation.
"Here's betting that some potential buyers will simply not like the idea of riding atop 10 gallons of gasoline."
Too bad for them. Are these the same people that never complain that their 3 children are sitting over the tank in every other car! You have to put the gas tank somewhere, and in my opinion the best place to put it is where the occupants are...the most protected area of the car. So what if you are sitting over it. If the gas tank happens to explode, you are just as screwed if you sit over it than if you sit 2 feet in front of it.
"Rear suspension's solid beam instead of better-handling independent setup."
Wrong. The rear is a semi-independent torsion beam, not a fully dependent solid beam. It's also just as much of a space-saving measure as it is cost-saving.
"Sport is all cosmetics; it doesn't have a bigger engine or stiffer suspension as the name implies."
Fine with me...I'm getting the base.
I wouldn't mind having the L13A, but I'm glad they keep the tight, sporty suspension settings for both US-market trims.
I might think about an eco car with out electronic locks and such for a couple-three k less. I would have to plan on keeping it for awhile. I may be weird though.---don't answer that.
I bought the same 5th gen as his - 30gig.
Side bar: Our local dealer has a video demo of Music Link that plays in a Keosk at their shop...maybe yours has access to it as well? :confuse:
Again a visit to College Hills website and a look through the PDF of the Op manual should answer alott of questions...
1) I made the Honda worker look up at a private Honda site the MSRP for a auto Sport: $15950 + a destination charge of $500 = 16,450 with out tax. The base was around 13K
I sat in all the b level cars. Im six ft and 200 pounds.
I sat in all the seats played around with magic seats.
I liked the room in all the seats. I like my driver seat all the way back and the rear passenger had plenty of room. I thought the engine room was cramped. Other cars had more engine rm. Tune ups wil take some gettin used to.
I saw the suzuki, Yaris, the kia and the Versa. All looked nice but the fit felt like the best buy. Th Versa seemed solid the others seemd cheap.