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I did call my salesman yesterday afternoon, who confirmed with the new car manager that the system still shows the list of colors as it has already been reported here (and elsewhere).
That Ice Blue Metallic is nice, and I agree about the beige interior looking like it would be a dirt magnet.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
1) Driver room and position: I'm 6' tall.
2) Rear leg room and comfort with the front seats positioned for someone my size. How would you think it would be for a full size adult on a long trip?
Appreciate any feedback.
Thanks
PS - As an aside, I'm definitely more of a Toyota fan (despite the fact that I currently own a gas sponge of a Ford Ranger :confuse: ) but will gladly make the switch to Honda given Toyota's latest half-hearted attempts at high mileage cars. And no I don't want a Prius...I personally do NOT like hybrids. But that's another issue altogether.
Whereas we are quite satisfied by the car overall, there are a few issues that I think Honda should improve for next models. My Fit is a Chinese model that I bought and drive in China
1) Fuel consumption is a tad disappointing, with 9L/100 KM in the city and more than 8 on the motorway (going 75-85 mph mostly) that is 27/28 MPG. This should not be as high in the US as people drive much slower.
Anyway, the Higway mileage is comparable to that of much bigger engined cars that I drove (Nissan primera Estate 2.0, Mercedes C240 estate, all cars with auto box)
2) Aircon is weak and struggles to keep the cabin fresh if the weather is sunny. Indeed, any sunlight easyly makes the cabin become hot like a greenhouse.
3) Road noise is quite present at highway speed, but I suppose most small cars perform the same way. I am surprised to see the spare wheel well has no sound proofing mqterial.
4) I am 5.9 and the seating position is just satisfactory. I extend the seats to the maximum rear for my legs, but I have to stretch my arms a little to grasp the steering wheel, so there is room for improvement
5) We can't display trip mileage, fuel consumption or total mileage in the same time. I need to press a dash button to toggle from one to another. This is stupid as I sometime need all three information at the same time
6) Radio reception quality is a bit poor ( this is the original Honda CD-Radio)
7) no winshield-integrated FM antenna.
8) Gas pedal response is not very linear and sometimes the CVT reactions are a bit strange, but no big deal though. Smoothness is preserved.
9) I need to have the contact on to get the power windows operate. This is annoying as just opening one door should be enough for it
10) I was given only ONE key with remote control. Making another one is both unpractical and very expensive. Ridiculous. Watch out for this detail when buying.
the matrix with all wheel drive and a automatic is not so good, but the front wheel drive version is decent, if not great
the xb's shape will hurt it some on the highway, but in town mileage is good and the xa's mileage is even better
toyota's mpg is usually closer to ratings according to consumer reports or something like that
i hear it rev's pretty high with a manual on the highway, about 4000 rpm at 80 mpg or so, but is much quicker
"Your car has started the build process as of 3-3-06. I will keep you updated when I know more."
Still no MSRP. I replied with an email regarding pricing on certain dealer-installed options (cargo cover, cargo tray) to see what they think they can get for them.
the only other automobile that comes to mind with similar engine specs is the toyota echo which also had a weak air conditioner.
i'm sure the air conditioner in the fit will do well in the northern usa and canada, but have doubts it can cool down the cabin in extreme heat
As for the Martix vs Fit argument - check out the Pontiac Vibe. Same as the Matrix, just with GM pricing and incentives/rebates. Quite a nice car, though, again, there's no way I'd spend $15K on a car for my son. HE gets the old tank instead.
Maybe it's my way of using it, but I don't like pushing the air flow fan speed above 2 (out of 4) because it becomes noisy and keeps me from getting relaxed. If I feel hot as a driver, I assume the rear passengers feel even hotter.
My car is light silver. I did not want any dark color in order to minimize heat absorbtion.
The sunroof certainly plays a role in the cabin heat build-up. Sigh, I couldn't avoid this equipment.
I love the look of a black interior, but I hate the heat. The A/C has to work pretty hard. If you want to be cool like me, get the tan interior :shades:
Someone here posted that they thought Tan would be a dirt magnet? Just the opposite - mine still almost looks like new. I live in Calgary (which receives the highest amount of sunshine per year of all the major Canadiian cities) so I use the A/C a lot in the summer.
:shades:
here the sun shines close to 300 days a year and the temperature goes over 110 daily in the summer.
what i was trying to do is compare similar cars with similar engines like the echo/yaris and the fit.
i'm hoping that honda makes a better air conditioner than toyota because my wife wants a fit.
I will be getting a Fit here - hopefully before the Summer.
just so you have a frame of reference... our temps go well over 43 celsius... 30 celsius is is our spring time temps.
http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/societyoffit/index.aspx
What will they think of next.... :P
Please Honda dispel my fears!!! PLEASE!! I'm DYING for a high mileage hatch!
was the xb a manual or automatic, how did you drive, much highway
the mpg reviews I read about the xb were usually a little better than that, but driven hard I suppose it could get that low
my beater car, 1993 geo metro has about 55 hp, so if I double the horsepower I wouldn't have to drive the hell out of it, I actually have no problem beating most traffic in the city, but have to wail on it merging on the highway, which isn't to often
All I really want is a five door hatch that looks good, drives good, is low maintenance, and, unlike the xB, is not super picky about how it's driven to get good MPG. And by good mileage I mean better than 30 MPG. Is that too much to ask? Apparently so... :confuse:
anyway, check this for real world mileage:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.do?action=browseList
Anything anyone would like to see in particualar?
Have a great time.
The Honda model
I'll second that! :P
Yeah I'd like some comparison (with people sitting inside) shots of the interior as well. I'm a *ahem* hefty (read wide LOL) dude and would like to get a general idea of how much width I'll have to work with.
either north of NYC or to San Francisco. Priorities are of course good combo
of price, affordability, safety, ease of maintenance, mileage, looks,
reality. We've narrowed down to these three. Yes, I know Matrix is more
expensive (and larger) than Fit or xA but we might buy a young used one if
this makes sense. Would appreciate your feedback, advice, warnings,
encouragement, etc. Thanx in advance!!
the reason I think that the xb is a better car to compare the the fit is the interior room
xa is much smaller on inside than either fit or xb
xb has more passenger room, fit has more cargo room
I think the fit will get better mpg than the xb, the ratings for the "xbox" are erratic, averaging 24 to 34
the xa is great as long as it has enough room for you
wonder what the fit rpm's are at 80 mpg, the scion's are around 4000 which is too high I think, but that is just an observation, an extra gear for that car would do wonders
http://www.met.ca/fit
Now, some were out of focus as I was playing with the settings on my camera - sorry about that.
Pricing update - won't be released until the Vancouver Auto Show April 1.
I checked out the Kia Rio, Chevy Aveo/Suzuki Sprint, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit.
As far as quality - only the Yaris and Fit stand out - the others seem cheap and tinny...The Yaris was a loaded 5 door - and MSRP was $ 21,495 Canadian - ouch.
The back seat in the Yaris was a bit cramped - there's more room in the Fit's back seat. One of the pictures I took - well not that clear - is of me in the back seat of my legs which were abut 2 inches from the front seat with the front seat all the way back.
There is more headroom in the Fit then my 4door 1996 Civic EX. I'm 5'11" (170) and there was about 5 more inches of headroom...Someone 6'2" and 200 would have no trouble with this car.
There are cup holders in the doors in the back. The seats fold up and down quite easily. I found the driver seat quite comfortable - better then my 96 Civic. As far as visibility - I found it easy to see out of all the windows. The interior finish looked to be of the high standard we come to expect from Honda.
The sport was locked off, only the base was availble for close inspection (and yes - Canada will get 3 models, Base, LX, and sport).
One of the sales guys said that Honda has promised at least 5 Fit's to every dealership - not a lot - though more then the Civic SI - which he says they only get 1 a month. He also says they expect the price to be in the $14,000 to $19,000 Canadian range - which would put it under the Yaris - what I think everyone expects.
Fit and finish of the exterior was beautiful.
Non Fit related - I sat in the Acura CSX - what a nice machine! But $27,000 Canadian!
either north of NYC or to San Francisco. Priorities are of course good combo
of price, affordability, safety, ease of maintenance, mileage, looks,
reality. We've narrowed down to these three. Yes, I know Matrix is more
expensive (and larger) than Fit or xA but we might buy a young used one if
this makes sense. Would appreciate your feedback, advice, warnings,
encouragement, etc. Thanx in advance!!
****
A 1-2 year old Pontiac vibe - it's a Matrix with a GM badge on it - for realy silly low prices. Exactly like how the old Prism was worth a lot less used than a Corolla, despite being the exact same car.
Or go for an older used car. New and first car - not going to be economical in the long run.
This car will surely catch on here.
The Vibe is better as a used car whereas the Matrix is better if bought new since people trust the Toyota brand much more and it retains its value better. 3-year residual values on Matrix are about 51%, but on Vibe it is 45% (you have to adjust for content/pricing as Vibes start out higher and have more standard equipment). I've heard lots of criticism of the Matrix/Vibe's seating position/comfort so check it out carefully. Also, the paint quality on the Vibe is poor, prone to chipping on the front. The Matrix/Vibe gets great mileage and has generally gotten very good reviews. Consumer Reports rates them above average in reliability. Styling is subjective, but I have always liked the Vibe's looks over the Matrix but both look good. On the inside, the Matrix/Vibe has a handy household outlet in the dash, but the Fit's stereo takes i-Pod inputs (don't know about Matrix/Vibe).
Besides being new, the Fit would offer potentially greater safety (side airbags), but with a smaller mass you would need to be more concerned about people in big SUVs/trucks. Although the Fit is smaller, it's not small though (I'm 6'5", 220lbs and had no trouble getting comfortable). I found the visibility in the Fit to be better than the Vibe/Matrix, especially in the 'over-the-shoulders' view.
Look into the cost of maintenance and especially insurance (insuring a young driver on a brand new car will be more than on a used one).
Most importantly, take her out and let her drive and decide for herself. Either will be great cars for 5-6 years or more, so get the one she likes most. Let us know what you decide.
My Corolla 1.6 with a 1587cc 102 hp, 101 lb-ft torque engine has an ice-cold A/C. That's less horsepower, torque, and just 90 more cc than the Fit.
...and I just remembered the comparison test I watched during summer 2005 that compared 5 B-segment cars in Hungary. The Jazz they drove was the 1,2i S Cool which was air conditioning equipped. One of the reviewers actually remarked how good the air conditioning was at the very end when they were deciding which car was best...and that was with the tiny engine!
If the Fit does in fact have a weak A/C for the US market, it will be the fault of the A/C system, and not the engine.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=109580
It reads like a more detailed version of Honda's January press release, although it does have some detailed driving impressions.
http://www.met.ca/fit
Any ideas?
It'll make a lot of people very, very happy though...it's a well-engineered car. A lot of the Fit's design elements are simply brilliant. It'll be the bechmark pocket hatch in a lot of areas when it hits US streets. I want to take the Sport for a spin, espcially with those paddle shifters (cool, an automatic that might be slightly fun!) but I doubt my wife would go for it, she hates Hondas...ah well.
But once again, Asia zooms past while Detroit picks its nose and pounds out SUV's...
Todd in Beerbratistan
There remains an obstacle though. I do a lot of highway driving at 80+ mph (75 speed limit here). This is why the high revs are dissapointing, and also why I need to have cruise control. Unfortunately the cruise is only available on the sport model. Normally I would not mind paying a little more to get a few more features, but I think the side sills are hideous. I would feel as ridiculous driving a car with them as I would wearing super baggy pants to work with a skateboard under my arm. It just screams juvenile.
My question is - can these things be removed (at least the side ones that look like wings, the front and rear are less offensive) without leaving holes or doing any damage to the vehicle? Or can the factory Honda cruise be added to the base model - I want the cruise to be under warrenty. Either solution is acceptable.