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Opinion Summary
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Calling it like it is
by mkaresh | Apr 29 '06
Pros: Versatile interior, fuel economy, won't find a cheaper automatic with shift buttons, quiet on highway
Cons: Ugly, expected sharper reflexes, susceptible to crosswinds, pricey
Return to opinion
OVERALL RATING
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Re: New Fit Owner (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh,  in Cars & Motorsports
Someone else who really knows cars well recently also told me that the Fit is MUCH more satisfying to drive with the manual. So I need to drive another. Probably won't be soon, though, as I'm in Detroit and the roads aren't agreeable.
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Mar 01 '08
6:45 am PST
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New Fit Owner (Reply to this comment)
by kimchipig
This review is a bit old and I will be writing one about my 2008 Fit shortly. Firstly, the Fit is a sharp edged car, as the review puts in his "cons." If you are used to floating down the interstate in a Buick, the Fit is not for you. Secondly, the car is ruined by the automatic. I have driven both and the manual is much more rewarding to drive. If you like a car that handles like a go kart, gets great fuel economy and can swallow a house, the Fit is for you. The car is not cheap but it includes six airbags and ABS is brake force distribution. Finally, the Fit has been in production since 2001 in the rest of the world and has proven itself as reliable as an anvil. Honda sold 300,000 of them in the USA in 2007 and only planned for 50,000 so they must be doing something right.
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Feb 29 '08
8:18 am PST
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Re: Civic Comparison (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
The price comparison feature on my site adjusts for features differences after equipping the cars as similarly as possible.
Good point on the parking.
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Nov 28 '07
10:25 am PST
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Civic Comparison (Reply to this comment)
by aboen
When comparing it to the Civic did you compare the same features e.g. the baseline Fit comes standard with power windows/door locks, dual-stage front airbags, front side airbags, and side-curtain airbags, and ABS. I know the Yaris doesn't come standard with side air bags and power windows/locks which makes it baseline price lower. If the Civic didn't have these features, the Fit is still the better overall value depending on what you're looking for.
Also, a small car fits in the smaller parking spaces you would find in cities like San Francisco where parking is non-existent most of the time. A comparison of how easy it is to park compared to the Civic would be helpful since a MINI Cooper costs several thousand more in the subcompact category.
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Nov 27 '07
10:09 am PST
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Re: Re: Eating crow (Reply to this comment)
by drive571
Could be. The 5-speed's smooth, stubby shifter, short clutch stroke, and quicker throttle response made all the difference for me. It's still no treat on a gusty freeway, though.
- P.J.
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Nov 06 '07
11:22 pm PST
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Re: Eating crow (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
Maybe I need to find a 5-speed to drive?
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Nov 02 '07
5:35 am PDT
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Eating crow (Reply to this comment)
by drive571
Sad to say, I must retract my previous cynicism regarding the Fit. I drove one in five-speed Sport guise yesterday, and it was silly fun to drive on city streets. In fact, I found the thing just as much fun to drive as the MINI Cooper S and Impreza WRX I drove the same day (power not being my top priority).
It helps that I don't find it particularly ugly, as noted before.
- P.J.
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Nov 01 '07
11:10 pm PDT
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Re: Wow, what do you want? (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
I want better steering and handling.
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Jul 02 '07
2:31 pm PDT
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Wow, what do you want? (Reply to this comment)
by lmcasey
You certainly seem to have high expectations of this econocar.
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Jun 23 '07
4:45 pm PDT
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Re: Loving my Fit (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
Dealers don't make significantly more money on the Civic, especially when you figure the discount they'll give you on the Civic into the equation. They can however get another Civic much more easily than they can get another Fit. If you have a bunch of one thing and a limited supply of another thing, you try to sell the thing you have a bunch of.
The dealer that said they'd found a Fit probably didn't have one in hand. They'd probably just found a dealer that was willing to trade a Fit for something else. Or they might have been lying in hope of getting you to come back in, though I hope this wasn't the case.
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Dec 31 '06
10:04 pm PST
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Loving my Fit (Reply to this comment)
by smooney3
Sure, it isn't the most attractive car on the road, but the Sport model isn't half bad. The base model, I would have to agree, is one of the ugliest things I've seen, but the extra trim on the Sport adds enough to make it respectable. Everyone tells me that mine is "cute."
About the availability, though. It seems to be in high demand and short supply at the moment. In fact, I went to two dealerships before finding mine, but it was a revealing experience. The first tried to get me to buy the Civic instead. Later, I found one at another place, took a test drive, and fell in love. As I was signing the papers for it at the second dealership, the first called and said they had magically "found" me one. So, since the next Honda dealer was a couple hours away, they had to have had it there the whole time.
Apparently, the Civic, though it only costs a little more, has about $4000 more profit associated with it, according to the dealer that I purchased from. So, some dealers (at least around here) don't even display the Fit unless they see it as the last chance to make some money. So, beware of that when you look for one.
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Dec 30 '06
5:04 pm PST
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Re: (Reply to this comment)
by stacey14
Noted. I do speak for myself and I appologize for not making that clear.
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Jul 10 '06
8:04 am PDT
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Re: Perhaps you're the one low on personality... just calling it like it is (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
Why is it always the people who have written a single review who always claim to be the experts on what Epinions is about?
I get one or two comments like this per month, out of about 70,000 views. Meanwhile, a few thousands Epinions users are helping out with my research.
So I'd be more careful with that "we," or with calling my approach absurd. You can speak for yourself, but you don't speak for everyone.
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Jul 09 '06
5:35 am PDT
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Perhaps you're the one low on personality... just calling it like it is (Reply to this comment)
by stacey14
"Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Honda Fit [(Camry, Evo, Vibe, CX-7, xA...am I forgetting anything else?)] rather than something else by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Honda Fit [(Camry, Mitsubishi Evo, Pontiac Vibe, CX-7, xA)] reliability comparisons.
Is there some sort of trend here? And don't chalk this up to the rantings of another disgruntled Fit owner. I'm all for giving the pros and cons of a car (or anything else) but constantly hawking your website on every review gets a little old after a while, doesn't it? If you want to market your site, that's one thing, but putting it into the middle of nearly every post seems a bit obsessive. If you want to review the car and you think that it's not up to par, then go for it. It's all a matter of opinion (or epinion, in this case). Stick your website at the bottom of the page or in a signature. We want to read about the car, not dilly-dally around your absurd marketing techniques.
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Jul 08 '06
8:30 pm PDT
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Re: MPG numbers (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
The Fit and Yaris don't do as well on the highway because their smaller, weaker engines require shorter gearing.
My father-in-law's 3.4-liter Impala regularly gets in the low-to-mid 30s on the highway. 35 on one tank I'm aware of.
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Jun 27 '06
6:25 am PDT
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MPG numbers (Reply to this comment)
by paxman356
The Fit and Civic are similar.
Fit gets 33/38 (city/highway) and the Civic gets 30/40. fueleconomy.gov gives a slight edge to the Fit combined, however, 35 to 34.
When it comes to the Yaris/Corolla, we see the same trend. The Yaris gets 34/40, while the Corolla gets 32/41. Yaris edges the Corolla in combined 37 to 36. Surprisingly, the Matrix gets 30/36 with a combined of 32. Not bad.
I can definately see people who drive in the city going for the Fit/Yaris. If you get a lot of highway miles the Civic/Corolla would be more your thing.
All cars are in their most fuel efficient forms, with 5 speed manuals.
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Jun 26 '06
10:36 am PDT
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Re: Back to the story (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
As you say, the larger cars are about as efficient despite being considerably more powerful.
I'd very much like Honda to offer a five-door Civic here like they do elsewhere. Especially in Si trim.
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Jun 26 '06
2:28 am PDT
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Back to the story (Reply to this comment)
by paxman356
I went to try on a Fit yesterday, since it seems to be much like my old '83 Civic in size, and they didn't have any to test. Same goes for the Yaris at another dealer. I did get to see a Fit, however. It doesn't look half bad in person, but pictures don't do it justice, there is some ugly to it.
My big question is, since the Civic can be had with better MPG than a Fit (and the Corolla almost matches the Yaris as well) where exactly do these cars fit? I can see them for inner city people who need something small for better parking, but in normal driving I would take the well laid out Civic (or Corolla) any day. The only real advantage is the hatch.
Maybe I will see one soon, but I'm not falling all over myself to get to one.
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Jun 25 '06
1:04 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Re: Nothing but YOUR OWN ad (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
The website was created to complement the reviews. Most of the information it provides is free to everyone, and all of it is free to those who participate in the research. Amazing how much people can complain about a free service.
I've been writing these reviews for far longer than I've had the site. Their content and quality has not been affected by the site. This content and quality have consistently earned top ratings.
What about your own reviews? Maybe you should spend some time improving them before criticizing what I'm doing.
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May 26 '06
6:37 am PDT
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Re: Re: Nothing but YOUR OWN ad (Reply to this comment)
by ProductLust
While I agree that the review is a tiny bit more than fluff piece, it is still pretty much an advertisement for your other website (which you convieniently linked 3 times on your review).
I don't understand why the Epinions/Shopping.com people let you get away with using Epinions as free advertising for your business?
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May 25 '06
7:21 pm PDT
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Re: Nothing but YOUR OWN ad (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
If it were nothing but an ad for my site the review would be a puff piece on the Fit. I suspect you're just upset because I didn't give an entirely positive review to your car. Sorry, it's not perfect.
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May 23 '06
5:15 am PDT
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Nothing but YOUR OWN ad (Reply to this comment)
by jonniedee
Sorry but this review stinks - while you call Honda a buyer of press content - Your own writing is nothing but a blatant ad for truedelta.
Two thumbs dowm...
PS I am a Fit driver and it is the BEST value for the money in the premium subcomapct class period.
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May 19 '06
6:06 am PDT
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Re: The Fit is go! (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
Keep in mind that with lane change and slalom tests, the width of the car has a large impact. So take the comparison with the Corvette with a grain of salt. The advantage over the other cars is more bankable. But also bear in mind that none of them is tuned for sporty driving.
Any chance you might take a test drive and write your own review? If you do please let me know.
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May 18 '06
5:07 am PDT
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The Fit is go! (Reply to this comment)
by paxman356
I get your gripes with the styling, although I don't totally agree with them. While my wife wrinkles her nose at it, I kinda like it. I had one of those ealry '80s Civics, and I wouldn't mind owning this one.
If Car and Driver is right, the suspension on this is right on. They rated it better than a Corvette in their lane change, and 6mph faster than the cars it was comparing it with. In that respect, it could be a winner.
I'll take a base 5 speed manual, please!
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May 17 '06
5:53 am PDT
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Re: All your base are belong to us (Reply to this comment)
by asafono
Not related to the review... Fobonics: http://curtis.curtisfong.org/fobonics/bases/
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May 06 '06
10:40 am PDT
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All your base are belong to us (Reply to this comment)
by tbone2k
Unless you experienced ports of Japenese video games during the 80's this might not make mch sense, but here you go.
http://allyourbase.planettribes.gamespy.com/
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May 04 '06
5:19 am PDT
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Re: all your base? (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
Bad English as cool. With the "all your base" it wasn't intentional. With "the Fit is go!" it is.
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May 04 '06
4:48 am PDT
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all your base? (Reply to this comment)
by tomcruzcontrol
By the way, what did that "all your base" reference mean? I agree that the slogan is dumb, but I get the feeling that "all your base" has some other meaning...If you could clarify, I would appreciate it.
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May 03 '06
9:50 pm PDT
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Finally someone sees what I see (and admits it). (Reply to this comment)
by tomcruzcontrol
I thought the Fit was ugly when I first saw it, too, and I was blown away when I kept reading magazine reviews that not only spoke highly of its quality, but talked about how sporty it looks! The irony is, the Honda Fit looks a lot like the Toyota Sienna minivan washed in hot water (just put pictures of the two side by side and you will see). Minivans look bad enough when they're full-sized.
Similar to an earlier comment, I think Honda lined some wallets to get magazine editors to say how sporty and neat the Fit looks. I mean, it recieved the highest rating FOR STYLING in a recent Car and Driver comparison for heaven's sake! Granted, the other cars (Suzuki Reno, Dodge Caliber, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Yaris Sedan S, Kia Rio5, and the Nissan Versa) weren't exactly beautiful either, but at least a couple of those cars had some character. The Yaris' cartoonish charm or the Caliber's rugged appeal should have beaten the Fit, which is about as ugly as you can make a car without making it distinctive.
Well, that's my rant. Thank you, mkaresh, for making your own judgement instead of going with what's popular.
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May 03 '06
9:43 pm PDT
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Not the Best Fit for Tastes (Reply to this comment)
by tbone2k
I would agree on the styling, but I think that the buyer of this type of car is less concerned about the appearance versus the economy.
If I recall, the Fit has won some European awards for its class. However, we don't get the same engine as Europe and Asia due to the North American love for automatic transmissions. The NA engine had to be retuned to offer suitable performance with the automatic. From what I'm reading here, the concept of "suitable" is somewhat open to interpretation.
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May 01 '06
6:59 pm PDT
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