It was the summer of 2006 and we had a car-problem. We had two aging Fords with V8 engines and gasoline had cracked $4 a gallon. Several months earlier we had taken a trip in the ’94 Club Wagon and kept running up against the pump’s dollar limit when trying to fill the 35 gallon tank. With $1.25/gallon gas in relatively recent memory, these $100+ fill-ups were becoming an issue. If that weren’t enough, the old girl (the Club Wagon, not Marianne, of course) was asking once again for money.
We were quoted about $2500 to rebuild the differential. That was what would be required to fix the electronic part deep within it that was causing our transmission to do wonky things (like shift into neutral with no warning on the interstate). That seemed high, but I could have gotten the job done at 1/4 the price and the finance committee at my house would still have withheld approval.
Marianne had loved the Club Wagon when we bought it, but she was ready for a new chapter. The Clubber was 12 years old, had over 160k miles and was (in her mind) an old car. Not that she was being unreasonable, and I had to admit that by then the Club Wagon would have been an old car in almost anyone’s mind (other than my own). Our other car was the ’93 Crown Vic. It had an effective age much younger than its actual years and still had under 70k on the clock. But as nice as it was, Marianne never really warmed to it (“It’s your mother’s car”). But even if she had been in love with it, a Crown Victoria was still no economy car. Marianne had been patient for a long time, but it was time for something new.
It had been a long time since we had made a vehicle purchase with a real plan – I think it had been the Club Wagon over a decade earlier. The plan, as I saw it, was to buy something economical. We had the Vic for local family travel, such as for church or going out to eat. A little gas sipper could become our go-to for errands involving just some of us – which was, by now, most of our driving. And for real family travel we could rent a minivan or SUV so that we would only pay for that added capacity when we really needed it. There was one other reason for a little car. I was on the verge of settling a large fire case, and expected to net a substantial fee that was going to permit us the luxury of a cash payment for a car – if we could keep the cost down. Now, hindsight tells me that we could have driven a heck of a deal on an Expedition EL or a Suburban, but that would have involved a big down-payment and one of those payment books I hated so much. A great deal on a really expensive car is still an expensive car, and we would have been back to those $100+ fill-ups.
Right around the 4th of July we took a drive (with all 3 kids) to a Honda dealer. I really liked the Element. I also liked that it came with a stick shift. But the Element’s seat design only accommodated 4 people. I saw no sense in buying any car that could not accommodate all of us in a pinch. The 2006 CR-V (right at the end of a design cycle) would hold all 5, but didn’t really seem all that economical, but also wasn’t all that roomy. This would break one of my car-buying rules – why buy something that isn’t really good at anything we need? Then we saw something intriguing, and I knew exactly what it was.
Honda had just introduced the Honda Fit a few months earlier. This dealer (Bob Rohrman on the south side of Indianapolis) had exactly one in stock, which they were using as a demonstrator. “Let’s try that” were the words I heard coming from Marianne’s mouth. And we did.
All 3 kids fit in back. Nobody had a lot of room, but none of them was very wide and it could be done. Importantly, there was plenty of head room. Our children have always been on the tall side – the two boys eventually topped out at 6’3″ and 6’6″. The oldest was about to start high school, and room for growth was essential. Marianne liked the interior of the Sport model and the car’s cute looks. And I liked the powertrain. This, even with 5 people in it, was the first 4 cylinder/automatic that did not make me want to start screaming in frustration.
Honda’s 5 speed automatic was actually its old 3 speed unit with two overdrive gears, mated to an extra-low axle ratio, so for the first time ever, an automatic gave a little 4 plenty of flexibility to do its thing. We were intrigued. The problem was that there were no cars available to buy. This car had dropped into the hottest demand for something of its type I could remember. No other area dealer had one we could even look at, so we were going to have to do a special order.
By the time we thought it over, the demo had been sold (“The Fit is Go?”) and we were told that the dealer was getting an allotment of 2 cars a month from the ships from Japan where they were built. Oooooh, a real Japanese Honda! In context, that 2-car-per-month allotment meant that if we got on the list in early July we could expect a car in late November. Yikes! That was almost 5 months! Marianne was ready to put in an order, and so we did.
This was the first time either of us had special-ordered a new car. Actually, Honda made it pretty easy. The choices were model, transmission and color. We wanted the Sport model because it added a bunch of nice equipment – most importantly, cruise control. Then after some discussion, I relented to Marianne’s pleas and agreed to the automatic. In those years she put more miles on a car than I did (car-pooling with school kids was a commitment!) so I didn’t think it fair to saddle her with a stick shift she didn’t want if she would be driving it most of the time.
The problem was color. Marianne really wanted the beige interior, not the black interior. That presented problem – for reasons I have never figured out, a beige interior on a Sport model gave you a color choice of . . . white. It was happening again. My father had always driven white cars. Then I have accepted white car after white car down through the years of my many used cars, always wishing the thing had been painted some other color. Let’s see – two Plymouth Furies, an Imperial, a ThunderTurd (which I did to myself) and an Oldsmobile. I was just sick to death of white cars. And here I was, special ordering a new car and I was being forced into white? Yes, that is the kind of thing we do for love. So we put down our deposit and waited. And waited. Every now and then our sales guy would call with news that someone ahead of us had tired of waiting and a car was coming available, and did we want it. “Does it have beige interior?” was the question, and, of course, every time the answer was “No”.
I should add that the dealer experience was quite good. Part of me chafed at paying full sticker price for a new car. If you have been reading this series, you know that getting the price down on a car is one of the things I do. Dogs bark, cats purr and JPC bargains like an SOB when buying a car. But I was also a realist and understood that paying full sticker and nothing more on a hot product with a 5-month wait is a bargain in and of itself. How many dealer stickers have we seen over the years with mandatory add-ons for rustproofing and paint protection packages, or even the really honest ones that call it “additional dealer profit”. This dealer did not play those games, and I got out the door with a purchase order at full sticker, for better or worse.
It was shortly before November and we got The Call. By now, we had already donated the van and were making do with one car. That evening we drove down to the dealer, wrote a check and bought a car. I must say that it is a liberating feeling. It has happened once in my life, and I don’t expect that it will ever happen again, but what a great feeling for that one time – driving out of the lot in a brand, spanking new car, yet completely free of monthly payments. And it was the newest new car either of us has ever owned, with less than 5 miles on the odometer when we picked it up.
There was so much about this car that reminded us of the ’88 Accord. It was solid, well appointed and had familiar controls. It also reminded us of the Colt because it was a hoot to drive. And while it was small on the outside, the inside was incredibly versatile. It could handle two adults and three teens (although we probably blasted way past the recommended weight limit in doing so). With the seats folded up there was room for tall, bulky things that gave most sedans trouble.
With the seats folded down, there was a large, flat load floor that could handle all kinds of cargo. I remember the look of amazement from the guy at the store who helped us load new outdoor furniture. The boxes that contained an (unassembled) loveseat, two chairs and three side tables fit just fine.
There was even a “refresh” position that allowed a passenger (usually Marianne) to travel with her feet up, as if on a small recliner in the car – a feature that was still offered in the Fit at least as 2016 when this brochure was produced. I can report that it is quite comfy.
I have written quite a bit over the years about our Fit, and I am still driving it to this day. Readers who have followed this series have noticed that I have a genetic inability to commit long term to cars I do not enjoy. In writing this series it has occurred to me that my favorite cars have been either really big or really small. At first, I thought that the Fit was a good average between my VW GTI and my 83 Colt. But with a little further looking, the size and performance figures I could find show that the Fit (at least in Sport trim) is not far off from the capabilities of my old GTI and is a far larger, heavier and more powerful car than the Colt. Compared to the GTI, the Fit is on a slightly longer wheelbase, weighs more and has an extra 9 horsepower (though is not as strong at low rpms.) Those cars’ performance figures are remarkably close too. So maybe it’s more like a cross between my GTI and my Marquis Wagon (the smaller one, like a Fairmont).
The white Fit is now the old car in our garage, at 16 years and 155k miles. For the most part, it has treated us very well, just as a small Honda should. Our relationship has not been without hiccups, though. We got a new battery under warranty, and seemed to replace them at roughly three-year intervals. The car uses a teeny, tiny battery that just isn’t physically large enough to do what a car battery should, at least for any length of time in my climate. The last time I followed some advice from the forums and cut the plastic battery tray to accommodate (barely) the larger battery for a Civic. Also, the friction material on Honda’s OEM rear brake shoes (yes, it has rear drums) must have been the thickness of a stick of gum because rear brakes were done by 20k miles.
A 2015 comparison photo of before a heavy-duty polishing and waxing and after. The plastic panel in the center is always shiny, but the paint on either side of it, not so much.
The car also uses a really oddly-sized tire. The Sport sports a 15-inch wheel and a wide, low-profile tire. I thought that selection for a P195/55SR15 tire would improve once these cars became really popular, but was wrong – about both the tires and the car. Each time we have bought tires, the number of choices has dwindled. I have also written about a really odd problem – the car’s use of old-fashioned single-stage white enamel paint. I did not realize until too late that our car did not use a modern clearcoat finish, by which time it became increasingly difficult to keep a good shine on it. At least we didn’t pick the red, which was the only other single-stage paint used on these cars. All of the ones painted other colors (which did use base/clear paint finishes) still shine like crazy. Damned white cars.
A seam where the rear part of the roof meets the quarter panel developed a crack (a common problem in these) and I discovered water in the spare tire well. A tube of body sealant fixed that problem. And I wrote before about the need to remedy the common “Honda rust spot” – a job that turned out to be only a temporary solution. The rust is back and I have pretty much stopped caring about the car’s appearance. Yes, I know that this is not like me, but I am done putting effort into making it look nice. We are starting the descent into full-beater status.
The biggest problem was when a front axle shaft snapped about five years ago. This is another common problem with Hondas of this era, where rust starts under a rubber vibration damper on the shaft and eventually eats enough metal until the meager torque from the 1.5L engine is more than it can handle. The cost of Honda parts was exorbitant and I went with cheap aftermarket axles through my indy mechanic. Then, about a year ago, Honda did a recall and I got them replaced again.
One lingering disappointment has been the gas mileage. I remembered my old Colt and how it would return tank after tank of 30+ mpg, no matter how aggressively I drove it. The Fit has not been like that. I am one of those people who records every fuel purchase and calculates mpg. My little notebook proves my long struggle to hit 30 mpg. The car’s EPA rating was 31/37. The car’s tall, blunt shape and short gearing murder the gas mileage at any speed over 55-60 mph. But even driving gently, about 26-27 around town and maaaayyybe 32 on the interstate is what we get. Early research on the Fit forums revealed that some cars seem to do better than others on mileage, with maybe 65% of owners saying how great it was, and the rest being unable to get decent numbers. Our car is the second kind.
After these 16 years (so far) I have become really comfortable in this car. Several years ago, I traded cars with my daughter for a summer and found that I like the Fit far better than I liked her ’98 Civic. The Fit’s (electric) steering has a much faster ratio which makes driving more fun, and the taller height makes it easier for the car’s slowly aging owners to get in and out. I also love the car’s simplicity – there are no screens and the HVAC controls are simple and mechanical. And best of all, it has reached an age and condition where fear of damage to the car (be it a parking lot ding or a something worse) is no longer a thing for me.
The Fit in its current state while parked for a random errand on 12/24/22.
I am, however, a realist and have come to accept that the car cannot last forever – particularly in my climate. I was ready to look for something new a couple of years ago, but then new cars became scarce and used cars became crazy-expensive. I have always wondered what it was like to want a car in 1943, and now I think I know. Also, I have wondered what I would want for a replacement. It is a funny feeling when there are so few new cars out there that really interest me. Really, my first choice would be a car just like what I have, only with lower miles and from a southern or western climate. And that is not white. But those are extremely rare (and seem awfully expensive for something I already have). So last year I gave the Fit another round of tires and brakes and am wondering how far I can reasonably count on it as the kind of car I can drive out of town on a moment’s notice.
All my life there have been three kinds of cars. “Good cars”, “Old cars” and “Beaters”. I have owned a handful of the first kind, lots of the second kind and a very small number of the third kind. In this Fit, I have been behind the wheel as it has moved through each of those three stages. Long gone are the days when I thought I could keep a car in perfect condition forever. And it is funny how I am back in the same class of car as the ’71 Scamp I had when I was a student. Only this Honda Fit is now older and has more miles on it than the Scamp had when I sold it. But on the plus side, the interior is one good detailing away from looking like it did when new – which I could never say about the Scamp. But just like the old Scamper, the Fit starts right up and seems ready to take me to the ends of the earth, even at its advanced age. And also like the Scamper, I still enjoy driving it.
A shot from November, 2006 – a Honda Fit that was still new, new, new.
Only if I had known I would be its primary driver for more than 2/3 of its life, I might have lobbied harder for one with a clutch pedal. At least I can slip the gearshift lever into “Sport” mode and use the paddle shifters for when the boy-racer urge resurfaces from time to time. I will tell you that when you can keep the revs of the VTEC engine between 4500 and 6000 rpm, the little car’s personality changes completely (as does that of its driver).
I have been telling this extended story about my life through its cars in the order those cars came into that life, and this Honda covers a long stretch. But we are not at an end because there have been other automotive comings and goings that followed our purchase of the little Fit. After about five years something else came along to displace the Fit from “First Car” status, and its story will be told soon. But before we get there, we will have to go back and cover a couple of others. We have come along way, and by my count, I think there are five cars (no, wait – it’s actually six!) that await the telling of their stories. So your Sunday mornings aren’t rid of me yet.
So interesting, thanks. I bought a Skoda Favorit new here in the UK when they first came out. Skoda had then been merged with VW and this car had a tiny VW emblem under the bonnet (hood). I eventually scrapped it 15 years later. It lost it’s heater after the first year, and I never bothered to fix it – I was used to micro cars with no heaters, so it didn’t bother me much. It went through a couple of head gaskets, another battery, and brake replacements but that was about all. Virtually every panel was dented by the time it went to the graveyard in the sky , but what a great little motor. Maybe I should have held onto it !
May there be many more Sunday mornings ahead with a fresh COAL of JPC!
I never thought I would read a whole article about a car I have no interest in at all with. But then again, I like your articles so why not now. I was not wrong, again another good to read article (about a car I still have no interest in at all).
You made a couple of remarks that are so recognizable.
“We are starting the descent into full-beater status.”
That is something no-one wants but does happen, especially when a car has to live on the street (instead of in a cosy garage). It is on that slope when you decide that that new small dent does not need proper care. When you decide that scratch is acceptable and leave as is. That the worn drivers carpet does not warrant a new replacement. Etc…..
“It is a funny feeling when there are so few new cars out there that really interest me. Really, my first choice would be a car just like what I have, only with lower miles and from a southern or western climate.”
That was the exact thought when a car I owned was written off. OK – without the “southern or western climate”, but I wanted the same car again! Looked for months but could not find one anywhere. Secretly, years later and successors have arrived and gone and there is no need anymore, I am still looking for it.
Looking forward to next week!
It is bad when you watch a car you really like get old and crusty. It is worse when it gets wrecked and you cannot find another like it. We have both experienced the second one, and it is the subject of next week’s COAL.
It is bad when you watch a car you really like get old and crusty.
It’s like seeing a pet slowing down and stumbling, and knowing that final trip to the vet is rapidly approaching. Unlike a pet, I can sell a favorite car, so I don’t have to watch it die. When I sold my Civic, after 15 years, I took the guy’s money, handed him the keys and title, and went in the house. I heard that familiar Honda starter whine, but refused to look out the window and see it drive away.
My son got a u$ed (and expen$ive) 2015 Fit last Spring when his 2008 Civic was totaled by a deer. Fortunately no one was hurt. My “little” son is 6’4″ and 260+ pounds, but fits in the Fit just fine. All 5 of them can squeeze into the little car; of course it is not nearly as roomy or comfortable as their Accord but it works fine for short range driving.
He actually prefers it to their 2015 Accord Touring V6; well it does pa$$ a few more gas stations which is a good thing! Also, to him it feels more “sporty” to drive………uhhh….ok. 🙂 My preference is my 2021 Civic EX 1.5L turbo, but to each his own!
DFO
I guess there are different kinds of sporty. 🙂
The grass is always greener on the other side. I wish my 2007 Civic has a metallic clearcoat finish, and the clearcoat perished a few years ago. Now, the car looks very sad. I kept it waxed up until the day that I felt there was no longer any point since the finish was done. My car has no visible rust, but yours still looks to be in considerably better shape. I’ve only put 75,000 miles on mine in 15 years, but nobody would suspect that based on the exterior. I even had paint repairs done a few years ago, only for the paint to perish everywhere else. I still love driving the car with its supportive seats, 6-speed manual and flat torque curve up to 8,000 RPM, but I wouldn’t mind repainting it with paint that isn’t used by the Honda Motor Company.
My second sentence in the above comment is a mess. I wish my Civic had single stage paint, as it is maintainable, and my clear-coated paint has failed.
It was always my experience that with the old single stage paint, red was the worst to maintain and white was a close second, as both would oxidize badly. Other cars in other colors (like the brownish-gold on my old 71 Scamp or the navy blue Crown Victoria seemed to never oxidize at all and were always a simple wash and quick coat of Turtle Wax away from a beautiful shine.
If I had known this was single stage paint from the beginning, I would have done a better job of keeping it waxed from early on, then maybe it would not have been so hard to get a good shine on now.
” I have always wondered what it was like to want a car in 1943, and now I think I know. ”
Things are weird now in many ways like the WWII years and my fear is they may get weirder.
Some time ago Debbie found a box of papers that relatives saved from an old home in Bernardsville NJ where one of the Dorsey brothers (of big band fame) lived. It was a state government permit issued during the war for one of the Dorseys to buy four used car tires.
My father was in his family kosher meat business during that time. Meat, butter, and other food items were rationed during WWII. I remember finding tiny red fiber tokens (OPA Points) in the attic long after the war; I was told these tokens were a form of currency needed to buy meat. Red tokens were used for meats and fats; blue tokens were used for processed foods.
For the curious: https://relicrecord.com/blog/ww2-ration-tokens/.
I hope I can keep my two vehicles running forever, a feeling you and I share. I think I have it easier in that I am one [retired] driver with two low mileage vehicles, and have an excellent (but expensive) mechanic.
Debbie feels the same way about her 2005 Element with about 140K of northeast winter salted roads on the clock. My mechanic has replaced the complete suspension, front brakes, exhaust system and serviced other sundry wear items. It rides like a truck, sits a bit high on new springs, and is regularly borrowed by her two children to carry big and heavy loads that will not fit in their [the-seats-are-not-removable] Forester and CX5 CUVs.
She loves that blue and silver box trucklet, so whether the investment in maintenance is financially worth it or not, it is worth it.
And like your Fit, one cannot just go and get a new Element.
I’m sure Honda knows better than we do, but with today’s rough economy for so many people, a new simple Honda Fit, or a new rubber floored and removable-back-seats Element, might just be what we need (well with all required federal safety specs added in). Especially when they become available as lightly used three year old cars.
I remember when you wrote about the not-new-anymore-FIt on your other site I take comfort that you still have it.
As long as demand exceeds supply, cheap basic cars are not going to come back. Many manufacturers are dropping their low end cars, like Honda dropped the Fit. There’s just so much more profit in the higher end ones.
Frankly, buyers seem quite happy enough to just take on ever longer loans to buy what they want, and that’s very rarely a cheap low-end car, which is now on the endangered species list.
Key phrase – as long as demand exceeds supply.
I’m sure Honda knows better than we do, but … a new rubber floored and removable-back-seats Element, might just be what we need
We are not going to see a return of an Element-type vehicle from Honda; The CR-V has sold more units in a single year for the past 9 than Elements were sold in total over its 9-year run. Not only that, but Honda as of late has been culling lower end trim levels from their lineup as well. A new CR-V starts with the EX. The historically sensible but not spartan LX trim has been banished from the Civic line, and I would not be surprised to find the same fate befall the Accord when the new 11th generation arrives at showrooms. There no longer is a sub-$25k Honda to be had.
Good, I am glad it is not just me who wants to keep what I have forever. Unfortunately, the car is old enough and I am young enough that I don’t think this is in the cards.
I still pine for an Element. When we were shopping in 2012 we drove another one that may have been the last one the dealer had in stock, as they had been discontinued by then. Just as in 2007, it was not quite the right car at the right time.
I kept looking for parallels with my 2005 Pontiac Vibe experience. What stood out is the issue with the gas mileage. This body type is creating a huge low pressure area behind the hatch and exacerbates the phenomenon that fuel economy of any car drops of the cliff when running faster than 55 mph or so. You can’t go 55 mph without being honked at. Maybe once I achieved 30 mpg even though others got 32 or so. My average was 28.5 mpg. Of course self reported miser miles always make me suspicious of “data selecting”. One thing messed up pretty numbers immediately: revving it out above 4000 rpm.
Thanks for this reporting, well written as ever.
Merry Christmas!
The problem is in the aerodynamics. Short cars, especially tall ones, intrinsically have poor aerodynamics. A longer, sleeker sedan is intrinsically much better.
My boxy xB doesn’t get much better mileage than your Vibe, despite having only a 1.5 L engine and being lighter.
I assume this is why the Toyota Prius went for the Kamm tail.
Yes, when I get into a mood to use the paddle shifters and keep the revs up in the hot spot for the engine, my fuel mileage goes down under 24 mpg. I have heard that about modern small displacement turbos too – if you drive it like its a V6 or V8, you get gas mileage like its a V6 or V8.
Thanks for another great COAL JP, I find these very entertaining and informative.
I can confirm your comments on small displacement turbos and fuel consumption. I have a 2016 Subaru Forester XT from new (also my first factory order like your Fit). It has a 2 litre engine developing 250 hp and 256 ft/lbs of torque if I so desire to use it. At 137,000 kms life time fuel consumption is at 8.5 litres/km and I can regularly get mid 7’s on the highway, often lower with any kind of tail wind. Unless I engage crazy mode and start using those paddle shifters. Then I can easily see more like 10, especially on the fun, twisty roads. But is that torque addictive! Comes in at 1,800 RPM and stays there till 4,000 or so.
Looking forward to next week’s chapter.
Have thoroughly enjoyed your entire COAL series JP. As well as all your writing, and comments at CC. One of the premium authors, and posters here. Besides Paul, probably the most valuable contributor, over the past decade. A backbone. Always refreshingly based, down-to-earth, gracious, and polite. I’m not heavily into traditional full-sized domestic cars, so I haven’t commented much during your series. But your writing and experiences, are very much appreciated! Thank you!
Goodness, it sounds like someone got into the egg nog yesterday morning. 🙂
Thanks for your comment – I will happily lap up all the compliments you can dish out! Although, I see myself as just one of many who have made this a place where people want so spend some quality car-time.
There’s a lot of parallels between your Fit and my ’05 xB, right down to the chalky single-stage white paint. The leading edge of the hood is riddled with chips from gravel or?
I plan to keep it indefinitely. I could actually see having it another 15 years as long as parts are available, which I suspect they will be, given that Toyota made millions of Yaris over the years. xB specific parts might eventually get a bit more challenging, but then I still see 30-40 year old Corollas on the road here quite often.
It’s only required one “repair”, a leaky water pump, which I would have done myself but it was in the wet winter time and I don’t have any garage space for cars.
I am very happy with the softer ride from changing out its springs and shocks with those from a Yaris. It used to ride punishingly hard; now it’s just on the firm side. Removing the front anti-sway bar has made the front end much more compliant for bumps and pot holes that only affect one wheel, but it does lean some in brisk curves. I’m fine with that; it reminds me of my Peugeot 404.
I don’t drive it much these days, as I take the Promaster to Port Orford. It’s my errand scooter, as well as for getting to trail heads and such. Its greater ground clearance and bigger tires makes me much more confident about taking it off road.
I’ve never driven a Fit; I’d be curious to compare it to the xB. I was very attracted to the Fit back then, and I could easily have seen myself getting one instead of the xB. But I admit that the quirky boxiness of the xB suit me a bit better.
It’ll be interesting to see how long the Fit stays fit enough to stay in your stable. As to thoughts of replacing it, I’m with you there too. There’s just nothing that really appeals to me. If my xB were to be hit enough to have to take off the road, I’d almost certainly look for another one.
As to thoughts of replacing it, I’m with you there too. There’s just nothing that really appeals to me.
I’m in the same place. At some point, my Jetta wagon will be old/high mileage enough to hesitate to take it on 300 mile day trips. What irks me is all the automakers seem to have decided their customers want to their cars to work like their phones, and are consolidating all the controls on one touch screen. Microsoft went down that road with Windows 8, and found out how wrong they were. An A4 Allroad would work, but 23 is the last year for the current generation. The next will apparently be entirely screen driven. The current Q3 has separate hvac controls, but what of the next gen? The 24 Impreza is heavily screen driven. The current gen Civic still has several mechanical controls, but I hear complaints about the lack of support in the seats, which would be a problem when knocking down 300 miles. Found a shot of the next gen Tiguan. Appears to, also, be almost entirely screen driven.
I cannot remember if I offered to let you take a spin in the Fit when you were out this way the year we went to Auburn – if not, it was a huge fail on my part.
Tires have made a big difference in ride and handling on mine. I think it came with some Dunlops originally, when were great for handling but gave a hard ride and wore out quickly. The replacement Michelins softened the ride but dulled the handling, and subsequent sets (not Michelins because none were available in the right size) have been the same.
I guess how long I keep it will depend on how well I can learn to accept living with visible rust – something for which I have traditionally had a low tolerance. But then again, I am reaching the age where the needle on my Give-A-S**t meter has moved markedly in a lot of areas.
Thanks for telling us the backstory on this car which you’ve mentioned many times over the years. Our automotive paths have been mostly very different … only four domestic vehicles for me in almost 50 years, two of them trucks and none of them sedans. But there have been occasional intersections. While shopping for a car after deciding to downsize from our SUV, I too really wanted a 5 speed AWD Element but the lack of a 5th seatbelt was a showstopper; we only have two kids but there was often a friend or grandparent to take up that fifth slot. And when we added a second car to the fleet five years ago, after six months as a single vehicle (Tacoma) family, I really wanted a 6 speed Fit Sport, but to be honest neither my wife nor I liked its peaky revvy engine and notchy shifting, after 15 years of VW turbo ownership. So we ended up with another VW. And now we also have a big Ford van, though a T250 series not an E250. Merry Christmas, and thanks for your posts and commentary over the years!
I have been saying for years that I wanted a manual in this car, but will admit that I have never actually driven one – none were available to try when I was shopping, and then this generation terminated after the second year. Maybe I would not have liked it as well as I believe I would.
Say what you will about this series, there has certainly been a fairly wide variety! Merry (belated) Christmas to you and yours as well!
I have been saying for years that I wanted a manual in this car, but will admit that I have never actually driven one
Auto journos seem to always rave about Honda shifters. I’m not sure what they are raving about. My Civic, and two others I drove, another 98 and a 97, all could be fussy about getting into 5th and reverse. I never had a problem with the box in either of two early 80s Mazda GLCs, nor the Mazda built box on my gen 1 Focus. I really liked that Civic, but the shifter came up short, compared to the Mazdas.
I had a 2008 Fit DX and boy, what a fun car that was! It drove like a yapping terrier always wanting to push harder and harder. The steering is 1.8 turns lock to lock, making corners a flick of the wrist.
These are not highway cars. I found any more than an hour in the seat gave me serious back pain. The ride is just too hard and the manual revved very high on the highway.
As for fuel economy, it used the same on the highway as in the city, about 8.5 L/100 km.
My Golf does about the same in the city and 5.5 on the highway.
I remember when you wrote up your Fit quite a few years ago. I agree that the highway is not the natural habitat for these cars. And I remember one three-hour trip – my back was fine but my behind was sore from the seats that seemed to get harder every hour.
For whatever reason, the later generations of Fits never really lit my fire, and I have never driven any of them.
Merry Christmas JP!
What a great return on investment, 15 years and still going! You know since you want to learn welding, the Honda rust spot would be a good place to learn some welding skills.
I have had a couple of short but positive experiences with Fits:
My aunt visited for a week to care for my cousin during a health problem, we had retrieved his car for her to use and found it covered with cigarette ash and coffee shmutz. Realizing that my aunt could not abide this mess we spent a whole day cleaning the car, after which it was a fun little runabout.
My son is about to start an 8 month accounting co-op, and we test drove a Fit as a suitable vehicle for him. Driving along I said to Mrs DougD, “This car is dimensionally transcendental, it’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.” Ultimately we didn’t pick a Fit, it seemed a little squirrely on the highway but the Sport version probably is better with the bigger wheels.
And a merry Christmas to you as well!
You are right about the dimensional transcendentalism (a term I will have to start using). Even the back seat is not a horrible place to spend time, at least for shorter hops. My only complaint is that I could stand just a bit more leg room up front – if I were any taller than I am I don’t think I would like it as well.
I have never driven the standard trim version of this car, but I have never considered mine at all squirrely on the highway.
Re: Beater My relatives is north Mississippi use the term Hooptie. An internet search reveals numerous other synonyms. I have not heard the term Jalopy forever but we hear Junker here in Houston some. What slang terms to you guys generally use for Beater?
I have always thought of “beater” as a slang term.
I’m seriously conflicted on the Fit. The big draw is that stunning ‘magic’ folding rear seat. It’s worth noting that it was made possible by Honda having a rather convoluted (and smallish) 11 gallon gas tank being relocated from underneath the rear cargo area where most other small cars put it.
With that said, the single-stage enamel white or red paint is unforgivable. Likewise, I think that frequent (and pricey) brake pad rotor replacement continues to be a thing with Hondas.
And then there’s the fuel mileage. For starters, the automatic got better fuel mileage than the manual, and I vividly recall how the Fit’s top gear was strangely too low for decent highway fuel mileage. Even more strange was when Honda switched to a 6-speed from the previous 5-speed, top gear was ‘exactly’ the same! I could never figure that one out.
Really, if not for that amazing fold-flat rear seat, I’m not sure the Fit would have sold anywhere near as well as it did.
“… Honda switched to a 6-speed from the previous 5-speed, top gear was ‘exactly’ the same! … ”
Mazda did the same thing with the Miata. Maybe the newer 6th gear was a tad higher than the old 5th, but not worth any effort to switch. Any long trips over 55/60 mph in my 5 speed Miata are not aurally pleasant experiences. Short bursts are OK.
I don’t know why car makers do this, and with manuals fading out, we may never know.
Really, I don’t think the car ever sold at expected levels – there were supply shortages when demand was high, then demand leveled off when Americans’ traditional preference for larger cars returned. I see Civics and Corollas everywhere, but Fits have never been that common.
A taller 6th gear would be nice, but when we bought this, there were still quite a few 4 speed autos on the market, so a 5 speed seemed like a luxury. Given how we have used the car most of the time, I am not sure now I would trade the low-end scoot I have now for a higher gear if I had to mess with the ratios I have now.
The Fit is quite a popular car in Canada, I see them all over the place. Probably due to our Canadian thriftiness, higher gas prices and svelte figures!
My aunt had a 2013 Fit, base trim, also white. I was never too crazy about that car. One day, I was riding in the shotgun seat when she stopped at the bank. Looking at the center of the dash, I noticed the radio was on, from the way the display was lit up. I had to search all over that dash center section for the off switch. Was not crazy about throttle response either. Seemed the return spring on the pedal was too weak, and action was more like an on\off switch than a variable control. Then there was the noise level. My 5-speed 98 Civic did not have ergonomic fails like those. My Civic also delivered 30+mpg until about the time it turned 100K, or it could have been the Sears Michelin tires I put on it.
My Civic at 15 years, 110k on the clock, when I sold it. According to CarFax, it is still going, somewhere in Ohio.
The 2013 Fit is a totally different car from a 2007. Really the only things in common are the Magic Seat and the name.
My sister has a 2010, the same body as a 2013. It feels like a much more mature automobile when compared to my 2008. It lost the yapping terrier feeling of the gen 1 Fit.
As I think of it, I have never driven a Fit other than my own. I can only think of one person I actually know who ever bought another (well two if we count Ed Stembridge who bought one several years ago and wrote about it here). As I mentioned in another comment, when the new 2009 version came out, it did not appeal to me at all.
Len’s description of the 07-08 version as a yapping terrier is spot on, and I have never experienced the issues you noted in the newer version. My car was a design that went back to 2002 when they were introduced elsewhere in the world, and it was a simpler design in many ways.
I’m so sad that no manufacturers want to sell anything like this in the US any more.
Me too!
Me three.
Great little cars. My daughter had an ’05 in a pearlescent yellow. Looked great, but a minor accident (bumper, tailgate) turned the car into an insurance write-off because the body shop reckoned they’d have to strip and respray the entire rear half of the car for the paint to match. We reckon someone just wanted to get their mitts on a good used car.
Change of insurance companies, and now she has another pearl yellow Jazz, this time the second-gen model. She loves yellow.
And of course there’s a…..
Haha, I love the toy! The yellow paint seemed popular in other markets, but was never offered here, at least in the 2007-08 years when this car was offered in the US. I am not the biggest yellow-car fan in the world, but it does fit this car’s personality pretty well.
I’m glad that your Fit has worked out well for you and I have to agree with all of the reasons why a small, space and fuel efficient car is a wonderful thing to have.
I’ve mentioned it in passing a few times here, but my driveway is currently host to a 2015 Fit. This is a car that I inherited from my mother-in-law now that she’s no longer able to drive. She still does need transport several times a month, and she literally fits in the Fit better than any of our other vehicles…so we’re holding on to it. It doesn’t take up much room, costs little to insure or register, so we’re holding on to it.
The one place where my experience with this 8 year newer version very much agrees with yours is in terms of how efficient and roomy the interior is for such a small car. It seems that the rear seats in your are no different than in my newer version, and i too have benefited from folding them back to transport crazy tall stuff in a car this small. There’s more vertical cargo room in the FIt than in our much larger Toyota Highlander and certainly my wagon. It’s really quite something. Also, the front seats are pretty roomy as well. And our is the lowest trim version (i.e., lacking nearly all options aside from air conditioning and a very very basic radio).
I would love to drive your “regular” automatic transmission version to compare it to the CVT that is in the one I have. That’s because I really can hardly stand the CVT. The car is just so buzzy and while it lacks the “rubber band” feel of some CVTs, it just never seems to be in a suitable gear. It also seems to be straining nearly all of the time if you want to travel at highway speeds. It seems perfectly happy at about 40 mph, over that, and you really feel like you’re stressing the heck out of the car. I also wonder if the manual transmission version is better geared. I’d like to think so.
I too have had issues with the battery (I’ve replaced it twice along with the alternator, which when it went out probably took out the battery too). Knock on wood but I think I’ve finally solved that issue. I did the alternator myself (along with the accessory belt and tensioner) and that was an adventure. The brakes are also pretty poorly set up (very grabby), but maybe that’s because they need replacing…which will likely be my next Fit-related adventure. We’ve also had continual issues with bent wheels (it has the basic steel wheels) and subsequently pretty much continual problems with tires losing air. The wheels seem to be made of something like recycled tomato sauce cans…not much of a match to New England potholes.
So for me, the Fit has been kind of a love/hate relationship. I love the concept, love the space utilization, and frankly, it was free so I can’t argue with that. It’s a good “spare” car to have around in that (once I solved the dead battery issue) always starts and is technically the newest car in the fleet over here. On the other hand, the driving experience is pretty sub-par and almost untenable when it comes to highway driving.
It’s great to hear that yours has lasted as long as it has. I’m not so sure that mine would last that long, but maybe I’m underestimating it. We shall see.
Ever since the 2009 redesign, there has really been nothing about the newer ones that has tempted me to consider trading for one. I have not driven one with a CVT, but that is just one more reason I would not want one. If you ever drove an old Honda automatic with 3 or 4 speeds, this 5 speed drives pretty much the same, only with a better gear spread. I have traditionally hated the 4 cyl/auto combination, but this one has been decent.
I have only had one bent wheel, but mine are the alloy version. I bought a replacement at a U-pull yard and have been good since, except for the finish on all 4 of them that is getting unsightly.
You remind me that I think I have done an alternator too – though I cannot recall if it was on my dime or through a recall. That first battery fail at 2 or 3 years old came when it died when my wife was in the pickup line at school. After a jump start she drove right to the Honda dealer, and after a second test drove out with a new warranty battery. I had never heard of anyone ever getting a new car battery under a new-car warranty.
You remind me that I think I have done an alternator too
Make that three. My Ontario built Civic decided it wanted a new alternator too, iirc, at about 6 years. I never had battery failures in the Civic. As policy, I replace the battery at six years, before it fails, and the Civic’s never failed. It was when replacing the battery that the guy at Sears said my alternator wasn’t charging. And yet, the alternator idiot light never came on. I looked in to the situation at home. It would charge, if I revved the engine up high enough (no tach in a DX trim), so that was probably what had kept me from being stuck with a dead battery, or not even notice a slowly turning starter. Winding it through the gears must have spun up the failing alternator just enough to charge.
Odd about the bent steel wheels. My xB’s wheels have withstood years of off-roading, including endless encounters with sudden potholes at pretty good speeds while on back roads. Never an issue. Honda really must have used a thinner gauge of steel.
Get the rust fixed and a good detail… then boom! You have a car that feels much newer. A few times I almost got rid of vehicles, but then decided to do a few repairs, detail and then thought hey… I can keep this longer than I thought
The problem is that the rust is starting to blossom in other places. A close look at the recent photo shows another rust outbreak starting at the bottom of the rear door. Experience is telling me that if its rusting in places I can see it is also rusting in places I can’t see. I don’t want to put a bunch of money and time into its appearance and then have a mechanic tell me that he can’t put it on his lift because of structural rust. The metal on these cars is not thick. I can be a realist about my cars when I am forced into it.
When I was looking to replace our ’99 Civic, also in oxidized single stage white paint, I briefly looked at buying a new Fit similar in vintage to yours. I liked how much more interior space it had compared to our older Civic, but it was just too tight for leg room in the front for me to be comfortable. It’s not just the Fit, I find Honda just doesn’t make great cars for tall people, which is too bad because I do like their driving dynamics.
It’s interesting that someone who loves big traditional V8 cars, ended up owning this little Honda for so long and liked it! We have kind of had the same dichotomy in our household when it has come to cars too, with my wife driving smaller 4-cylinder cars and me having large V8 powered vehicles. It works well, with each type of vehicle having their strong suits.
I have to also say that I have thoroughly enjoyed your series and I am happy to hear there are still more cars to come. The more I read your COAL series, the more I realize that even though you and I have some different experiences, opinions and tastes, we have more similarities than I realized. Your comments about your the lack of interest in modern vehicles and wanting to replace your current car with a low mileage rust free example is exactly how I feel about my truck. It is the same vintage as your Fit, but with little bit more mileage. I would keep it forever, however, I know the reality is that I will have to replace it at some point. This vintage of vehicle was sort of the sweet spot of daily drivers IMO. They are modern but still not overly complex to repair and maintain for the long run.
Like you, I too have tried to preserve my old cars for as long as possible but the reality of the climate means it just not possible to keep them for really long term. Rust never sleeps and does it ever do a number on cars, no matter how hard we try to battle it. Not all of us are blessed with “healing rains.” 😉 As you are well aware, rust causes failures that would not be seen in more temperate climates. The axle failure on your car is a good example of that, or the gas tank straps rusting out on my truck is another example. FWIW, I think your Honda still looks good for its age, despite its little blemishes. Our Civic had the same rust spot at a younger age when I sold it, and like yours I had given up on repairing it again by that point. Keep the great stories coming, and Merry Christmas to your and yours from the snowy north.
I agree on the thing about tall people – if I were any taller than I am (about 5-11, 31 inch inseam) I would find it uncomfortable working the pedals.
I have traditionally liked Honda’s driving dynamics a lot, but their latest stuff is working hard to shoo me away. Everything seems to come with CVTs and maybe turbos, when all I want is a basic little car that is fun to drive. Mazda is starting to turn my head, but they aren’t all that basic either anymore.
I guess my thing is I like a car that does one thing really well. Even if it is only so-so at other things, as long as it aces that one thing I’m pretty good with it. A big car needs to be comfortable and smooth. A little car needs to be simple and economical. A utility vehicle needs to be useful. I think we would probably agree on those things. And thank you!
Love my 2018 Fit that I bought new at a steep discount (end of model year + showroom dings+ manual transmission). Its the noisiest car I have ever driven, and I don’t love the plasticy interior, but Its shaping up to be one my my all-time best cars too. Also, what’s out there in showrooms to get excited about right now anyway? With hybrids and EVs dominating, It’s probably the last manual shift I’ll ever have, so I’m going to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
You make a good point – if I want another manual I had better start getting serious about it before that window closes for good.
When car shopping we test drove a 2018 Civic Sport and a Toyota Corolla, both were hatchbacks with 6 speed manuals.
The Civic was nicer, but bigger. In my mind this was Accord territory.
Just now seeing this due to extenuating circumstances…
Something seemed to be saying the Fit was still a resident of your garage. It’s really good to still see it there although the rust is disappointing – but not unexpected. For Indianapolis not being that much further north of where I am located, the difference in climate is remarkable.
The only experience I have with a Fit is with yours, when I drove it briefly that day years ago in South Bend. While I doubt we got faster than about 35 mph or so, it was a great experience.
I hope that is not the 3 hour trip you referred to that sounded like it was, literally, a pain in the butt!
Haha, no it was another trip I was thinking of. Thinking about it more, it was 3 hours there and 3 hours home. Marianne drove and I worked on files in the “Refresh” position. It was either the 6 hours total or the back seat is harder than the front (which is very possible).
I got to ride in a Fit once and I was blown away by the interior room. I got into my larger Ford Focus after that and felt cramped.
The guys who designed it were magicians. The only real tradeoff is the 10.9 gallon gas tank which has me at the gas station more often than I would like. And maybe the front legroom. But both are tradeoffs I can live with.
JP: Late to the party, but the 2007 Fit Sport was my first new/ordered car. I got mine at the height of the frenzy, but the special features attracted me. I even ordered body side moldings from Thailand, even before the car was ordered! I had no desire for the automatic/paddles, I wanted the 5 speed, and I wanted Blue, so I had to wait for about 3 months for them (Honda’s color palette has always been limited, and even more so now). The only downside I had/have is the high rpm @ highway speeds. Unfortunately, my ’07 was T-boned/totaled, so I replaced it w/ a blue, 5 speed 2012, which I still own (had to wait about 2 months for the combo, finally got it via a dealer swap). I routinely get 36 mpg around town. I don’t plan on getting rid of it anytime soon, and as I only have 23.5k on it, it should continue to serve me for many more years! 🙂
Here’s the 2012. 🙂
It is good to see some others in the Fitness club. I think these look great in that bright blue. I also liked the creamy metallic orange the early ones came in.
I’m just getting to this now, since I’ve been away for a few days.
One of my car-market annoyances over the past few decades is the difficulty in getting a beige interior (or for that matter, anything other than black or gray). I remember looking for our 2010 Odyssey, and white was also the only exterior color that came with the beige interior. We looked at a white/beige Odyssey, but ultimately didn’t like the looks of a minivan in white. Similar lack of beige interior availability when we shopped for our Sedona eight years later.
Regarding the Fit, I’ve never ridden in one, but I did check one out at CarMax a few years ago, and was surprised how much I liked it from just the standpoint of sitting in it. Definitely a small car I could live with.
On the beige interior thing, I don’t think that situation has gotten any easier in later years.
The Fit was interesting because there were clearly areas where they cheaped out to keep the cost down – like the rear drum brakes and some of the most pathetic carpeting ever to cover the floor of a car. However, they made up for it with some comparatively high end materials/features like the dash and the “magic seats”. It has been a really easy car to live with over the long term.