Anybody own a Honda Fit?

I own a 1996 Honda Civic, HX model. Highway mpg: 45. City: 39. Honda actually stopped making the HX model in 2006 because it was getting to close to their hybrid Civic mpg.

The mileage is 185k and I bought it for $5k at around 88k. Best car I have ever had. No major repairs other than tires and the new battery. If you can get a used Civic, specifically the more fuel efficient HX model, that might be a better bargain.

 

God I miss my old 99 Chevy Metro. That thing would get 50 mpg on the highway.

Of course, it was a 3-cyl. tin can that I would've died in had the accident been any quicker that the 25-30 mph the van was doing while I had just started moving.

 

Mazda3, followed relatively closely by the Civic, with the Corolla and Matrix far behind. None are bad choices, though -- you really can't go wrong. But here's my thinking:

Mazda3: Sportiest of the group; gets a little worse mileage than the others; most fun to drive of the group; the hatchback is very, very versatile; drives like a much more expensive car; if you're really ambitious, the Mazdaspeed3 is a screamin' deal and hauls ass like nobody's business.

Civic: Great mileage; will probably last forever; fun to drive, just not as much as the Mazda; some love the styling/interior, some hate it.

Toyotas: They're fine cars, but dull. Toyota has also cut corners in recent years; they're not built as well as they were a few years ago.

As always, a used car that's a couple years old is your best financial move.

 

I've got an '06 Mazda3 Sport and absolutely love it. I got it after test driving the Fit and Yaris, and chose it because it had a lot more power (roughly 40 HP, if I remember correctly) and a bigger trunk space. I noticed that power difference especially when passing at highway speeds.

That said, it cost me a good $7,000 more than a similarly equipped Fit would have. In retrospect I may have been smarter to go with the Fit, but the Mazda3 is so fun to drive I really don't regret the decision.

 

Fits are now going for MSRP or more, while you can still get discounts on the 3. The price difference isn't all that much.

 

Mazda 3 five-door is rather nicer than the four-door, in my opinion. And the Corolla and Matrix (aka Pontiac Vibe) are now available with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder from the Camry. Same engine's also available in the Scion xB (Toyota's division aimed at GenY), which is a car I find very interesting.

 

Three years ago. Boy, were my arms tired.

It was definitely a Sunfire -- I have photos.