For anyone who thinks the (last) gen Fit is more fun to drive than the 3: If this wasn’t a subjective category I’d call you a liar. Below 40mph, the Fit is good (unless you’ve got someone in the car OR it’s a hill) , but on the highway it’s anything but. I’d take the Mazda3 for its competency in both and its far-superior steering. And its better driving position. And its better craftsmanship.

The Fit does provide super-nice cargo numbers, but its last iteration only made sense as a city car. The new version- with a smidgeon more horsepower and many of its faults addressed- should be interesting.

Examples:
Nissan Sentra.
Its a real car. 16,300 ,25/33/28 overall mpg.

Kia Rio and Rio5
11,00 to 13,000, 24/33/28 mpg.
Not comparable as a car you say?
Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy 2007 – Subcompact Car

Edmunds.com- “Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars.”

The Car Book. “Best Bet.”

Edmunds.com “Editors’ Most Wanted Wagon Under $15,000″

Greenercars.org, the online home of ACEEE’s Green Book® – “Top 12 Greenest Vehicles of 2007″.

Then…
theres the Focus and Corolla…
I know none of you like them.
The are dull…not sporty.
Well, I think its all bullshit about the Fit sportiness as well.

But you get a whole lot more car, one that can take to to your kid’s college and back without forcing a chiropractors appt.
They are both highly rated for comfort.
Both around 16K and great, great mpg.
26/35/29 Corolla, 24/33/28 Focus.

So go ahead and luv your Fit…but it doesn’t make sense to me.
Sorry.

I’m afraid I didn’t express myself very well. I did not mean to say that the public was demanding that there be a new model, but was referring to the fact that the new model is already back-ordered.

In any event, I agree with everything in your post. I would never suggest that Honda is resting on its laurels. Quite the contrary, it is one of the most forward-thinking car companies out there. I have owned several including a 2005 Insight currently. In fact, come to think of it, Honda is the only nameplate I’ve bought more than one of.

Seriously? You actually don’t understand that the EPA test procedure is different than the way you might drive? The 4-cylinder Malibu is rated at 22/30, so you probably would have seen low 40s for mileage with the Fit under the same driving conditions. Here’s the remedial lesson from EPA on the subject:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/why_differ.shtml

What about the European drivetrains? 1.2 and 1.4, no torque converter automatic.

If by that you mean clamoring for a new Fit, the answer is no – at least in North America.

Since the old model is head and shoulders above its “competition” and Honda had no trouble selling every one of them, you could be excused for thinking Honda could just rest on its laurels. However, that’s not the Honda way.

They didn’t get where they are by resting on their laurels, but rather by seeking continual improvement and refinement.

In addition, in markets where buyers are more sophisticated – such as Europe – the old current Fit/Jazz was seen as outdated and a bit of a fuddy-duddy car for old timers.

After all, over there, they are not competing against obsolete vehicles such as the Cobalt and NA Focus, but up to the minute superminis that Europeans demand.

I do think the shortage story is being grossly overplayed, though — at least in my neck of the woods it was no problem finding Fits to test-drive and getting quotes significantly below MSRP as of a month or two ago. They do tend not to sit around on the lot for long, but there are deals still out there to be had.

Be real.
Especially next to the hatch 3????
I have driven the Fit and own 2 3s…its not even close.
If I sounded like the Fit wasn’t sporty at all, then I appologize.
Its just not supposed to be compared to the Hatch3.
Really.
OK. compare it to the other econo crap traps out there and it looks good.
Even I look good if you carefully pick the line up!

I never drove those others you suggested.
I read enough on this and other sights to stay clear.

I guess I have trouble with some of the blending of these car categories.
To me they get awfully close (if not even overlapping) at the top and bottoms of each category and in the end, you would have been better off just getting more car for a couple thousand.
Or less.

And I need to dissagree with most when they say this thing looks good.
Well, not to me.
To me it looks unbalanced and uncool.
A sort of anvil body and nose.
Not that that means anything in the handling, its just everybody keeps touting its good looks.
Not to me.

There is also a Dodge neon sport coupé in the driveway(2.0 DOHC, 5-Speed, compact class– but the size of it’s contemporary Accord) that I cannot abuse enough to get anything below 30MPG from. We’re talking 100MPH+ drives for 60 miles, guys.

This car is so small, the old ladies driving them make them look like toys. We’re talking two 5-foot women, shoulder-to-shoulder, not two drag queens.

The Caliber gets 1MPG less, costs less, is not unreliable, and fits more people with as much stuff. This is a non-contender except for those who think the Honda logo brings automotive nirvana.

An automatic 2.4l Sebring is only at 3MPG less. What is this car’s reason for being?

The patriot 2.0 can drive through a puddle without falling in, and still matches this car’s mileage.

You make it sound as though the Accord and Fit are close in price and fuel mileage. The base 2009 Fit 5-speed (non-Sport trim) lists at $15220 including destination charge.

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2009-honda-fit-2.htm

A 2009 Accord EX-L 5-speed sells for $26090 with destination. The base LX 5-sp is still over $21K.

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2009-honda-accord-2.htm

Actual mileage figures from owners on fueleconomy.gov run about 5 mpg higher on the equivalent Fit vs. Accord.

You see, this is where I disagree. I’d say that it is sporty, especially next to the 3. The Fit is, if anything, closer in experience to Mazda’s Protege, which despite not putting up the 3’s numbers, was more fun to actually drive because of the lack of sophistication.

I think you need to drive, say, the Yaris (or worse, the Aveo or Accent) to understand what an un-fun-to-drive small car really is.

And yes, my ass is bigger than that of the euro trash’s.
That’s where I win with size!
But I still pamper it!
And don’t go there with the third world streets…I actually have and often.
The Fit is not used on the third world roads outside the city.
It would die.
Its a city get around go cart like all the city transports they have.
Not exactly a US hiway cruizer.
But I am not ashamed of my love of the highway and long drives across country.
I just know what I need to do this.
Its not a Fit.
No matter how many of my suitcases it will hold.

Mazda 3 5 door max cargo space 43.8
Honda Fit max cargo space 57.3 (more than a Bummer H3!!)

Mazda 3 MPG 22/29
Fit Sport (5sp) MPG 27/33

I don’t believe there are any other cars for sale in the USA that have that ratio of extremely usable cargo space & mileage.

For the record, I too am perpetually steamed that we don’t get the HB configured Civic, but the Fit does have more utility going for it even if both were in this market.

& the “Not suited for USA highways” comment is just embarrassing.

We’re kind of down to one of these bad boys, a TSX, an Si, or a new WRX. Got until the end of october to pull the trigger… good times.

Perhaps he means shitty, deteriorating highways and unsafe bridges we have neglected for too long?

I’d say the Fit is more than robust enough to survive here, just like in the third world.

Or just maybe, the comment was a polite way of saying the Fit is too small for the average American ass?

See:

http://sidesplitters.catastrophe.net/arch/2004/Paris-France.jpg
http://sidesplitters.catastrophe.net/arch/2004/Paris-Kentucky.jpg

I would love to hear some elaboration on this comment.