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Hi CD. I was in a car accident (not my fault) last week. It totaled my Honda Fit. I've driven BMW's, Jetta's, a Jeep and by far this was my favorite vehicle. However, I'm faced with the overwhelming task of vehicle shopping. Here's the deal:
I loved the Fit because:
I could commute two weeks to work on one tank of gas.
The low hatchback loading made it just AWESOME to move anyone or anything.
The seats would flip down completely flat to load anything and I've even camped this car.
Cons:
I relocated back to a snowy climate and couldn't get up the hill for work with the Fit a few times last winter.
It developed an extremely loud rattle from the rear glass window, especially in the cold weather. If there was another person in the car, you'd need to shout above it.
I missed having heated, leather seats.
It's a noisy car - you can hear the highway/road below.
I test drove a Honda CRV (small SUV). Very nice vehicle, but it felt very large and almost unnecessary being single, pet & child free. It also will cost more to fuel up.
I've driven a Honda Accord in the past. The V6 engine never gave me a problem in snow and they're very nice, reliable, comfortable cars. However, I am still so very spoiled from the Fit's gas mileage and won't see it in the Accord.
I'm entertaining the Civic. How well do those handle in snow?
Or do I buy another Fit and put snow tires on it and hope for the best?
Anyone ever driven a Toyota Yaris?
Reliability, gas mileage, and heated leather seats are at the top of my requests. I've narrowed it down to either Toyota or Honda. Never driven a Toyota, but hear good things about them as well. I know Toyota puts another panel of sound buffering underneath the vehicle, reducing road noise. But I know I can't go wrong with either.
Thoughts, advice, perspectives very much welcomed!
If you liked it, get another Fit and get real winter tires for snowy conditions. With a full set of four Blizzaks or similar tires, you can get through any winter conditions in that car.
A Civic will be the same as a Fit for winter driving, as will an Accord or Corolla or Camry, or... Tires are really what make the difference in any FWD (or RWD car).
I am not sure what is your budget. But here are some options. If you have a little money to spend then get yourself an AWD Lexus IS. But if you are tight on the budget the I recommend to also look at Hyndai's since the ride and handling is very similar to Hondas. Their gas milage depend on what you get but they are pretty decent. Hyndais have done great job since 2008 and their extensive coverage is a plus advantage.
If you need recommendation in who to talk to let me know I sold Lexus for many years and I can recommend people to you from almost any brand.
Good Luck
I am not sure what is your budget. But here are some options. If you have a little money to spend then get yourself an AWD Lexus IS. But if you are tight on the budget the I recommend to also look at Hyndai's since the ride and handling is very similar to Hondas. Their gas milage depend on what you get but they are pretty decent. Hyndais have done great job since 2008 and their extensive coverage is a plus advantage.
If you need recommendation in who to talk to let me know I sold Lexus for many years and I can recommend people to you from almost any brand.
Good Luck
I think your suggestion of an AWD Lexus IS is bit silly. The OP's budget, even if not stated clearly, should be implied by his like of the Fit and his consideration of cars like the Yaris and Civic. The IS250 AWD starts at $36K.
An entry level Subaru Impreza will be AWD for at least $10K-$15K less and cost far less to keep running over its lifetime. The Lexus will be reliable and inexpensive to maintain while under warranty. But out of warranty it cost much more than the Subaru.
For the OP - the Fit is a fine subcompact car. Too bad Honda has not yet done a redesign because that car should really get 10 more MPG than it does. The 4 cyl Accord with the new CVT gets mileage similar to the much smaller Fit.
The Yaris is a cheap but reliable car. Consumer Reports does not recommend it because of its low road test scores.
I would shop the Mazda3, Fit, Civic, Impreza, and Ford Focus.
If you liked it, get another Fit and get real winter tires for snowy conditions. With a full set of four Blizzaks or similar tires, you can get through any winter conditions in that car.
A Civic will be the same as a Fit for winter driving, as will an Accord or Corolla or Camry, or... Tires are really what make the difference in any FWD (or RWD car).
Good to know! Thank you for your feedback.
Quote:
I am not sure what is your budget. But here are some options. If you have a little money to spend then get yourself an AWD Lexus IS. But if you are tight on the budget the I recommend to also look at Hyndai's since the ride and handling is very similar to Hondas. Their gas milage depend on what you get but they are pretty decent. Hyndais have done great job since 2008 and their extensive coverage is a plus advantage.
Thanks for the suggestion, but my last high end car was a BMW 330 CI and when that thing ran out of warranty, I was sick with costly repairs. Toyotas or Honda's for me for the rest of my life.
Quote:
For the OP - the Fit is a fine subcompact car. Too bad Honda has not yet done a redesign because that car should really get 10 more MPG than it does. The 4 cyl Accord with the new CVT gets mileage similar to the much smaller Fit.
The Yaris is a cheap but reliable car. Consumer Reports does not recommend it because of its low road test scores.
I would shop the Mazda3, Fit, Civic, Impreza, and Ford Focus.
Appreciate the info on the 4cyl. Just may go that route. Thank you for your helpful comment. My biggest issues with Mazada's and Ford's are their lack of resale value. I'm pretty much stuck on Hondas or Toyotas. Appreciate the feedback on the Yaris as well.
My biggest issues with Mazada's and Ford's are their lack of resale value. I'm pretty much stuck on Hondas or Toyotas. Appreciate the feedback on the Yaris as well.
How long do you plan to keep the vehicle? If it is over 5+ years, then I wouldn't worry too much about resale value.
How long do you plan to keep the vehicle? If it is over 5+ years, then I wouldn't worry too much about resale value.
Until the transmission stops working! I don't know of Fords, Mazada's or Chevy's to go the long haul like Hondas and Toyotas. But I also want to have options should my circumstances drastically change.
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