We are thinking about a Honda Fit or Civic to have a newer car and get better gas mileage. Any comments on either?
Thanks
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We are thinking about a Honda Fit or Civic to have a newer car and get better gas mileage. Any comments on either?
Thanks
No direct experience with either, but here's an interesting blurb on the Fit:
http://www.blayleys.com/articles/cars/index.htm
I hear that the 2009 fit will be the Japanese version - slightly larger, better gas mileage, etc. Would likely be worth waiting for.
CA
I've had two Honda Civics, one was my first car back in 98 I had for 2 years, then my current 2002 Civic EX 4-door, I bought it new and it now has over 102,000 miles on it and I still love it! It has run great for me, all I ever do is change the oil on time, new tires, new brakes, 2 batteries, and flushed and replaced all the fluids when I hit 100,000, and it runs like a Champ. I know someone who got a Fit about a year and half ago, and they just love the gas mileage. I plan to stay in the Honda "family" when I do get a new vehicle too.
Hope this helps.
The Toyota Prius is a good deal too, get about 42 mpg.
I just traded in my '03 CRV for an '08 Fit. I was able to get great trade in, and I was totally wanting the better gas mileage. With three active boys, I am always having to run short errands around town. I also have loved the Fit since it came out. Finally, I see this as a new beginning in my life since I'm starting over with my divorce.
I have 240 miles on my Fit. My first tank of gas only got 25 mpg; however, I figure that has to do with my quick foot on the fast acceleration. I'm having too much fun with this car.
My bike fits inside fine. I will be putting a Yakima rack on tomorrow.
Wow, I just bought a 2008 FIT and I just love it. I haven't put one of those fork mounts in yet, but I have a friend with one who gets his bike inside fine. It has great cargo room, great gas mileage (my ins. agent that recommended it to me has been averaging 38 on hers). It is ranked quite high at USNews and World Report (great reviews here on all cars by the way: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...le-Small-Cars/
. I preferred it to the civic for cargo room and price, as the mileage is similar on both.
I read that the 2008 are made in Japan and the same as those intended for the asian and european markets (called jazz there). The 2009 for the american market will be larger, but to me that defeats the purpose. It is plenty large, very peppy, and gets great mileage. It has big windows and comfy seats, and when inside I feel like I am in a much bigger vehicle.
Triskeliongirl-
That's interesting. I had heard just the opposite - that the Japanese version was a little larger and much better on fuel economy. Hmmm...
CA
Hey CA, I found and re-read the review: http://www.jdpower.com/autos/article...da-Fit-Preview
My understanding is that you are right, the 2009 US version is the same as the 2008 version in Japan (they are calling it the second generation), although the 2008 US version is the same as previous Japanese versions, is made and assembled in Japan, and is the same as the Jazz euro. However, they don't say the gas mileage will be much better: "The current Fit’s 109-hp, 1.5-liter engine is rated at 28 mpg city/34 mpg highway in the U.S. Expect the new Fit to meet or exceed those numbers." My understanding is that most owners are finding the mileage of the US 2008 exceeds these numbers now, although I have yet to use up my first tank of gas, so I don't have my own numbers yet.
I am not sure I would advise waiting. I think the 2008 is plenty big, the gas mileage is great, and their price only seems to be going up as the gas prices are rising. I guess it also depends what you are driving now. We were at a point where we were spending $20 in gas to drive to a club ride, so for us this is going to make a huge difference. We also had our car die, so had to buy something quickly. We were lucky to find one, many dealers can't keep them in stock.
We bought a 1996 Civic for my son 5 years ago. He's driven it this whole time, and we recently bought it back from him, for our 14 yo to use in 2 years. It now has 198,000 miles on it. We are having the timing belt and water pump changed (water pump is just done while the belt is off). My husband has been driving it 25 miles to work (even though it looks like crap right now), instead of his F150, because of the gas prices.
It still gets 38 miles per gallon, sometimes 40 (it's a 5-speed). I have an Element, and when I was at the dealer I noticed the new Civics are only rated at 34!
My dad has a '97 Civic that he's still driving, but they don't drive much as a rule. It only has 60K miles on it!
I wanted a Fit when I got my Element, but they were just too hard to come by, and because of my wreck I needed a car NOW. I'm glad I didn't get one now. Just too small for my husband to even sit in. He couldn't fit in the CRV, either, so the Element it was!
I think the Fit and the Civic are for two different purposes. If you like utility, get the Fit, and if you would rather have more style, get the Civic. (A friend rolls his bike into the back of his Civic, BTW.)
Karen
One of my riding buddies just got a new '08 Civic. Her bike goes in the trunk no problem. She'd been looking for a used car, but they hold value so well that a new one was only about $2000 more. Last I talked to her it was brand new, but I'll ask her how she likes it so far.
(The Prius is really a different animal, but mine gets 46 mpg without even trying to conserve gas, a bike goes in very easily with the front wheel on, and the traction/stability control work well.)
I've got an '03 civic. I just turned over 80,000 miles a couple of weeks ago.
If I'm doing a normal mix of city/highway driving, I'm pulling about 380-400 miles per tank (tank holds just over 11 gallons, usually fill up somewhere around 10).
Maintenance: I've had to replace the driver's side door lock because the key wouldn't turn. However, the dealer called that a warranty repair. Other than that, a tail light and a head lamp are about all I've replaced. My only maintenance complaint is the passenger's side head lamp is a pain to replace.
I've had to get a bike rack because my car does double duty as the place I put all my stuff that I don't want in our already cluttered apartment. Also, I keep all my tools for work in there, plus assorted other useful items like my cot.
Combined with my fairly long bike and the result is I'm not putting a bike in there. So, I have a roof rack.
Here's an interesting tidbit about Hondas. We found this out when we were buying SGT's van. Honda mileage figures assume you are using regular unleaded. The mileage figures for most other auto makers assume premium.
But does premium or regular get better mileage? I had always heard there wasn't much (or any) difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by boy in a kilt
CA
My 1991 Civic gets about 35 mph in mostly city driving. My next car will probably be a Honda Fit.
I have resisted buying a new car because i'd noticed that the newer models of the car I'm driving got worse and worse mileage than my year.
Hopefully they're reversing that trend now, a little late.
I have a divorce Fit, too!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by bike4ever
They're awesome cars. Last weekend, I had two bikes and two people's worth of race-weekend luggage/equipment in the back with the seats down. Throw in great handling and more pickup than you'd expect from a 30mpg motor and I see no reason to have anything else!
I do not believe the new civics get worse mileage than the old. My understanding is that all the Hondas are under-rated since actual mileage does depend on your driving style, AC usage, etc. Why Hondas are under-rated and some other brands aren't, I am not sure.
I think the gas mileage is very similar between the current Fit and Civic (at least the mileage posted on their stickers is), as are all the other rankings. I agree that it depends what you want the car to do. I really like both the cargo room of the fit, and the versatility of how you arrange that cargo room (seats can be flipped up and down in various positions and combinations). For me it really suits an active lifestyle. The Civic has a classier sedan look, the fit more of a euro style. Why don't you just visit a dealer and look at them and/or go for a test drive. I also went to the dealer with both cars in mind, and when I saw them both the decision was clear for me. I think they are both great choices, and its up to personal preferences which one to go with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuckervill
For those of you with fits (or similar vehicles), what is the best way to carry two bikes inside? I can lay my bike flat with both seats down, or put it behind the front seats with the rear seats in that semi-up position. But to carry two bikes, and have them not rub and scratch each other, do I want to install two of those fork mounts? Can you buy something that sets in, or do you need to buy 2 x 4s and screw fork mounts in. Don't they move around? I've never outfitted a car interior to carry two bikes.
Also, is locking your car w two bikes inside just false security. Couldn't someone just break the windows and steal them?
I have a question for FIT owners. I test drove one a few months ago, but the to us, even the nicest trim level was still very noisy inside. Nicely equipped ( leather etc) was fairly high on the list, and the fit just didn't seem to come in that kind of trim level. But, wow were we impressed with how big inside it was.
So, hows the road noise? Hubby and I had to practically shout at each other to have a conversation, and this pretty much killed the sale. Bought a mazda 3 instead.
I.
Take both wheels out & flip them upside down. Put them in with one facing forward (handlebars behind front seat), and one facing backwards (rear DR near front seat). Scoot them as close together as you can on one side of the car and use the space between/around the bikes as packing area for smaller items.Quote:
Originally Posted by Triskeliongirl
I've scotchguarded the back of my seats and my interior roof so if I have any inadvertent chain-upholstery contact, the grease is easily removed with some upholstery cleaner.
And yes, nowhere in a car is totally secure. We mainly put them in there b/c it was storming like crazy on the way home from the race we were at.
Triskeliongirl - You can cut a 2x4 to wedge between the sides in the back. I've done this with various vehicles to carry my bikes. When I'm not needing this mount, then I can just pull the 2x4 out.
I thought about just mounting a fork mount to the back. I am just going to put on a roof rack.
FIT is high on my list for my next regular car. SMART CAR isn't all that smart. I've heard people complaining that the milage is only 38 or so MPG. No trunk(boot) space. Other cars I'm looking at are Civic, Prius, some of the Toyota Scion line. My current car has nearly 200,000 miles on it. ouie :eek: I'm just hoping it'll go another 80,000 miles.
being ever the dreamer that I am and so is my partner, she talked me into this fun looking thang. Move over Mr. GEOGE JETSON, and you too ASTRO. I'm #2316 for the hybrid model. Besides, gotta live up to wacky SoCal image. Yes it has cargo space to fit a bike. We are sooo totally serious about this. Fits two people, electronically limited to 85MPH, exceeds NHTSA crash testing (so they say)... It is soo cool looking. and 300MPG well almost. What's not to love??
I'm driving my second Honda Civic (4 dr EX) and I love it. Odds are, one day I'll be driving a third one. :)
I guess I am the odd woman out here, because I had a 2001 civic and couldn't wait to get rid of it.
It got good gas mileage and it ran great. No engine problems, but I had more front end problems out of that car than I care to mention, and that would have been okay, had I not had to fight with the dealership to get things fixed on it. The struts went out 3 times, twice before the warrenty was up, the cv boot went out, shoot, I can't even remember it all now.
I got rid of it back in October and the only thing I miss about it is the gas mileage.
I'm not saying they are all bad, but when you get a bad one, Honda has a big head and doesn't want to believe anything could possibly be wrong with thier vehicles.
If you're looking at the Civic, you might also check out the Toyota Corolla--similar gas mileage and reliability, and has more "get up and go" as I recall from my test drives when I was looking at various compact cars in 2004 (yes, I ended up getting a Corolla and have been very happy with it!). The Civic just didn't have as much oomph (maybe that's improved by now).
We tested the Honda's tonight. Right now leading toward the Civic. Handled the road construction a little better. Sort of liked the Fit better, but the Civic seems to make more sense.
I think we'll look at the Toyota, but sold on the Civic, if they can just get one.
how come the Civic makes more sense?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. SR500
Andrea, BOTH wheels? There are 4 wheels for 2 bikes. do you mean both front wheels?Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrea
Handling, cabin, and slightly better highway fuel economy. Plus I think the Civic might be a little better when our daughter learns to drive in a few years.Quote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
The FIT is fun to drive, but a little rough over bad roads. Since bad roads are common on my wife's commute, the Civic is better suited with it's more comfortable ride.
Take all the wheels off!Quote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
What you'll find is that you are limited by the handlebars as to how far you can scoot the bikes to one side, so you can fill that space between the bikes & the side of the car with the removed wheels.
Yeah, it's sort of an artform :D
Oooh, Smilingcat, that is one very cool car! 300 mpg, solar cells on the roof, heat pumps for the climate control, recycled plastic interior.... why didn't I think of that!?
http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...s/4237853.html
There's a Corbin Sparrow in my neighborhood, sometimes I see it parked around. Think I'd rather have the Aptera than a Corbin. The Corbin is more like a motorcycle while the Aptera is more like a car.
no one has comment on FIT interior noise? yes/no?
someone already said it was noisy. grrr. i was hoping on getting one and background noise drives me crazy.
I guess i'll have to test ride one; it might be a lot better than what I'm used to.
We have a Honda Element and a Honda Civic Coupe- both a couple years old.
They both get about 5 mpg less than what is trumpeted in the ads. But still, good mileage.
Great cars.
We fit our two road bikes standing upright in the back of the Element, clamped by the forks. Or, we can just bungy them to the sides, upright inside, without even taking any wheels off. We never have the back seats in at all, since our kids are grown and gone. Great to haul bags of mulch and such...and i LOVE the NO RUGS thing! We sleep in it for camping- the back can hold a 6 foot foam mattress when you push the front seats forward.
My Civic coupe (2 door) is a cool little sporty sleek thing with plenty of power, but because of it's sleek aerodynamic design it's a bit cramped in the back seats, and visibility could be better when backing up or checking backwards.
It's a good car for me. DH drives the Element most of the time.
I've never noticed it. But, then again, it's also the nicest car I've ever driven on a regular basis.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irulan
wow! this is impressive! (honda element)
lisa, can you actually fit a bike (with front wheel removed) behind the backseat? Or is there no seating when bikes are loaded? just curious...
Like I said:Quote:
Originally Posted by Beane
We never have the back seats in at all, since our kids are grown and gone.
I have never tried loading in the bikes with the back seats still in the car. We don't use the Element back seats...hardly ever. The element is either: hauling stuff / hauling bikes / or we're camping/sleeping in it. It's not our 'passenger car'- that's our Honda Civic coupe.
We can put our two road bikes in the back, standing up, both with and without removing bike front wheels.
You could get 1, maybe 2 in with one back seat down. I don't think you could fit anything behind the seats. With the seats out, you could easily fit 4-5 bikes with all wheels on...
Quote:
Originally Posted by mimitabby
hmmmm, ours isn't noisy at all. go take a test drive. i think its a great value.
Mine isn't noisy either, unless you are referring to my kids having the music up too loud.:p
In the Element, with both seats down in their passenger position, you can fit two bikes (front wheels removed) crossways in the back. You have to put the bars on opposite ends. Mountain bikes are harder, but they can be done, too, and you can't put anyone in the back seats unless they don't mind riding ramrod straight up.
With one seat folded up and one seat in the passenger position, you can put at least two bikes with front wheels on beside the seat. With that seat removed, you can put three (but not my husband's, without the front wheel off).
When I haul my bike to my weekly group rides, I usually just fold the rear driver's side seat up, roll my bike in and bungee it to the the carabiner that holds the seat up (as depicted above). Right now that seat is just out, because there are only 3 of us, and I rarely need the 4th one.
ETA: I don't bother strapping down like in the picture above. I just put a bungee around the top tube, and attach to the thing that holds the seat up. The bike usually raises up on its rear wheel a little depending on the bungee that's available, then it's just safely hanging there.
Karen
The bungee trick works for 2 bikes - more than that, and it gets a little...challenging:)
CA