My 20 year old Acura Legend is slowly dying on me. I’m thinking about buying the new 2009 Fit this fall–I like the size and the gas mileage and the 2009 is supposed to have performance and safety enhancements over the 2008 car.
Everything I’m reading says it’s bigger inside than the outside appearance suggests, but I’m not sure if it will fit 2 kids in car/booster seats in the rear.
I’d be driving the car mostly back and forth to work–that’s only about 5 miles each way on twisty, hilly back roads–and the occassional highway trip.
Anyone have a Fit? How big is it really inside? How does it handle? I have to admit I’m really excited about the car, but I’m willing to be talked down.
We have one, but we’re only 2 adults. It’s awfully cute. But the passenger usually gets out before the driver puts the sunshade up in the window, it’s that small. I think you might find it awkard getting the kids in and out of the seats, but maybe not.
I think the back is larger than it appears in terms of its ability to haul stuff, but I’m not sure it’s bigger than it appears in terms of its capacity to transport people in relative comfort.
Heck, when I was growing up we’d put a family of 5 in a Toyota Tercel. So it won’t scar them for life.
If I hadn’t already bought Lady Soul an engagement ring, I’d buy one for my 2008 Fit.
It is tiny and cute on the outside, and surprisingly roomy on the inside. There is an obscene amount of cargo room for the amount of space the car itself takes up. I’ve been told by my friends that riding three in the backseat is mildly uncomfortable, but that putting two in the back and two in the front is not an unpleasant experience in the least. And mind, that’s with having both front seats one click from all the way back. I think booster seats would be fine, but I’ve never tried it.
Bottom line, it’s bigger than it looks, but it looks tiny anyway. However, I love that car so freaking much that waterboarding couldn’t get me to say anything negative about it beyond what I’ve already said.
The auto love of my life is my 1990 Civic Wagon. The Fit is close to the same dimensions, inside and out. If I had $$$ I’d be driving a Fit, too.
I drove that wagon during my second marriage; we had three kids; from the time they were 4, 7, & 7 until they were 10, 13 & 13 (roughly). We drove it all up and down the State of Mississippi with all 5 of us aboard many times. My then-hubby was about 6’-0" and 300 lb. We were comfortable enough to take a trip from Jackson, MS to Gulf Shores, AL in it. The only problem then became running out of room for suitcases.
I bought the car as a single mom when my two kids were smaller - they were about 1 yr old and 4 yr old at the time, so I would’ve had an infant seat and a booster seat in it at the same time.
Have you tried this: take the car seats up to the dealer and ‘try them on’?
The back seat is perfectly comfortable for two adults. I don’t have kids and therefore know dick all about booster seats, but I can’t imagine it would be that hard to put two of them back there.
The Fit is the perfect car for us–two adults who, for various reasons, tend to haul a lot of shit around. I would think it would be equally great for a small family that doesn’t want a huge car.
Thanks! I only decided the Fit was even an option today while I was looking around the net at alternatives to the Prius. I never even considered it because it’s described as a subcompact in a lot of places. I’ve never even seen one in person yet.
Taking the car seats the the dealer sounds like a great idea NinetyWt. We’ll probably do that if we’re serious about the Fit, and I think we are.
I took one for a test drive the other day with my SO and tested out the back seats while I was there. Unless your kids are eight feet tall and morbidly obese, they’ll fit in the back.
The only reason my husband didn’t get a Fit last spring was because his thighs are too long from hip to knee to work in the front seat (either driver or passenger). But he has that problem with my CR-V. Go test drive it and see if those dimensions work for you.
Thanks Contrary–I’m very short (5’2" if I stretch) with short legs and my husband’s 5’8" so that shouldn’t be a problem.
nashiitashii– they’re only 4 and 6, so they’re not quite 8 feet tall yet. Thanks for the test drive report. Did the car handle well? Are you going to buy one?
I looked at the Fit last winter and seriously considered it. I love tiny hatchbacks! I ended up with the 4 door Civic - better highway mileage (most of my driving) and better feel for about the same price. The back of the Fit is awesome, though! You could put an amazing amount of stuff in that car with the seats tucked away.
I recommend taking the family and trying it out. We played Chinese Fire Drill at the dealer before I bought my Civic. Everyone in the fam tried every position to see if it was OK. No one blinked an eye.
I know it as the Jazz. I work for a car rental company and we only recommend the car for two adults and two small children. The boot size is good for a small car and should fit in two suitcases. I personally thought the back seat was quite small (but its ok for children) it would also depend how tall you are as obviously the longer your legs the further back the chair would have to sit. I cant remember if the steering wheel can be adjusted up and down so if your a tall person this could be a factor. Its a nice smooth running car and is always the first choice when it comes to taking a car to go for lunch - it has the best cup holders!
redtail23, I love tiny hatchbacks too. In college about 100 years ago, my roommate had a 2-door Civic hatchback in bright red. I loved that car! Now that I think about it, she fit 2 kids in that thing several years later–and it had only 2 doors.
trustno_1, from what I’ve seen, the 2009 Fit’s a bit bigger than the earlier model, and it will have a tilt steering wheel.
I’m so excited about this now, I’m afraid I’ll hate it when I get to the showroom to test drive it.
When you go a’testing, spring for the Sport model. The base model is fine, but once you add what I consider the essentials (cruise control, mp3 jack) you get up around the price of the Sport anyway. The Sport looks cooler too!
Yup, I looked for the old Civic hatchbacks but they don’t make them anymore - the Fit’s pretty close, though. I bought the first Civic in 2006, before the Fit came out. When I got creamed last fall, I looked at the Fit but ended up buying another Civic. (I got hit at 50 mph and walked away with bruises from the seatbelt. I decided to stick with a good thing.)
One of the Sprint/Metros I owned was sold by a family who loved it, but had to give it up because their two late-teen boys had outgrown the back seat when they got towards 6 feet. I’d say you’d be OK with the Fit for a while.
I don’t know if I have either, but wiki says it’s a foot and a half smaller than the Dodge Shadow hatchback I used to have. I once blogged about what fit in it. I think a pair of kids would!
I test drove a Fit today. Certainly the cargo area is fantastic. Alas, the pickup was sluggish (I’m talking about going from 20-40 MPH on a highway ramp taking a long time with high gear noise) and the steering was mushy. It had what the salesperson described as “switching to manual” tabs marked + and - on the steering wheel, placed where I would assuredly toggle them accidentally. Consumer Reports thought it handled well, so YMMV.
I also tried the Toyota Yaris, which handled well (at least with manual transmission), but had a jammed-in cabin that made my partner say she felt like she was in a go-cart. I’m pretty short, and even with a variety of adjustments, my knees were up by the dash in a way that made me think I’d bang them getting in and out of the car. Also, the speedometer and tach were in the middle of the dash rather than on the driver’s side, which I could adjust to but found disconcerting.
The Nissan Versa handled well and had good pickup, plus a clean, clear dash, good seats, and a solid feel. The cargo space was not as lovely as the Fit’s, but adequate.
A large male car salesman was able to sit comfortably in the back seat of each of these vehicles.
I wound up buying a Versa for the reasons above and the 1.9% financing.
Susan thanks for the test drive report. The 2009 Fit is supposed to address the performance problems of the earlier models–more horsepower, better handling. I’m waiting until the fall to check it out. I’ll have to look into the Versa. I’ve heard bad things about the Yaris, though.
elfkin477–you got a 7 foot long air hockey table into that? How?
Thanks all, for you responses. I’m looking forward to a new car; my poor Acura is really dragging on hills these days. I think it needs a permanent rest.
I’m going to either get that or the Scion xB; I am, however, more likely to get the Fit. The modest we test drove was the Fit Sport, which means that it had a wee bit less space than the regular Fit from what I’m given to understand. I’m 5’9" and a bit, so I fit pretty comfortably, even with having long legs. It test drove okay, but the dealerships in this area are not fond of letting people drive on the highways around here, so we didn’t get much higher than 45mph during the test drive.
I also test drove the Yaris the other day; it was a bit like driving a clown car for me, as it was just a little bit too small for me to feel comfortable in. It also brought back memories of driving around in a family friend’s 1988 Toyota Corolla, as the engine is probably a newer version of what they put in that model.
The last one I test drove was the Scion xB; the major problem I had with it was that I banged my knee on the center gadget panel as soon as I got in the car. Knowing that I am often in a hurry to get into the car and that I’m clumsy, this may be a breaking point, as I don’t want a permanent bruise on my right knee. It was, however, a lot like driving my SO’s Toyota Camry, and the room inside the vehicle was quite impressive, though not much more spacious in reality than the Fit.
I’m not actually buying for a few months if I can help it, so we’ll see how things shape up once I’m actually on the lot again to purchase.
Yup, that describes my situation to a T and I agree completely. You’ll have no problem fitting kids with booster seats in there. It really is surprisingly roomy inside.
Since no one else has mentioned it (I think), the handling of the Fit* is great - perfect for your windy roads. I don’t find the pick-up particularly sluggish, as susan did on her test drive. Sometimes I’ll have to rev up to 4000-4500 rpms or so if I really need to get up to 55 on the highway super quickly, but it does it fine. Also, don’t worry about the “manual shifter” toggles - I’ve been driving mine for 1.5 years and have never hit them once. You have to be in the correct gear on the main gear shift for them to even be activated, IIRC. (In other words, if you’re in Drive and you hit one accidentally, nothing happens).
There are only two negatives to my Fit: 1) The heating/cooling fan is kind of loud. Not “I can’t hear you talk” loud, but loud enough that you notice it turning on and off. 2) The gas mileage is not as good as I was hoping. My commute is mostly “city” driving, and I find that I’m getting about 29 MPG, when I should be getting 32 IIRC.
That said, the Fit rocks, and I love it. Couldn’t recommend it higher.
*Note: I have a Fit Sport, not sure if handling is different on the regular model.
