Help Me Save My Brother!

[DanStokes]

I'm off for the track in a few minutes so I won't respond until probably Monday night, but I need your help! My brother has some weird desire for a Honda Fit. He knows it's ugly and isn't phased by that. I've tried several arguments but to no avail. We need to save him!

Does anyone know of any mechanical problems or other expensive issues that should take the Fit off his list? We're looking for chronic transmission failures, head gasket issues - that sort of thing. The Bro is WAY tight with a buck so expensive maintenance would kill this love affair.

I'm doing the best I can but I need help on this one -

Dan

[BBR]

Might look here:

http://www.truedelta.com/Honda-Fit/problems-99

[stage1scott]

I really do not see any big issues in that thread listed above. as for your direct statememnt, I know 4 local people who own them and they all have north of 50k, have been unusually reliable good cars. I suppose your resistance to them is that they are japanese, but if he buys one, he is likely gonna be driving it 200k without issues. My wifes 2006 honda has 195k on it and all it has required is oil changes, tires and brakepads. 1 battery,1 serp belt, NO starters/alternators/waterpumps/oil or coolant leaks of any kind. Hard to beat a well built car for daily driving.

[SuperBuickGuy]

take him out for a large meal before he drives the Fit?

[groucho]

I lease a Toyota Matrix. It's every bit as ugly as the Fit. I don't care. It's not a car to me. It's merely a weapon against high gas prices. When my lease is up I will get something even uglier (CHEAPER). Again, I don't care. I have no interest in a late model to be good looking. That's a waste of time as they all pretty much look like outer space boots. I have plenty of older cars that DO LOOK GOOD. Maybe I'll get a Fit. Ask your brother how he likes his after he gets it. PS-what Scott said

[Loren]

Well, I can only relate what happened in this town, which is kind-of a semi-rural place. A guy I know got a Fit and was showing it around to everybody, acting pretty smart/proud. But he wasn't getting many takers...in fact I believe he was getting teasing from people he didn't even know. After perhaps six months he was in another car, some type Mazda that was bigger, hotter...prettier...I drove it myself once and liked it.

The Fit went to his kid, on the occasion of there being a grandchild. Unmarried/unemployed early-twenties father, jail time for drugs, dread-lock hair and Rasta music etc...culturally, it was a better, uh, fit.

Now I don't mean to offend, I think it's just that like with Scion and for example certain type clothing lines, the brand is really targeted at urban kids.

[Barry Donovan]

location determines the rice.

if the tin can runs in the tropical shanty fairy tale, have fun saving a buck.

ice shanty:
a Wikipedia word. it does not exist.

[SuperBuickGuy]

truth be told, I've test driven an Aveo - still will probably settle on a VW TDI - but I agree, high gas prices suck out loud.

[Thumpin455]

I got 99 problems but a Fit aint one.

[oldsman496]

I hate to go there...but .... disowning a family member is sometimes the only way to get around an egregious act like this.

[Thumpin455]

I hate to go there...but .... disowning a family member is sometimes the only way to get around an egregious act like this.

Most of my family drives Dodge, one brother likes Fords. How does that Fit in?

[pdub]

From what I've seen in person....from the thread title, the subject and the fervent plea for advice to give to the brother just before Dan goes down the road to a speed mecca, I can only interject that perhaps in that family the apple did indeed fall far from the tree and roll down a long hill into a creek, floating off toward the ocean somewhere.

[phitter67]

I've got a buddy in south Georgia that tried to buy one, the dealership was the reason he didn't. If he wasn't interested in a high-dollar car, they weren't interested in him. On the flip side, my cousin has owned many Hondas. If she can't kill them, they must be good cars.

Edit: Not that I'd buy one, just sayin'

[dieselgeek]

Groucho nailed it.

My Honda CR-V has nearly 300,000 miles on it, gets 29mpg with an auto trans and is super easy to maintain. Did the timing belt and water pump changes myself. All the normal maintenance stuff is easy and parts are cheap at the parts store.

What's his other option, buy a Chevy and have the intake leak before 30,000 miles? or a Ford and have it sit in the shop waiting on a Microsoft firmware update for weeks at a time?

Honda makes some of the world's best appliance vehicles designed to get you from point A to point B. Sounds like your brother doesn't need saving at all to me.

[Aircooled]

The biggest argument against sub-compacts like the Fit is that the gas mileage numbers are generally no better (and frequently worse) than the compacts of the same make. Things are more backwards in Honda-land because, if you negotiate well, you can get the larger, but more efficient Civic for less money than a Fit.

If you want a Japanese sub-compact, look at the much cheaper Yaris or Versa.
If you want an efficient and functional Honda, buy a Civic.
If you want to be stupid with your money buy a Fit.