2013 Honda Fit: Car Stories

Source: cars.chicagotribune.com | Date: Oct 04, 2013 | Author: Deborah Siegel | Go to clip...

2013 Honda Fit: Car Stories

We hear from automakers, industry experts and auto writers all the time. In Car Stories, we want
to hear from the people that matter most to the auto industry: The drivers. Just like every house
has its own smell, every car has its own story.Writer Deb Siegel strays from the Car Stories form
to deliver this story on how she was able to replace her 1993 Toyota Corolla, which had reliably
taken her family around from newborns until they were college students.

I drove my Toyota Corolla for over 20 years. I got it when my son was two, I was pregnant with my
daughter, and I wasn't sure the old Tercel handed down from my mom would carry us through the
winter. I did not want to be breaking down with a two-year-old and a giant belly.

My kids grew up riding in that car, from the graham-cracker-crumbs-in-the-carseat days, to the
teen learning-to-drive years (which, in the case of my son, meant numerous bruises and
contusions visited upon the poor Corolla), to my daughter's first solo drive to her camp counselor
job two states away. But once again, the time came when I began to fear a winter breakdown. The
kids were off in college, but I needed to get to my downtown job five days a week by 9 AM.
I started doing my research. I am, if you want to put it nicely, frugal. I loved the Corolla and would
not accept any car with less than the very top predicted reliability (I spent a lot of time checking
out those little red circles in Consumer Reports); I wanted another 20-year car. I was interested in
a little more capacity for carrying stuff than the Corolla had, but I like to drive (and park) a small
car, and good gas mileage has always been important to me, even when it was not trendy. (My
husband has a minivan - almost 200,000 miles on the old Sienna - for hauling lumber or long trips
with lots of passengers and gear.)

I researched many cars, and test-drove the Prius C, the Toyota Matrix, and the Honda Fit. There
were other small cars that I liked the look of that had great mileage, but if they were not at the
pinnacle of reliability or were strongly dissed by Consumer Reports, they fell off my list.


I ended up choosing the 2013 Honda Fit. The amount of cargo this little vehicle can hold is
amazing. The back seats fold down flat to create a large surface, or the seat bottoms fold up to
create a tall area. The front passenger seat can be reclined all the way to carry long items (I know
of someone who carries her kayak in her Fit), and the car has a lot of headroom for cargo or
humans. I am short, but my 6'3" hubby was surprised at how much headroom he had - lots better
than the old Corolla where the top of his head had polished a spot on the ceiling. And even though
this car looks tiny on the outside, it feels spacious inside.

The Fit springs out of a stop. It is definitely more spritely than my old car, and much spunkier than
the Prius C. The mileage is not as great as the Prius, but the get-up-and-go, the capacity, the
significantly lower price, and the cushier interior, swayed me. I liked the Matrix a lot, but it didn't
give me enough to justify the extra cost and lower MPG.

And one more reason for my choice: a car is a sculpture. I like the look of the base model Fit. The
curvy bean shape appeals to me. I am not a big fan of the little hat brim ("roofline spoiler") on the
back or the extra skirt ("side underbody spoilers") around the bottom of the Sport model. The only
option that I would have liked from the Sport model was the wheels, having had bad experiences
with repeatedly stolen hubcaps on my old Corolla.

I purchased one add-on when I got the Fit. Knowing I would miss the security of leaving items out
of sight in the trunk of my car, I bought the cargo cover, which hides whatever is stashed behind
the back seats.

I have been putting off this write-up because I wanted to be able to say more about my MPG and
how the Fit behaves at higher speeds, but though I've had my Fit for almost a month now, all the
driving I've done has been in rush hour on the Ike - really bad rush hours at that - the kind with
way more stopping than going, and crawling rather than rolling. The Fit has a constant MPG
readout, which I've been having a lot of fun watching. So far, my rush-hour mileage is averaging
about 29.3 - not so bad considering I am mostly sitting still listening to NPR. I look forward to
taking the little bean out for a run, but it hasn't happened yet. The U.S. Department of Energy
website gives a highway mileage of 35 for the automatic transmission.

And though my kids were despondent that I'd sold their childhood friend, the Corolla has gone on
to her next job, and the Marge figurine that graced her dashboard has taken up residence in the
new car, continuing to protect us as we battle though daily traffic.

Find your Honda Fit at Michael Hohl Honda in Carson City. We are your Northern Nevada Honda Dealer.