2008 Honda Fit

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maverickfhs

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Last weekend looked at a Toyota corolla and now looking at a 2008 Honda Fit Sport with ~160K.

Online reviews and feedback looks very positive with a lot of storage space and a reliable car and seems to be better than Yaris and other cars of that category.

Any known weak spots or things I should be looking at specifically? Thanks for the help
thumbsup2.gif
 
My friend has a newer one and he loves it. BTW, he is 6'6 Marine and fits in it easily.
 
The only complaints I've ever heard was that it was ugly but that's subjective. I think they are solid cars. My best friend is 6'4" and just a shade under 400 pounds. He drove a Fit of that vintage and loved it and it had plenty of room. He wound up going with the Nissan Versa hatchback because there was a significant price difference at the time and that has been an excellent car for him. Another friend was shopping around at the same time and did buy the Fit and it served him well for several years until he upgraded to a bigger vehicle.
 
I considered buying one a few years ago and someone had told me that the lower control arm (LCA) bushings wear out quickly. Not sure if it is indeed fact or fiction but make sure you have a look at them.
 
As long as you don't consider the poor nature of the ride (mentioned in every review I have read) and driving what is truly penalty box. I imagine with 160,000 on the odometer the ride has to be even worse than when reviewers drive them when new.


You and I apparently must be reading different reviews of this vehicle.

A Corolla is a much better choice-or even a Hyundai Elantra.
 
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It's on par with the cheap econobox cars like the Corolla. My mom's 2011 Fit has been relatively trouble free, and can haul a lot of stuff inside for it's size. Maintenance is very easy and cheap.
 
I think it is all about what you're looking for and why.

A lot of tech has been included in cars since 2008, which may be desirable. Stuff like Bluetooth hands free, which was an $$ option in 2008, but adds a lot from a safety aspect
 
Thanks, looking for something easy on maintenance and bit fun to drive - a general itch to get something cheap
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Good room. Small, good city car if you can tolerate lots of noise and uncomfortable ride. Strange front seating position. Fit will beat you up much more than Corolla with ride and noise.
 
Originally Posted by thrace
Good room. Small, good city car if you can tolerate lots of noise and uncomfortable ride. Strange front seating position. Fit will beat you up much more than Corolla with ride and noise.



THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
My friend has 2009 model and he likes it; great car IMO too; there is a big leap ahead with the 2nd generation; I'd look for that model if possible
 
I had a 2012 Fit Sport..

Pros- You can (Fit) just about anything in it.. The ergonomics are nice.. cupholders are perfect. You can park just about anywhere you want. Easy to change oil and do general maintenance.

Cons- Brakes are undersized. A/C is weak. Tire size on mine was oddball..nobody carried tires in stock. Long trips take a toll on you.. Engine works hard to maintain speed. You can hear all road noises. Both of my front calipers were sticking. Warped rotors..ate pads. There are a few decent blind spots as well.


I averaged about 31MPG with a 60/40 highway/city.

I sold it and bought a 2012 Fusion that i average 28mpg same driving.

IMHO its wasnt worth the sacrifice to get 3mpg. 1.5L vs 2.5L..
 
Back in its day It was a 14K new car that Honda was Charging 17K+ for. Now its Made in Mexico and should be cheaper buts its not!

Mine literally glowed in the dark due to FUKUSHIMA DAI-ICHI fallout - or maybe it was moonlight.

They don't handle that good or ride that good as claimed in worthless car rags - but I
I've been in worse.

I owned a 2006 Yaris 5mt and a 2012 Fit Sport with MT. The Yaris was more fun overall new but more fragile.

The Honda engine has no exhaust manifiold and expect the coils packs to be bad or going out often in that hot head..

You also have to do valve adjustments as it has mechanical rocker followers with jamb nuts on a bIzarre but neat SOHC 16V head

With good gas and oil, the engine does zing with real VTEC, but being long stroke it isn't smooth or quiet - just very trashy.

MT's need new MT Fluid every one or two years depending on how you thash it - when it starts to balk you know its time.

I too found the front suspension bushings to give up after 2 years - its just a dirt cheap mac strut econocar front end.

Worth checking out but don't pay a bundle. I go with a Kia Forte Koupe or sedan for less money+ better car.
 
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Originally Posted by maverickfhs
Thanks, looking for something easy on maintenance and bit fun to drive - a general itch to get something cheap
laugh.gif



It lacks in power but it's a fun car to drive around corners.

The ride is a bit hard because the car is stiff.

The cargo space is great because it has some clever and easy to fold seats.

If it has the i-DSI, it's worth checking if the coils have been changed.
 
Thanks, how can I find about iDSI? I already have a Civic and Accord. Can get this one close to $2K, not sure if it's a deal as majority of my cars are in similar price range.

For some reason I think this Fit is really cheap, they hold their value very well!

Similar cars with that mileage are anywhere $3-$4K range.
 
Originally Posted by maverickfhs
Thanks, how can I find about iDSI? I already have a Civic and Accord. Can get this one close to $2K, not sure if it's a deal as majority of my cars are in similar price range.

For some reason I think this Fit is really cheap, they hold their value very well!

Similar cars with that mileage are anywhere $3-$4K range.


In 2018 Honda sold a total of 35,000 Fits. A quick glance for this year looks like the number may be the same-or a little lower.

Also- In 2018 they sold 291,000 Accords.

The numbers tell it all.
 
Originally Posted by maverickfhs
Thanks, how can I find about iDSI? I already have a Civic and Accord. Can get this one close to $2K, not sure if it's a deal as majority of my cars are in similar price range.

For some reason I think this Fit is really cheap, they hold their value very well!

Similar cars with that mileage are anywhere $3-$4K range.

Not an possibility in the US for that year.

Still the coils fail periodically since they go through the exhaust runners in the head as there is no exhaust manifold on the 1.5,

The engine is 1/2 pushed back way UNDER the windscreen making it a bit hard to work on.

Also note that there was a recall and TSB on valve springs breaking on a certain run of engine( VTEC lost motion spring)

Still Worth checking out for 2 Gs and find out what work was done and how hard it was t-boned by that Taurus wagon.

video of engine on display ( available for formula ford racing as a package)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnL-dXhVDRE
 
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