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It has come down to these two.
I want a MINI Cooper sized car but need/want 4 doors and a bit more room. Wife insists on new (don't ask why). I can get a Fit Sport 5 speed @ MSRP for $15,905 or a Suzuki SX4 crossover (I want touring package to get the Electronic Stability / traction control) @ invoice for $16,906.
What would you choose and why?
the fit seems to have a surprisingly small after market community, but i love the looks, and the space they have inside. the sx4 has awd, and having driven the suzuki aerio, the car is replacing, suzuki has good awd systems, though the aerio was a E36 M3 car imho. i love how the sx4 looks in black with black tint, and shiny rims, but the fit is sweet too.
no help here.
If you've got a pistol to my head and picking one is the only way to maintain the proper number of holes in my skull, then I pick the Fit.
SX4, but I'm 37k miles biased 
Aftermarket is limited in variety, but high in quality.
Fit.
Not completely out of place at an Auto-X or HPDE.
I suspect that the mpg in the Fit is a far amount better than the SX4 so that is a factor, but...
Even more than that, the Fit seems to be a hot car in the current economic climate and I expect that to continue. With that said, at 100k miles I think the Fit is going to still be highly desirable and the SX4 is going to be a unique (read: odd) niche player.
For examples of this popularity look at the current state of the original Scion xB's. Those early boxes may have been one of the best and most timely units that Toyota has put out in years. The shame and this misstep is that Toyota killed them just as gas was spiking. The new version is no where as great as the early version and the prices of the old versions are holding really high.
Utility (wagon space) and economy are a nice combination and there are very few real choices.
how long will you keep this car? If you're a short-timer, buy the Fit for lack of depreciation.
Fit for reliability, lack of depreciation and (presumably) better fuel economy. It's probably also a bit more autocrossable.
I also usually prefer the lighter weight point-and-shoot feel of a good front wheel drive car to a 4wd set-up, but that's just me.
jrw1621 wrote: For examples of this popularity look at the current state of the original Scion xB's. Those early boxes may have been one of the best and most timely units that Toyota has put out in years. The shame and this misstep is that Toyota killed them just as gas was spiking. The new version is no where as great as the early version and the prices of the old versions are holding really high.
x2
The original Scion xB was a sweet spot of originality for Toyota that got killed off far too soon. The new version is too heavy and too boring. If you can convince the wife of a 1-2 year old car, this would be the one to have ...
The Xb has to be the best investment car I ever purchased, $14.5k new, $11k resale 18 months later with 43k miles on the odo. After a year with my Cooper S here I am looking for another Xb and can't even find one for the price I sonld mine for.
yea, Toyota really screwed the pooch with the new XB. Take a great car that has a tremendous following.. and make it bigger, slower, and uglier..
perfect recipe for destroying a car
I R f4nb01...
Fit..
Recently I turned 20K on my 2007 Fit so let me give you my opinion.
I was considering both the Fit and SX4 a while back and finally went with the Honda. It gets much better MPG (37-38 with the five speed in mixed driving), has more after market parts available and has won just about every automotive award and comparo that it's been featured in. I liked the ride and handling in the Fit much more than the SX4. The magic folding rear seats are extremely useful and let you carry a wide variety of large items with no problems. Resale is fantastic too. A lot of people say that it doesn't matter what the car is worth if you plan to keep it but if the car gets damaged or totalled then resale value determines your settlement.
The only hitch I can see is that if you want a Fit you are going to pay sticker price and probably wait for the color, package and transmission of your choice. I had a three month wait for mine back in early 2007. You can buy an SX4 right from the dealers lot at a discount off of sticker in my area.
The only things I don't like about the Fit are the quality of the carpeting and the gearing of the transmission. I'd prefer it to be geared a bit better for mileage or the addition of a sixth speed.
If you can hold off your decision for a while you may want to wait for the new Fit to come out this fall. From what I've seen, it's a bit bigger and has a few extra horsepower, is better looking (IMO), and gets even better mileage.
I've driven neither, but like to exterior of the SX4 a lot more. I think the deal killer here would be the dealer. In our area, Suzuki dealers have to be the cheesiest ever. The local Suki dealer is under investigation for unbelievebly bad business practices.
jimbob_racing wrote: If you can hold off your decision for a while you may want to wait for the new Fit to come out this fall. From what I've seen, it's a bit bigger and has a few extra horsepower, is better looking (IMO), and gets even better mileage.
Given what happened to the xB, I personally would be cautious about waiting for the next Fit. Not mentioned above in the improvements may very well be the improved/higher price as demand increases.
First of all the SX4 looks nothing like the rally pic and I've never seen one that looks like the pic so body panels must be very hard to come by.
If it looked like that then it would be a no brainer. I have driven the 2 and the Fit is soooo much more fun. The SX4 is underpowered and on the list they complain of a number of ills, not the least of which is gas mileage.
And then there the quality of the Suzuki vs the quality of the Fit
s4x looks better
I like the Suzuki a bit better, but I've never driven a Fit, so I can't comment for sure. A quick note about the Suzuki, it's a joint project with Fiat and was designed by an Italian styling house whose name escapes me at the moment, but it does have Suzuki running gear in their version of course.
carguy123 wrote: And then there the quality of the Suzuki vs the quality of the Fit
Add perceived to your quote and I'll buy it... left as is I call bullE36 M3 based on personal experience with the Suzuki... 37,800 miles and counting.
And find me a Fit that looks like the autocross picture off the showroom floor...
ignorant wrote: I R f4nb01...Fit..
QUOTED FO' DUH TROOF!
+1. I thought they looked goofy at first...until I started seeing lots of them with blacked out windows and aftermarket wheels. White ones are teh sexors. Daddy likey.
Gearhead_42 wrote:carguy123 wrote: And then there the quality of the Suzuki vs the quality of the FitAdd perceived to your quote and I'll buy it... left as is I call bullE36 M3 based on personal experience with the Suzuki... 37,800 miles and counting.
And find me a Fit that looks like the autocross picture off the showroom floor...
Those wheels in the autocross pic (or ones very similar) were optional equipment when the Fit came out. I haven't seen very many installed though.
Having never owned a Suzuki car, I'd have to opt for the Fit, due to past/present Honda ownership.
-John
Just curious, But why no Versa on the list?
My wife's been rolling her Fit for more than a year, and she still loves it. I like it a lot too, although I really wish we had waited until we found one with a manual transmission.
We had a Suzuki SX-4 Hatchback in the office a while back and I totally loved it. Nice car, but the AWD is completely unnecessary unless you live in an area that sees snow regularly.
IMHO, Honda is the easy choice, but I wouldn't disapprove of either. If you live in the snow belt, I'd likely change my vote to the 'Zük. Of course, I also named the VW Touareg my Lottery car, so what do I know?
Tom
just a quick thought about Suzukis. I bought a new Swift GTi when they came out in '89, and in what, 4 years or so of ownership, had zero problems with the car. A great car. If the new ones are comparable to the older ones, it should be just fine.
