Fit vs xD vs Corolla

It's quasi-vicarious at this point, but it turns out that my friend who just had someone blow a stop sign in front of her and her '98 Escort is looking at two of the same cars my girlfriend and I are looking at, as well as the Corolla. Reliable, economical 4-door transportation.

There was a recent thread where it was clear that people like their Fits. I definitely preferred my Fit test drive to one in an xD, but we are talking first-and-foremost a transportational appliance.

I'm wondering about people's experiences with the above cars. The Honda Fit, Scion xD, and Toyota Corolla, that is. If anybody's got comparison thoughts, that's awesome too.

Reliability? Economy? Relative ease of getting four full-size people in (both we and our friend are looking at four-doors; wish the Yaris wasn't such a unicorn in that guise).

Wish the Fiesta wasn't fetching a premium, as well as being a relative unknown reliability-wise. Same for Mazda2 and Cruze.

how come no love for the new elantra? well fiesta and mazda 2 ill bet on being pretty reliable. cruze i still dont trust gm as far as i can through one of thier cars.

My dad bought a Fit when they came out in the states and it has been totally solid and reliable. My mom is driving it now since he died but it hasn't been in the shop for anything other than maintenance. I think it has around 50,000 miles now. That being said I don't like it very much. I'm 6'2" and my leg falls asleep when driving it. It also isn't very good on the highway. It's a great city car though and can haul TONS of stuff. Just like any car it comes down to personal preference.

Everytime I see the name of the xD I think of the "laughing hard" text emoticon. I think I need to spend less time on the internet.

Sorry, as usual I'm no help. Although I do like the Fit a good bit more than the other two choices, but that's just my personal preference. I'm not sure it's a "superior vehicle" or anything.

Not as familiar with the XD and Corolla, but the Fit is very well-engineered in the cargo area in my opinion. It has more cargo space than larger hatch backs (of course it also has the profile of a space ship due to its higher roof line) and if I remember correctly the back seats can slide forward and backward which might help with seating 4 adults. If cargo area is important to you then I would take a good look at the Fit.

The Toyota Matrix and Pontiace Vibe are essentially hatchback versions of the Corolla if you're so inclined.

Mazda3? The 3i sedans get high 30's to low 40's mpg and can be had fairly cheap.

I can't say anything for the Corolla or the xD, but I loved the 1st gen Fit when I had it. I wanted to dislike it, but I couldn't. I'm 5'10, drove it to work every day about 30min each way. Good on gas, plenty of interior room, carried a ton, not bad looking and just an honest little car.

I didn't realize the Vibe was another Matrix...

Also didn't realize there was a Mazda3 variant getting that kind of mileage.

Good stuff to know!

Also, as much as I'd noted the Fit's nifty back seat rearrangement, it never occurred to me to look into whether it could help with rear seat legroom...

again hyundai elantra. best looking by far!!!!! and 40 mpg highway 29 city. 6 speed auto.... or manual. 15k for a base 22 gets u a fully loaded one with navi and leather and sunroof and heated seats front and rear. the trunk is very generous also. and better projected resale than the corolla or fit.

In reply to KATYB:

Waitasecond... Better projected resale than Corolla or Fit? I think that must be a regional thing. Here in the PNW, Hondas and to a lesser extent Toyotas only slightly trail Subarus and Volvos in the used market everybody-wants-one tax...

I don't know why I hadn't really thought of Hyundai, or for that matter, Kia. I believe they make good stuff at this point. I think there's still some part of me that still just has a bias against them compared to the others listed...

For that matter, the new Jetta really falls into the price range, but I'm going to regret even mentioning that one. I'm not ready to trust VW's quality yet.

I've considered, at various times, the Fit, xd (or is it XD?), Corolla, Yaris, and Mazda2. Why not the Fiesta? I want one with a manual transmission and they are super rare in my area.

I ONLY included the Yaris because it can be had with 2 (or 3?) doors AND a manual transmission...plus, I'm guessing, perhaps incorrectly, that the dealers hate them so much they will almost give them away. On the negative side, I want cruise control and finding a Yaris, or even a Corolla or xd with cruise, and a manual transmission is very difficult/impossible?

C&D tested the Fiesta, Fit, and Mazda2, and after reading that comparo, I'm leaning more towards a Mazda2 Touring. The bad news? In my area, the dealers are heavy with inventory of that funky green colored Mazda2.

My "backup" choice is becoming a Mazda3 4 door.

The projected resale thing is laughable...

"I think new model H will be worth more than existing model T in 4 years."

Bull-loney

However the new Elantra is quite nice.

Forte, Elantra, Optima, Sonata.... all are fantastic cars. Putting 350k miles on two of the Korean brand cars I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

Were I looking at Sedans the Elantra would be at the top of the must-drive list. The Cruze was also very nice inside but it costs a bit more than what you're cross-shopping here.

We love our 1st gen Fit. It's a little buzzy at freeway speeds but that's really the only knock. Our friend who was shopping the Fit against the xD went with the xD because you had to upgrade to the Fit Sport to get the aux input, and the Scion was a little cheaper in that case with an auto. If you like a manual, good luck finding an xD.

For packaging efficiency you cannot beat the little Honda. The Scion probably is a little less efficient, bigger on the outside and a little smaller on the inside. Still a good car though.

The new Jetta was actually just ranked WORST against all other small sedans. Do not want. That being said, I can't get myself to pay for a Fit or a Corolla. GROSSLY overpriced for what you get. The xD is a cool little ride though. Also, maybe wait a lil bit (if possible) til the 2012 focus is available, she is SWEET. Barring that Hyundai. Seriously. If you're looking for an appliance, they're damn good ones. Not the most outstanding performer, but a lot of bang for the buck.

twolittlebroncos wrote: Mazda3? The 3i sedans get high 30's to low 40's mpg and can be had fairly cheap.

Further thought here: Okay, the EPA mpg estimates are bonkers. The real question is, are they fairly consistently bonkers in the same direction and by the same amount?

E.g. I don't think any of the Mazda3s have an EPA rating into the low 40s, but I don't doubt that you see that sort of mileage. The question is if a car A's EPA hwy mileage is 8% better than car B's, will the real world difference be somewhere near 8%, regardless of how close to the EPA figures they are?

I love my 2007 Fit Sport. Almost at 80k right now and I commute 70 miles round trip per day on city and highway. Gets great gas mileage while cruising at 70-80 and it is fun to drive. Carries a ton of stuff with the seats down and has been totally reliable. I'd buy another in a heartbeat but I doubt I'll kill this one anytime soon. Consumer Reports just said that the Fit had the lowest cost to operate compared to every other car on the market. That includes depreciation and maintainable. They really excel at these kinda things so I'd be totally inclined to believe them.

Really. Hyundai having better resale than a Honda? I really doubt that. Resale DOES matter even to people who don't plan on selling their cars. It's what insurance companies base their values on when they total cars out. Hyundai is building great cars right now but I still think they are trailing Honda in this aspect.

^ No. Every manufacturer is a little different. How the car is driven, where it is driven, the speeds it is driven all play large roles. Car A may get 40mpg when used in X parameters, but car B will only get 30. Car B may get 40mpg in Yparameters but car A may only get 26....

My wife's 2000 Accent was rated at 25/34mpg in 2000. She sees 38-40mpg on her daily slog. My Elantra was 24/33 in 2002, but we've seen 36-38 on vacations @75mph, but I see 30 weekly on m daily slog.

mndsm wrote: I can't get myself to pay for a Fit or a Corolla. GROSSLY overpriced for what you get.

Second gen Fits saw a BIG price increase over the early cars. I paid sticker which was $15,175 for my Sport with a five speed manual. I thought that was a great price for what is essentially an updated 88-91 Civic Wagon.

forte 5 is a LOT smaller than it looks on the site, and if my forte sedan is anything to go on, it's a hell of a car. I've made abotu 15 passes at the 1/8 mile strip on it and put 30k miles on it and haven't had an issue at all. It's comfortable, it's nicer than you would expect on the inside, the bluetooth is great, satellite is a great plus, the brakes are phenomenal, and I get 30mpg driving not so moderately and shifting at 3k-ish. The steering is pretty direct and feels good, the suspension is pretty good, It's a lot of car for a little bit of money.

I third the Elantra. Friend of mine just bought one. NICE car! Looks more like a coupe than a 4door.. HUGE trunk, and fantastic styling inside and out.

ransom wrote:

twolittlebroncos wrote: Mazda3? The 3i sedans get high 30's to low 40's mpg and can be had fairly cheap.

Further thought here: Okay, the EPA mpg estimates are bonkers. The real question is, are they fairly consistently bonkers in the same direction and by the same amount? E.g. I don't think any of the Mazda3s have an EPA rating into the low 40s, but I don't doubt that you see that sort of mileage. The question is if a car A's EPA hwy mileage is 8% better than car B's, will the *real world* difference be somewhere near 8%, regardless of how close to the EPA figures they are?

I think you're on the right track checking EPA ratings since you know the testing is at least consistent. I'm sure driver, route etc. are big factors that will affect most cars the same. I wasn't trying to suggest the Mazda 3i gets better mileage than the Fit etc., just that it can easily get 35+.

I can't say much about the modern Corolla or xD, having never driven them. But we have owned an '08 Fit for about 1.5 years now.

Yep, it's a blast to drive. But from a practical transportation appliance, I think it also stands out. You'd be amazed how much back seat room it really has. Having three full size adults in the back would be a tight squeeze....after all it's not a very wide car....but two will fit in amazing comfort. We have 3 little kids, all in booster seats. It was a pain to latch the belts, but we have had all 3 of our kids in the back, and they were fine. Ours is a 5 speed. In suburban back road driving, with some stop signs, etc...it averages 35mpg. If it's just cruising, it'll get 40. It can carry a ton of cargo, especially when you fold the back seat down. Ours only has 30,000 miles on it, but it's never missed a beat.

Cons to the Fit? There are a few. It'll do 80mph on the highway all day long. But let's be honest...that's not its' strong suit. If you're destined to do long highway drives all the time, you may want the Corolla or Civic. The a/c is a bit weak. Here in PA, we'll get 95 degree days in the summer. The a/c will keep you cool, but it struggles more than other cars we've had.

My expierience with our 09 corolla hasn't been terrible, but it hasn't been amazing. We've put 70k on it in 2 years averaging 25mpg in town. Not raging it, just a lot of stop and go. In warranty we had the driver's side window seal stop sealing, out of warranty we lost the illumination in the center hvac control, the rear passenger window control went inop, and the waterpump. Those complaints aside, the car feels like it was designed to be serviceable. I could do the waterpump again in less than 30 minutes without a lift or air tools. 17" wheels with decent rubber and good brake pads revolutionized the feel of the car. We're going to keep it till its ready to be scrapped or given away. If we were shopping today, I'd give a hard look to a base model sonata.

projection wise yes the new elantra is higher..... how else do you think you can buy a 20k car with zero down for 199 a month. i used to sell them so ya it can be done. seriously just drive one. not to mention they have a tild and telescopic steering wheel.

that 199 a month is a lease