Ask the Car People.SM


Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent

257 messages,  Last post on Apr 28, 2012 at 12:14 PM

You are in the Honda Fit Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Hatchback

Messages Page 26 of 26

#248 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [bobw3] by backy

Apr 23, 2012 (4:42 pm)

Replying to: bobw3 (Apr 23, 2012 5:34 am)
CR's tests are over hundreds of miles, not a "few mile test drive". And I CAN compare FE over a test drive. Why not? Even if the computers are off, they give me some idea of relative FE. It appears from reading posts on edmunds.com etc. that many people who buy cars expecting high FE have never measured FE in a test drive that approximates how they drive a car on a daily basis. Then they are surprised when the car doesn't meet their expectations on FE.
 
So, by the data in fueleconomy.gov, it appears in real-world driving the 138 hp Accent and Rio get better FE than the 106 hp Yaris and 117 hp Fit. I don't see that as being a bad thing, as you seem to.

#249 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [backy] by bobw3

Apr 26, 2012 (6:04 am)

Replying to: backy (Apr 23, 2012 4:42 pm)
But the EPA MPG figures for the Accent and Rio are higher than the Fit, so my point is that just because a car tuned to get 40MPG on the EPA's highway test won't necessarily get a better average MPG than a car that can only reach 38MPG on the EPAs highway test.
 
And of course you can compare FE in a 5 mile test drive at your local dealer, but it won't be statistically as reliable as having a larger sample size, like those posted on fuelseconomy.gov.
 
That's why for me since all of the 4 cars listed in my previous post get about the same real-world MPG, factors other than MPG would be used to compare them.

#250 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [bobw3] by backy

Apr 26, 2012 (10:55 am)

Replying to: bobw3 (Apr 26, 2012 6:04 am)
And of course you can compare FE in a 5 mile test drive at your local dealer, but it won't be statistically as reliable as having a larger sample size, like those posted on fuelseconomy.gov.

What is more important to me than looking at results from other drivers is what fuel economy the car gets when I drive it. With my driving style. On roads I frequent. In weather that is what it is where I live. In traffic that is what it is where I live. With the kind of gas I can buy where I live. etc.
 
I have yet to be disappointed in the FE of a car I bought or leased after I measured its FE during my test drive(s)... which usually include a few days of renting the car. I try to rent a car and drive it for awhile in real-world conditions before plunking my money down on it. I get the impression from reading posts on FE that some folks have never done this, let alone even taken the car on a long test drive. They are surprised by the FE they get, and also surprised by other aspects of the car that a long test drive or better yet a rental would have brought out.

#251 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [backy] by bobw3

Apr 26, 2012 (6:00 pm)

Replying to: backy (Apr 26, 2012 10:55 am)
You're right that a few days of renting a car is better than a 5 mile test drive. Of course if the car you're renting or test driving isn't the exact car you're buying, then you'll also lose out statistically since you're only sampling a single car vs fuelseconomy.com where multiple cars are driven. Two exact same models of a car driven identically won't have the same mpg. Every car is a little different, which is another reason (other than the greater miles driven) that it's better to look at a large number of cars driven a large number of miles.

#252 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [bobw3] by backy

Apr 26, 2012 (7:34 pm)

Replying to: bobw3 (Apr 26, 2012 6:00 pm)
I always test drive the car I will actually be buying or leasing before signing the paperwork. Doesn't everyone?
 
No... I guess not.

#253 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [backy] by maxx4me

Apr 27, 2012 (3:19 am)

Replying to: backy (Apr 26, 2012 7:34 pm)
nope. I order mine direct from the assembly line where I get my car exactly the way I want it; not the way the dealer wants to give it to me. So, no; I never have test driven the exact cars I buy.

#254 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [maxx4me] by backy

Apr 27, 2012 (6:20 pm)

Replying to: maxx4me (Apr 27, 2012 3:19 am)
You don't drive the cars you order before accepting delivery? You have that right... just make it part of the purchase agreement.
 
I have had cars shipped in from out of town before when the dealer didn't have exactly what I wanted. (For some makes, there is no ability to order from the factory... including the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent I believe, the subjects of this discussion.) In that case, I made it a condition of the purchase agreement that I could drive the car before finalizing the purchase and could refuse to buy and get my deposit back for any reason--which would include lower than expected fuel economy. Or damage during transit, or I just didn't like the color when finally seeing it up close etc. I haven't had to reject a car yet, but I like having the final say-so on whether to pay a lot of money for a car I didn't get to see or drive before initiating the purchase.

#255 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [backy] by maxx4me

Apr 28, 2012 (5:39 am)

Replying to: backy (Apr 27, 2012 6:20 pm)
it is very difficult to order from the factory. I just hold my breath and stomp my feet for hours until I get my way. With the last car we bought (H Elantra Touring), I made the dealer drive 5 hours to swap out a car to get the one I wanted. White with the PP#2 and bluetooth was not easy to find in the USA. Hyundai has a policy of "not allowing" orders from Korea, so I punished the dealer by making them earn their keep. The car before that (Pontiac Vibe AWD), I had my car built to specs at the Corolla plant at NUMMI. Both of these accomplishments were done with the strong backing of a great buying service we have in our area. I can't imaging buying a house that I was sort of OK with, or that I was sort of OK with the neighborhood. I won't do it with my second most expensive purchase either. There are plenty of other same make/model cars to test drive and as long as there is a nationally backed warranty on the vehicle I am buying, I am not concerned about not having driven the exact car I am buying ahead of time. ((commentator's voice)): Do not attempt this with a used vehicle. Driven on a closed course.

#256 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [maxx4me] by backy

Apr 28, 2012 (10:45 am)

Replying to: maxx4me (Apr 28, 2012 5:39 am)
I can't imaging buying a house that I was sort of OK with, or that I was sort of OK with the neighborhood.
 
And I'll bet you'd never buy a house without first giving that particular house a thorough inspection... not a house that might have exactly the same floor plan.
 
Warranties are great, but not foolproof. For example, often have you read posts in Town Hall re someone getting far lower than expected fuel economy, e.g. 30 mpg in moderate highway driving on a 40 mpg car, taking the car to the dealer, and having the dealer say, "Sorry, it's operating to spec. Nothing we can do about it."? There are defects that are difficult to pin down. Also some cars have annoying rattles from Day 1, also difficult to trace and correct. So I'd just rather drive the car I'm buying, before buying it. To each his own.

#257 of 257 Re: Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent [backy] by maxx4me

Apr 28, 2012 (12:14 pm)

Replying to: backy (Apr 28, 2012 10:45 am)
no, I'd certainly rather try out the one I'm buying; it just isn't always realistic. For instance, within a year, I will likely get on a greyhound bus or plane to journey to where I can obtain a used, white Honda Fit with Navigation (hands free phone) somewhere in the USA. I will hope that it is a certified Honda, so I can at least have an extended warranty pinned to it.

Messages Page 26 of 26

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement