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Hatchbacks Honda Fit Article Comments - 2008 Honda Fit vs. 2008 Toyota Prius
92 messages, Last post on Jan 25, 2009 at 10:36 AM
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2008 Honda Fit vs. 2008 Toyota Prius - Thanks to a proprietary function called Edmunds.com True Cost to Own, we can answer the $8,425 question when it comes time to determine the relative value of the 2008 Honda Fit and 2008 Toyota Prius. (more)
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I find that comparing the Fit to the Prius in terms of utility, MPG, and cost (including TCO), is very valid. If I were shopping for a small car, I would check out both. But I would also drive the Civic and probably other small cars with good FE. I believe that there are some Prius supporters who simply cannot see that the comparison is based on FE, utility, and cost, not just amenities in the vehicles. They insist on comparable "feature sets" for each vehicle, but the bottom line is - does the buyer care about these features? I understand that people want to point out that the Prius may have more standard features, but that doesn't make the Fit an invalid comparison. The additional features are either an attraction (if the buyer likes them) or a detraction (if the buyer doesn't want the features, and prefers a more basic model).
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Replying to: stevedebi (Aug 06, 2008 4:01 pm) Yes. That's why Honda makes the Fit, the Civic, the Accord, etc. If features didn't matter, everyone would drive a Chevy Aveo (and save $5,000 off the cost of the Fit). Like I keep saying, if you want a valid comparison, it's easy -- simply compare the Honda Civic with the Civic Hybrid. They're exactly the same, except for the propulsion system. Anyone who avoids THAT obvious comparo, and instead compares a $15,000 car to a $23,000 hybrid, makes it clear that he's cherry-picking the criteria to draw a pre-determined conclusion.
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Replying to: 1stpik (Aug 06, 2008 6:00 pm)  Although you would not compare a $15k car to a Prius for your own buying decision, realize that there are those of us who would do it, and have done it. Empathy is a useful thing.
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Replying to: stevedebi (Aug 06, 2008 4:01 pm) Based on that then the Fit is a much better choice taking into account MSRPs. This has NEVER been questioned. If one doesn't need the 'feature set' of the Prius then the Fit is always the winner. Again it's never been a question. It's the same decision to be made between an Edge and an Rx350. They're both the same size and accomplish the same goal so based solely on utility the Edge is a 'better buy'....unless you don't want an Edge and prefer an Rx350. It's the same with the subject comparo. Buy the cheaper one, it will go from A to B just as well as the more expensive one.....unless you don't want a Fit and prefer a Prius. But...if this is going to be a purely economical analysis with 'feature sets' having no influence on the decision then the $15000 Fit should logically be compared to a $15000 Prius. Then the analysis should be made.
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Aug 06, 2008 7:35 pm)
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Replying to: backy (Aug 06, 2008 7:11 pm) Again however a bicycle is a better choice.
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Replying to: backy (Aug 06, 2008 7:41 pm) From the article the Fit has this deficiency, that deficiency, this safety feature deleted, that amenity missing. But it has more room and a 'cool' back seat.  If I was unaware of the Fit I'd exclude it simply because of what it lacks as reported in the article. In fact that's exactly what I did do when I got my Prius. I first excluded all vehicles Corolla/Civic - sized and smaller and all vehicles that didn't have stability control and at least 6 airbags. From the remaining vehicles I chose the one with the best fuel economy. |
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Replying to: backy (Aug 06, 2008 7:11 pm) OK, let's compare a two-door car with a manual transmission, no stereo, and no air conditioning to a four-door car with a CVT, six-speaker stereo with satellite radio and GPS, plus cruise control, auto climate control, and many other comfort features. Yeah, that'll prove once and for all that hybrids suck! When I said, 'simply compare the Honda Civic with the Civic Hybrid,' I forgot that some people will seize on any nuance in semantics to justify their position. So, yes, I should have specified that the test should be between the Civic EX and the Civic Hybrid -- that any topic presented as a "comparison" should actually entail a modicum of fairness. But don't worry. You could still compare those two cars and prove that hybrids suck. All you need to do is have a 95 lb. female drive the regular Civic at 55 mph across Western Kansas in whichever direction the wind is blowing on a warm spring day. Then, wait until the dead of winter, load up a Civic Hybrid with 5 obese passengers and a bunch of luggage, and drive it straight up a mountain in Colorado during a blizzard. Call it a "real world" test. Voila! You'll prove definitively that hybrids are a rip-off, and anybody who buys one is an idiot.
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Replying to: 1stpik (Aug 07, 2008 4:20 am) So now you say we should compare the EX to the Hybrid. The Civic EX does not have a CVT. The Coivic EX does not have auto climate control. The Civic EX does not have GPS--you'd need the EX-L with nav for that. 
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Aug 06, 2008 7:52 pm) Very, very, very, very simple: Suppose someone needs a small 5-door hatchback. There are some that cost around $15k. There are some that cost over $20k. So the buyer starts looking at all the small 5-door hatches. Then, as you noted, they start winnowing down the field based on their requirements. One requirement might be availability of ESC or not. But that is not a criterion for everyone. Maybe a key criterion is cargo hauling flexibility. Maybe another one is sharp handling. Maybe another one is ease of parking (live in a big city maybe). Now the Fit starts to look pretty good wrt the Prius. For other criteria, maybe it doesn't look as good. You sell cars for a living. Surely you know that each buyer is unique, has his/her own requirements that will steer them to certain cars vs. others. Just because the Prius meets YOUR requirements better than the Fit doesn't mean that is true for everyone.
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