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Article Comments - 2008 Honda Fit vs. 2008 Toyota Prius

92 messages,  Last post on Jan 25, 2009 at 10:36 AM

You are in the Honda Fit Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

What is this discussion about? Honda Fit, Toyota Prius, Car Comparisons, Hatchback

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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#22 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [stevedebi] by kdhspyder
Aug 06, 2008 (7:35 pm)
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Replying to: stevedebi (Aug 06, 2008 4:01 pm)

Since they are relatively the same in size it does make sense to compare the two for simply utility. Based just on that they are approximately equal.
 
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.
#23 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [kdhspyder] by backy
Aug 06, 2008 (7:41 pm)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Aug 06, 2008 7:35 pm)

If you read the comparo (you did, right?) you noticed that the cars were compared on many criteria, not just on fuel economy. And it was a very narrow margin at the end--the authors admitted that normally such a close finish would be a toss-up. But the TCO advantage of the Fit swayed the decision in its favor.
#24 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [backy] by kdhspyder
Aug 06, 2008 (7:52 pm)
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Replying to: backy (Aug 06, 2008 7:11 pm)

But why logically would you consider comparing a $15000 vehicle to a $23000 vehicle? What purpose does it serve. Is it an attempt to justify buying the more expensive one 'Maybe if I save enough gas then I can justify it?' that seems to be forcing a square peg into a round hole. Just buy the lesser one if all that matters is minimizing the Total Cost of Transportation. That has never been in question.
 
Again however a bicycle is a better choice.
#25 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [backy] by kdhspyder
Aug 06, 2008 (8:08 pm)
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Replying to: backy (Aug 06, 2008 7:41 pm)

Please.... we sell them.
 
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.
#26 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [backy] by 1stpik
Aug 07, 2008 (4:20 am)
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Replying to: backy (Aug 06, 2008 7:11 pm)

"OK, let's compare a Civic DX coupe to the Civic Hybrid."
 
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.
#27 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [1stpik] by backy
Aug 07, 2008 (6:20 am)
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Replying to: 1stpik (Aug 07, 2008 4:20 am)

Now I am confused. Didn't you suggest that we should compare the ICE Civic to the Hybrid Civic? But wait... no ICE Civic has a CVT (at least not in the U.S.); only the Hybrid has that. How many non-Hybrid Civics have auto climate control? Do all Hybrid Civics have GPS?
 
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.
 
 
#28 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [kdhspyder] by backy
Aug 07, 2008 (6:29 am)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Aug 06, 2008 7:52 pm)

But why logically would you consider comparing a $15000 vehicle to a $23000 vehicle?
 
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.
#29 of 92
Re: It depends [tiff_c] by bobw3
Aug 07, 2008 (6:52 am)
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Replying to: tiff_c (Aug 05, 2008 2:26 pm)

If you think the Fit is underpowered, what are the driving conditions where you live? And are you downshifting to a lower gear to get more power when you need it?
#30 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [backy] by 1stpik
Aug 07, 2008 (8:17 am)
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Replying to: backy (Aug 07, 2008 6:20 am)

" But wait... no ICE Civic has a CVT"
 
The Fit doesn't have a CVT, yet the Prius does. Funny how that distinction doesn't negate the Fit vs. Prius comparison.
 
And suddenly disparities in creature comforts between the two Civics seem to matter for comparitive purposes ..... but not for the Fit. vs. Prius comparison.
 
And what about the fact that the Civic is manufactured in the United States, while the Civic Hybrid is made in Japan?
 
Plus, the regular Civic uses 10W-40 motor oil, while the hybrid uses 0W-20.
 
And if the two Civics are different colors, then they can't possibly be compared.
 
In case anyone is missing the satire here; it's amusing to hear someone claim that a Honda Fit approximates a Toyota Prius, while also claiming that the i.c.e. and hybrid versions of the Honda Civic are too different to compare.
 
Tune in later for my article: "Chevrolet Aveo vs. Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid."
#31 of 92
Re: Makes sense to me ... [1stpik] by backy
Aug 07, 2008 (8:21 am)
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Replying to: 1stpik (Aug 07, 2008 8:17 am)

Who was saying that the ICE and Hybrid versions of the Civic are too different to compare?

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