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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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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#63 of 92 Re: Ford eCVT transmission [commofficer] by stevedebi Aug 22, 2008 (4:04 pm)
Replying to: commofficer (Aug 18, 2008 4:43 pm) "I've owned new GM, Chrysler and Ford products and will never do it again. The Pacifica was the last straw. CRAP! " The main point of my post was that the Toyota HSD is not unique - Ford technology is similar. But since you brought up the subject... My last two cars have been Fords, and each has had fewer initial defects than my Honda products. My last Ford had one defect after about 4 months; my FEH has had none so far (but it is still only at 5K miles). I don't buy Toyota because I don't like their ride engineering, and I had a series of bad experiences with their I4 engine on three different Camry's in the 1990's. I actually expect that the Ford eCVT will last a long time - it is similar to the HSD. So I would expect longevity to be similar. Because Ford is more conservative with their battery state of charge, I think it quite possible that the FEH battery pack will outlast the HSD packs. I think that the Ford Hybrid is holding it's resale value pretty well. I concur with your opinion of Chrysler.
#64 of 92 Re: [dirtbag] by stevedebi Aug 22, 2008 (4:05 pm)
Replying to: dirtbag (Aug 18, 2008 7:07 pm) " mainly for its fuel economy and the fact that I like hatchbacks" OK, that's twice someone has mentioned the Fit hatchback. The Prius is also a hatchback.
#65 of 92 Comparing Ford to Toyota by andres3 Aug 26, 2008 (4:44 pm)
Is like comparing Cubic Zirconia to Diamond, or "cheese product" to real California or Wisconsin cheese.
#66 of 92 Re: Fit vs. Prius [commofficer] by cbradley Oct 17, 2008 (10:59 am)
Replying to: commofficer (Aug 16, 2008 7:48 pm) I did a similar comparison of Fit vs. Prius with the added benefit of having a rental Prius for about a month. My last car was stolen and I was given a Prius to drive and I was excited to see what the hype was about first hand for a relatively long period of time. I was pretty disappointed overall with the Prius by the end of the month, especially for the pricetag. My biggest complaints lie with the feel of the car/engines while driving, the poor interior, and the complexity involved with maintenance and repairs. 1. The feel of the car/engine -- When I drove the Prius, I felt very disconnected to the road, almost as if I were turning a steering wheel on a video game console instead of driving a car on the road. I was also discouraged by the noisiness of the Prius in the cabin while driving. It could have been the cheap tires the rental company had on the car, but the sound of every bump or crack on the road is amplified in the cabin. The Prius did handle reasonably well and the slim track width made driving in the city easy. But, if you compare these benefits to the Fit, there is no advantage to the Prius. 2. The interior -- Wow, do I have an extensive list of complaints about the shoddy interior of the Prius. Not much on the dashboard's control panel feels instinctive to me and the materials (plastics, textiles, etc.) look and feel very cheap. Another major complaint of the interior is the lack of lighting on the dash. None of the buttons outside of what is on the touch-screen are illuminated making it impossible to see them at night. There are also no tactile guides for the buttons or controls on the dashboard, which makes the Prius somewhat dangerous if someone behind the wheel is fumbling around in the dark for the audio controls. The Prius also underwhelmed me with the cargo space. The Prius's interior cabin is roomy, but not in comparison to the '09 Fit. I was extremely impressed with the '09 Fit's interior--it really feels and looks high-end for a small price tag not to mention the enormous cargo space you get with the Fit. 3. The complexity involved with maintenance and repairs -- Everything in the Prius is electronically-controlled (brakes, steering, etc.), and most interior things by a touch-screen system on the dash. It is always more complicated (and more expensive), to maintain, fix, or replace electronically-controlled components of any automobile (my fiance is a BMW technician, and can definitely attest to this). The Fit's owner's manual is a pretty good testament to the simplicity of the repairs. Yes, there are electronic components to the Fit, but certainly not as many as the Prius. While I never needed to worry about maintenance of the rented Prius, I imagine those costs would add up in comparison to the Fit. If you are trying to purchase a new fuel-efficient car, there are a number of articles and studies done comparing the Prius to the Fit in overall cost and fuel-efficiency and all the reports have come back with the Fit ahead in these comparisons. One of the only issue I have with the Fit right now is the supply certainly hasn't caught up to the demand for the car, so most prices are either at or above MSRP. I paid slightly higher than MSRP for my 2009 Fit, but couldn't be happier with the 2nd generation. I know this review may sound like I work for Honda Fit's marketing division, but I was really considering a Prius as the replacement for my stolen car and went into the month of having the rental Prius as a great long-term test-drive. Unfortunately for Toyota, the Prius fell short. Replies to this message: backy (Oct 17, 2008 1:42 pm) cbradley (Oct 20, 2008 9:21 am) backy (Oct 20, 2008 9:51 am) kdhspyder (Oct 20, 2008 3:34 pm) railroadjames (Oct 20, 2008 7:20 pm)
#67 of 92 Re: Fit vs. Prius [cbradley] by backy Oct 17, 2008 (1:42 pm)
Replying to: cbradley (Oct 17, 2008 10:59 am) When someone buys a Prius, it's usually for one major reason: fuel economy. So, what was your fuel economy during the one month you drove the Prius, and how does it compare to the FE on your Fit? Replies to this message: cbradley (Oct 20, 2008 9:21 am) backy (Oct 20, 2008 9:51 am)
#68 of 92 Re: Makes sense to me ... [kdhspyder] by gas2hi Oct 17, 2008 (4:18 pm)
Replying to: kdhspyder (Aug 08, 2008 5:11 pm) The biggest "yearly" cost of owning a new car is DEPRECIATION!! All of the talking heads only talk about fuel cost "paybacks" in comparing a Pruis. In the 1st few years that the Puris was out,, most folks could drive the Puris for 2 yrs and sell it for what they paid for it!!. Their cost per mile was less than 10 cents a mile! for every thing. I currently own a Mini Cooper "S" and a 2008 Honda Fit, both that have GREAT resale value.and are really FUN TO DRIVE, have great utility factors. The main reason, I did not purchase a Purus is because they are very BORING to drive. I salute Toyota for investing in this technology vs American car manufactures who have gone for short term profits vs long term growth in investing in products / designs the car buying public want to buy. Remember, GREAT PRODUCTS solve all problems. (Example,Mini Cooper has been out 8 model years, still sells at "list price " or above,and has had a waiting list on most models since they were introduced.! The domestic auto industry said, Americans don't want small cars?, They were right about THEIR cars!, People desire GREAT small cars that are reliable, safe, fun to drive and look great. (Honda is reported to be coming out with a hybrid "sports car (CRZ) in 2010 that is fun to drive and will have great MPG. I vote with my wallet! Many people will say, I don't care about depreciation because I keep my cars for years., but a 10 year Honda is worth a 1K to 2K more than a like domestic car.and a Honda with 150K still has few more years of life in it!
#69 of 92 Re: Fit vs. Prius [backy] by cbradley Oct 20, 2008 (9:21 am)
Replying to: backy (Oct 17, 2008 1:42 pm) The Prius did get a little better fuel economy than the Fit, but not as much as I thought it would. I do mostly city driving with about 1 highway trip per week and the Prius had an average of 42 mpg and so far my 2009 Fit has been getting 32 mpg on average. Replies to this message: backy (Oct 20, 2008 9:51 am)
#70 of 92 Re: Fit vs. Prius [cbradley] by backy Oct 20, 2008 (9:51 am)
Replying to: cbradley (Oct 20, 2008 9:21 am) 31% better is a little better? Okee doke...
#71 of 92 Re: Fit vs. Prius [cbradley] by kdhspyder Oct 20, 2008 (3:34 pm)
Replying to: cbradley (Oct 17, 2008 10:59 am) Your points No 1 & 2 are perfectly valid because they represent your feelings or appreciations. Point 3 is less valid because in fact there is LESS maintenance and repair needed on a Prius than other non-hybrid vehicles. In addition in both the CR and JD Power rankings the Prius was the most reliable vehicle in it's class ( least problems/repairs ). In terms of overall cost, the TCO calculator done here on Edmunds is a good estimator, the lower initial cost of new vehicles does favor the less expansive Fit for a 5 yr ownership period. That's not ever been a question. However economically for that same 5 yr ownership period if one was looking ONLY for the least costly vehicle then a 2-3 year old Prius is a better choice than a new Fit. Same price as a new Fit but less maintenance and less fuel usage. Replies to this message: railroadjames (Oct 20, 2008 7:20 pm)
#72 of 92 Re: Fit vs. Prius [kdhspyder] by railroadjames Oct 20, 2008 (7:20 pm)
Replying to: kdhspyder (Oct 20, 2008 3:34 pm) Next time you're in want to compare the Fit & Prius you might want to hit your secondary tripometer to zero and drive about 11-14 miles and think about "that difference" in milage per gallon. Then you will appreciate the added miles you get from a Prius. By the way....I have gotten over 546 miles on a single tank of gas from my Prius and love it. Anyone know what a Fit gets to a tank? Just curious.