Honda Fit & Toyota Matrix

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NetMapel

Guilty White Male Mods Gave Me This Tag
Toyota Matrix = http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObj...q4tzUiyvDYwybE3y1aw/0.9?fmg/matrix/intro.html
Honda Fit = http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/Models/Fit/2008/default.asp?L=E

Ok, so I may be in the market for a car. Being as inept with automobiles as I am, I ask for GAF's opinions about these two cars.

First thing first, I am not looking for any sporty or luxurious cars. I just want a good and sturdy car for me to drive that will give me a little bit of a height for a better view. Second, I have heard of the Matrix but have never heard of the Fit, so judging by the photos, they am assuming they are of similar built.

Anyways, please indulge me with some GAF wisdom regarding those two cars. What have you guys heard about them ? any personal experiences ? I appreciate all your help :)
 
I like my Matrix, weak and underpowered as it may be. I've had it for 4 years and counting, with no problems whatsoever.

Plus, I've given it quite a beating too, making it transport camping gear, wooden poles, stakes, etc.
 
Underpowered ? Care to expand on that please ? Also, do you have a definitive reason why you would prefer Matrix over Fit or is it only because you have experience with your Matrix ? Thanks :)
 
NetMapel said:
Underpowered ? Care to expand on that please ? Also, do you have a definitive reason why you would prefer Matrix over Fit or is it only because you have experience with your Matrix ? Thanks :)
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Well, 130 horses isn't enough for me. ;p

All jesting aside, it's fine as long as you don't intend to race. The engine itself is pretty loud though. And yes, I'm speaking only from my experience with my Matrix. :)
 
For my own safety and comfort reason, I need a car with a little bit more height than a sedan. That way I get better view of the road and stuff. I'm used to driving my mother's mini-van and I couldn't get used to my brother's Civic :P
 
Then you shouldn't get a Matrix or Fit, as they are both pretty low. You might want to think about a newer RAV4, it's higher than both the Matrix and Fit, and more roomy. I have a female friend who got one (Chinese), and she seems to like it. I've driven and rode in it, handles pretty well and you do get a pretty good view.
 
El Papa said:
Then you shouldn't get a Matrix or Fit, as they are both pretty low. You might want to think about a newer RAV4, it's higher than both the Matrix and Fit, and more roomy. I have a female friend who got one (Chinese), and she seems to like it. I've driven and rode in it, handles pretty well and you do get a pretty good view.
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Ah yes, I definitely have RAV4 in mind as well. I dunno, when I looked at the Matrix on the road, it seems high enough to me. I'll keep what you said in mind though. Thanks :)
 
The Fit and Matrix are in different segments.

The Fit is a subcompact and the Matrix is a compact.
The Fit's a nice little car, especially for the money, while the Matrix is much larger and a bit more comfy.

A new Matrix is coming out this year. The new Fit is out in Japan and should be here next year...
Neither provide much height though.

If you want a hatchback, you can't beat the Mazda3. Sporty, expensive-feeling, and great value. The new Impreza looks nice imo too.
 
Pochacco said:
The Fit and Matrix are in different segments.

The Fit is a subcompact and the Matrix is a compact.
The Fit's a nice little car, especially for the money, while the Matrix is much larger and a bit more comfy.

A new Matrix is coming out this year. The new Fit is out in Japan and should be here next year...
Neither provide much height though.

If you want a hatchback, you can't beat the Mazda3. Sporty, expensive-feeling, and great value. The new Impreza looks nice imo too.
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Hmmm... Mazda3 Sports looks pretty good but is slightly above the price of Matrix and Fit. However, it does look slick and I never knew about this before. Thanks for letting me know and I'll keep an eye on this car :D
 
I drove a Matrix for a month when I was away on business.

It was OK, I guess you could say I was pleasantly surprised, but as previously mentioned the engine doesn't have much kick and seems to struggle (read: gets extremely loud) when heavily accelerating. Besides that, I'd recommend it.
 
What about a Scion? The xA, xB, or xD could fit your needs. I think the xA was discontinued but you could probably still find it on some lots.
 
Not sure if you'd be into it but the Yaris hatchback looks awesome with the Kaminari lip kit. It's really simple and gives it a sporty look.
red%20yaris%20lf%20view%20med.jpg


I suggest that or the fit.
 
The Honda Fit has won just about every comparison report it's been in. It has good gas mileage, good safety, as well as excellent interior materials for it's class, and most important, it's fun to drive. It's best in class but like other have said the Matrix is bigger. I believe there will be a new Honda Fit next year and I believe a new Matrix too (if it isn't out yet).
My recommendation between the two is a Honda Fit Sport.
 
lol now you guys are just making this decision even harder to make now. HMMMmmm... seems like a test drive is the way to settle this. By the way, I'm extremely poor so I won't be getting any sport-model unfortunately :P
 
NetMapel said:
Hmmm... Mazda3 Sports looks pretty good but is slightly above the price of Matrix and Fit. However, it does look slick and I never knew about this before. Thanks for letting me know and I'll keep an eye on this car :D
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You've never heard of the Mazda3?
Do you know what a Honda Civic is? A Toyota Corolla? A Nissan Versa? Scion? Lancer? Hyundai Accent? etc.

I suggest you do a lot more research before making a decision. Or, get someone you know who likes cars to help you out.

I enjoy learning about cars. Not everyone does. But, when you're spending that much money, you should make a fully-educated decision.
 
I've owned a Fit Sport for a few months now. So far it's been an excellent car, fun to drive, roomy, and great for moving stuff.
 
Pochacco said:
You've never heard of the Mazda3?
Do you know what a Honda Civic is? A Toyota Corolla? A Nissan Versa? Scion? Lancer? Hyundai Accent? etc.

I suggest you do a lot more research before making a decision. Or, get someone you know who likes cars to help you out.

I enjoy learning about cars. Not everyone does. But, when you're spending that much money, you should make a fully-educated decision.
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I have heard of most of these cars. I find myself looking more into mainstream brands like Toyota because of quality/trust issues. However, I do agree that I need a person who is into cars to help me. Hence I'm starting with GAF ;)
 
NetMapel said:
lol now you guys are just making this decision even harder to make now. HMMMmmm... seems like a test drive is the way to settle this. By the way, I'm extremely poor so I won't be getting any sport-model unfortunately :P
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If you want the best bang for your buck, look at 3/4/5 year old mid level luxury cars. They can be had for the price of one/two year old entry level cars.
 
Since you are looking at Canadian models, there is no Scion brand in Canada. I suggest that you visit the VWVortex's Car Lounge and ask there about the best car for the amount of money you want to spend and what is important to you.

In my opinion, you will probably want a mini-SUV, given your preferences. Thus, the best ones to consider are the Honda CRV, the Toyota RAV4, the Hyundai Santa Fe, and the Ford Edge.

However, I strongly believe that you should not buy a car until you have thoroughly test driven everything. That means going and test driving all cars that you could possibly want and afford. Having helped many people decide on a car (I got a master's in mechanical engineering and did research on new car engines), the best car for you is found only after you have been in it and driven it.

Personally, I happen to think that the Mazda 3 is the best small car in Canada, the Fit is the best sub-compact, and the CRV is the best mini-SUV.

Good luck.
 
DarkJediKnight said:
13-207Rcup-peugeot2.JPG


This is the one I really want!! My dream compact car. In this color scheme too.
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Got a question for you guys; I hope I'm not impeding on the OP's thread but this seemed like the right place to ask.

What is the closest car to the Peugeot 207 looks/style-wise in North America? I could care less about power. As long as it has good gas milage, I'm good.
 
NetMapel said:
For my own safety and comfort reason, I need a car with a little bit more height than a sedan. That way I get better view of the road and stuff. I'm used to driving my mother's mini-van and I couldn't get used to my brother's Civic :P
Click to expand...

Look into the old Scion xB.

6l1kwvp.jpg


6llqql3.jpg


I test drove one, and it seated and felt more like a minivan to me. Seating is not at all like an Escort, Matrix, or Taurus.

The new Scion xB is bigger and not much roomier than the old xB.

I currently have a Matrix and it suits my needs. Only major annoyance thus far is the placement of the climate controls. When the car is in park it's hard to manipulate the blower speed. >:|
 
personally for a taller car I'd look into a RAV4, and if you wanna save some money buy a used one from 2006 or 2005 from the dealer if it saves a decent amount of money
 
Wellington said:
Do those girls come with the car? Nice chests. ;)

What is you price range, Net?
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Well I'm planning to buy it used, so I'm hoping for below $20k CAD :O
 
My mother just bought a Honda Fit. She is getting 38mpg with it which is pretty damn impressive. For the price the Fit is pretty tough to beat. I recommended the Mazda3 to my mother, but she wanted something more compact and fuel efficient. What do you really want out of your car? If it is height then the Fit is NOT it. The car is low and mean. It is also pretty sporty with the manual transmission.
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
I'm just shocked there are decent looking chicks who'll whore for a Scion xB. But I tend to give humanity far too much credit anyhow. :P
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when your range of pay is hundreds of dollars per hour you would whore for any car.

I've met an import model who wasn't that great looking but I heard she was making 800 and hour from a friend. Must have been the makeup
 
Zyzyxxz said:
I've met an import model who wasn't that great looking but I heard she was making 800 and hour from a friend. Must have been the makeup
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$800 an hour?

She's gonna have really sore orifices after that hour.

Sory, sorry . . . car talk. It's about car talk. :P
 
Thought I would bring this thread back up. I am in the market for a car because my 94 Taurus was rear ended and it's just not worth fixing. I have been dreaming of a Honda Fit for a few years, but I didn't want to buy one new because I have so many student loan payments right now. Anyways, I am test driving an 07 Fit Sport with 56,000 miles on it Saturday. They are asking 12,480 which I'm assuming is going to go down once I'm there. Does anyone own a Fit? How do you like it? I've never bought a car before -- does this one have too many miles on it? I will have a 35 mile commute each way to work and the Fit gets amazing MPG. Any advice would be appreciated!
 
Blind spots kill the Matrix. Trust me.. my family owns one T___T

EDIT: Reading fail. I didn't know this was an old thread. Sorry.
 
peach said:
I'd love one but it's out of my price range.
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From a quick look at Kelley Blue Book, that price seems reasonable.

Hard to go wrong with a Honda, and 56,000 miles really isn't too bad for a car like that. My 2002 Accord has about 120,000 on it and is still extremely reliable.
 
Mazda 2 is coming to North America I believe

Fits are great cars but they are too high altitude IMO

I am still in the low centre of gravity mindset of the old Civics and old Accents
 
I would have gotten a Fit myself if it wasn't for the fact that Honda does not care about giving good financing deals *at all* on the Fit (apparently they're only made in Japan and sell out so Hondo doesn't care to give good financing deals). Ended up with a Kio Rio5 (subcompact like the Fit) and am happy with it.

if you want to be as cheap as I was on a new car then go for a car company that gives a 5 year financing deal at 1.9%. I'm paying 400 bucks a month (CAD) including insurance for owning my Kia Rio5 and that comes with a 5 year warranty. Maybe consider a Kia Soul?

2010-kia-soul-1.jpg
 
Hieberrr said:
Blind spots kill the Matrix. Trust me.. my family owns one T___T

EDIT: Reading fail. I didn't know this was an old thread. Sorry.
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:lol yeah, the Matrix has had a complete redesign (with the awful visibility) since this thread was created. What an epic thread bump.
 
teruterubozu said:
:lol yeah, the Matrix has had a complete redesign (with the awful visibility) since this thread was created. What an epic thread bump.
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I find many new compact car designs to have horrible visibility for blind spots and rear window

I took a look at the 2009 Accents and my God! that is a small rear window when compared to 2003s
 
Azih said:
I would have gotten a Fit myself if it wasn't for the fact that Honda does not care about giving good financing deals *at all* on the Fit (apparently they're only made in Japan and sell out so Hondo doesn't care to give good financing deals).
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Interesting. Is this true of the Civic as well? I think I'll be buying one near the end of the year and want the best deal I can get. My credit rating is great, but if they're not giving any deals, I'll probably look elsewhere entirely.
 
Ryu said:
Interesting. Is this true of the Civic as well? I think I'll be buying one near the end of the year and want the best deal I can get. My credit rating is great, but if they're not giving any deals, I'll probably look elsewhere entirely.
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Civics and Accords get good financing all the time. The Fit was a weird blind spot. The Korean manufactures were the only ones in 2009 that were giving out the 5 year loans at 1.9% amortized over 7 years though that might have spread to other manufacturers since then. Hyundai and Kia are cheap with Kia becoming oddly hip over the last year or so. probably not so good at holding value though.
 
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