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Thread: Picking up my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater this weekend

  1. #81

    Quick take: Mirage vs. Fit!

    Fit wins at...


    • Outward visibility: the Fit has twice as many side windows as the Mirage! There's a little triangle window ahead of the front door, plus a window between the back door and the narrower C pillar. That rear one especially makes a difference.

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    • Handling: The car weighs ~400 lbs more, but it feels lighter than the Mirage. The steering is direct and lively (much quicker ratio), and because the suspension stays flatter, it's a delight in swift cornering.
    • Active safety: See above - I'd much rather be driving the Fit if I had to take evasive action - eg. some kind of quick emergency maneuver like the Moose Test.

      GR YARIS doing the Moose Test...


      .




    • Not feeling like a cave inside: This is partly because of the above, partly because the interior surfaces are NOT ALL SOLID BLACK, FFS. I like an airy cabin.
    • Better audio: More powah? I don't know audio. All I know is this one goes to 11 or 12 vs. the Mirage.
    • Cargo stowage - AKA magic seats: Someone made a snide remark about "oooh, so what, the seats fold flat". But the best trick is the configuration where you tilt the rear seat cushion UP, and then you have a ~4' high space accessible through the side doors. Makes loading bulky objects amazingly easy.
    • Power: That part's obvious, and I don't really care about it.



    Mirage wins at...


    • Fuel economy: Obviously. Roughly 20-30% better than the Fit when driven similarly.
    • Gearing: believe it or not, the Fit and Mirage are at the same RPM in top gear for a given road speed. So the Mirage wins in my book (given its engine size/power), even though many of us still think it revs too high. That said, unlike the Mirage, the Fit has readily available options for swapping in taller 5th gears and/or entire transmissions from other Hondas.
    • Comfort 1: This is subjective of course, but the Mirage driver's seat is more comfortable for me. The Fit seat has more pronounced bolstering though, and the Mirage would benefit from some of that.
    • Comfort 2: The squishy suspension. Although having said that, the Fit isn't harsh. It's just firm.
    • Shift quality: The Mirage isn't great by any means, but I think it has a nicer shift feel than the Fit which is more "plasticky" and cheap feeling. (The Hondas of the 1980's & 90's would be shocked to hear this.) I also like the Mirage's feather-light clutch.
    • Value for money: pound for pound, the Mirage is a bargain compared to used Fit prices (well, used just about anything prices).



    Overall...

    In my ideal world, the Fit would have something like the Mirage's engine, or the Mirage would have something closer to the Fit's steering, suspension & cargo stowage options.

    I'm gonna miss the Fit, and I'm certainly glad I bought this one on impulse. I now understand why they're so popular and have such a following - they're an economy car you can love with your head AND your heart. The driving enthusiast's $#!+box.

    That said, I have liked getting back into the Mirage more than I thought I would.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to MetroMPG For This Useful Post:

    Casey (06-29-2021),Daox (06-29-2021),Fummins (06-29-2021),Mark (06-29-2021)

  3. #82
    Senior Member klroger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Basic View Post
    I dump a can of oil and a can of freon to get the gauge moving and then top off accordingly. It's not the right way, but it has worked for me for years...
    That sounds like what I do with my old Ford Ranger except I have an adapter made that fits my BBQ tank & I charge it with Propane... Really Cold... & Cheep... I should get a fire extinguisher???
    I didn't know what to do, so I didn't do anything

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage GT 1.2 automatic: 37.3 mpg (US) ... 15.9 km/L ... 6.3 L/100 km ... 44.8 mpg (Imp)


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  5. #83
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    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    GR YARIS doing the Moose Test...


    .
    Man that car is so cool... I can not believe they aren't bringing them here...
    Resident Tire Engineer

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 44.4 mpg (US) ... 18.9 km/L ... 5.3 L/100 km ... 53.3 mpg (Imp)


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    inuvik (06-29-2021)

  7. #84
    Of course, now that the car is for sale, it's developed an intermittent/infrequent miss under load. And no CEL/codes.

    Probably ignition related. So I picked up a pair of used coils from the junkyard this morning and am playing coil swap bingo.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Fummins (06-29-2021)

  9. #85
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    The infrequent miss under load is due to low A/C refrigerant.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  10. #86
    Oh stop it.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  11. #87
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        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  12. #88

    compressor!

    Quote Originally Posted by 7milesout View Post
    The infrequent miss under load is due to low A/C refrigerant.
    Turns out the COMPRESSOR was kaput!

    I was at my mechanic with my dad's car late last week and mentioned the Fit's AC. He said he would check the Fit, including vacuum & dye testing it, and would top it off with refrigerant all for $120 if there were no serious leaks.

    I thought that sounded fair, so I took it in. Unfortunately, the diagnosis was compressor. He said they're garbage in the Fits & Civics of that age (which I already knew from the number of ads that say the AC is busted).

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  13. #89

    Sayonara

    Goodbye Fit, I hardly knew ye!

    I sold it this morning, for $2200 as-is. Sold to a young guy looking to save money by using it as a runabout/commuter car instead of his pickup truck.

    I probably had about 15-20 hours into it: Cleaning, basic mechanical inspection, more cleaning (mouse pee stinks), touching up the rusty bits, yet more cleaning.

    Decent little car. Too bad about the MPG.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Mark (07-05-2021)

  15. #90
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    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    Goodbye Fit, I hardly knew ye!

    I sold it this morning, for $2200 as-is. Sold to a young guy looking to save money by using it as a runabout/commuter car instead of his pickup truck.

    I probably had about 15-20 hours into it: Cleaning, basic mechanical inspection, more cleaning (mouse pee stinks), touching up the rusty bits, yet more cleaning.

    Decent little car. Too bad about the MPG.
    When I saw this thread reappear, I figured it was bye bye time!

    Affordable/reliable/economical - If it's priced right, the Mirage is king! I sincerely believe that!

    "The Fit was named a top safety pick by the IIHS. With a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) at around $16,190, it gets 40 mpg/hwy and 33 mpg/city. The Fit's depreciation after five years is approximately $9,785, according to Edmunds."

    No matter how long I drive/own my Mirage, it will never depreciate the amount above. In all fairness, a used Fit may be price higher today (have less depreciation).

    The Honda Fit is a really nice car, & I am sad to see it leave the North American market. Having said that, the 3 cylinder charm of the Mirage has grown on me over the past few years.



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