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

[MetroMPG]

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.
  
  
• 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.