Fit vs. Si

Took the Accord in to the dealer yesterday for an oil change, and while
I was examining a Fit Sport on the lot (a rare sight at dealer lots
around here, although they're finally starting to become a bit more
common), a salescritter wandered over and I decided to take it for a
spin since I had some time to kill.

First impressions: roomy and comfortable (although since my regular
daily driver is a CRX, just about anything else qualifies as roomy and
comfortable), feels solidly put together with typical Honda quality.
Nicer than you'd generally expect something in this price range to be.
Didn't really test the handling much, but the engine had plenty of pep.
The Fit weighs about 400 pounds more than my CRX, with roughly the same
power, so it would be nice to have a bit more power, but as it stands
it's certainly adequate. This one had the 5-speed manual, and again,
there was the usual Honda slickness you'd expect.

It'll be interesting to see if these start to get discounted at all as
the all-new 2009 Fit gets closer. Judging from this:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=122688

there will be some pretty significant changes in the new car.

Pulled back into the lot, and saw someone else returning from a test
drive of a Civic Si sedan. I couldn't resist the chance to check that
one out, so while I still had the salesman's attention, I had him go and
grab the keys. Interior: nicer than the Fit, but the gauge cluster
absolutely blows. The digital speedo is awkwardly placed, but not nearly
as badly as the tach - like many have complained of previously, if
you're tall, the entire 10-to-2 quadrant is completely obscured by the
top of the steering wheel. It wasn't that long ago that Honda would
never have allowed an ergonomic disaster like this to go any further
than the drawing board. I'd take the Fit's much more functional and
traditional gauge cluster over this one in a heartbeat.

The real attraction, the engine, did not disappoint. As soon as you
start it, it's apparent from the exhaust sound even at idle that it's
not your average grocery-getter. Plenty of power, stratospheric rev
limit, it doesn't get much better than this. The downside: this car had
the optional NAV system, and the sticker was over $25K. Yeah, it's a
very nice car, but I can't see paying that kind of cash for it. I didn't
check the price on the NAV, but I'd bet it tacked on at least a grand to
the base price.

Now, if I could get the Si's K-series motor in the Fit...%-)

Dave