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Anyone on here have any experience with (or ownership of) the Honda Fit or the Nissan Versa? My wife is trying to decide between the Fit and the Versa. I'm not much of a car guy so I cannot help her. Can you?

We've owned a Honda Fit for over four years. I have friends that own a Versa. First, the fit (no pun intended) and finish on the Fit is remarkable. Quality through and through, much better than the Versa. We have had zero problems. Regular maintenance has been the only expense and at our dealership, the cost is minimal. The ride is comfortable. The amenities, for a car in this price range, are first rate. Acceleration is more than adequate. Consumer Reports ranks it as the most dependable of it's recommended small cars. I would have no hesitation in buying another Fit if I didn't intend on keeping this one for at least 15 years (our previous car was a Honda Civic that was still running perfectly after 14 years). Go with the Fit.

My daughter was trying to make the same choice, and after we went and sat in the Versa we realized it just didn't fit like the FIT. The Versa's wheel was too close and the pedals too far, or maybe it was the other way around, but it was not ergonomically designed. She bought the FIT for the fit and then somebody t-boned her a month later (Mazda SUV ran a red light at 50 mph in a 30mph zone) and she walked away with a scratch on her ankle and a bruise on her upper left chest from the squib in the seatbelt tightening before the air bag deployed. The car saved her from serious injury and it was written off as a total loss by the insurance company. She went out and bought another one just like it and has been very happy with it for three years.
I was glad the car was designed in such a way that it was able to protect her in a crash...

It looks like my wife will go also Honda Fit. Honda seems to always get it right. I would have preferred to buy something by a domestic manufacturer, but they have nothing that is even close in quality... (price yes but quality and ergonomics and resale value no).

Just a thought/question, have you looked at the '11 Ford Fiesta? What I have seen, am VERY impressed.

My sister had a Versa rental I drove for an hour or so..... small car for a big guy.

The Honda Fit has more amenities though.

It's a buyer's market, test drive both.

angellr wrote:Just a thought/question, have you looked at the '11 Ford Fiesta? What I have seen, am VERY impressed.

The Fiesta looks promising, but we will most likely go with either a Nissan or the Honda due to excellent experiences with these products. Right now we have a 1986 Nissan Maxima that's survived 268K miles with routine maintenance . The car has never been inside it's entire life...it still looks good, no rust, daily commuter. However, stuff is starting to break, and it is getting difficult to find parts (even at the junkyard). Nothing against Ford...we have never owned one.

sjbmw wrote:My sister had a Versa rental I drove for an hour or so..... small car for a big guy.

The Honda Fit has more amenities though.

It's a buyer's market, test drive both.

Test drove both. The Fit beats the Versa in most areas...and wouldn't you know it...it costs about 2K more. She is leaning toward the Honda, however they are both well designed and thought out designs.

I rent cars frequently whilst traveling on business. I recently drove a Versa for a week. Two things I did not like:

1. No console/armrest for my right elbow. That one constantly bothered me. It appears that the 2011 Versa has added this much-needed bit.
2. No key lock or latch release on hatchback. The hatchback can only be opened by opening the driver's door and pulling the release lever. Aaarrrgh!

Otherwise a perfectly acceptable compact car. I've not driven a Fit, but I am virtually certain that the Fit is a better car.

I run a large used car dealership and handle all kinds of cars and in big numbers. The Fit is by far a better car than a Versa in every measure. The Versa's only virtue when compared to a fit is that it is cheap.

I bought a 2010 Fit Sport last spring. I think it's important to buy the Sport rather than the base model because of all the extras they have for not a lot more money. I looked at the Versa, but did not like the looks or the use of interior space. The Fit is really roomy inside for a small car. A couple things that could be issues: Noise, it's a little loud inside. That was not an issue for me because I don't expect small cars to be really quiet. (2) Ride is a little on the harsh side. Again it's an issue that does crop up when you're shopping in the $15-20k range.

It is a good deal of fun to drive. I have the automatic transmission with the paddle shifters and I enjoy running the little Honda engine up. This was primarily a work car for me but I regularly pack the wife and two teen age boys in it with no complaints. It's got good room in the back and big doors. It's a grear little car.
The sport has remote door locks, I guess you can unlock the hatch from the outside but I never do that because I have the remote, and the alarm is always armed. There are a few extras that a guy should add, console armrest, side protection strips, hood bug deflector, but most everything is there out of the box on the Fit Sport.