regfootball

Mini is cute and femme like a Beetle and has heritage, but the main reason people buy them is because its a BMW. Ultimately a lot of folks determine that some size in a vehicle is required. A mini is a nice toy but at some point its merely a one person / no cargo affair. Certainly something even a Fit buyer understands. You can point to the success of the mini and say that everyone wants one. Small and cute worked for the beetle when it first came out too. It's still around but nowhere near as desirable in the market as it was when it was fashion, too. Keep in mind that many mini buyers were people who owned huge luxo barges and then got downsized in their style of living. The only way to save face from being downsized in a fashion conscious world is to still 'get the badge' at any cost. Mini is the cheapest way to still be Gucci when it comes to cars. At least the FIesta has four doors and a usuable back seat. That's all most folks really want and SOME cargo space. There's a reason why crossovers and trucks and such are what people gravitate towards and why small cars get shunned. Like i said, when it becomes a TCO need is when smaller cars start to get buyers back. You are overestimating the long term desirability of the subcompacts in the US, unless the continued overlegislation and intrusive mpg at all cost push continues unabated. Like I said, lets look at how well the Fiesta does on the market after the first twelve months. Persumably as awesome as hot selling rigs like the Volvo C30 and Audi A3.

The SX4 has equal or better quality than the Fit. The gearbox in the SX4 is not quite as slick as the Fit, but by its own right is very good. COnversely, even a base Rabbit has as good a gearbox as the Fit or better, but everything else about it feels more worth your money.

define best- when you are making 60 payments on a car, you don't want it to be a loud cheap $h!box like the fit seems to be. its fun to drive, but there are plenty of other cars that are just as fun. i would in no way say its the best, because it just depends what you are looking for. if a plasticky video game dashboard, thin doors, mouse fur seats, and cabin noise means quality to you, than go for it. the notion of premium subcompacts too, is overblown. time will prove again that Americans will gravitate towards larger cars. they will buy as large of cars as they can swing (and that the government will allow under regulation) more often than not. good compacts available is a nice option, but the price of them still has to have a lid kept on them, the mini is the only 'premium subcompact' that sells enough to justify its being sold here. there are more ford dealers who will tell you to your face they would sell many more fiesta for 15k and under than loaded at 22k. you can't advertise a 22k subcompact as a loss leader in your newspaper ads. fuel economy is not a justification to pay 23k for a car. because you can always buy the hyundai accent for half the price and get great mpg too. Premium compacts will be a worthwhile niche but most of the market buying compacts will still be focused on TCO and user convenience. Proof? check corolla sales and elantra sales....... Fiesta will do well out of the gate year one because of the hype, but check back after that. FOrd will need to keep most of them in the 13-17k price range to sell consistently beyond that.

oh that car was an original clunker. i think it met its maker looooooong ago. tell ya what though. what i want now. the exact same kind of car. a hatchback, simple. the chevette scooter of today with a diesel or 40+ mpg gas engine, but i want zip too. the rear seat deleted but a couple of easy detach jump seats like in the aztek would be perfect. the aztek seats come in and out real easy and are light and comfortable. a two seat hatch with pull out seats like the aztek has would be perfect. basically a diesel astra with fit like cargo area and a low price. or a golf diesel i guess....LOL. the guys in my high school class use to move the vette and life part of it up into the sidewalk and leave the other half on the street. it was easy to pick up...LOL hey how bout a GM version of the CRX or Escort EXP? I always liked the Vegas we had too.

i didnt but thats good 2 know

you finally admit, the RDX was a fuel sucker. Honda has no clue about turbo.

Y'all don't like Khloe's cinnamon rolls? Kim is hot because of that endless tushie buffet. But Khloe's ocean has lots more to surf. Catherine Bell, now there is another Armenian that is samokin.

yikes who is following me now? i never get on twitter. i have maxx ed out social media. PCS is that caddy in your avatar the XTS?

i had an 80 or a 79 chevette scooter. the interior was indeed 'elemental'. i dont think it even had FM.

YUP. kHLOE. Kim is or was dating REGgie BUSH

OK, for me, it's KHLOE in a LANDSLIDE, not even close. She's awsum...... wtf the deal with Bruce? My gosh he looks freaky. Yet he's funny sometimes with his dimwittedness.

fits fetch sticker. the other cars mentioned do not, and spec for spec can be optioned to an equal or better price vs. the fit. rebates and such apply. in total cost of ownership, once you check out insurance and everything else, you find that the Fit is not as cheap as it initially seems. then the question becomes why you would settle for a loud cheap interior, less than 120 hp, all such. for example, a mazda3 2.0 like equipped is not going to be more if much more than a Fit, but its going to be a more solid vehicle. the fit is a very good car, but the glorification it has gotten has given it this mytique that it is 3 levels better than God when in truth its just a small light crackerbox with tight handling and good shifter and a video game dashboard and it can carry a lot of stuff in its cargo bay.

checked out a Lancer hatchback this weekend. didn't drive it or sit in it, but despite it not looking great in pictures I actually liked it in person and much preferred it over the sedan. so as far as compacts go, to me, i would consider one. still has poor mpg, and a new 4 cyl galant is just as cheap, but i like the Lancer interior, its spacious, ok price, and the warranty is great. the Mazda3 is a good car, but its new popularity with the immature boy racer set, and the big cheese grille have turned me off that car completely. Still can't wait to see the 010 Golf. SX4 gets 150hp and 6 speed manual std for 010 as well.

i've driven the FIt, its fun, nice shifter. Its a bit noisy and for a small vehicle like that it may feel refined (especially to others in the segment) but i think Honda has some work to do to make the Fit feel like its quality piece. Fun and utility are the Fit's strengths. The Fit needs more torque. I've driven the SVT Focus a few times. I never liked it at all, me the Ford guy. The engine sucked and it just didn't appeal to me, even though I did like the ZX3 and ZX5. It was noisy in an unrefined way and just raw, not composed. Only 140hp. Maybe it handled well, but i just never enjoyed it. To take this comparo one step further, the Versa is terrible. One of the worst cars I have driven in recent memory. I don't understand why someone would spend 18k on a 117hp Honda Fit, when they could still find a new or lightly used Astra (more hp, more refined, more fun, better looking, more solid, feels way better) over a Fit. Also, the SX4 feels as fun mostly as a Fit and for 2010 comes with a 6 speed and 150hp and is as commodious for passengers. Anyone concerned with shift feel will still probably like the shifter on the Golf / Rabbit / GTI more. A base Mazda3 will compare costwise to the Fit and is a more sensible car. Both the Fit and Maz3 are equally immature looking. In the end, to me, the only standout reason to get a Fit is the commodious / flexible cargo area and cartoon looks. Edmunds should have put some all season tires on the Fiesta to be fair.

it would need a 200hp version. the angry fish look may not sell well here, and its a bit of a crackerbox too, the price better not be very high. the Fit is a sh*tbox, so it shouldnt be too hard for the Fiesta to compete.

LMAO!!!!

maybe using a more direct reacting mechanism without the offset and added joints means better steering response. do the RHD cars have the same issue?

your post is all pretty much da shizzle. especially this part. the 50% i have heard from multiple sources, i think it was for registered folks although i can't see how it would be different for non registered. and whoever still does have a job, lots of those folks are workin 32 hours. at least the firms have mercy. instead of watching billables drop, give them the time off to keep the utilzation rate up, since you were gonna cut their pay anyways. and the workers get 3 day weekends. and one day less a week with coworkers!!!!!!!

you IT folks high jacked the term 'architect'. by architect, i mean buildings and construction. not IT.

lovin that new astra a lot. shame we prob won't get it here. if so, it will have a stupid waterfall grille on it.

the second part of this is so true. there are some folks i know or have encountered that not only are mean hypocrites about others behavior, and think they are righteous, when in fact they are self hating and self destructive and just use others to push the blame of their life onto others. and they really would benefit from a THE rapist. the honest therapists tell it like it is. I know one person who each time this person bails on a new therapist is when the therapist calls them to be responsible and own up to whatever part of the problem they are causing and making worse. Yet these are the people who are most vehemently blaming others. i almost think everyone can use a little therapy from time to time but i guess that is called 'happy hour' and piggybacks on bob's co-worker thread. lol

start a 'security company'

maybe bob is covering up something......

the astra's seats are one of the top reasons i want one. perfect firmness. although, i would get leather. the cloth is austere.

if this were a facebook page, i would LIKE this. lol recruiter told me yesterday bob, that unemp in our field in boston area is SEVENTY percent. not just 50 like it is here. SEVENTY. he says it will hit 70 here before things turn around. in the meantime, me and my son watch movies and surf on C/G