matt_a

Amen brother. Just looking at the profiles of the two cars does it for me.
Fit = minivan
xA = mini cooper

dexter_5000

if you want to save the new 06 models come stock with an aux port instead of getting the ipod deck. the only realy advantage i've been told to the ipod deck is it displays the songs on the deck. most people don't really care.

Subcompact Culture

Drive what you love, love what you drive. If you like the Fit more, get it. Just make sure you drive everything you're looking at.

I don't think you can go wrong with either car, qualilty wise. Performance wise, they're going to be similar. If you want to save a couple grand, get the xA.

wibblywobbly

The biggest thing that would steer me towards a Fit is the center mounted gauges in the xA.

I have driven my brothers xB and I know you get use to it, but I would much rather have them right in front of the steering wheel, like 99% of the cars on the road.

Psyco565

I would suggest getting a manual 5sp xA, it makes things more fun as long as you dont have much traffic to contend with.

matt_a

I thought that was going to be a big deal to me also, but it really isn't. It took me all of about 30 minutes to get used to the center mounted gauges.

dexter_5000

most people view it as some big inconvience of an issue but it really doesn't make a difference. you learn to adapt very quickly. its only when your tired i guess you might freak a little like i did once. got out of work tired looked down saw no gauges. thought that the light had burned out or something. then i realized i had forgoten that my guages where in the center. needless to say i felt somewhat dumb.

Chikubi

Having owned an xB for two years and just traded it in for a Fit Sport, I can definitely say the Fit is a bit of a step up overall. Arguing about looks is pointless -- while the Fit may be like a minivan to some, I've heard the xA described as a, "big headed toddler" and a "rolling doorstop". Coming from the xB, car insults are a dime a dozen, so what anybody could possibly say about the Fit goes in one ear and out the other. Between the two vehicles, best not to care what others think and just pick the one that you like the best. You can't go wrong either way.
Regarding performance, the xB was great, but the Fit is even better and I find I can push it much harder than the xB in many ways. Someone above mentioned the tires look small on a Fit -- on the base that's true, but on the Sport the tires are somewhat wider and lower in profile, 195/55R15 as opposed to 185/60R15 on the xA/xB. Suspension feels a bit softer, with a touch more body roll, but it's well dampened and controllable. Steering response is fantastic, xB had nothing on the Fit as the Fit is 12.8:1 and the xB was17:1, and the Fit is shorter lock to lock. You really can toss the car around in a way the xB never could do. As for the engine and tranny, both are MT and here is where the Fit really shines. The Toyota tranny has nothing on the Fit's -- shifting is just so much smoother, though clutch is about the same. The engine has a lot more mid-range pep, and with the gearing being what it is, feels noticeably quicker. Response is better too, kind of like having a somewhat lighter flywheel or maybe a pulley kit on the Toyota. Last tankful gave 34mpg in regular city driving.
Interior is both similar and different in many ways. Plastics for the dash, console, etc. feel indentical to what was in the xB and even look similar. Leather wheel is a nice touch and feels great. Window controls, etc. are practically identical, though there's no passenger power lock switch (Why??). Gauges are beautiful and easy to read. Stereo is very easy to use, has MP3/WMA capability w/ aux in, but I do think the sound in the xB's was a bit better overall. Seats are very comfortable and supportive, not really any different than the xB's though the material is fuzzy and more difficult to clean. Carpeting sux, but is thick so should hold up ok. No dead pedal also bites, but I got use to it fairly quick. Steering is light, but has good precision. Rear seats are very flexible and space is used better, but legroom is a bit tight, though comfortable. Rear cargo area is much larger and lower, though the cargo floor cover feels a bit cheap. All things considered though, the interior has a definite grade up feel to it, and is dead quiet -- you can't even tell the engine is running at idle, something the xA/xB can't claim.

Which car is better? I think both have they're good and bad points, and the Fit Sport is more expensive, though the xA would be too if similarly equipped. I like performance, so in that sense the Fit is it b/c it just outhandles the xA/xB plain and simple. Aftermarket parts are not going to be a problem -- there's a large tuning base overseas w/ many parts that will fit here, plus makers like Tein, etc. are planning on releasing Fit parts for the NA models in the very near future. With over 3500 cars sold in just 10 days, the Fit has good potential, though it's just getting started. I think anyone who buys either car gets a winner, so it just boils down to what suits you the best. Anyway, just wanted to give some opinions from experience in case anyone wants to hear it from someone who's got experience from both sides of the fence.

champagne_supernova

document fees are the dealer's charge for fussing with your insurance company, getting the car registered and inspected, and preparing the sales contracts and, since you're financing, the financing paperwork and the guy who has to shop the loan around to get it picked up by a backer.

They're part of every car deal. My doc fees for my xA were $260 but it depends on where you are in the country and what services the dealer provides. Every car gets a doc fee attached. The dealer has every right to charge that fee and scion corporate will tell you such.

Pure price just means that the price must be posted and must be the same for everyone- NOT that the dealer must charge only the costs you see on the website. It is standard to add tax, title, and document fees to any purchase price, and the dealer can set the document fee at whatever value he wants, so long as it's posted and it's the same for everyone.

Heck, he could charge $20,000 for each xA and so long as every single xA cost that much, the pure pricing would not be violated.

Once again, doc fees are standard in any car deal and should always be accounted for in the budget. If you've ever bought a car from a dealer you know that.

oldmanatee

I have another question... Just how much time does the paddle shifter shave of the Fit's blazing fast 1/4 mile time? Sometimes, you don't need the latest gadgets.

corey415

Generally, automanuals (not DSG or SMG) dont shift faster or create faster acceleration times when compared to a regular automatic.

That does not mean paddleshifters are worthless though. They can be helpful if you forsee the need to downshift if you want engine braking (like when driving down a mountain road). It can also help if you need to downshift a couple gears for passing power when on the freeway.

Of course you can manually do this by moving the gear lever in a regular automatic; it is more difficult and clumsy with this method though.

In the end, if you dont like the paddleshifters you dont have to use them in the Fit Sport 5AT. You can leave it in full auto mode if you want to.

oldmanatee

If I wanted to shift, I'd get a stick....To me, the paddle shifters are just a waste of technology on a car in the price range of the Fit or xA.

GrantR

Juliofino, I think you are aware that you'd end up being happy with either car once you get one!

Regarding the xA - I'd recommend the manual transmission. a) cheaper, b) peppier (autos lose a bit of hp in the torque converter, unless you have a CVT like in my parent's Honda Jazz).

I also recommend this: don't buy any options as part of buying the car!!!! pick them up online at places like www.trdsparks.com for much less. (eg: the floor mats)

Although for the stereo it probably makes most sense to let them install. I was happy to get the base stereo option for my 06 xA.

Dealers always seem to like to have weird little additional costs. Here were mine:

12,730 base MT 06 xA
515 delivery/processing/handling
-200 tradein on POS rusty subaru legacy
= 13,245
662 5% sales tax
5 title preparation
144 documentary preparation
83 reg & title fee (I got new plates)
= 14,139 out the door

their 500+ doc fees is definitely a rip off! go find another dealer. And tell them you are doing so. they might change their mind and reduce their fee.

champagne_supernova

actually, here pure pricing is to the dealer's advantage. They cannot reduce the document fee to keep this customer's business and keep him from switching to another dealer, so if he wants the car from them, he has to pay the posted doc fee. Otherwise, another customer can call scion and report that haggling went on and someone got a better price, and the dealership can be fined by scion through the roof.

The dealer will likely let him wander instead of budging on the fee because losing one car sale is a whole lot better than losing two months of scion inventory.

Also, if they're charging that doc fee, clearly they are in a market that can support it, so he will probably find like charges at other dealers, especially if he is in an area thinly populated with scion dealerships.

mikem53

Nice write-up.. I am thinking about gettting the FIT and getting rid of my xB... It would be more fun driving the FIT as Honda is more performance oriented than Toyota...

Chikubi

Thanks! Definitely drive a Fit, but don't freak out if it feels really different at first -- i.e. the clutch pedal is a lot closer to the brake than the xB's, and no dead pedal feels wrong. That kinda threw me in the beginning, but now I don't even think about it. My only gripe is the gas pedal is a bit close for my taste and my ankle gets somewhat tired from it, but it's doable and it seems there may be a way to adjust it lower from hearing other Fit owners, but I haven't tried it yet. Other than that, it's a great car with a lot of potential in the near future, I think.

oldmanatee

You gotta love talk of trading an xB for a Fit on the xA forum......

Chikubi

deleted

Chikubi

Conversations don't always fit into neat boxes or catagories. I posted simply to give info about the Fit for anyone that was interested, since the thread was about choosing between the two and thought some first hand experience with a Fit might be useful. I had an xB before, so what can I say? No other Fit owner bothered to offer anything, so I thought I'd be helpful.

champagne_supernova

uh...that would be because this is an xA forum, so those of us here either have xAs, want them, or are enthusiastic about SCIONs in general.