Catalepsy Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I got no problems with fold flat seats if they are comfortable...Because sitting in the back seat of a Honda Fit for any longer than 10 minutes and you will start to feel the seats. I guess my point is that comfort weights more than a perfectly flat surface...but the best solution, of course, is to have both. Maybe the Focus 3-Door is more what I would buy today if I were that young again. The Fiesta may well be too small for my tastes then... I'll have to wait and see for myself I suppose. A flat cargo floor is definitely considered a 'standard' item, especially in a hatchback. Even our 02' Daewoo had one. 3 years ago I went to check out the Fit (I saw a ton of them in Japan and wanted to see what the attraction was). You can be sure the salesman was gaga over the trick load floor of the 2nd row. Usable design IS a selling point. Perhaps the seats ought to roll forward in order to get a flat space back there... if not for sleeping then maybe just to haul laundry baskets, shopping stuff, bikes etc. And bare steel will get all scratched up.... better put in some floor carpeting back there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpvbs Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Kudos to Honda for the fold flat seat arrangement, but in reality, if you are shopping in the smallest class of cars available in the US, is cargo hauling ability really high on the list of criteria for most? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmm55 Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I'm surprised about the bare steel, I haven't seen that in any car in years. If they are going for a upmarket mini, this needs to be covered. I'd prefer moulded rubber/plastic. My Mustang has it carpeted, but the edges/holes for latches etc. look unfinished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I'm surprised about the bare steel, I haven't seen that in any car in years. If they are going for a upmarket mini, this needs to be covered. I'd prefer moulded rubber/plastic. My Mustang has it carpeted, but the edges/holes for latches etc. look unfinished. I would lay money on it being carpeted, although a material similar to the bed mat in Econolines would probably even work better.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmm55 Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Kudos to Honda for the fold flat seat arrangement, but in reality, if you are shopping in the smallest class of cars available in the US, is cargo hauling ability really high on the list of criteria for most? No, but it adds to the "Swiss Army" appeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I'm surprised about the bare steel, I haven't seen that in any car in years. IIRC, my Focus had steel on the back of the seats too...or it was plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang_sallad Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I got no problems with fold flat seats if they are comfortable...Because sitting in the back seat of a Honda Fit for any longer than 10 minutes and you will start to feel the seats. I guess my point is that comfort weights more than a perfectly flat surface...but the best solution, of course, is to have both. I've had a couple hour long rides in the back seat of a fit and I had no complaints at all. Girlfriend's parents just got one. Kudos to Honda for the fold flat seat arrangement, but in reality, if you are shopping in the smallest class of cars available in the US, is cargo hauling ability really high on the list of criteria for most? I can vouch against that. I want a small car, but I would like it to be as useful as possible. Its balancing two wants, we all want to be able to carry as much stuff as possible, but we also all want to have as fuel efficient and nimble a vehicle as possible. Everybody will find their own balancing point between those two wants. I don't need that big a car, so i'm sticking with something in the B-segment, but I'll take whatever I can get for carrying capacity in a car that size. The Fit's interior is intelligently engineered and requires less of a compromise, I would simply opt for that over the Fiesta, as much as I like Fords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I've had a couple hour long rides in the back seat of a fit and I had no complaints at all. Girlfriend's parents just got one. I can vouch against that. I want a small car, but I would like it to be as useful as possible. Its balancing two wants, we all want to be able to carry as much stuff as possible, but we also all want to have as fuel efficient and nimble a vehicle as possible. Everybody will find their own balancing point between those two wants. I don't need that big a car, so i'm sticking with something in the B-segment, but I'll take whatever I can get for carrying capacity in a car that size. The Fit's interior is intelligently engineered and requires less of a compromise, I would simply opt for that over the Fiesta, as much as I like Fords. ?....so its all about how a seat folds down not superior driving dynamiics and all round better execution.....ojk, scewed priorities but to each his own i guess.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang_sallad Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 it's not all about that, but it's not like the dynamics between these two cars is all that different, and I would say that for a car like this, which'll spend a lot more time doing daily driving duty than carving up mountain roads, utility weighs in at more important than driving characteristics. The seat bottoms also fold up in the Fit, that could be really handy for large items, especially a bike. And the Fit's cargo space with the seats folded down is much nicer. That practicality is a lot more likely to factor into my daily life than the handling of the car when driven at 9/10ths. If they both had similar seat mechanisms the choice would be easy for me. But the fact that the Fit has this clear advantage in terms of utility makes the choice a lot harder for me. Just sayin' is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 (edited) However, the Honda's secondary controls — window switches, wiper interface, center stack controls — are more consistently located right where you expect them and operate more intuitively. I didn't understand this complaint at all.......how are switches on the door panel armrest not "right where you expect and intuitive?" The "wiper interface" one I don't get either.....I don't remember exactly how the Fiesta's controls were (as it's been months since I drove one), but how difficult is it to figure out the different ways to move the wiper stalk to perform the function you want it to? The last complaint - center stack controls, I might be able to give them. I didn't really use the center stack controls when I drove the Fiesta, but while the look/layout of the controls is rather different than 1) what I'm used to and 2) what is generally in a (US) Ford, it appears as though the setup would have a very quick learning curve. And I'm sure the (apparently) touch-screen nav system made the controls in the Fit "right where you expect them and operate more intuitively." So, in my view, it appears as though there was somewhat of an attempt to skew it in Honda's favor, although the Fiesta ended up winning. Edited September 23, 2009 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extreme4x4 Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 They have used that complaint before, when comparing a Honda to a Ford. It may have been the Accord/Taurus comparison, or one of the dozens of ridiculous SHO comparisons........... I don't remember exactly. About the only thing I could figure, is that many of them own Hondas. Thus, a Honda layout would be very easy, and familiar to them. Much in the same way, that I can jump into almost any Ford, and feel right at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 When I first bought my 2006 Fusion....one thing jumped out at me right away....they changed the wiper control as it related to my 2000 Focus. The Focus had a separate stalk on the right of the steering column for the wipers and my 2006 Fusion had the wiper control integrated into the turn signal stalk on the left of the control....sounds minor until you had been accustomed to using it one way, then have to re-tune your intuitive thought processes for the "new" setup. I got used to it.....now, when I had an opportunity to drive a used 2000 Focus like my old one...I was twisting the turn signal stalk to no avail....LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03 LS Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 On purpose on not, Edmunds' "right where you expect and intuitive?" means right where Honda's switch is and intuitive as the way Honda is operating. As Extreme4x4 and twintornados explained, that's what they are used to. It does not mean it's better. it's not all about that, but it's not like the dynamics between these two cars is all that different, and I would say that for a car like this, which'll spend a lot more time doing daily driving duty than carving up mountain roads, utility weighs in at more important than driving characteristics. The seat bottoms also fold up in the Fit, that could be really handy for large items, especially a bike. And the Fit's cargo space with the seats folded down is much nicer. That practicality is a lot more likely to factor into my daily life than the handling of the car when driven at 9/10ths. If they both had similar seat mechanisms the choice would be easy for me. But the fact that the Fit has this clear advantage in terms of utility makes the choice a lot harder for me. Just sayin' is all. So, you take "slight" more space over "slight" driving dynamics and "slight" better interior materials. No problem there. How about the expected 5+mpg fuel economy to Fiesta? Since you also mentioned "Its balancing two wants, we all want to be able to carry as much stuff as possible, but we also all want to have as fuel efficient and nimble a vehicle as possible", is that more than "slight" differences to tip your decision one way or the other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 They have used that complaint before, when comparing a Honda to a Ford. It may have been the Accord/Taurus comparison, or one of the dozens of ridiculous SHO comparisons........... I don't remember exactly. About the only thing I could figure, is that many of them own Hondas. Thus, a Honda layout would be very easy, and familiar to them. Much in the same way, that I can jump into almost any Ford, and feel right at home. Good post. I forgot about that happening in the Accord/Taurus one, but now that you mentioned it, I do remember. You're probably right about the layout familiarity thing. On purpose on not, Edmunds' "right where you expect and intuitive?" means right where Honda's switch is and intuitive as the way Honda is operating. As Extreme4x4 and twintornados explained, that's what they are used to. It does not mean it's better. So, you take "slight" more space over "slight" driving dynamics and "slight" better interior materials. No problem there. How about the expected 5+mpg fuel economy to Fiesta? Since you also mentioned "Its balancing two wants, we all want to be able to carry as much stuff as possible, but we also all want to have as fuel efficient and nimble a vehicle as possible", is that more than "slight" differences to tip your decision one way or the other? Did they even talk about fuel efficiency in that writeup, I don't really remember reading it if they did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang_sallad Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 On purpose on not, Edmunds' "right where you expect and intuitive?" means right where Honda's switch is and intuitive as the way Honda is operating. As Extreme4x4 and twintornados explained, that's what they are used to. It does not mean it's better. So, you take "slight" more space over "slight" driving dynamics and "slight" better interior materials. No problem there. How about the expected 5+mpg fuel economy to Fiesta? Since you also mentioned "Its balancing two wants, we all want to be able to carry as much stuff as possible, but we also all want to have as fuel efficient and nimble a vehicle as possible", is that more than "slight" differences to tip your decision one way or the other? If they pull off 35mpg for the Fiesta compared to the Fit's 30mpg combined, that would be enough to sway me towards the Fiesta despite cargo space disadvantages. If it were just 32 vs 30, i'd still be having a hard time making the call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Harbinger Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Did they even talk about fuel efficiency in that writeup, I don't really remember reading it if they did. Wow - their only note of fuel economy: A slightly taller gear would also deliver better fuel economy during those long trips for which the sophisticated Fiesta is well-suited. .... Which gives exactly the opposite impression from reality! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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