Yup tony, I knew full well about the new hybrid and the Fit diesel. Neither will be out soon enough for me. I want a car before winter starts. The regular Fit is simple, cheap, neat, and available when I want it.

 

Did you consider the COROLLA?

 

:0

 

Funny you ask, evolution. I did actually test drive a new '09 Pontiac Vibe. Mostly because it's less ugly than the Toyota Matrix. The engine and transmission are alright and it has a pretty smooth ride but the interior is awful and it's a total boat in the turns compared to say, a Mazda 3.

 

I got word on pricing, and it went up slightly more than I was expecting. Final MSRP for my Fit Sport AT without the VSA/Navi package will be $17,580 including destination. Since this was $80 higher than the escape clause on the contract they called me to ask if I still want to go ahead with my order, and I decided I do.

I also decided to change my color choice to Milano Red. My knee-jerk reaction to the Orange was that it was cool but as I thought about it more I felt more and more anxious about actually driving around a bright metallic orange Fit for a few years. I already had a red Integra GS-R a few years back so I can deal with a red Honda.

 

i've always hated redish cars.

 

http://www.thetorquereport.com/2008/..._starts_a.html

PRESS RELEASE:

All-New 2009 Honda Fit Big on Style and Refinement, Small on Price and Fuel Consumption

Pricing starts at $14,550 with A/C, AM/FM CD player and power windows; EPA fuel economy up to 35 mpg highway

08/19/2008 - TORRANCE, Calif. - The completely-redesigned 2009 Honda Fit is set to go on sale August 26 with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $14,550, plus a destination and handling charge of $670, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. The Fit Sport, equipped with additional premium features, is also set to debut with a starting MSRP of $16,060, plus destination and handling.
The Fit is designed to lead the subcompact segment with a quality feel and a multi-functional interior. The Fit has become more refined for 2009 with a sportier demeanor through improved suspension, steering and body rigidity enhancements; an improved rear Magic Seat®; and a high level of standard safety equipment, including the addition of the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and front seat active head restraints. A new, more powerful 117-horsepower, 1.5-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine further improves the Fit’s high-revving, fun-to-drive character.
“With the all-new Fit, Honda is offering premium features and advanced technology within a high-function, small vehicle package,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. “Customers who choose the Fit are choosing superior refinement and premium quality, along with value and economy.”

Dimensionally compact on the outside with an overall length of 161.6 inches, the interior provides a surprisingly spacious passenger volume of 90.8 cubic feet and a rear cargo volume of 20.6 cubic feet. The seats offer multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations - tall object mode, long object mode and utility mode - in addition to the standard five-passenger mode.

An improved rear Magic Seat provides one-motion dive-down functionality without having to remove the rear seat head restraints to folds flat into the floor, creating a rear cargo volume of 57.3 cubic feet. Dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, dual front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) and side-curtain airbags are standard equipment on all models.

The engine produces 117 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 106 lb-ft. of torque at 4800 rpm. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard and a 5-speed automatic transmission is available. Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters allow for manual gear selection on the Fit Sport equipped with the available automatic transmission. The Fit equipped with the available automatic transmission achieves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city/highway fuel economy rating1 of 28/35 miles per gallon. The Fit with a manual transmission and Fit Sport with either a manual or the available automatic transmission achieve an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating1 of 27/33 miles per gallon.

The Fit comes with standard amenities such as air conditioning, an AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), auxiliary audio input jack, power windows, power mirrors and power door locks. The Fit Sport adds alloy wheels, an underbody aero kit, rear roofline spoiler, fog lights, security system with keyless remote entry and cruise control. The Fit Sport audio system provides six speakers, a five-mode equalizer and a USB Audio Interface .

For the first time, the Fit is available with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition on the Fit Sport, featuring a 6.5-inch screen and more than 7 million points of interest. Models equipped with the navigation system also include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), also known as electronic stability control.
The front MacPherson strut suspension and torsion beam rear suspension settings are tuned to provide a sporty, solid and dynamic driving experience. Upgraded by 1-inch on each model, larger 15- and 16-inch wheels (Fit and Fit Sport respectively) are shod with 175/65 R15 84S (Fit) and 185/55 R16 83H (Fit Sport) tires. The standard anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake distribution (EBD) uses 10.3-inch ventilated discs in the front and 7.9-inch drums in the rear.

 

how much is the Astra in the US?

 

hmmmm

sounds like a used fit is in my future ... give the 09's time to come down a lil in price

 

Good luck, used Fit's are fetching close to MSRP h: