Battle of the pint-sized wheels
Published Friday July 10th, 2009
Automotive How do Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris stack up?
WINNIPEG - People expect a lot from basic transportation these days. Comfort, convenience and sprightly performance are prerequisites for car companies that want to do business in the Canadian marketplace. Fortunately for those in the hunt for an inexpensive set of wheels, there are a whole bunch of options in the sub-$15K club.
At the extreme end of the low-buck spectrum, you'll see advertisements for a $9,995 Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio or Chevy Aveo.
Our two contestants can't compete with the Koreans (yes, the Chev is also Korean) on price, but that's not news, especially if you strictly look at equipment levels as a basis for judging value. To their credit, though, the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit we're looking at enjoy better reliability and resale value, along with lower city fuel consumption, than their more wallet-friendly foes.
The Yaris sedan, starting at $13,945, comes with electric power steering, tilt wheel, 38-centimetre wheels, a cabin-air filter, rear-seat heater ducts, CD/MP3 player with auxiliary audio input jack, and a split-folding rear seat with centre armrest.
Our tester was also equipped with an automatic transmission ($1,000) and the enhanced convenience package ($2,475), which adds anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, side and curtain airbags, power windows, keyless entry and some other goodies. Throw in the $1,220 destination charge and we're looking at $18,640 before taxes. Though our tester was a sedan, there are both two- and four-door hatchback versions of the Yaris that compete more directly with the Honda Fit.
The Fit hatchback starts higher into the teens than does the Yaris, at $14,980 for the DX. But it comes with 117 hp (vs. 106 in the Yaris), side and curtain airbags, power mirrors, anti-lock brakes, tilt and telescope in the steering, a trip computer, and power windows as standard equipment. There's certainly value in that price difference. Add air conditioning ($1,300), destination ($1,310), and an automatic transmission ($1,200) and the bottom line comes to $18,790 before taxes. That's about as close as you can get to similar pricing and equipment on these two cars.
Our Fit tester, though, leapfrogged right over the mid-level LX up to the Sport version, with 41-centimetre alloys, front and rear stabilizer bars, fog lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote entry, cruise control, upgraded audio with USB input, and a bunch of cosmetic goodies. Sticker price for our manual-transmission Sport tester was $19,280; add destination and you're up to $20,590 plus taxes.
It should be noted here that the Fit is available only as a four-door hatch, giving Toyota the edge when it comes to selection.
If you're looking strictly at practicality and passenger convenience, though, Honda offers the best body style.
Styling
Now this one really isn't fair, because our Yaris tester was dressed in "Pacific blue metallic" paint, which might as well be called geriatric blue metallic, because just looking at it made me feel old. That, combined with the plastic wheel covers and sedan body style, made the Yaris look about as bland as a white-out on the Prairies.
The Fit, on the other hand, was dressed for success in its Milano red paint and 41-centimetre alloys. Although both cars could be described as jelly beans, there's also more character in the Fit's shape. Had our Yaris been an RS hatchback this would have been a much closer match on the styling front.
Interiors
Inside, the Fit is determined to make more of a statement, following in its big brother Civic's footsteps. While not as radical as the Civic's two-tier setup, the Fit's instrument panel is sporty and modern with tasteful colours and textures.
That contrasts quite a bit with the more utilitarian interior of the Yaris. The centre-mounted instrument panel seen first in the Echo hasn't really caught on, and the rationale that it's easier to focus on is offset by the fact that one needs to look away from straight ahead to do so. Regardless, one gets used to the odd gauge placement after just a short while behind the wheel.
Both of these cars have cup-holders located high up at each end of the dash. It's a great spot (particularly for a south-paw like me) that I wish more companies would utilize for their cup holders.
The Fit gets further points for having not only a split-folding rear seat, but one where the seat bottom can be tilted up to accommodate larger items in the rear seat area. There's not much of a hump in the floor, either, further enhancing the Fit's utility.
Driving Impressions
Both cars benefit from smooth, efficient four-bangers that keep quiet unless they're being pushed. But here again the Fit is more appealing to me because of its sportiness. The extra horsepower doesn't hurt, to be sure, but it has more to do with steering response and cornering attitude which make for a more involving driving experience.
It's tough not to let the Fit's smooth-shifting five-speed manual outshine the Yaris's four-speed slushbox. Even so, if a two-pedal arrangement is what you're after, the Fit benefits from five forward gears rather than four. This helps the Fit achieve similar fuel consumption ratings despite its 10 per cent power advantage.
Let's be clear about one thing: regardless of which of these you choose, neither is at home performing aggressive passing moves on the highway. Around town, though, they both do just fine.
With both cars consuming about 5.7 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres on the highway (and around seven in the city), they make a strong case to those who would like to do their part to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions but find most hybrids out of their price range.
The verdict
Choosing between the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris is less about which is better and more about which one appeals more to you as a new car shopper. For younger buyers (or at least young at heart), the Fit can keep its driver's pulse going just a little bit quicker. And that fits me just fine.
Some other frugal choices (and starting prices before discounts):
Chevrolet Aveo $13,270
Kia Rio $13,595
Hyundai Accent $13,595
Mazda 3 $14,895 (2009)
Nissan Versa $13,598
Pontiac G3 Wave $13,770
Smart Fortwo $14,990
Suzuki Swift $14,495
Ford Focus $14,799
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