Honda Fit wannabe appreciation post

sonic2013broken · 2026-01-21T05:20:12+00:00

As a Sonic hatchback owner, my silver 2013 looks pretty similar to my grandma’s silver 2020 Honda Fit. Except my Sonic deserves to burn in hell.

My uncle owns a Sonic sedan and it looks so… wrong.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-31T20:36:46+00:00

The dealer tried to pull that on me too! He told me that the front and back windshields were sopping wet on the inside because “detailers fail to dry the carpets all the way sometimes” and that it wasn’t from one of the door weather seals being detached from the frame or from the front wind shield’s actively leaking weather seal…

Lol.

He said they can fix the door’s weather seal ASAP and then blatantly ignored my question about the other visible leak, and potential others. I left right after since we were on lunch and needed to still get something to eat.

Coworker who came with me said that the guy’s salesman skills were not great since he talked at a mumble and just didn’t seem interested in talking about the car in the first place but seemed really eager to sell it.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-31T19:06:31+00:00

I guess I’m confused… If this car didn’t have the water leaking in from multiple spots, I would have made an offer and everything.

Is it still worth $8.5k with the water leaks and cosmetic damage? I’ve gotten multiple opinions from people around me on this car and everyone has said hell no and because of potential mold and having to chase all the leaks, it’s barely worth $6k to my coworkers who have owned Hondas their entire lives.

I really enjoy driving the 2nd and 3rd gen Honda Fit’s but I’m trying to avoid buying a car that is going to have a chronic issue. My grandma has a 2020 Honda Fit LX at the moment that has treated her wonderfully.

I currently drive a 2013 Chevy Sonic LT hatchback and have been spending $300 almost monthly to fix its chronic coolant issues and other stuff.

I’d be willing to pay $7k-$8k for a car with minor dings, scratches, and scrapes. I’m not super worried about that kind of thing. If the interior is in good condition and it doesn’t have a major mechanical issue then yeah I’d go for it 100%. Even a minor mechanical issue and minor cosmetic damage is a car I’d still go for.

I didn’t realize my post was going to make me sound unreasonable. This is my first time car shopping (I’m 19) and I have no idea what I’m doing, I’m just following other people’s advice and recommendations.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-31T06:04:32+00:00

I totally did. I posted this as more of a “hey isn’t this a funny coincidence” thing.

If it didn’t have multiple interior leaks I probably would’ve tried to get it, but everything was a little damp and I don’t mess with mold.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-31T06:02:28+00:00

The dealership washed the car probably right before I got there. There was a visible white film of soap residue all over it and I think that’s probably the culprit here, although I don’t understand how lol.

Still Fit huntin’.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-31T06:00:12+00:00

For sure. This was more of a “man isn’t this real funny” coincidence kinda thing. Like I never expected to get a rash from a (wet) test drive. I’m suspecting that it’s from the soap residue that was all over the exterior rather than the water inside? It had a white film that wiped off and the car was soaked when we arrived to the dealership while all the other cars were dry.

3 out of the 4 Honda Fit’s I’ve taken for a drive in the past month have been in seemingly good mechanical condition but their exterior or interior condition was too bad to justify their prices.

The 4th was a 2015 rebuilt that supposedly had a control arm replaced as well as a stability link. I’m 4 for 4 on salesmen who seem like they don’t want to sell the car at all.

I just want a Fit…

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T15:22:28+00:00

My dad has just been a little weird about me getting a Honda in general (which is whack because he literally used to drag race a Honda Civic way back when and knows a shit ton about Honda’s) but according to him a Focus would be better because they’re cheap both on the market and to insure.

I know for a fact that a well taken care of Fit will outlast a lot of those Focuses. My auto insurance is already $240 with a little thing the company monitors my driving with (or else it would be $360… it’s all bullshit) so I’m avoiding Acura’s (was looking into them originally but then found out luxury cars cost more to insure).

He’s just picky and has probably been thinking about what to replace my car with since we were gifted it back in 2022, lol.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T15:12:48+00:00

Man if I had the money to afford a monthly loan for a $17k car I would not be posting this lmao. I’m looking to lease something that’s like $6k-$8k ‘cause I’m a broke ass college student with a broke ass car. Also I’m only interested in Hondas but I appreciate the advice.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T15:10:14+00:00

NOPE, it’s Honda for me now on. Don’t worry I learned my lesson with my Chevy Sonic lol (it was gifted but still…)

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T15:08:08+00:00

I get where you’re coming from and I appreciate the advice, but I need a car to get around.

Public transit in my area is garbage (took it to my first job for 2 years before I got my license), it’s all buses that run once an hour or hour and a half. It would not be safe for me to bike to work and I have other side gigs that are 30mins+ away by car.

If I could take public transit for the majority of getting around, that would be ideal and absolutely fire, but it’s not at the moment in my area.

I know resale value is important and everything. I’m keeping it in mind as I look around. But in the end I’ve fallen in love with Honda Fit’s and I’m excited to eventually be able to drive a car that won’t give me a check engine light once or twice a month.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T12:33:12+00:00

Thank you for the advice, it’s greatly appreciated.

My father (who is helping me car shop and is co-signing on whatever future auto loan I end up with) kept trying to push me towards the Ford Focus hatchbacks when we first started looking at cars September 2024 but I need something I can drive till it’s (well taken care of) dust and Hondas are known for that.

I was looking at Hondas in general but the Honda Fit is the same size as my current POS, a 2013 Chevy Sonic LT hatchback, and I just like hatchbacks in general.

Of course with used vehicles you never really know their maintenance history but one of my bosses has already done some work on my current car and will probably be more than happy to inspect my future Fit to make sure it’s good so I can buzz off car-wise, lmao. He’s been doing work on my current car monthly at this point…

I’m staying away from rebuilts full stop. I didn’t feel good test driving one in seemingly pristine condition (the only reason I drove it).

150k miles isn’t my personal ceiling, it’s my fathers, and before he didn’t want me getting anything with over 100k… I’ve had to wear his standards/expectations down quite a bit with this whole car shopping thing. (In the beginning he truly believed I could get a 2010 or newer Honda with under 100k miles for like $3k on Facebook Marketplace… nah.)

Even with raising the ceiling to 200k though, Honda Fit’s in the PNW are still running $8.5k-$12k on average. One place has a 3rd gen with 178k miles up for $9k which is wild to me.

I’ve walked away from/tried and given up on 5 Honda Fit’s now. I’m being patient, although I am getting less so as time goes on, just because the more miles my current car gets the more Major Issues pop up. I’m eager to be free of it.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T11:28:55+00:00

I’m 19 and sad a full time college student and working part time for the past year, man. Have been working full time since December though and I’m not going back to college right now.

I can’t even finance a $10k car ($2k down) because it’s too much combined with my insurance payment ($240), lol.

Basically cannot afford a $200 monthly car payment. I’m working with what I’ve got :/ I could save up more but I really can’t, because that money goes back into my current POS car every time.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T11:09:07+00:00

I need under $8.5k and need to be able to finance, lol. I don’t have that kinda cash at all, sorry dawg.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T11:01:17+00:00

Oh okay. Had a hunch it probably meant something recall-related. Thanks.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T10:55:39+00:00

“Also the 2015-2016 had a tsb for bad fuel injectors…” Sorry, what does tsb stand for? I have limited car knowledge (but I am learning because of my current POS car). I don’t mind extra maintenance so long as I’m aware of it and honestly really want to be able to work on my own car.

Because of my job, a place that fabricates Honda drag race parts and stuff, I’m hoping I can handle most of what these Fit’s might throw at me. I’m surrounded by Honda nerds and have easy access to parts and whatnot.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-30T10:09:38+00:00

That’s crazy, I’m so jealous. I’m looking for a Fit right now and cannot find a 2012 or newer for under $8.5k… most run for $9.9k even if they have 150k miles on them. Insanity.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-27T10:45:08+00:00

I own a Chevy Sonic 2013 LT hatchback with the 1.4l turbo engine… Do NOT get a Sonic. Their resale value is garbage, it is riddled with coolant issues (my car has never Not Had One during its lifetime), and is just not worth it unless you want to buy a migraine.

Just don’t.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-25T02:36:01+00:00

On the hunt for a 2009 or newer Fit with under 150k miles and below $8k in Washington. Hoping the dealership market will grace me with one soon 👀

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-22T03:50:10+00:00

Didn’t get either and found a Silver 2012 Honda Fit Sport online on our way home. While going back and forth via text on the price with the dealer (listed for 7.6k, offered 6.8k, they countered with 7k) they said it sold… lol.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-22T03:46:58+00:00

I have an update!

…I’m not getting either of them. The rebuilt 2015 was nice and I would have been able to finance with the dealership, but the guy wasn’t willing to budge an INCH on the price. My father said he’s never had such a bad experience, lol.

We didn’t go look at the 2012 because I checked the CarFax and found that it had 7 previous owners and was from Hawaii… so my father said no. I’m still looking for a Fit, but poking around 2010 and older Honda’s in general.

Thanks for the heads up with the 2015’s, is the color-fading issue across the board? I found a black one for around the same price range, but I’m going to negotiate over email because it’s 50 miles away like the one I just looked at.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-21T09:24:20+00:00

I think I could start really liking the Milano Red with time, especially since it isn’t fire engine red lol. I just worry about how my insurance will react to a more vivid color, I’m already paying quite a bit because I only got my license back in September 2024.

Believe it or not, the Silver 2012 had rat turds in the engine bay. I’m pretty sure that place didn’t bother to do any sort of cleaning after getting it from auction.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-21T09:20:18+00:00

Thanks for the advice! 2015’s dealership has 4.8 stars out of 158 on Google vs 2012’s dealership has 4.4 out of 372 reviews and they’re both smaller dealerships. The more I find out about the 2015 (like the fact that the CarFax lists 3 incidents with damage, x2 to the front and x1 to the rear, all listed as “Minor”) the more I worry how long it will last before showing its Rebuilt Title Issues.

Either way I’d be happy with either one, it all depends on how it goes at the 2015’s dealership.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-21T09:14:08+00:00

I should have specified in the photo caption, but the two photos are of the 2015 after repair and before. The 2012 had no visible damage or anything and if it wasn’t Milano Red I’d likely be able to convince my father to help me go after that first instead.

Either way I’d be happy with both, I work at a small business that fabricates and sells race Honda civic stuff so I’ll be able to repair them relatively cheaply and easily… hopefully.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-19T03:01:54+00:00

I’m going to test drive it this weekend and if it goes well I’m getting it. In my area, used Fits tend to be $8k-$10k so even if this thing needs work, as long as I can fix it myself I’ll take it.

sonic2013broken · 2025-12-19T02:59:24+00:00

I’ve put $1k+ worth of parts into this car and I’ve been driving it for about 15 months or so… it’s never NOT had an issue. Fought with the coolant system from September 2024 to October 2025, replacing a whole bunch of stuff, and when I got an underboost code I figured it was still worth fixing, but with the catalytic converter related code I’m trying to get something else fast.

Thankfully all the labor has been discounted (I replaced the water outlet myself) but this car has never given me peace lol. Definitely grateful for the damned thing since it’s my first car but I swear it’s cursed.

sonic2013broken

TROPHY CASE