Topic: Comparison Test: 2015 Honda Fit vs 2015 Nissan Versa Note

[Rupert]

   I see that drum 'rear' brakes became 'drum brakes' period. Drums work well on the rear and last longer. Good for small cars at least. Not for performance vehicles perhaps but what vehicles are we discussing here. Easy to provide a hand brake for rear drum brakes.
  And the problem is 'easy to change pads' on discs...and forget about what all else is required in the hurry to finish.
  Actually...nary a problem with the rear drums on my first van...nothing but trouble with the rear discs on the second.

[WagonGuy]

I would take the Fit based on utility alone.  Six foot ladder, no problem.  Bicycle?  Yup.  I have friend who regular sleeps in his at trailheads prior to backpacking trips. The fun factor is a bonus.

[Seafoam]

I would take the Fit based on utility alone.  Six foot ladder, no problem.  Bicycle?  Yup.  I have friend who regular sleeps in his at trailheads prior to backpacking trips. The fun factor is a bonus.

I put a 40 gallon water heater in the back of my first generation Fit.[with hatch shut]. Very versatile vehicle but needed a bit more punch .I had the 5speed automatic.I think this 3rd generation might have remedied that problem.

[Jaeger]

I had the previous gen Fit.  That was a great car, but It was missing a lot of tech and features.  If this new one drives anything like the old one, there's no doubt Fit all the way.

It drives a lot like the previous gen, except a bit more oomph and a bit quieter.  The manual shifter isn't quite as nice in the new one, but nearly so.  My wife likes the idea of built in nav but hates the idea of no buttons / exclusive touch screen controls.

The old dash is not a thing of beauty, but the big and widely-spaced buttons makes it so easy to use even with gloves on.

[Noto]

I have friend who regular sleeps in his at trailheads prior to backpacking trips.

The Versa Note's flat floor may be better suited to such things...

[alfaandy]

Just an FYI, you said that the FIT has a 5'' touchscreen when in fact the EX model you tested has a 7" screen. Only the DX and LX have 5".

[G.Bombay]

There seems to be alot of concern over the lack of a volume knob on the display unit. Hopefully Honda will fix this as the touch sensitive bar is terrible for a vehicle.

But don't forget Honda has a large rocker type volume and source button on the steering wheel. It works great and no need to take your hand off the wheel. 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Yeah, separate controls are redundant once you have steering wheel controls, which most vehicles these days do.

Inexcusable, however, is the need to go into many sub-menus to adjust the climate settings, as well as the heated seats.

[cruzzer]

Good review of two popular Canadian choices. I often read how CVT's get better mpg's than manuals. Yet when I check fuelly.com where there are presently 139 2015 Honda Fits represented, it's very hard to see any significant difference between the standard six speed manual and the CVT. Perhaps it'd be a good test, identical and identically driven 2015 Fits one with the six speed manual and the other the CVT. Personally, it wouldn't affect me as I'd still avoid the CVT, but I do think the manual offers a more fun driving experience and a significantly cheaper car to those that are interested with little or no fuel increase.

[johngenx]

Manuals typically don't achieve as good fuel economy as conventional automatics or CVTs.  It's driving habits: manual shifts almost always come at higher RPM.  A torque converter AT can shift at a very low rpm and then lock the converter.  The old days of ATs being less efficient are gone.

[Seafoam]

Yeah, separate controls are redundant once you have steering wheel controls, which most vehicles these days do.

Inexcusable, however, is the need to go into many sub-menus to adjust the climate settings, as well as the heated seats.

What if the passenger wants to adjust the volume?

[HeliDriver]

Yeah, separate controls are redundant once you have steering wheel controls, which most vehicles these days do.

Inexcusable, however, is the need to go into many sub-menus to adjust the climate settings, as well as the heated seats.

What if the passenger wants to adjust the volume?

Passenger can suck it up. Driver is the boss!

[Ontariodriver]

What I dislike recently is the grill on new Honda Fits/Jazz and the 2015 Civics. The Grill looks like it's been in a smash and some one hasn't order the right colour. So it has this awkward looking black plastic stuck in the middle .

[Seafoam]

Yeah, separate controls are redundant once you have steering wheel controls, which most vehicles these days do.

Inexcusable, however, is the need to go into many sub-menus to adjust the climate settings, as well as the heated seats.

What if the passenger wants to adjust the volume?

Passenger can suck it up. Driver is the boss!

Might as well remove the passenger seats as well then.    Also remove the power window switch from the passenger side .

[Rupert]

That driver needs my passenger...at times anyway.

[HeliDriver]

Yeah, separate controls are redundant once you have steering wheel controls, which most vehicles these days do.

Inexcusable, however, is the need to go into many sub-menus to adjust the climate settings, as well as the heated seats.

What if the passenger wants to adjust the volume?

Passenger can suck it up. Driver is the boss!

Might as well remove the passenger seats as well then.    Also remove the power window switch from the passenger side .

No need to remove the power window switch; that's what the child lock-out switch on my side is for. 

[sacrat]

Yeah, separate controls are redundant once you have steering wheel controls, which most vehicles these days do.

Inexcusable, however, is the need to go into many sub-menus to adjust the climate settings, as well as the heated seats.

What if the passenger wants to adjust the volume?

Passenger can suck it up. Driver is the boss!

Might as well remove the passenger seats as well then.    Also remove the power window switch from the passenger side .

No need to remove the power window switch; that's what the child lock-out switch on my side is for. 

The child lock-out switch on my Sonata also locks out the driver's window. Not sure what Hyundai was thinking...or are they trying to tell me something ?!