Honda Fit buyers trading in large cars and trucks
Yesterday I had lunch with a couple of the PR folks at Honda. We were talking about the impact of fuel prices on car sales, and they told me something I thought was really interesting: Early sales data for the 2007 Fit, a subcompact introduced by Honda earlier this year, indicate that nearly sixty percent of Fit buyers are trading in bigger vehicles -- mid-size sedans, vans, pickups, and SUVs. Matter of fact, about 25% of Fit sales alone are to replace an SUV. Can you imagine what it's like for someone who's used to getting 15 to 18 MPG in their SUV, and is now getting 30 to 35 MPG out of their Fit? What's the opposite of buyer's remorse? Buyer's ecstacy?
This is preliminary sales information, but could it possibly indicate a trend? Are we, as American car buyers, beginning to shed our "bigger is better" mentality? Click the "comments" link below and share your thoughts. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Honda -- For more on the Fit, check out Colin Hefferon's 2007 Honda Fit test drive
If 60% of Fit buyers are trading in larger vehicles, what are the rest of them trading in? Mopeds?
I think the Fit is a great vehicle, but since it’s one of the smallest cars available in the US, you aren’t going to see many tradeins of smaller vehicles.
There are a lot of smaller cars going on the market… The Chevy Aveo, and the new Toyota Yaris among them. It’s about damn time, I say. The gas prices in Europe have been high for decades, and look at what they drive – small cars similar to the Fit, Aveo, and Yaris.
I live in LA, and it nearly makes me sick to see single people driving around in Hummers, sucking 6 miles to a gallon of gas in gridlock. It’s sickening.
I used to own a toyota Land Cruiser. Now I have a CIVIC what a feeling to spend 40 a week instead of 100. I am soo happy. Every body should try it. If you dont you will go broke in the next two years. Gas prices are going up and up. The days of cheap gas are over for ever. Buy a small car and stock in oil. Then wathc the guzlers get stranded on the sides and their owners cry!
Dick is right, although for Honda’s assertion to have any meaning it should mean the other 40% are not trading any vehicles and the Fit is either a second (third, fourth) car or a first.
I just bought 2007 Honda Fit LX today, trading in my 2004 Toyota Echo Hatchback (now called Yaris). So to answer David, I am one of those 40% who do not trade in SUV. By the way, between SUV and Fit, there are other classes for cars like Corolla, which another customer traded in while I was in the show room…
We own a Pont. Vibe& Chev. Prizm 25_30plus mpg&buy gas where it is cheapest. will never concider a GAS HOG.
Dick, Manolo – Good point, there aren’t too many cars smaller than the Fit. The almost-60% figure is mid-size or bigger cars (and vans, pickups, SUVs). It excludes compacts like Civic, Corolla, Cavalier and subcompacts like Aveo, Echo, etc.
I am dumping my FORD Explorer shortly and downsizing, it won’t be with FORD.
honda fit gets about the same gas mileage as the larger civic but it is also a much less expensive car.
I don’t think they mean physically smaller but in the same category of cars. I doubt many people with current subcompacts are trading in for another. That’s what they mean, geez.
While the headline of this article might be not worded particularly well, it’s pretty apparent from reading the story that the headline means “trading in cars and trucks of a larger size”, rather than “trading in cars and trucks larger than the FIT”. As it clearly says in the article “sixty percent of Fit buyers are trading in bigger vehicles — mid-size sedans, vans, pickups, and SUVs”.
Ah yes… the original headline (”…trading in larger cars and trucks”) is a bit of a forehead-smacker. I changed it to “large” cars and trucks. DOH!
I saw the video of the mercedes creamimg the Smart car so I will do with my 15 mpg thank you very much.
I have an ‘06 Civic Hybrid and love it. My lifetime mpg is 51.6 (20,807 miles). I was going to trade my Forester in for a Fit – BUT I heard a Hybrid Fit may be coming. I’ll wait for that or a Plug-In Hybrid. Save the planet!
Don – Not a hybrid Fit, but probably another hybrid car in that size class. Also, GM says they will develop a plug-on hybrid version of the upcoming 2008 Vue SUV. We’ll see…
Hi!
I saw a movie of a person driving their car into the water and drowning.
Does that mean I’m safer if never wear a seatbelt?
cliff
YIP