I own a Honda Fit Sport, ive owned a Mazda 3, Cherokee Sport as well as 20 other vehicles.
I was wanting either a Matrix or Fit a couple of years ago. I was looking for a swiss army type car that got great gas mileage, reliable, could haul anything and everything..was fun to drive and had a good following. The Fit won.
The Fit is well designed inside and out. Cup holders, compartments, storage space is aplenty. Radio and gauges are laid out well. I think this is an awesome vehicle for someone that mainly drives in the city.
What comes to owning a Fit- Once out of the city this car becomes tiresome. The engine works hard on long trips..the cabin becomes noisy with engine and tires revolving. Two or three hours asks for a break, to walk around and get out of the cabin.
Long term ownership- Tires will be your enemy. The size is hard to find..a little expensive once you do. Anything less than a michelin will have you buying more tires every couple of years. Battery- Its small about the size of a lawn tractor..expect to buy one every few years. Economy- 33mpg is pretty constant. Less if you are in the fast lane and hills are on your way. Brakes and rotors- I got almost a year out of my fronts before the rotors were warped and the brakes were nearly worn out.
Engine- I feel confident that the 1.5 will easily see 200K miles before any parts are added. Transmission- Probably the same if fluids are drained and filled every 15K miles or so.
Overall impression- I love my Fit, its a joy to drive in or near the city. Its sporty without sacrificing much. But i feel as if my total cost of ownership will not be worth the economy at the pump..The tires, brakes and battery costs are going to outweigh my MPGs.
At 60K miles and 3 years old I will be selling mine soon. Someone that lives in the city that doesnt do much interstate travel will have a great vehicle.. I am just asking too much of my Fit to do long trips over mountains and rougher roads than the normal fare.
The Psychology Of Vehicle Ownership
- Thread starter Globalksp
- Start date
- Status
I love it when other folks tell me what I'm thinking! I have owned more than a few cars and trucks since I started driving well over 40 years ago. And probably for about the same number of reasons.
I personally do not believe in trying to apply generalized rules to others. When you're wrong it adds nothing to your credibility and the person you are imagining you know is likely to be unaware!
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Does Honda or Mazda make a man's car?
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
I own a Honda Fit Sport, ive owned a Mazda 3, Cherokee Sport as well as 20 other vehicles.
I was wanting either a Matrix or Fit a couple of years ago. I was looking for a swiss army type car that got great gas mileage, reliable, could haul anything and everything..was fun to drive and had a good following. The Fit won.
The Fit is well designed inside and out. Cup holders, compartments, storage space is aplenty. Radio and gauges are laid out well. I think this is an awesome vehicle for someone that mainly drives in the city.
What comes to owning a Fit- Once out of the city this car becomes tiresome. The engine works hard on long trips..the cabin becomes noisy with engine and tires revolving. Two or three hours asks for a break, to walk around and get out of the cabin.
Long term ownership- Tires will be your enemy. The size is hard to find..a little expensive once you do. Anything less than a michelin will have you buying more tires every couple of years. Battery- Its small about the size of a lawn tractor..expect to buy one every few years. Economy- 33mpg is pretty constant. Less if you are in the fast lane and hills are on your way. Brakes and rotors- I got almost a year out of my fronts before the rotors were warped and the brakes were nearly worn out.
Engine- I feel confident that the 1.5 will easily see 200K miles before any parts are added. Transmission- Probably the same if fluids are drained and filled every 15K miles or so.
Overall impression- I love my Fit, its a joy to drive in or near the city. Its sporty without sacrificing much. But i feel as if my total cost of ownership will not be worth the economy at the pump..The tires, brakes and battery costs are going to outweigh my MPGs.
At 60K miles and 3 years old I will be selling mine soon. Someone that lives in the city that doesnt do much interstate travel will have a great vehicle.. I am just asking too much of my Fit to do long trips over mountains and rougher roads than the normal fare.
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I guess that would depend upon the personal security level of the man in question.
One secure in his manhood might drive a Fit while someone at the other extreme might find an overfueled coal rolling diesel more appropriate.
It's all about the level of compensation each individual feels they need.
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I love it when other folks tell me what I'm thinking! I have owned more than a few cars and trucks since I started driving well over 40 years ago. And probably for about the same number of reasons.
I personally do not believe in trying to apply generalized rules to others. When you're wrong it adds nothing to your credibility and the person you are imagining you know is likely to be unaware!
Originally Posted By: stro_cruiser
It mostly comes down to your conditioning, the conditioning of being "american" (no disrespect meant) This conditioning, to a huge extent dictates what we do and how we do it, including what we drive and thus the self image of what im comfortable to be seen driving. Part of the condition here in the states is bigger vehicles and hence some calling your potential choices "toy cars".....thats just the 'me', the self playing out.
The only way past all of this false story (thats all it is) is to look at it, Look at intimately, get close to it, look at ourselves and what we THINK we are, who we THINK we are. Question it. But....few really want to go down that rabbit hole and hence, we have the messed up human society we have. We speak of being humble, simple, kind, loving, caring.....in reality, very few of us ACTUALLY are these things.
Get the Honda Fit, and watch yourself when driving it, watch yourself when someone makes a comment that you dont like....watch your thoughts, your feelings, they will show you your conditioning, all you have to do is watch. You're a human being, the rest IS conditioning. That watching is the beginning of a freedom beyond words and measurement 
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Some thinking points...
Do you enjoy driving of the Jeep?
Not as much as I used to.
Do you own the Jeep outright?
I do. I'm in it for $9K ($6K purchase, $3K in repairs and maintenance thus far)
What would the difference in value be between the Jeep and whichever car? A negative or positive value?
Difference would be positive, would have to be. Any where from a $0 - $2,000 net from the *purchase* price of the XJ.
Can you do your own repairs?
Most things that don't require a lift / removing the engine.
This is my thinking- if you like it and own it, it may be better financially to stay with it. If you have to give it up plus a few thousand dollars to get into a newer ride with the same or more expensive insurance cost, that could buy a fair bit of fuel and repairs on the current ride. Added to that, if you're familiar with working on it vs. being lost on a Fit/3 (or it's too hard for you to work on- due to layout or equipment or whatever) then the Jeep may be the sound decision. No doubt parts are plenty and may well be cheaper to boot.
A little off topic but- I often times see or hear people proclaiming that they need to get rid of a vehicle or refusing to repair a vehicle because of it's worth, which really frustrates me. It's value or worth is fairly subjective to begin with and shouldn't weigh all that heavily in the decision to keep or repair. People balk about spending a grand for a repair on a vehicle that is supposedly worth 2-3 ("because it's not worth it") but will gladly spend an additional 10 grand for the privilege of owning one that is! So I see it as you won't spend 1 grand but you'll spend 10 grand? If the vehicle is in decent shape, you like it and it meets your needs then I see it as the more sound decision. You can keep the 9 thousand dollars worth of difference and spread it's expenditure out over a much longer period of time.
So glad this topic sparked interest!
One big reply coming with quotes from previous replies.
“Great big cushy leather seats is what it's all about.”
I remember myself saying that my next vehicle would have a bench seat. Seems I’ve strayed.
“I hate driving vehicles that don't have some sort of fun factor in them, or something that makes them "special."
Well said! That’s exactly how I feel.
Go in between and get a Forester?
I’ve thought about it, but Subaru’s have never been on my list.
“I blame too many people these days idolizing people like Suze Orman and Dave Ramsay.
Everything to them is about money.
Takes away the enjoyment of making choices with one's heart.
Not sure who either of those people are, but I can honestly say that nearly all the decisions in my life regarding vehicles has been with my heart. I ended up with the XJ in question after selling a mint condition, 2008 Nissan Rogue that I inherited. I drove it for 6 months, but couldn’t stand the CVT and the lack of soul.
I used to avoid what I thought of as "old guy cars", but I don't care about that now that I am an old(er) guy!
I’m getting there… but not there quite yet.
Mazda 3 is a driver's car, from what I hear.
Honda Fit is not, but, it's bigger on the inside.
Pay attention to seat comfort.
This was what made me think of the 3 in the first place. Having driven one cross country in a straight shot and never getting tired of it made me think of it as an option. In fact, before buying my 328ic (followed my heart, big mistake) that turned out to be a Katrina car, I was going to get a Mazda 3. So seems I’m coming back around to them.
You say that you're worried about rust, but have you looked at a Mazda3 lately? The quarter panels on a garage-kept Mazda3 will disappear just about as fast as the rockers on a mudbogged XJ An an XJ has full-length unibody rails, so it doesn't fold like a pretzel when the rockers are gone.
My heart sank a bit when I came upon the 3’s rust issues. It’s the main “red flag” in shopping for one. I’m starting to look more south and west in my shopping.
You obviously like the Jeep and it does offer an off-road capability that you won't find in any car. The six is a torque monster even if it is a little thirsty. It sounds as though yours is in the terminal stages of rot, though. Shame since it looks so good up top. Maybe find a good one of those and drive it for the next few years while keeping the one you have as a parts car?
I do like the Jeep. As mentioned above, I think it’s lacking in power in the lower reaches of the tach, though all signs point to it running well. My ’96 XJ felt like it utilized its torque much better in the lower end. Money has become an issue of late and I find myself driving longer, more frequently having moved from the city to the country. If finances were better, I’d keep the XJ and buy something cheap and fun to beat around in. But alas, I’m a one vehicle person for the time being. The rust isn’t terminal by any means, but it’s bad. It’s THE ONLY bad thing about the [censored] car.
Good XJs are commanding a premium. Go for it (selling yours) before the fad ends.
This was my thought exactly. As mentioned earlier, the bell curve on the time vs resale chart will continue to drop.
Why not keep the jeep rust proofed and clean, and keep driving it?
The previous owner did NOT do what your brother did and thus the cancer is there. I could spend a few days (no lift) under it scraping and sanding and coating it or pay a shop to do it, but it still won’t stop it from spreading eventually.
Cars (vehicles) have always been a hobby with me…
This is a fact of my life as well that had to be pointed out to me by a good friend. When I told him I bought the XJ (on eBay, at 2AM, on a Saturday night, and a few too many), he replied with, “you didn’t buy a car, you bought a hobby”. When I told him I was thinking of an ’03 9-5 Turbo (I’m no longer), he repeated his quote. Perhaps it’s time to re-embrace that which I’ve always enjoyed?
Yes. The Ridgeline is what the tough male yuppies drive.
They need AWD, heated leather seats, navigation, sunroof, $5000 optional glitter and glam package for when their wife sends them to Home Depot for 2 bags of mulch and fertilizer for her garden project.
Ha! For fun, I’ll throw in here, for what it’s worth, that the OP (that's me) is currently a diversified, yuppie, livestock farmer. 
Last edited:
4WD
$50 site donor 2023
Maybe this:
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I love it when other folks tell me what I'm thinking! I have owned more than a few cars and trucks since I started driving well over 40 years ago. And probably for about the same number of reasons.
I personally do not believe in trying to apply generalized rules to others. When you're wrong it adds nothing to your credibility and the person you are imagining you know is likely to be unaware!
I found reasons to like every car I've owned, beginning with the manual tranny they all had...
Opel Kadet (high winding noisy toy), BMW 2002 (best for winding though Lolo Pass between Missoula and Lewiston Id, a VW Bug around town, a Ford F250 for hauling winter logs, a Fiat 124 Spider for more Rocky mountain switchbacks, (a couple of motorbikes here, Honda 190, CB400F), Mitsu Galant/Plymouth Sapporo (that had a 21st century design with its counterbalancing shaft), Audi 5000 diesel when gas was cheap and diesel cheaper, Daihatsu Hijet van with its 660cc motorcycle engine, Subaru Loyale wagon for hauling antiques, 2 Altimas and now the Kitacamry....
I've run them to near 850K miles and have always wondered what car will take me past the 1 million mile marker, or to the end of my road, whichever comes 1st....and whether it will have a clutch.
The Camry was bought with more miles on it than any other car previously, because it came with a new clutch and had the best overall fit 'n finish of any car I'd ever driven, even with 100k miles on it....and after 4 years and 40k miles I've $9k into it (purchase price + repairs, upgrades and maintenance), it still drives tight (bigger rims/better tires help), and putting only about 6k miles on it each year I see no reason why with sustained maintenance and occasional costly repair (A/C, clutch, and that damm rattling strut mount) it shouldn't have any problem going another 10 years and 60k miles, or one more set of tires...even the young homies who painted it liked what I've done to it.
But I may just get tired of "clutching (on to) it" and finally succumb and retire/resign to getting an A/T. By the time it comes to "letting go of the clutch" there'll be for sure fewer clutches out there to replace it...time will tell....maybe in a few years I'll pick up a nice 2017 Spider for summer fun and keep the Camry as my winter beater...that sounds like a good plan!
re: mazda3
may i suggest a nice looking rust free loaded mazda6 wagon? AT (i think they where only 11 MT in US)
with the 16" wheels (cheaper tires selection)
and they are other wagons in enjoyable form too.....
Originally Posted By: pandus13
re: mazda3
may i suggest a nice looking rust free loaded mazda6 wagon? AT (i think they where only 11 MT in US)
with the 16" wheels (cheaper tires selection)
and they are other wagons in enjoyable form too.....
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Does Honda or Mazda make a man's car?
Originally Posted By: Subdued
a man drives whatever the heck he wants and cares not for the opinions of "men"
Originally Posted By: Subdued
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Does Honda or Mazda make a man's car?
4WD
$50 site donor 2023
Just for my own edification - messed around on CarGuru to see what diesel pickup $30k will get you - lots of mileage !
Originally Posted By: turtlevette
Does Honda or Mazda make a man's car?
- Status