Used 2012 Honda Fit Base Hatchback Review
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the 2012 Honda Fit Base Hatchback.
Most helpful consumer reviews
The car to buy if you want a low maintenance car
Derek M, Los Angeles, CA, 12/04/2015
2012 Honda Fit 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl 5A)
This car is overall designed well, but is by no means a feature vehicle. It's front wheel drive, is peppy but not at all fast, has 185 width stock tires (so you're not going to scream around corners), and the paint quality is atrocious. Expect every single dent, scratch, etc. to show up visibly on the paint. I have the silver paint, and almost anything will chip the thin paint or scratch … it. The stock shocks and struts are a joke. After driving it for about a year or two, they give way to serious body lean that makes braking hard dangerous. I swapped out the crappy stock shocks and struts with Eibach and Tien, which are stiffer, but corrects the unnecessary body lean and shortens the stopping distance much more. I also upgraded from 185 width tires to 195 width to add more stability because 185 width are just junk. The tire pressure on the 185 kept getting low, even with new tires. So I just changed to 195 width and the tire pressure holds far better now. I believe you can add 205 or possibly 215 width max on the Fit. There are a good amount of light bulbs, with 8 to maintain in the front and the back lights as well. You are able to replace these all yourself, you can find videos online that will show how to do so (pretty similar to older acura/honda). The manual says to only run 87 gas, running 91 I saw no difference in performance whatsoever. This car takes only synthetic oil, and recommends only using top tier gas (no unbranded/generic mom and pop shops). My car began to pronounce the exhaust pretty loudly, and it sounds like I put a modified exhaust on my car even though the entire intake/mid/exhaust setup is stock (I don't know if other people experience this, it's an automatic). The electronic controls performance and design is excellent, everything is very intelligently engineered and I have had no problems. The USB connection is in the top glove compartment (the bottom one is the regular glove compartment), and I just put MP3 music on a flash drive and it's out of sight out of mind. The car has an audio jack input, but be careful because the rubber piece that protects it very easily comes off. Also, when maintaining the air filter, there is a solid attachment in the front with small clips on the side. The small clips on the side are prone to breaking, so be careful. I am 6'2" and am able to sit in the front seat fine. The backseat can hold adults, but the recommended total weight to have in the car is only about 850lbs. The major positives of the vehicle are that it is an easy to drive vehicle, there are a good amount of cupholders in the front and in the back, the interior volume space is massive for the vehicle size, the visibility from the inside is great, and that reliability on the engine/transmission and electronics is excellent. I bought my 2012 Fit in 2011 and haven't had to perform a single repair for anything, just purely maintenance and optional upgrades. This is a putt putt for getting around with some pep and good gas mileage, but it's no Corvette or Prius. A well designed (overall) low maintenance ride.
37.2 mpg!!!
crappycorolla, Nashville, TN, 11/23/2011
2012 Honda Fit 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl 5A)
I had read they got great gas mileage and they do! It doesn't feel as small as it looks. It's fairly comfortable, but crowded with 5 people in it. It doesn't have a lot of power for fast excelleration.
The stereo is nice, I like that some stations say what song is on on this radio. I wish there was an outsie temperature gauge. I couldn't have got into a dependable car for less. I had … been trying to decide between a Kia and Fit and heard at work someones Kia stopped running the first week! There is more room behind the back seats than you would think, we put 250 of food and 50lbs dog food.The brakes work better than any car I've owned. Visability is amazing!
It goes and goes and goes
gleggley, Portland, OR, 04/05/2015
2012 Honda Fit 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl 5A)
I bought this car new in August of 2012. I am a courier and drive over 1000 miles a week. As of today, 4/5/15, I have about 139,000 miles on my Fit. I have always done the recommended service and have only had one issue since purchasing this car. A front wheel bearing needed replacing a few months ago. I average 30-35 miles a gallon in mixed driving. Power is adequate for what I … do. This is the first Honda I've ever owned. The Fit has an amazing capacity to haul things. I am consistently amazed at how much "stuff" fits in the car.
Great little car!
J.OConnor, Carmel, NY, 02/09/2018
2012 Honda Fit 4dr Hatchback (1.5L 4cyl 5A)
I bought it used with about 60,000 on the clock for my daughter to use in college. Over the 3 years and 30,000 miles that we have owned it, it has been 100% trouble free. I keep up with all the basic maintenance myself and the only time I had to take it to the dealer was for an airbag recall that took less than two hours. The fuel mileage has been 32mpg combined city and highway, but I … got close to 40mpg on a 1600 mile highway trip. It has a great interior that allows you to carry a ton of stuff if you need to. My only criticism is that on the highway with a full load it could use a little more power.
Edmunds Summary Review of the 2012 Honda Fit Base Hatchback
Pros & Cons
- Pro:Impressive cargo room and cabin versatility
- Pro:spacious backseat
- Pro:fun to drive
- Pro:excellent visibility.
- Con:Sluggish acceleration with automatic transmission
- Con:no height adjustment for driver seat
- Con:not as fuel-efficient as other top competitors.
Full Edmunds Review: 2012 Honda Fit Hatchback
Edmunds Insurance Estimator
The Edmunds TCO® estimated monthly insurance payment for a 2012 Honda Fit in Ohio is:
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