First time car buyer needs wisdom (usedHonda)

October 19, 2023 12:24 PM

I just moved to LA after spending my entire adult life in Chicago and NYC, so i’ve got zero experience buying a car. But my plan is to buy a used one with good resale value in case I leave in a year and need to sell it again (can’t commit to a lease). Looking at a 2016 Honda Fit tomorrow and could use some advice!

The car is a 2016 Honda Fit with 73,000 miles and one owner, who’s asking $12,500. I’ve read with CVT transmissions they aren’t as reliable as regular ones. The owner took the car to a Honda dealership today and got this assessment back — I should still take it to a mechanic though no? Or is it a waste of $120? The owner is from within a closed community i belong to so i trust the Honda report is definitely real but not sure if a mechanic will tell me more and/or be able to spot transmission trouble. Also, even though $12.5 is a good price according to Blue Book, should i still try to negotiate? The Carfax looks good and says retail value is $12,800. Carmax gave me an online offer of $10.5. i know The market is crazy right now though. Any advice welcome!!

posted by lavenderflowers to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

I've owned two Honda City's (a 1984 one and a 1990) but afaik the engine & drivetrain has changed little over decades, but ymmv (mine were both manual).

The camshaft can be a weak point; my 1984 one needed replacement at 160,000 k, although the other one ran okay to probably 300,000 k, and that one failed a warrant (or whatever you call it in US) due to front subframe rusting - which is primarily a near-coastal issue.
posted by unearthed at 12:38 PM on October 19, 2023

Did either the dealer's assessment or the Carfax report say anything about active recalls on that year and model? Wouldn't necessarily be a hit on your budget if covered by the manufacturer, but might be a hit on your time having the vehicle at the dealer having e.g. front axle or airbags replaced proactively.

At that mileage the major maintenance items that could come up are new tires, brakes, and valve adjustment and spark plug replacement for the engine. Again, the dealer's report should either flag those as suggested maintenance items, or say "still OK for now."
posted by ReferenceDesk at 1:35 PM on October 19, 2023

Best answer: I own a 2016 Honda Fit. She gets regularly scheduled maintenance like clockwork -- never missed a check-up. She's got over 100k miles now and still runs great! Have literally had no problems, she doesn't even idle "rough". So I think as long as the seller has been maintaining it regularly, and you continue to maintain it regularly, you should be fine. Also it is a fun car to drive :) Good luck!!
posted by sc114 at 1:58 PM on October 19, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: That assessment is a lot of really basic stuff, like five minutes worth of mostly not even needing to poke around much besides checking the air filter. A mechanic check would be peace of mind. As for the CVT, there are obviously no guarantees but Honda is one of the manufacturers that has them figured out. (I have a Subaru with a CVT, and they have spent a ton of time refining theirs, so again, no guarantees but I'm not that worried about it.) The advantages of a CVT are better gas mileage and often better acceleration when you're on the highway. Most manufacturers are moving a lot of their cars over to them.

Yes, the used market is crazy right now. It's straight up bonkers. However, it never hurts to see if they'll take a lower offer. I bought my car used in February 2021, a couple of months before the market went stupid, and I have actually never been upside down on the loan. Take a look at places online like Auto Trader and see what similar cars are going for (make sure the trim levels are the same!) to get an idea.

I had a 2013 Fit, so the 2016 is the newer generation. Honda improved some problematic crash safety areas on the new generation. One thing that you're going to find if you do buy it - you are going to be AMAZED at how much stuff you can, um, fit into it. (I was loading up a flat packed shed at Home Depot and figuring out how to get it in the car. The box was 6 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 8 inches tall. An employee asked if I was sure I could do it. I told him, "They don't call it a Honda Doesn't Fit." Got it in there and still had room for a passenger.) I've also found it comfortable to drive long distances. The maintenance minder is great for not only reminding you when to get oil changes but also to maximize mileage in-between changes. The brakes can be a little soft compared to other cars.
posted by azpenguin at 1:58 PM on October 19, 2023 [3 favorites]

Just chiming in to say that our 2015 Honda Fit has about that many miles on it and it's been an absolute dream so far. No issues with it whatsoever, and super fun to drive as well, very zippy and responsive. And to second azpenguin, the roominess is astounding. Our daughter was born in the backseat!

I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
posted by saladin at 2:20 PM on October 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

I have a 2013 Fit with 100K miles on it, that I street-park in a wintry climate (read: tonnnnns of exposure to huge amounts of road salt). The car is amazing - holds a TON of stuff, safe, reliable, great mileage, etc. Mine has needed zero repairs in the 3 years I've owned it. The only issue is a bit of rust on the front edge of the hood, which I've seen on a few other Fits as well - keeping in mind that Canadian cars, and mine in particular due to years of street parking - are absolutely BATHED in road salt all winter long. Depending on your exposure to .... salty ocean mist? I guess I would wonder about rust, although you'd have to park IN the actual ocean to match the salt level my car has seen. But a few spots of rust are a pretty minor issue that don't badly affect resale. Everyone I know who has a Fit absolutely loves it. Fits were discontinued in 2020 and most people who have them really like them, so they've actually gone up in value relative to most used cars.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 2:32 PM on October 19, 2023

Also a Fit owner. Mine is a 2017 with about 60,000 miles. I bought it in 2020 and am really happy with it. Agree with all my fellow Fit owners above.
posted by Pineapplicious at 3:25 PM on October 19, 2023

This specific car aside, I bought my 2016 Fit 4 years ago and I will drive this car until the fucking wheels fall off. It’s a fucking phenomenal car and I’m existentially worried about the state of a society in which it is not only functionally impossible not to drive but also not to drive a 6 foot tall death carriage.
posted by rhymedirective at 4:19 PM on October 19, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: If possible, take it to a mechanic to have a look at it; many independent shops do this. This has saved me from disappointment. Always offer less, politely; they can say No, they might say Yes. Or ask What's your best price?
posted by theora55 at 7:32 PM on October 19, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: No car ever made is bulletproof, despite the conventional wisdom that prevails on Metafilter about certain brands of cars being flawless.

You absolutely do need a prepurchase inspection by your own mechanic and $120 sounds too low to me by California standards to do it right, including a compression test of the engine. Honda CVTs aren't terrible (any more than all CVTs are terrible ) but at that mileage I hope the trans fluid has been exchanged once and if not I would do it first thing after buying this car. Personally I would consider a FIT an underpowered car for a daily freeway commuter in California, but it will do the job. Their biggest issue is they are extremely rust prone, but if this car has lived in SoCal all its life that won't be an issue.
posted by spitbull at 4:40 AM on October 20, 2023

I'm on my second Fit and I love them. They are quick and roomy. I'd still be on my first Fit if a tree hadn't fallen on it. Absolutely take it to a trusted mechanic for an evaluation pre-purchase. It's well worth the $125.
posted by donpardo at 10:23 AM on October 20, 2023