Schomp Honda

Safety

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Fit deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Fit's side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Elantra Sedan's side airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.

 

The Fit has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Elantra Sedan doesn't offer a whiplash protection system.

 

Both the Fit and the Elantra Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

 

Warranty

 

There are over 73 percent more Honda dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the Fit's warranty.

 

Reliability

 

The engine in the Fit has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Elantra Sedan has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

 

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Fit third among subcompacts in their 2010 Initial Quality Study. The Elantra Sedan isn't in the top three in its category.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 7th.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' surveys of the owners of three-year-old cars provide the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 11th.

 

Suspension and Handling

 

The Fit Sport has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Fit Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The Elantra Sedan's suspension doesn't offer a rear stabilizer bar.

 

Chassis

 

The Fit is 1 foot, 4.7 inches shorter than the Elantra Sedan, making the Fit easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The Fit is 1 foot, 4.7 inches shorter than the Elantra Sedan.

 

Passenger Space

 

The Fit has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more rear headroom and 1.4 inches more rear legroom than the Elantra Sedan.

 

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Fit's rear seats recline. The Elantra Sedan's rear seats don't recline.

 

Cargo Capacity

 

The Fit has a much larger cargo area with its rear seat up than the Elantra Sedan (20.6 vs. 14.8 cubic feet).

 

Servicing Ease

 

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the Fit to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, radiator flush and transmission fluid replacement based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn't offer a maintenance reminder on the Elantra Sedan.

 

Ergonomics

 

The Fit Sport Automatic offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The Elantra Sedan doesn't offer a remote starting system.

 

The Fit's driver's power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Elantra Sedan's standard driver's power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

 

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Fit has a standard rear wiper. The Elantra Sedan doesn't offer a rear wiper.

 

With optional voice command, the Fit Sport offers the driver hands free control of the radio, cell phone and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Elantra Sedan doesn't offer a voice control system.

 

Recommendations

 

The Honda Fit has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Fit	Elantra Sedan
Consumer Reports Recommends	TRUE	n/a
Car Book 'Best Bet'	TRUE	n/a
Kiplinger's Award	TRUE	n/a

 

The Fit was chosen as one of Car and Driver's 'Top Ten' for 4 of the last 4 years. The Elantra Sedan has never been a Car and Driver 'Top Ten' pick.

 

The Fit was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine's 'All Stars' in 2009. The Elantra Sedan has never been an 'All Star.'

* [1]  Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.