Car Choice? Honda Fit vs Toyota Prius?

I would most definitely go with the Prius. They are so much more roomy than the Fit. And if you have 2 growing children then you will appreciate that space. Also, it does have a lot better gas mileage because in the city it mainly uses the battery and not the engine. Not only is it better for the enviroment but its saving you tons of money. If your still leaning towards the Fit, check into the 2012 Nissan Versa Sedan. It gets way better gas mileage, has a lot more room, and is a fairly decent price. 16,000 for one that is fully loaded. Not to mention Nissan offers a lifetime warranty on their engines and transmissions.

Having driven both vehicles I would go with the Honda Fit. The Fit is much more fun to drive and reliability will be increased because of the simplicity of the design. The Prius has an electric motor and a gas engine whereas the Fit has just a 4 cylinder internal combustion engine although both are very reliable vehicle. I considered both vehicles as well but eventually decided on Hyundai Elantra and have been extremely satisfied averaging about 40 mpg city. Hyundai's warranty also blows away Toyota and Honda. A major factor for me was the Prius's extremely poor performance in the snow with its low rolling resistance tires which might be a factor if you live somewhere cold. The MPG will also drop in the winter due to the effect of cold temperatures on the batteries.

The Prius is the best choice here. It's fun to drive, roomy (it's a mid-sized car), extremely reliable, and much simpler. Toyota has removed many of the parts of a conventional car and replaced them with more reliable electronics and has simplified others. For instance the Prius doesn't have: an alternator, a starter motor, a serpentine belt (2010+ only), a clutch or fluid coupling. In addition the automatic transmission with it's hundreds of parts has been replaced by a simple planetary gear system similar to a differential. The Prius is also a great winter car once good tires are put on. It has vehicle stability control, which is a system that prevents doughnuts in slippery conditions if you car going anything like a reasonable speed for the conditions (The OE tires are lacking in winter traction once they've worn even a little bit). I've driven my 2004 through blizzards and ice days and it's been better than a lot of 4x4s I've had. Also it starts the same at -20 as it does at +70. All cars lose mpg when it's cold out. At zero degrees F you can expect a 25% drop in every car. The difference is that most cars don't tell you what you're getting, while you can't help but know in the Prius. Most of the difference in price is because it's a mid-sized car rather than a sub-compact. Also there is more standard equipment. The so-called hybrid penalty is about $500. My 2004 has cost 12 cents per mile for dealer maintenance, tires, and fuel combined over the 130,000 trouble-free miles I've driven it so far. 2004 Prius MPG from the logbook. (Complete years only): 2003-2004 -- 50.8 mpg 17,628 miles 2005 -- 52.6 mpg 14,688 miles 2006 -- 56.3 mpg 16,174 miles 2007 -- 57.3 mpg 18,384 miles 2008 -- 59.9 mpg 21,755 miles 2009 -- 61.4 mpg 16,177 miles 2010 -- 65.2 mpg 12,134 miles 2011 -- 66.9 mpg 11,272 miles