peter97

From flagship to entry level (or penthouse to outhouse?)!

I had 2 months left on my lease and had a hard time deciding whether to keep the rl (residual was at 24500 with 32k on it)or getting something else. In the end I decided we weren't putting enough miles on our 07 MDX and it just didn't make much sense to have 2 full sized cars around. I took advantage of an offer from Honda Financial where they waived my last 2 months lease payments ($810/month each) as long as I purchased or leased another Acura or Honda. The original offer letter was for Acura only, but I called and found out Honda product was OK also.

I planned on paying cash for the Fit ($22,600 sport, with navi) but found out that I had to finance it through Honda as part of the deal to get the waiver of payments. So because there's no early termination penalties, I'll pay it off after the first month's payment.

I actually have a deposit on another car (Aptera), but that hybrid version won't be built until probably 2010. And if I don't like that car, I'll probably just keep the Fit. In the meantime it's a good "fit" for us.

I have really enjoyed the RL, 2nd most enjoyable car for me (most fun was a 1984 944 Porsche I had for 20 years).

This forum also added to the RL ownership experience.

neuronbob

Enjoy the Fit! It is definitely not the outhouse.

dlynch

Good choice with the price of gasoline!
Regards
DaveL

rlerman

I would have dumped the mdx, particularly since you said you weren't putting much mileage on it and the RL was the second best car you owned. Your rl has low mileage and the residual isn't that high relative to what's being offered in the market. The fit gets better mileage, but there is no way it compares positively in any other category. Not to mention that you still have plenty of warranty left on the RL.

blue.fired

No Kidding, our neighbour has a red one and my mother and sister love it.
This is a surprise as my sister considers Honda's (and Acuras) as the epitome of uncool. 30+ Mpg is always better than ~17 MPG that we get from the RL Anyway.

Enjoy it.

Edit: The residual is very conservative !

peter97

Rlerman

The 07 MDX we own. The 05 RL lease was maturing in 2 months. If I were to keep the RL, additional costs to be incurred would be an extended warranty from Hondaworld and probably new tires in a about a year.

We had traded an 05 MDX for the 07 because so much of the RL's features migrated to the 07 MDX.

It's amazing how much stuff we have hauled in that MDX. If I only had to have one vehicle it would proably be that one!

acurafox

Since I bought our daughter one last year, my wife keeps asking me when I am going to get rid of my "gas-guzzling RL" and get a Fit like hers. I must admit they are fun to drive and are deceptively roomy for such a small car (she went to San Francisco with 4! other friends and their luggage, and one of them was 6'2/225 lb!), but then I get into my RL and realize that I'd rather drive less than trade in what to me has been the best all-around car I ever owned. Just my $0.02

RL06tech

No shame in the switch. The fit is a wonderful car. The styling on the 09 is great too. Im sure our environment will thank you too! I wish they sold the 4 wd version here in the states. It wuold be the perfect runabout for the snowbelt states.

rlerman

Peter97, I figured you kept the mdx because of its size. I traded my POS 05 cherokee to get my rl and kept my 04 toyota Sequioa, specifically because of its size. (need a 4wd to going skiing in as well as holding a 4x8 sheet of plywood. The sequoia sits in the garage for the most part (wife drives it on occasion) and I drive the rl, which has been getting 25/30 mpg.

The fit may be nice, but I know if I had to move from the rl to the fit, I would be sorely disappointed. The difference in case, though, could be significant, maybe $15-$20 per tank savings on the fit, assuming 35 mpg on the fit and 25 mpg on the rl.