Honda fit vs Subaru impreza

In the market for a used car.  Debating between a Subaru Impreza and a Honda fit.  Have a somewhat small garage so smaller vehicles are better.  Also carry a lot of gear sometimes so size to cargo ratio is important.  Features I'm looking for are.

1. Hatchback with at least 50 cubic feet of cargo
2. Smaller footprint for small garage
3. Ability to sleep in back in a pinch
4. Noise level on highway.  Both are compact cars so Im not expecting luxury but noise level is a factor on long road trips so a slightly quieter car is a selling point. 

The 4wd isn't really a selling point.  Although I live in minnesota I currently drive a 2wd and have never canceled a trip due to snow although there are times when I have had to hike the last bit to get to the crag or trailhead so it's more about if the extra space in the subaru is noticeable.  If I lived in the mountains 4wd would be a bigger selling point but in minnesota it's rare to have enough snow to need more than 2wd.

Go for the RELIABILITY feature.

Out of the two car companies you mentioned, one is known for blown engines.  
The other is known for reliability.  

You make the choice.  

Gonna day Impreza. My brother has one and sleeps cozy in it. He’s 5’10”

I can't comment about the Subaru, but for what it's worth, my wife and I have done plenty of trips in our 2016 fit and never had a issue with space. Regardless of what we try to cram in there, some configuration of the multiple rear seating positions ends up working.
The road noise isn't great and does bug me sometimes, but I don't know how it compares to an Impreza.

I'm 6'1" and with the front seats pushed forwards I can lay diagonally and be reasonably comfortable.

One thing to note is the passenger footwell isn't very deep so on longer trips it can get pretty uncomfortable.

Fit

More economincal to own over the long term and much more cargo capacity. 

My wife has a fit. Good commuter car. Even does ok on snow. It is loud though. Worse part for climbing is it has very low clearance and is not meant for dirt or gravel roads.
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Matt N wrote: Fit

More economincal to own over the long term and much more cargo capacity. 

On paper the impreza has more cargo.  Is the space in the fit more practically used then?

I have had two Fits and they were awesome. Tons of space and easily enough room to sleep in. I'd buy another one in a heart beat.

wisam wrote:

1. Hatchback with at least 50 cubic feet of cargo
2. Smaller footprint for small garage
3. Ability to sleep in back in a pinch
4. Noise level on highway.  Both are compact cars so Im not expecting luxury but noise level is a factor on long road trips so a slightly quieter car is a selling point. 

I had an Impreza and currently have a Fit. 

1.) Fit has much more room. 
2.) They seem the same, but I’m sure Google can tell you exact measurements. 
3.) The Fit’s magic seats make a flat bed. I’m okay at 5’11”
4.) Noise level seems the same. High. 

Awesome. I’m liking all the love for the fit. I was leaning that way anyways since I have a smaller garage. Main reason I was thinking about the Impreza was for more space but if the fit has more room then it’s a no brainer.

I've driven both, and have an Impreza now. My comparisons are for 2012 - 2014 models, so things may have changed some.
1. I'm not sure on the cargo space, but I spent all summer with both climbing gear and my mountain bike and have done many weekend trips with 2 people, so I'd say the Impreza is adequate in space.
2&3. If I remember right, the Impreza is a bit longer than the Fit, but I don't think you can comfortably sleep in either. I'm 5'10", and despite trying to rig something several times in the Impreza, I've  always ended up disappointed and sleep deprived. The seats don't fold down perfectly flat, and I had to position my head between the 2 front seats to be able to stretch my legs out. Not really worth the time or effort unless it's an emergency or you build out a more permanent platform, IMO.
4. I don't remember noise to be a problem in either, but the Impreza definitely drives and handles much nicer than the Fit. That was a main selling point actually. We were leaning towards the Fit, but immediately took it off the list after the test drive.
5. The clearance sucks on both vehicles, but I've been stuck on a dirt road in the Fit, whereas the Impreza has yet to let me down. I'd look at something higher clearance over AWD/4WD if rough roads are an issue where you live. The AWD on the Subaru is nice on slick roads though.

I don't remember what year range the head gasket problem was for certain models of Subarus, and I don't think it applied to the Impreza, but the problem was addressed a long time ago. 

wisam wrote:

On paper the impreza has more cargo.  Is the space in the fit more practically used then?

Weird, I had to double check. The Impreza seems much smaller in use vs the Fit. I think in real world use the Fit destroys an Impreza in utilizing the space. 

And Honda is supposed to be introducing a hybrid Fit next year.
Gas savings!!!!

Franco McClimber wrote: Go for the RELIABILITY feature.

Out of the two car companies you mentioned, one is known for blown engines.  
The other is known for reliability.  

You make the choice.  

The new suburus do not have the head gasket issue you are alluding to. Hondas have their bugs as well, Cheifly transmission issues. I had  2016 honda  fit 5 speed manual, it was great untill the transmission failed leaving me with a lemon. I replaced it with a 2019 crosstrek 6 speed base and have been very impressed i intend to keep it a long time. 

As far as sleeping in it goes. I can sleep with my head on the center console at 6' 1

Fuel economy is less than the fit though still good enough to not bemoan the difference. 

Rob WardenSpaceLizard wrote:

The new suburus do not have the head gasket issue you are alluding to. 

They told me that too, only to have the neighboring cam seal need replacement to the time of $7k at 80k. 

Traded in for an F150 :P

Subaru will have much less road noise.

Brandon R wrote: 
I don't remember what year range the head gasket problem was for certain models of Subarus, and I don't think it applied to the Impreza, but the problem was addressed a long time ago.

Impreza has FB20 engine, it generally does not have head gasket issues. Some early engines suffered from excessive oil consumption, a lot of manufacturers had similar problems after transitioning to low friction rings. Over my 120K with 2014 Impreza I had to add oil twice.

One thing to be aware about Subarus - wheel bearings are a known problem, or perhaps it is just my driving that made both rear main wheel bearings fail.

Otherwise - FB20 is seriously underpowered. If someone lives in mountainous regions or at higher elevation I would definitely suggest looking for something with a bit more horse power.

Edit - my manual transmission Impreza with 2.0L engine gets worse gas mileage on highway than Forester with 2.5L engine. Summer highway trips is ~30mpg.

I have an 010 forester and a 16 fit. The fit is louder. The subaru had head gaskets blow to the tune of $2800. Im 6'4 and have slept kinda cramped in the subaru. Dont think id fit in the fit. Fit gets way better gas milage. 

We’ve been beating on our Fit for 8 years and the thing is a beast. It’s been to Burning Man 3 times, driven cross country some 16+ times, I’m constantly driving it through the mountains and Moab, town driving every day for our business, at least one day a week of driving on dirt roads in the mountains. The most we’ve had to do with it outside of normal maintenance is a $250 fix on something small.
I’m 5’7” and sleeping in the back is fine, but just a bit too short to be comfortable. If you’re taller than me, I’d imagine it’d be pretty awful unless you’re a fetal position sleeper.
Overall I would buy another fit in a heartbeat. Gas mileage is great and I never really want for anything more.

I sold my Tacoma bought a Fit. I love it. It survived four people and gear driving to the bugaboo parking lot. No issues. Just be careful in snow.

Perry Norris wrote: My wife has a fit. Good commuter car. Even does ok on snow. It is loud though. Worse part for climbing is it has very low clearance and is not meant for dirt or gravel roads.
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Our "14 Impreza Sport only has about 4" of clearance. We are real happy with it though. I've never driven a Fit, but a friend had one (? year) that had pesky/expensive coil pack problems.