Comparison Test: 2009 Nissan Cube S vs. 2009 Honda Fit Sport vs. Toyota Yaris S
There's nothing glamorous about small economy cars. No wicked styling, no shove-you-into-the-seat performance, no "gee, you never see one of those" exclusivity. But that's not their mission. Low running cost, practicality and park-ability are the reasons people buy cars like this. Though these puppies won't win you some thumbs up from your buddies or sideways glances from the opposite gender, they could warm your heart with their commendable usability, fuel economy and ownership experience.
To determine which one of these little doggies you should take home, we assembled one four-door hatchback from each of the "Big 3" of Japan: the 2009 Honda Fit Sport, the 2009 Nissan Cube S, and the 2009 Toyota Yaris S. Lest you get excited by the "S" and "Sport" trim levels designations, know that they're essentially eye candy packages consisting of fancy wheels and spoilers. With the Fit Sport's exception of slightly larger tires and the addition of a rear stabilizer bar, there are no significant suspension or tire upgrades here.
This dogfight involved living with these cars for a week, subjecting them to a variety of driving conditions and a 27-point evaluation form that encompassed everything from engine performance to instrument panel layout. The test pilots consisted of editors John DiPietro, James Riswick and Josh Sadlier.
3rd Place: 2009 Toyota Yaris S Liftback
As-tested price: $17,953
For more information, see the 2009 Toyota Yaris S Liftback test drive and model review
Where It Leads:
Styling is admittedly subjective, but two-out-of-three staffers felt that the 2009 Toyota Yaris was the best-looking of the trio (a dubious honor, considering its rivals here). The additional "S" exterior tweaks (lower skirting, rear spoiler, fog lamps) do a good job of perking up the Yaris' style, adding a dash of sportiness. In terms of fuel economy, the Yaris is rated 29 mpg city, 35 mpg highway and 31 mpg combined, compared to the Fit's 27/33/30 and the Cube's 28/30/29 numbers.
Though the Cube may win the award for the best ride and the Fit captures the gold for athletic handling, the Yaris does a nice job of splitting the two. Riswick felt the Yaris was "surprisingly fun to drive," while Sadlier noted that it was "quieter on the highway than the Fit." The test track numbers bore out these impressions, as the Yaris' 64.6 mph slalom speed put it right between the other two. Our eval forms indicated that its ride was firmer than the Cube's, but more forgiving over the bumps than the Fit.
Where It Follows:
Features, functionality, bang for the buck factor. Those are three big strikes against the Yaris, given this segment's mission. With its lack of rear passenger space and ultimate cargo capacity, the Yaris offered the least functionality for the most money. And despite listing for nearly $18,000, the Yaris lacked a number of key features -- specifically stability control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and an auto-up driver's window. Also, the central instrument layout is rather wonky, with all vital information placed out of the driver's line of sight: speedometer, tach, the trip meter, clock and fuel gauge.
The Yaris also brought up the rear, so to speak, in terms of back seat comfort and cargo space. Though the rear seat slides and reclines, the somewhat flat and hard cushions won't win over those who miss out on calling "shotgun." With the rear seats down, the Yaris offers a paltry 26 cubic feet -- less than half of what the other two have available. Furthermore, we couldn't get our golf clubs behind the rear seat and our large travel case was a tight fit.
Best For: We're not really sure.
2nd Place: 2009 Nissan Cube S
As-tested price: $16,385
For more information, see the 2009 Nissan Cube test drive and model review.
Where It Leads:
The 2009 Nissan Cube boasted the smoothest and quietest powertrain in the trio, which included a smooth and responsive CVT (Continuously Variable automatic Transmission). Unlike those found in some other economy cars (Lancer and Caliber, this means you), the Cube's CVT doesn't suck the life out of the engine but rather keeps it on point. And with a 60-to-0 stopping distance of just 124 feet, the Cube boasts solid braking for an economy car. The Cube's quirky, industrial styling certainly made it stand out. It was compared to everything from a vending machine to an aquarium. Sadlier wasn't quite as kind, likening it to a port-a-potty. Inside, it had rather whimsical details, such as the headliner's ripple effect and some unique options that include a tiny shag rug dash topper that resembles a miniature toilet seat cover. Maybe Sadlier was on to something ...
Thanks to its soft, long-travel suspension and quiet cabin, the Cube delivers a surprisingly plush ride for such a small car. DiPietro stated that given its comfortable seats, nice ride and quiet cabin at highway speeds, the Cube would be his first choice, hands down, for a road trip.
Where It Follows:
In contrast to the Fit, which felt crisp and eager through the turns, the Cube's soft suspension felt like it was reluctant to change direction. When hustled along, Riswick noted that "The body feels like it's a step behind the steering." DiPietro was less kind on the scorecard: "This is what it must have felt like for whoever got stuck with Steve 'Two left feet geek' Wozniak on Dancing with the Stars
." So if you're a driving enthusiast, this is not your ride. That said, our track tester stated that the Cube had "good balance and steering weight."
But what about cabin space, surely it looks like it'd come out on top there, right? Actually, we subjectively scored the Fit highest in rear seat room. Though our large travel case fit behind the sliding rear seat (in its rearmost position), the Cube couldn't accommodate our standard golf clubs behind those seats. Considering how into golf the Japanese tend to be, this is almost funnier than the Chia Pet dash topper.
Best For: Cubists. Different drummer marchers who value a smooth, quiet ride over athletic driving dynamics.
1st Place: 2009 Honda Fit Sport
As-tested price: $19,630
For more information, see the 2009 Honda Fit test drive and model review.
Where It Leads:
Though the Cube is quicker, straight line acceleration is but one facet of driving. The 2009 Honda Fit Sport is just more fun to drive overall, thanks to its responsive performance. Its more communicative steering means you feel more connected to the road and its relative lack of body roll means it feels planted in the corners, as opposed to feeling like a potted plant on wheels trying to go around corners (see Cube). Adding to the entertainment factor was a solid audio system, whose crisp sound earned "best of the bunch" accolades from "Mr. Bumpin' Bass" Sadlier.
The Fit also has the most functional and versatile layout. There's plenty of passenger space and thanks to the multi-configurable rear seats the Fit can carry an amazing amount of cargo. The bottom cushions can be flipped up, yielding a tall, floor-to-ceiling cargo space to accommodate taller items (as well as a safe spot for pets). There's simply nothing more practical in this class, let alone this comparison test. That counts for a lot.
The Fit had a huge lead when it came to feature content, easily making up for its higher price. Also, all three editors picked the Fit as the car they'd recommend first to shoppers in this segment.
Where It Follows:
The price to pay for the Fit's entertaining driving dynamics is a sometimes stiff ride that is easily the busiest of the three over road defects such as potholes and freeway expansion joints. And maintaining what seems to be an odd tradition for Honda, the Fit exhibits copious amounts of road noise at freeway speeds, especially when running over coarse asphalt or grooved concrete.
Best For: Those in need of the most spacious and versatile cargo/passenger space. Those who value a fun driving experience. Pet owners.
The manufacturers provided Edmunds these vehicles for the purposes of evaluation
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- John DiPietro May 31, 2009, 11:00 PM
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- 2009 Honda Fit, 2009 Nissan Cube, 2009 Toyota Yaris, Comparison Test, Economy Cars
I would've hoped to see the Kia Soul in this comparison as well.
I also find it rather sickening that the Fit is nearly $20,000...it's an economy car, but that's not an economy car price.
the soul is a korean car. this was a test of the japanese big 3, though i wonder if the xD should have been included since it's technically a toyota
I would have liked to seen the Soul in the test too.
I agree the Fit Sport is over priced but you don't need to buy the high end model. One of my neighbours just bought a Fit DX a couple weeks ago. Listed for $14,990 (Canadian bucks, somewhere around $13,500 US). You lose a few options but it's still well equipped.
While city mpg of these vehicles is quite good, I'm amazed as to how low the highway mpg is (Yaris is OK). What's up with that?
brn, the culprit is the low power/torque outputs of these engines at highway speeds. The engines in these cars have to "work hard" on the highway, resulting in lower fuel economy........that is the reason why Toyota now uses a larger 1.8 L engine in the new Prius. (The prev. gen. had a 1.5L engine.)
It seems that, if the gearing and aerodynamics are right, and if the engine is a good match for the car's weight, the most economical engines for highway driving are usually those in the 1.8 to 2.0 L range.
In the Cube's case, the poor aerodynamics of the boxy shape is probably another factor.
I'd like to know where it's written that such cars like this have to be so freakin' UGLY. Can someone drive a fuel-efficient car around that doesn't look like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down? Yikes, those could scare of a buzzard off a manure wagon.
Yes I know styling is a subjective matter and there are some who would deem such cars "cute"... but to me that's not really saying much. I'm sure there are some that thought the Aztek and the Esdel were good looking cars too.
$19K for a econo-car comparison?!
Is it really $3200 better than the Cube? The Fit should be set to a different standard because it's totally in a different price category.
Epic FAIL for a econo comparison. Here's an idea: pick cars that actually cost the same!
I'm still undecided on the Cube. Its so bizarre, but is a decent price and seems to be pretty usable. I'll agree that its a pretty big price difference between the Fit (as tested) and the Cube. I wonder if the Cube would look better if you topped it off with $3200 worth of options?
I agree that it would nice to see the Soul compared to these 3. The Soul is the best looking inside and out, imo.
Remove one option, the $2,000 navigation system, and the Fit costs less than the Yaris and is still better equipped. Sadly, no non-navi Fit was available at the time, but even if it was, the result would've been exactly the same. The Fit was actually severely handicapped in this test because of its price, but its feature content and evaluation score made it excel above the crowd. Therefore, no navi, lower price, even bigger win.
We are restricted in our car selection by what manufacturers include in the press fleets. We do our best to match cars based on price and/or equipment, but it's often not possible and we've designed a scoring system that cancels out these price/features discrepancies.
In regards to the Kia Soul, we tried, but it wasn't available at the time. We certainly would've liked to include it, perhaps in another comparison down the road.
-James Riswick
Economy cars historically were in the 10-13K price range at most, and maybe 14K. Optioning out a basic car to where it's almost $20K... Just buy a stripped down Civic instead of the Fit(for instance).
Better gas mileage, identical features as the upper-level Fit, better interior and on and on...
$15.5K(automatic, to be fair) via Cars Direct for the Civic VP. Shoot, for $20K I can *just* squeeze into a base model Accord.
The lineup should have included:
- The base Versa. Edmunds lowest cost to own AND starting at about $12K with Auto and not totally stripped.
- The base Yaris Sedan. $13K and has a usable trunk. Much better than the hatchback overall.
- The base Elantra. Larger rebates generally price it a within a couple of hundred more than the Accent, which isn't half as nice($12K) The Elantra also has better lease rates, generally. No-brainer when every penny counts.
- And maybe the Cube. Yes, the Cube is technically $13K, but who in their right mind puts on 3K in options instead of just getting the next model up? I certainly wouldn't.
The Aveo is excluded as it is really below these four by a large margin. It's a re-badged Daewoo as well, which is another reason, IMO.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daewoo_Kalos
(it's now also called the Gentra in Korea - same vehicle)
plekto
Trouble with buying a Civic is it hasn't come as a hatch (or wagon) for years. If they did I would likely choose the Civic over the Fit too.
As it is though, I'd prefer the far more useful interior on the Fit over a little better trim.
"I would've hoped to see the Kia Soul in this comparison as well. I also find it rather sickening that the Fit is nearly $20,000...it's an economy car, but that's not an economy car price."
I looked at a few Souls a few weeks ago at my local Kia dealer and the top of the line Soul Sport (non Navi) was $19,990... and thats more vs the Honda Fit Sport/Navi. Keep in mind the Soul doesn't offer the multi cargo capabilities of the Fit. That said, the Honda Fit Sport/Navi isn't the only "expensive" economy car thats available.
People who knock the Fit for being too expensive for an "econocar" probably haven't spent much time looking at it and comparing it to the competition (if you can call the other cars competition). It blows the other small hatches out of the water in many ways. It's in its own class as far as a combination of performance, practicality, quality, fun, and features for the price.
I think someone needs to go back to the drawing board on this one. While the "S" package on the Yaris really is just "eye candy," the Fit Sport does include two significant performance upgrades--a rear stabilizer bar and 16" wheels.
This is like battle of the pathetics.
For $16k - $20k, there are a whole bunch of used cars I would rather own, that are far nicer and better performing than these piles. Just buy a "new car scent" air freshner and call it a day. I mean really, you're making some HUGE sacrifices just to drive something new. I like new car smell as much as anybody, but not THAT much.
Huge sacrifices?
I don't see any huge sacrifices to owning a Fit. Great mileage, tonnes of space, lots of fun to drive.... sounds great to me.
I would buy one over a used Accord anyday.
The Cube is a little too far out there for me but I would seriously look at a Soul.
The Yaris is better then the Corolla but I can't see why I would buy one over a Fit.
What used cars did you have in mind that are better for the money?
thanks for the clarification on the Fit's astronomical price (for this category).
I would still pick the Cube based on style, comfort tuned ride and boxlike interior room.
The Fit is great but it's ugly and expensive. The Yaris is overpriced (there IS a difference.).
I think in this price range, $1K means a lot more than in more expensive markets.
stephen987,
You're right on the Fit Sport, duly noted. However, my point remains that there are no significant upgrades, such as firmer suspension calibrations, a quicker steering ratio and the fitment of high-performance tires.
Curious that you guys chose a Yaris 5-door hatch and not an xB (or xD for that fact).
I think that, in this context, a rear stabilizer and bigger wheel/tire combo ARE significant upgrades. Wanna do a comparison test between the base and Sport?
It would be an interesting comparision. I read a test with a base model and they were still impresssed with the handling. It would be intersting to see how much the Sport package does in a back to back test.
"I don't see any huge sacrifices to owning a Fit."
It's about the size and weight of my 1983 Mazda 626, the first car I bought new, with 40% more power and 2 extra gears in the auto trans version. Still, $18K and no sunroof even as an option? Hyundai offers a sunroof on the Accent SE 3-door for less money. But it's the only one of these three I'd even consider--the Yaris gets a fail for the dash, and the Cube for poor highway economy--only a few mpg more than the city, the price of lousy aerodynamics (now, if I were a 2-car family and the Cube was a commuter only...).
Depressing comparo. I'd rather have a Rabbit!
karjunkie,
As we wanted to keep the pricing of these cars in the range of $16,000 - $18,000, the Rabbit 4-door hatchback with its base price of $20,040 would have been considerably more expensive than the other, non-navi-equipped cars in this test.
Keep in mind that as James pointed out, the Fit Sport without the nav system would've listed for less than $18k.
Edmunds is a Toyota/Lexus/Scion hater! The reviewers never liked anything about Toyota yet it is one of the strongest brand if not the strongest out there, hmmmm, I wonder why? Now could you explain your lovefest with Honda/Acura?
Fiifi,
You may want to check the facts first:
In our 2009 New Car Buying Guide, we recommend a number of Toyota and Lexus models, e.g. Prius, RAV4, Tacoma, RX400h.
And in our Used Car Best Bets, you'll see that we recommend 3 Toyota models.
"Now could you explain your lovefest with Honda/Acura?"
My guess would be.. with few exceptions... Honda/Acuras are much more fun to drive then Toyota/ Lexus.
Toyota made it big by going after the huge market of people who view cars as appliances. Good business perhaps but don't expect people who love driving to like it.
I really see the Cube as a successor to the original Scion xB. If other people see it that way, then I think the Cube will be a sales success.
Anyone who is intrigued by the price, performance and ride comfort of the Cube, but is put off by the styling, should check out the Nissan Versa. The Cube uses the Versa chassis, drivetrain and (if I'm not mistaken) suspension.
The Versa's styling may be too conservative for some, but it has quite a nice interior for the price point.
I'm sure that the xD would've had much the same results as the Yaris S, since they also share a platform and components.
The last time I sat in the back of a Yaris, my head was up against the roof. When I sat in the Echo, that didn't happen. I'm not even 6' tall so this isn't asking alot. Like the review said, the space behind the rear seats was a joke--it negated the usefulness of a hatch. Not only are Toyota getting boring, they don't excel in practicality like the Cube/Versa.
On the other hand, Honda Fit accepted all of my body with room to spare. And then theres room behind the seats. Honda delivers both go kart handling and practicality in one package that's easy to park in urban area. In another words, the Fit offers a little something for everyone and it deserves to win.
The fact that the CUBE has 50 standard safety features is important to me. I also like the fact that inside it's very roomy, the seats are soft and comfortable, and the car really is smooth to drive. Visibility is also a winning aspect. If I wanted a GPS, I can buy one for $150. The Yaris is amongst the most unsafe cars in America and I think the field in this test is a little odd, but the best vehicle here is definitely the Cube. Nice features, nice ride, and nice price - plus it's probably going to be on edmunds lowest cost to own list eventually.
The Yaris is an immediate fail for me 'cause you can't get the more useful 4-door model with a manual. I think that the purpose of buying one of these little cars is to have fun driving a slow car fast, and attaching a 1.5 liter thrashmill to a 4-speed slushbox ruins that. The old Xb with this engine and a stick was a riot to drive, had more space, and only gave up 2 mpg to the Yaris tested here. Enormous passenger space for the 6-foot-plus, decent cargo room, and interesting looks. Sold like icewater in the desert. So of course Toyota replaced it with a huge, thirsy Corolla wagon. The Fit USED to be a blast, but the redo stole the fun, decreased fuel efficiency, and made it fat, just like the average American derriere. That leaves the Cube, which is apparently the Lincon Towncar of shipping containers, as its sofa-seats and soft suspension mean that manual transmission or not, it's part of the lean-and-howl school of sporty driving. I guess I'm with Stingray - not only do used cars cost a lot less, they're also more fun. What happened to cars like the 240sx and Swift GT? Why does the only fun, small, efficient car left have to be a Mini Cooper, which is priced well above the econo-car ceiling?
Count me in with those who, for one reason or, in this case many, don't quite get this comparison: If just comparing four-door hatches, why not include the Scion xB or xD (both of which have more power, more space and cost less than the ridiculous Yaris in this comparison); if you're just including new models, why not the Kia Soul? If you really want economy (as in, low price and good gas mileage), why not a Civic (at $19 and change, the Civic EX is a better deal than the Fit in this story) or a Nissan Versa, even loaded? Clearly, even just including the Top-3 Asian brands, the economy segment is getting a bit crowded.
I cant believe how bad the fuel economy is on these. I drive 20 miles city and 40 miles highway everyday to work and my Mazda 3- 5 door sport gets 31 MG Average ever tank. Did I mention I paid $17,200 new, and that's with power roof, 156Hp and 6CD changer. That's a true balance of economy and fun.
I haven't figured out what happened to the gas mileage of "econoboxes" over the years. What I'm seeing out there is not much better than I used to get from a well-tuned 36hp Beetle. I bought a Chevy Sprint (Suzuki manufacture) back in 1985 for $5400 bucks out the door and I was getting 50+ mpg from the 1 liter 3 cylinder engine over a 2400' mountain pass on my 60 mile round trip commute. Granted, it wasn't luxurious; the exact opposite, in fact. But for a long-distance commuter it couldn't be beat. Then I bought a '93 Miata, vastly improved the fun factor of the commute, and I was still pushing 28 mpg.
I agree that this segment is expensive and gas mileage is less impressive. But the cars are also a lot more technologically advanced, have lots more safety features on them, and I would argue that in the case of the FIT, are more useful than cars like the Civic and Corolla.
The Yaris is a fail for me because it's very difficult to get in and out of for my 6 foot frame and the interior gauge layout is annoying.
I like both the Fit and the Cube. The Cube reminds me of the old xB and is a very comfortable ride with lots of nice additions. The Fit seems a bit more solid and cannot be beat for utility and use of interior space.
I've owned an '09 Fit Sport w/AT since last October, and this car continues to amaze. My only mild complaints are MPG (31 combined/mostly city) and highway acceleration on the ramp. Otherwise, this car continues to blow its competition away. The Magic Seat configurations enable me to haul an unbelievable amount of cargo. It is a firm ride, but it handles like it's on rails. I prefer driving the Fit to my Accord Sport Coupe, though I refer to it as my "clown car...."
Just test drove the Fit and the 3-door Hyundai Accent, along with the Chevy Aveo.
The Honda was, by far, the worst of the 3, and overpriced to boot by several thousand dollars.
Add to that the crap attitude of the Honda dealer sales people (2 separate dealerships in our area) and I would not strongly not recommend the Honda.
I am a Chevy guy, but the Aveo came in #2. Most fun to drive was the Accent. It reminded me of my Ford Focus ZX3 - responsive, good handling, unlike the Honda which was noticeably sluggish.
My wife, a soft-pedal driver also noticed how sluggish and soft the Honda felt. She was unimpressed.
I have to say Hyundai has a good thing going, along with the gas deal at $1.49 a gallon for 12 months here in CA.
pfountaine - i've never driven the accent, but the old 2000 zx3 that we traded in on our '07 fit was a MUCH better car in my opinion - i bought into the hype unfortunately and now regret it. The good things are the mileage and the space - but the bad stuff, over time, starts to outweight the good - very uncomfortable, very cheap hard plastic interior, jarring ride, horrible turning circle for a small car, struggles up hills etc.
The posted EPA numbers may be low but I personally know many people who have the Fit that are getting 30 to 36 in town and 38 to 42 on the hwy! and a base model will run just over 15K with power locks, mirrors, windows, a/c and cd player. Go ahead and get your base tin can with no a/c and roll up windows. Good luck selling or trading it in when your tired of it.