My Nissan Leaf Forum

Hey, i got an email from Honda that says they are qualifying folks for leases of the new car.
The process appears similar to what Nissan did with the LEAF; a web-based check-off procedure.

the terms appear to be awful:
A limited number of vehicles are available for lease now through the winter of 2014 for a select group of customers.

3-year $389/month lease for well-qualified lessees. Total due at lease signing $389 plus tax and title[2].
Exterior color: Reflection Blue Pearl
Collision coverage, maintenance costs and roadside assistance service included in lease.

website here:
http://automobiles.honda.com/fit-ev

http://insideevs.com/heres-why-the-hond ... ght-think/

Here is a reasonable analysis of the Fit EV that goes beyond the sticker shock. Honda didn't bother making a low-cost entry-level EV like Nissan has, so you really need to make sure you're comparing the right car.

Even with all the insurance and other hard to directly compare machinations that Honda is throwing in to the mix, I honestly don't know why anyone would go for the FIT over a Leaf SV...

Some people are hard-core Honda fans. Some people will prefer the greater amount of torque provided by the Fit. Still others will enjoy the flexibility of the Fit's rear seats - http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/modes.aspx (note the "Tall" mode is unique to the Fit, and I hear it's still available in the EV).

Each lessee will have his/her own reasons.

Does Fit EV sacrifice any trunc space ? That is usually the problem with conversions ...

Better storage, magic seats, longer range, sportier, legendary Honda Quality, Toshiba SCiB cells.. etc

Yes - Brad of plugincars.com also had a good review.

I think they should change their lease plan to match Leaf's. Then, they can sell well. Currently their zero down lease looks deceptively costly compared to Leaf.

Fit EV sells less than even RAV4 EV !

Does the Fit EV have the magic seats too? I wondered if they had to drop that feature with a reshaped floor pan to hold the battery pack. Nissan should totally rip off that idea for the 2015 Leaf. Does Honda has a patent on it?

The magic rear seat of the ICE Fit was sacrificed to make the Fit EV. Storage space behind the rear seats is smaller than LEAF (not intruded on by batteries, it's just smaller back there), and Fit is narrower, making 3-across rear seating difficult, no QC capability, steering wheel not heated.

On the plus side, Fit EV has a Sport mode that gives acceleration that you can really feel, slightly better handling than LEAF, battery pack is ventilated (could be called "air cooled", but it's not cooled by AC, just ambient air), a different looking design in a smaller body that may appeal to some, as Herm says; battery chemistry that is highly regarded, better range and efficiency, temp sensor on the charging inlet to prevent overheating and fires, slightly stronger regen, especially on downhills.

Actually, when it come to electrified vehicles, like the Civic hybrid for one example, Honda's quality record isn't that stellar...