Honda Fit vs. Ford Focus: Fit wins, but barely

SM
by Rob Douthit
Wheels
Honda Fit vs. Ford Focus:
Fit wins, but barely
Top 10 Green Cars of 2008
Volume 4, Issue 6
The No.1 Collision Repair Group in North America
Honda
The 2009 Honda Fit has the better gas mileage
and value. Both vehicles handle well and have
good acceleration, and both get good marks for
braking.
Small cars are all the rage
these days, thanks to their
infrequent need to visit the
gas pump. But many of today’s
gas sippers have other great
qualities to appreciate. Such
is certainly the case in today’s
matchup: the Honda Fit and
Ford Focus.Roominess
You want a small car, but
you don’t want to feel cramped.
The good news is that with
both of these, you can be comfortable. The Focus has nice
head and leg room up front,
and the back seats aren’t too
bad. The Fit’s seating room
is also good, but the interior
feels just a tad more narrow. —
ADVANTAGE: Focus
Gas mileage
During our recent test drives
of these cars, gas was running
around $3.50 a gallon. That’s
far from cheap, but it beats
the heck out of the $4 we have
seen. Combine that price break
with the terrific mileage we got
from both of these and our wallets were feeling a little thicker
than usual those few days.
(Didn’t last long, though).
The Fit has EPA numbers of
27 mpg city and 33 highway. In
mostly city driving, we got a
robust 29.
Ford
The Ford Focus — with a bit of stylish flair —
slightly comes out on top in design and has more
interior room.
The Focus that we had, with
a 2.0-liter engine and five-speed
manual transmission, gets 24
and 35, according to EPA. We
got about 26. — ADVANTAGE:
Fit
Looks
The Fit is a five-door sedan
that could be called cute. The
Focus we drove was a fourdoor sedan that had a little
bit of stylish flair, including
some chrome accents on the
sides. The interiors for both
were practical, but not all that
fancy. — ADVANTAGE: Focus
Price
The Fit, which had automatic transmission and a navigation system, was marked
at $19,430. The Focus was $17,
348 without those two goodies. Hard to say which really
produces the most value. But if
you look at quality of materials
and resale value, you might
give a slight edge to Honda. —
ADVANTAGE: Fit
The winner
An exceptionally close race,
with the Fit finishing ahead by
less than a nose. We preferred
the design of the Focus, but
with a little bit better gas mileage and a miniscule edge in
value, we chose the Fit.
Puzzle Solutions
Green Rating
Fuel Econ.
(Highway/City)
Price
1. 2008 Honda Civic Hybird
84
45/40
$24,350
2. 2008 Toyota Prius
84
45/40
$21,500
3. 2008 Mazda Tribute Hybrid
76
30/34
$25,485
4. 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
76
34/33
$25,650
5. 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
76
34/33
$25,200
6. 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
76
30/34
$27,445
7. 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
76
30/34
$28,150
8. 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5 LT2
74
34/25
$14,860
9. 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5 LT2 4-door 74
34/25
$14,860
10. 2008 Toyota Yaris
35/29
$14,650
74
CARSTAR Chicagoland Business Group Supports Local Make-A-Wish Child
Jacqueline, a 12-yearold from Rolling
Meadows, Ill., loves
horses, the color pink and
the music of Johnny Cash.
Unlike most girls, she also
suffers from epilepsy and
Rasmussen’s encephalitis,
requiring monthly
medications and
regular therapies. Since
she spends so much time
in hospitals and doctor
offices, Jacqueline often
misses out on simply
being a kid. She was,
however, able to enjoy the
experience of a lifetime
thanks to a contribution of
more than $5,000 by the
CARSTAR Chicagoland
Business Group
In the Bleachers
Source: Yahoo! Autos
MORE FUN INSIDE!
2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
www.CARSTAR.com
franchisees.
Nine months
ago, store
owners in the
Chicagoland
Business Group
pledged to make
the dream of a
Make-A-Wish®
child come true.
Jacqueline’s wish
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com
was
Jacqueline and her family
realized on July 3, 2008,
also met other Make-Awhen she met
Wish kids who shared
racing legend Dale
dreams of meeting
Earnhardt Jr. at a
NASCAR race in Florida. NASCAR drivers, and
visited NASA,
Universal Studios and
“We wanted to do
SeaWorld while in
something important to
Florida. According to
show our support for
everyone involved, the
CARSTAR’s
wish trip was a huge
relationship with the
success and made
Make-A-Wish
Jacqueline feel better
Foundation,” said Sherri
about herself.
Slater, co-owner of
Wally’s CARSTAR Auto
“We are so happy
Body in Des Plaines, Ill.
that the Chicagoland
“Our goal was to make
CARSTAR Business
sure Jacqueline’s wish
Group decided to support
was fulfilled.”
a local Make-A-Wish
child,” said Bridgette
Gibson, development
manager for the Illinois
Chapter of the MakeA-Wish Foundation.
“CARSTAR is an
incredible friend and
partner in our quest to
grant wishes to special
children around the
country.”
CARSTAR has been a
supporter of the MakeA-Wish Foundation since
2007 and to date has
raised more than $200,000
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com
for the organization.
“CARSTAR’s
relationship with MakeA-Wish shows what kind
of people we are – people
who care about our
communities and the
world we live in,” said
continued on page 2
Need A Rental?
Ask your CARSTAR advisor for fast, easy and
affordable service from Enterprise.
Preferred Provider of
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Pick-up subject to geographic and other restrictions. © 2008 Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company. 814897 8/08 MEW
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9/3/08 12:41:21 PM
continued from page 1
Slater. “We wanted to
take the lead and show other
stores across the country the
kind of impact they can make
on their communities.”
The Make-A-Wish
Foundation of Illinois is
the second largest Make-A-
Wish chapter in the United
States, granting more than
600 wishes last year. Since
its start locally in 1985, more
than 8,000
children battling lifethreatening medical
conditions have gained
strength and hope as they
experience a wish come true.
The Make-A-Wish
Foundation of Illinois serves
children throughout Illinois.
SM
CARSTAR Comics
Ever Wonder Where
Air bags Came From?
The air bag is an automotive restraint
that consists of a bag designed to inflate upon
collision, which prevents passengers from
moving forward. John W. Hetrick invented
the air bag in 1952 to protect his family members while driving. Early airbags consisted
of compressed air, compressed nitrogen gas
(N2), freon and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Ford was the first auto company to put
air bags in their cars in 1971. Air bags in cars
were more widely introduced in the United
States in the mid-70s, when many car passengers neglected to wear seat belts.
In 1980, Mercedes Benz re-introduced
the air bag as a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). Sensors in the car would tighten
the seat belts and then deploy the air bags in
the event of an accident. With this design, the
air bag was no longer just a way to avoid
wearing seat belts and it kept riders safe.
The government made driver’s side air
bags mandatory in 1984 and dual front air
bags mandatory in 1998.
Today, air bags are found in all new cars
and have evolved in performance and quality.
Teleword
Ink Pen
The Duplex
Pooch Café
CARSTAR Yorkville
228 Route 34
Yorkville, IL 60560
Phone: (630) 553-6564 Fax: (630) 553-6588
E-mail: fishercars@aol.com
Web Site: www.carstar.com
Store Contact: Doug Fisher
Equipment:
• Computer software:Mitchell ABS Management with Ultramate and CCC/Pathways Estimating
Systems
• Paint Booth: Garmat Downdraft with double
prep decks
• Computerized Unibody/Frame Measuring System
• Frame Equipment: (2) Korek #3 and
(2) Car-O-Liner Mk IV
• Welding Equipment: (3) MIG Welders
(1) plasma cutter (1) Uni-spotter
• Paint: BASF with computerized mixing system
Edited by Timothy Parker
ACROSS
1 “Curse the
luck!”
5 Scout bunch
10 Schlemiels
14 Wax bananas?
15 Start to be
sorry?
16 “Doctor Dolittle”
actress Pratt
17 Sarah
McLachlan hit
18 Call from a
ward
19 Sentence unit
20 Trio on TV
23 Santa ___,
El Salvador
24 Dressing may
make it better
25 Like a fruitcake,
in more ways
than one
27 Nickname for
Hemingway or
Haydn
30 Rita of “West
Side Story”
33 “Othello”
conspirator
37 Just-for-fun
activity
39 Attorney played
by Raymond
Burr
40 Trio on TV
43 Begin, as
winter
Franchise Spotlight
Facility:
• CARSTAR Yorkville has a talented and
service-driven staff of 12 people
• Overall square footage of 10,200 with 18
work bays
• 6 customer parking spaces, with 8 for overflow
• Storage space: Fenced-in storage space for
34 vehicles
• Customer waiting area: Clean room with comfortable seating for four
• Fully equipped appraiser work area
Universal Crossword
44 Philip of
“From Here to
Eternity”
45 Civil War side
(with “the”)
46 Nancy Reagan’s designer
48 Michelle of
“Crouching
Tiger, Hidden
Dragon”
50 Loses one’s
footing
52 Fourth Estate
56 Paul’s “Exodus” co-star
58 Trio on TV
62 “___ a man
with seven
wives”
64 Very practical
65 “Lamp ___ My
Feet”
66 Dibs on
collateral
67 Windward
Island Saint ___
68 Apartment, to
an apartment
manager
69 Retained
70 Satisfy the
store owner
71 “Auld Lang
___”
DOWN
1 Saroyan’s “My
Name is ___”
2 “The ___ Got
Potential”
(Song from
“Evita”)
3 Hill who went
to Capitol Hill
4 Lesley of “60
Minutes”
5 Emmy-winning
“Cagney &
Lacey” co-star
6 Libertine
7 A possessive
8 James of “The
Andromeda
Strain”
9 Fully attended
meeting
10 It’s above us all
11 Sailor’s
response,
perhaps
12 Be organized,
in a way
13 Title sister of a
1970 film
21 ___ sheet
(arrest record)
22 Leaf pore
26 Police
adversary of
39-Across
28 El ___, Texas
29 “The Sheik of
___”
31 Mrs. Nick
Charles
32 The “O” in SRO
33 Words with
“boy!” or
“shame”
34 Stunned
35 Enter
Dreamland
36 “Darby ___
and the Little
People”
38 Proposer’s
prop?
41 Not suitable
42 Insult or a
“gorgeous”
introduction
47 “Letter From
an Unknown
Woman” director Max
49 Mins. and mins.
51 Put together
53 Richard
Burton film
54 Favorable
forecast
55 Sleek fabric
56 Another sleek
fabric
57 She’s a sweetie
in Tahiti
59 Steinbeck title
varmints
60 Lena of
“Havana”
61 Act like a
grandparent
63 You’ll get a
bang out of it
© 2008 Universal Press Syndicate www.upuzzles.com
“THREE THREES ON TV” by Edgar Haskins
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