Honda hands out $1,000 rebate to Fit and Civic buyers

When the Canadian Government presented its new budget last March, the ecoAuto incentive program was presented, offering rebates for fuel-efficient vehicles. The threshold for cars was established at 6.5L/100 km, a calculation of combined 55% city and 45% highway fuel economy ratings.

$1,000 rebate for the 2006 and 2007 Civic with manual transmission (Civic Si excluded).

The Toyota Yaris made the cut, and so did the Corolla. Honda's Fit did not by a few spitdrops of fuel, a negligible 0.125 L/100 km. The Civic missed by only 0.355 L/100 km. Only the Civic Hybrid gets rewarded with an incentive by the government.

Honda's counterattack: the Honda Benefit, a $1,000 incentive for everyone who purchases or leases a manual or automatic 2007 Fit, or a 2006 or 2007 manual Civic. The Civic Si Coupe is excluded. The rebate also applies retroactively to March 20th, 2007, so those who bought one of the models mentioned above will also take advantage from the Honda Benefit.

Getting the rebate is easy: if you've already purchased a qualifying vehicle (March 20th or later), just contact your dealer, and Honda will promptly mail you a cheque. Future buyers will get the rebate at the time of purchase or lease.

By taking a $1,000 loss on every Fit and manual-transmission equipped Civic, Honda Canada is reaffirming their commitment to fuel-efficient vehicles, safety and customer needs.

$1,000 rebate for the 2007 Fit, manual or automatic.

As a Honda spokesperson told us, the Fit offers ABS brakes, electronic brake force distribution, side airbags and side-curtain airbags, all as standard equipment. The Yaris doesn't. So, take off all the added weight of all those safety features, and the Fit might have passed the 6.5L/100 km threshold.

The same issue applies to the Civic versus the Corolla. That's a strong argument the Canadian Government doesn't seem willing to hear.