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Hatchbacks Honda Fit Honda Fit
4728 messages, Last post on Nov 06, 2009 at 4:57 AM
You are in the Honda Fit Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
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Replying to: johnxyz (Jan 05, 2009 8:14 am)
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I own a manual 2009 Fit Sport and wanted to provide some initial impressions. To establish a frame of reference, I have owned a 2004 Prius, a 2000 Hyundai Sonata 4 cyl manual and 2003 Corolla LE automatic, all purchased new and driven for at least 10,000 miles over the same daily commute and driving conditions. I travel frequently how and rent small and mid-size vehicles when I do, providing a reasonably comprehensive experience with new cars costing under $30,000 that I have not owned. The Fit is unquestionably my favorite from both an ownership and driving perspective. Over 1300 miles of driving I have achieved manually calculated mpg of 32.5, 34.5, 35.2, and 35.8, and 35.6 per tank for a lifetime average of 35.1 mpg. Efficiency aside, the Fit is highly functional with comfy, laterally isolating seats, telescoping wheel, loads of space, and an iPod connection in the dash permitting control through the stereo. Many reviews have covered its physical features, however, so there is no need to regurgitate that here except to say that every feature is well executed and has been defect-free. From a subjective perspective the Fit is mad fun to drive. Steering is crisp, precise, and tight but also stable and refined – freeway lane changes require a flick of the wrist rather than a movement of the arm and the Fit goes exactly where you put it. Cornering is flat at anything up to high speeds and body lean minimal during crisp handling - there’s a nice thrill to be had by making a 90 degree left at 30 mph and then hammering 2nd gear - the rear end does a little jig, settles right down behind the front, and the whole package moves forward with a satisfying whine. The ride response is typical of small Hondas of current and past iterations: the Fit hugs the road without jumping around after each bump, transmitting jarring vibrations to the spine, or creating an excessively noisy driving compartment – noise isolation is as good as any small car I’ve driven. I have not tested emergency brake response, but braking feel under normal conditions is also precise with a linear response to pressure from a low-travel pedal. The Fit’s throttle response is tougher to describe since to my mind it is really two cars. One, operated between 1500 and 3200 rpm, is a highly efficient, nicely tuned grocery getter. The other, operated between 2500 and 5000 rpm, is a bodice-ripping, whiny little animal with great pop and a go-kart handling. Engine noise will discourage many from throttle-whipping the Fit but personal experience and published reports confirm that max torque and horsepower are obtained above 3000 rpm, which is right where the engine noise really starts to kick in. At 5000 rpm it is loud. At red-line, it is really, really loud. The gearing ratio for fifth makes for fun freeway driving, as 65 mph requires about 3000 rpm or so, yielding easy and peppy acceleration from 65 to 75. Combined with tart handling, wide side mirrors, and excellent sight lines, the pep between 65 and 75 makes the Fit a great SoCal Freeway Car, requiring little downshifting to zip between lanes. When turbo and pimp kits become more widely available, the ’09 Fit will become a very common Rice Rocket in these parts. The Fit is not without its deficits. First gear is almost useless when driving for maximal fuel efficiency due to short gearing – treat it sweetly to nudge it from first into second and people behind you get the urge to honk. Cup holders are as useless as they are plentiful – the ones under the dash cannot be reached without angling a cup around and past the shifter, the one in the driver’s door panel likewise requires precise cup maneuvering, and the driver’s side dashtop cup holder might work in the automatic but is only useful in the manual version if you have three arms: an arm on the left for the cup, an arm on the the left for the wheel, and an arm on the right for shifting. If you only have two arms like me, using that holder requires an exhilarating little juggling act involving cup, wheel, and shifter – all at 65 mph while you’re zipping between lanes. The built-in mileage computer is totally whacked, reading from 4 to 8.9 mpg high and randomly so; while true, calculated mpg has gradually increased, metered mpg is gone down and then up. The front wipers seem cheap and, combined with the sweeping windshield, make for a poorly cleared vision field during hard rains. Finally – and this is not a defect but a feature – placement of the gas tank underneath the driver’s seat leads to initially disturbing noises and vibrations due to the sloshing of fuel during braking and acceleration.
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Replying to: tonyspumoni (Jan 07, 2009 8:33 am) I had a 2008 Fit 5 speed and was also impressed by the handling. I found it a little OVER responsive on the freeway - it took a little getting used to the quickness of the steering ratio and responsiveness of the steering - I'd just be THINKING about a lane change and wham, bam, I was there. Took a little getting used to. I never heard the gas sloshing underneath me - I had heard reports of that, but despite some occasional hard driving on curving roads, never heard a thing - and I am sensitive to noises produced by my cars. The windshield wipers on my car also seemed cheap, but I Rain-X all my cars windows (with weekly or every other week updates on the front windshield during rainy season) and at freeway speeds never have to turn on the wipers. Rain-X also seems to eliminate wiper "chatter" that occurs on untreated windshields. Finally, I wipe down the edges of the wiper blades with the paper towel I used to apply the Rain-X to the windshield with (sometimes adding a little more Rain-X to the towel first) and am always amazed how much black road film gunk comes off the wipers. You might try Rain-X on your windshield and cleaning the wiper edges; if that doesn't help, there are tons of highquality after market wiper blades that will snap in to replace the existing blades - Bosch is supposed to be good, as is the Rain-X brand, but I've had good success choosing one of the slightly upmarket sets from Walmart. You may at some point get annoyed at what I call the "torsion beam bump" noise from the rear suspension. Well before your front wheels hit the bump stops, the rear end will make a big noise, if you hit an irregularity in the road (like a bump/swell on the freeway). It's not unique to the Fit - I had the same crash noise on my torsion beam Versa and on my torsion beam Cobalt (but not as bad on the Cobalt). On my Focus with independent rear suspension, no such noise, so I assume the general unsettled feel and noise are intrinsic to the torsion beam design. On the other hand, the torsion beam on the Fit allows incredible rear storage space - independent rear suspensions apparently intrude into the trunk area more. I put a Honda window-screen style roll-out cargo cover (accessory item, about $175) in the back of my Fit. It's just too much of a jungle out there to leave the rear trunk area visually exposed. I suppose you could also work around the issue by tinting the windows (which is almost required even if you use a cargo since on my 2008, at least, the cargo cover left a big "peek" gap between the cover and the rear seat). On the other hand, now that manufacturers are endorsing inflation kits/sealants as an alternative to spare tires (since most punctures are nails or screws which respond well to sealant kits), I suppose an alternative would be to take out and store the spare tire and carry a can of sealant and inflation pump - then use the massive "under trunk floor" space for gym bag etc., reserving the actual trunk for groceries and short term hauling of Costco booty back home. Yes, I would like to get another Fit some day, and would already have a 2009 if several reviews hadn't complained about the noise levels cruising at freeway speed (the 2009 was SUPPOSED to have more sound insulation, but something went wrong). It's not that the Fit too noisy, it's just that as I grow older I value more quiet - except when, as you do, I hit the throttle and enjoy the engine's tune. I imagine once the Fit has stability control standard (by 2012?) it will be irresistable, and I will rationalize purchasing my second Fit on grounds it is an incredible people and cargo hauler - and unlike almost any small car on the market (except the Caliber) can actually haul three kids in the back AND still have enough room behind the rear seat for a Costo shopping day. I have to say in a general age of cynicism, it is heartening to read a review that is so enthused with the enthusiasm I first had for cars back in the '60's when my father gave me a '56 Chevy while I secretly longed for a TR7.
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Replying to: nippononly (Jan 06, 2009 10:30 pm) Good idea about the tire swap. Last question - I'm comfortable changing pads and rotors on disk brakes but I've read its a real bear to change out the brake linings on drum brakes. Is it a DIY job or best left to the dealer or Midas/Meinekie (yikes!!)? Are drum brakes really that much less costly then disks that the manufacturers continue to equip their low-end models in 2009?! Thanks
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Replying to: johnxyz (Jan 07, 2009 12:29 pm) You should make sure changing brake pads does not adversely affect the performance of your ABS anti-lock braking system. ABS systems assume a certain "linearity" of brake grip - they have to "pulse" your brakes to provide the antilock effect. If replacement brakes are more touchy or grabby there could be a problem. It's worth researching on Google and even calling Hawk or other responsible makers to ask their tech service department. Yes, I'm annoyed by having to worry about this too, since manufacturers supply our cars with excessively soft ceramic pads whose main claim to fame is a reduction in brake dust that often blackens wheels when you use high performance pads.
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Replying to: micweb (Jan 07, 2009 1:09 pm) |
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Replying to: micweb (Jan 07, 2009 9:38 am) What I find kind of neat though is that every facet of the Fit's performance seems designed to harmonize with the others so that no feature appears incongruous. Handling is tight, cornering is flat, engine noise is noticeable, road noise is moderate, all in proportion to the others. Imagine an Avalon, say, with road noise of a Fit. It would stand out like a baboon at the elephant show. So it is entirely possible that I just don't notice the road noise - and it really is loader - because it is the expected amount of noise given the Fit's handling characteristics. If the Fit were really, really quiet, it would actually be kind of weird to me - I loathe the Camry's boat-like handling and dentist-chair isolation. |
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Had an accident a while back and had the front end/bumper replaced. Since then I've noticed that the angle of the foglights is lower than before. Can anyone tell me how to adjust the angle of the foglights myself or point me to a resource? Thanks!!
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Replying to: bayoujay (Jan 13, 2009 1:14 pm) |
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I love my 2008 Fit Sport Manual but have one major issue. The front seats are fine for local commuting but on long drives of over an hour,the seat bottoms are too firm, and the lack of height adjustment make for a very sore bottom. Has anyone found a padded seat cover or a seat cushion that helps on long drives and is a nice fit?
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