Article Comments - 2009 Honda Fit First Drive / Full Test

556 messages, Last post on Feb 05, 2009 at 1:45 PM

You are in the Honda Fit Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

What is this discussion about? Honda Fit, Hatchback

First Drive: 2009 Honda Fit - Inside the Fit's cabin, it's apparent that quality levels are up, with improved plastics, more supportive seats and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. Meanwhile, a new dashboard layout looks softer, reflecting a special effort by stylists to appeal to women. (more)

2009 Honda Fit Sport Full Test - Bottom Line: If only every sequel were so good. It's as if Honda used our long-term test blog about the 2007 Fit as a road map for the 2009 model's improvements. (more)

Outline

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#467 of 556 Re: My Goofy Clown Car .... [baddog2] by mustangxr Oct 11, 2008 (12:14 am)
Replying to: baddog2 (Oct 10, 2008 6:10 pm) Mr Baddog, Yes, you are correct, the auto is geared lower for highway mileage. The Fit Sport MT revs right around 3000 RPM at 100 klicks which is close to 60 mph. At 72 mph it revs 3500. That makes it very responsive and peppy at cruise, but not particularly good on fuel mileage. The manual just begs for another gear. I figure they couold drop 5 or600 RPM off the cruise revs and it would still be OK. I have nothing against downshifting to pass or climb steep hills, but with the way the car is geared now, you don't need to downshift at all during trips. The 09 and the 07/08 rev just about the same. They changed the ratios in 4th and 5th on the 09, and then changed the diff up to 4.6 or so to accommodate the taller tires on the 09. The net outcome appears to be the same RPM so I'm not sure what the intent was/is. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I could answer this. Cheers, Pete
#468 of 556 Re: On the same page .... [baddog2] by widetrack2000 Oct 11, 2008 (1:17 am)
Replying to: baddog2 (Oct 10, 2008 7:26 pm) Go to Ebay's web site and type in 2009 Fit seat covers and there are at least two companies currently selling them in different colors.
#469 of 556 Ford Fiesta vs. Clown Car (Buster) by prufrock1 Oct 11, 2008 (6:44 am)
I admire your facility with the lexicon. A postulate, if you will: Ford Fiesta aficionados employ discourse monosyllabically, whereas FitFreaks have a certain sesquipedalian proclivity. In my dissertation, I will also attempt to expand this premise to suggest that McCain would opt for the Fiesta....
#470 of 556 Before this goes any further... by pf_flyer HOST Oct 11, 2008 (6:58 am)
Let's get back to discussing the Fit first drive test and back away from commenting on each other please. Thanks.
#471 of 556 Article Comments - 2009 Honda Fit First Drive / Full Test by ragavendra Oct 11, 2008 (8:24 am)
the test drive seem to be so comfortable and except the seat belt that too not a problem but still feel something needs to be improved. --------- ragavendra blaze infotech Replies to this message: toronado455 (Oct 11, 2008 10:50 am)
#472 of 556 Re: Article Comments - 2009 Honda Fit First Drive / Full Test [ragavendra] by toronado455 Oct 11, 2008 (10:50 am)
Replying to: ragavendra (Oct 11, 2008 8:24 am) What is it that you feel needs to be improved?
#473 of 556 2009 Honda Fit First Drive by prufrock1 Oct 11, 2008 (1:57 pm)
OK, I'll focus more on the car than on my language. My wife and I both look forward to driving our '09 AT Sport. We bought it at MSRP, with the all-weather mats included. I stopped by the dealer today to get some touch-up paint, and I ran into my sales guy. He told me that he'd have the driver's side mat installed for free for me (it involves some cutting of the floor). We could not be happier with our purchase....
#474 of 556 Re: [mustangxr] by toronado455 Oct 12, 2008 (1:18 am)
Replying to: mustangxr (Oct 10, 2008 1:04 am) Pete, personally I would just get the automatic instead. It gets better mileage than the stick because it's geared taller. And just by driving it with a light foot it will upshift at the earliest possible opportunity, thus getting the best fuel economy without needing to lug the motor or run in an inappropriate gear for the speed. I guess I'm still not convinced that lugging the motor isn't bad for it. Replies to this message: mustangxr (Oct 12, 2008 2:28 am) carfreak_25 (Oct 12, 2008 9:15 am)
#475 of 556 Re: [toronado455] by mustangxr Oct 12, 2008 (2:28 am)
Replying to: toronado455 (Oct 12, 2008 1:18 am) El Toro, Well, after driving my 07 Fit like I mentioned for the last 14 months with absolutely no problems......I don't think it is a problem. Not that I begrudge you the auto, mind you, but if the engine and machinery does not buck, snort or shudder, then it must be OK. If you are tooling around at 30 to 40mph on a flat road in light to moderate traffic, then why not be in the highest gear (lowest RPM) the car will pull without complaining.?? As far as loading the engine for break-in, consider that with a new or rebuilt aircraft engine, the manufacturer instructs you to run NO LESS THAN 75% power for the entire first 50 hours of operation. They go on to state that this will keep the cylinder pressures high to seat in the rings. Getting back to the Honda, it is impossible to run 75% power around town, so all you can do is to load the engine artificially by driving in a lower gear. The Honda ignition control automatically pulls timing to preclude any engine damage from preignition or knocking/pinging, etc. How it works is that the cylinder pressure gets underneath the rings, or between the rings and the piston, and compresses the ring against the cylinder walls, augmenting the natural ring tension. Anyway, it is nigh impossible to run anything close to 75% power on a car unless you are on the track or going up huge hills like we have in B. C., Canada. The 1.5 liter L15A I-VTEC engine seems quite happy at 1500 RPM and 30mph in both of my Fits, which is what you get in fifth gear. Cheers, Pete Replies to this message: carfreak_25 (Oct 12, 2008 9:15 am)
#476 of 556 Re: [mustangxr] by carfreak_25 Oct 12, 2008 (9:15 am)
Replying to: mustangxr (Oct 12, 2008 2:28 am) Hey mustangxr, I thought I'd just clear up some misconceptions you have. First, the aircraft engines are build totally different from car engines. If you read the manual or ask the honda (or any) mechanic, during the break-in period you're supposed to run in a car at mixture of light and heavy loads as well as a mix of low and high speeds but that doesn't mean red-lining (or even coming close to) or lugging the engine. Second, the piston rings aren't the only things that need to be broken in, there are bearings and valves any many other things attached to the engine that turn and require a break in period. The reason I bring this up is because Lugging the engine is extremely bad for the bearings. This is because at low RPM's the oil pressure is at it's lowest. Since the bearings are simply a pressurized oil film, a large amount of downwards force on the piston (full throttle) and a correspondinly low pressure oil film causes the bearings to slap together causing metal on metal contact, wearing out and stressing the bearing surfaces. Also the piston rings will break in just fine at lower cylinder pressures. Another thing I would like to point out is that these engines are not rebuilt, they are new and they come installed in the car broken in from the factory so the break-in period is mostly for the rest of the moving parts of the car. The machinery will not buck, snort, or shudder while lugging the engine but this does not mean it is ok, you will notice that the engine gets louder, what you are hearing is the bearing surfaces smacking together. Keep in mind that low rpms are ok but lugging depends on how much throttle is given during this time of low rpm. 1500 rpm at full throttle shouldn't be enough to cause the engine to lug, 1100 at full throttle might and 800 rpm at full throlle definitely will cause lugging. Pinging and knocking is not caused by engine lugging (in fact it has nothing to do with it), it is caused by multiple flame fronts in the combustion chamber resulting from high combustion temperatures (caused by low octance fuel, too high compression, overheated engine, etc) or ignition timing that is overadvanced. Predetoniation is another problem alltogether caused by hot carbon deposits (not lugging). Just because you have been driving for 14 months problem free does not mean it is ok. Honda engines are known (and built) to last 500000 km ++. They can take alot of abuse because of superior tolorances and advanced materials technology. Lugging the engine will cause your engine to not reach this ripe old age, it is not something you will notice in such a short time. Greg