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Honda Fit New Owner Reports

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Comments

  • jkandelljkandell Member Posts: 116
    As I'm using the A/C more I'm noticing it really cuts into engine power. Does anyone else experience weird gas pedal results when A/C is on? I find if I try to accelerate a bit fast, the car doesn't just act weak but seems to go nowhere then suddenly lurch forward. It's like the drive-by-wire gas pedal has lost its intelligence. :-) The nothing-then-lurch reminds me in how my vehicles from the old days acted when they air leaks or blocked fuel tube or carbs. What's going on here? Or is it just mine?
  • beachgirl1106beachgirl1106 Member Posts: 7
    Hi everyone!

    I am strongly considering trading in my 2004 Honda CR-V AWD for a Honda Fit - mostly for the better gas mileage.

    I live in Central Jersey and will be spending a lot of time on the road traveling out to PA (50 minutes one-way).

    My question is: is this a smart choice given the possibility of weather conditions such as snow, heavy rain, and high winds? :confuse:

    Would I be better have to have *both* vehicles for different purposes? Or from owners' experiences, does your car handle well enough in these types of conditions for me just to buy the Fit outright and trade in the CRV?

    Any insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated!

    Jeannie
  • fitchickfitchick Member Posts: 5
    I've been drving my Fit Sport in Southern California, so I don't regularly have to deal with snow. I did drive it up to Utah at Christmas and it was icy and snowy there. I had no problems whatsoever, even when the roads were slushy or had a sheet of ice underneath. If you're used to driving in the snow, you'll have no problem with the Fit. As far as rain, the tires are pretty grippy and I've never had a problem in the rain. I've got the ABS so that's extra assurance that you will be safe. And wind? It's always windy here (gusts above 50 mph) and I'm always safe in the Fit. It's low enough to the ground that you shouldn't have problems. My real-world gas mileage has been anywhere between 25-30, depending on how much traffic I drive through. I've been disappointed on the gas mileage, especially because I traded in a Civic that had better gas mileage. It seems to be sensitive to ethanol, so if its added into your gas in Jersey, you might see the same results.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Put on snow tires in the winter and you will do better than your CR-V (without snows)
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    what mpg are you getting now with your CR-V
  • beachgirl1106beachgirl1106 Member Posts: 7
    Around 20MPG
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Well, you should get at least in the low 30s mpg with the Fit, so you're MPG should be 50% better, which can be a pretty big savings depending on the miles you drive. The Fit doesn't have much ground clearance, but as long as you're not driving on unplowed roads, I think you'll do fine in the Fit. You'll feel strong winds in the Fit because of the flat sides, but they're not too bad to me. If you don't need the cargo space, you could always get a Civic that has better aerodynamics.
  • susanvsusanv Member Posts: 2
    I went from a CRV to the Fit. Although I haven't driven it in snow, it has performed well in heavy rain. It is definitely a different feel but I like the gas mileage
  • anahita61anahita61 Member Posts: 110
    I notice the same weirdness when running the a/c and accelerating. Also, maybe it's the 4 cylinders, but yesterday I was going up a slight incline, a/c on low, and I totally lost acceleration, probably should have downshifted I guess.
  • carfit4mecarfit4me Member Posts: 14
    I bought my Honda Fit at the end of May after spending time researching it as well as the Honda Element. I had a goal of finding a car for under 15k. Finally found the used Element with features and price that was right but I just couldn't get beyond the 20 mpg it would be using. My husband drives a Toyota Forerunner and it is pretty thirsty. Our Consumer Report arrived and I poured over the reviews and became interested in the Fit because of safety, fuel economy, cargo space and style.
    So a new search was on. The Honda dealer was only willing to offer me 8,500 for my beautiful 02 Miata as a trade in. I advertised (in SC)and sold it for 11k...yippee. That little car deserved a pampered life. This was just under the wire because my birthday had passed and I needed a new tag...$$
    Back in GA while visiting, I found more dealers with Fits than there were in SC. I began calling around and found exactly the one I wanted at Honda Carland in Roswell. The salesman told me up front what the final driveout price would be (14,703) I checked around at other dealers and found their prices higher. Also, there were no more cars in Lunar Mist in the state and I would be waiting til one was built (2 wks).
    Honestly the only colors I like are silver (we have one already) and this silvery pale blue called Lunar Mist. This is only available in the base version and it is being retired after this year.
    Back to story...
    The next day my son and I drove down and the car was sitting there ready for me. The salesman said 3 people had tried to buy it. O.K. he's a salesman but I think he was honest. We test drove it and it was great. The manual transmission is smooth and peppy. The 0-60 in 12 seconds must be for the automatic trans. because this car seems to accelerate as fast as the Miata. Well, it didn't take me long to make the deal since I was bitten. There was no negotiating the price based on supply and demand. He said I saved a lot by buying out of state. This is the base version with added pin stripes and mud guards. I didn't think the sport was worth the price differnce to have the extras. To sum up the pros at the top of the list is safety. After being rear ended by a truck on the expressway, I wanted to go with a little larger car... yes, larger. With ample airbags and bracing in the doors.
    I love the magic seating and great cargo space. I can carry my bike or my grandchild or 4 dogs (not at same time)
    The gas mileage will be even better than the fuel efficient Miata. I got 40 mpg on the 350 mile ride form GA back to SC.
    I think the rear viewing is great with that little corner window. The large windshield really is open and being around 5 ft. I can really see. As of yet I hadn't noticed the pillars in front creating a blind spot.
    Well, everything has a honeymoon period and I am still in it but am reminded that this is my first new car and I don't want any negatives creeping in. However, it is just another thing and as all things there can be problems.
    The second day the breaks felt weird when I applied them. It was a crunching feeling that didn't re occur that day but I got it checked out. This other local dealer in GA thought they were OK so I drove it back to SC with no problem. The ABS light was on now so I got it checked here in SC and they found that I needed a new part for the ABS. It was coming on when it detected an unevenness in the wheels such as sand. This was the crunching sensation in brakes.
    I am missing my car but they were really great at the dealership and gave me a rental that is a V8 gas guzzler. I amd watching the needle go down and $10 worth of gas gets me nowhere!
    I hope to be driving this car for a long time.
    In the future I think that Honda could come up with some more exciting colors and work on better fuel economy as the Japanese versions are. One detail on the base version is a raw metal edge showing at base of frame that could be covered with a 1 inch piece of trim at no cost, yet it would properly finish the car without being too...Jazzy.
  • carfit4mecarfit4me Member Posts: 14
    After 2 days owning my Fit, it started having ABS brakes problems. Twice when I applied brakes, they went down farther and made a crunching sensation. Honda is repairing them now. The ABS light came on, also right after that. This probably isn't your problem because these brake systems work indepent of each other. It took me three tries to get the right technician at Honda to figure it out. Maybe you should really be persistent. After losing brakes once in mountains, I don't like to take chances there.
  • anahita61anahita61 Member Posts: 110
    Well mine aren't "crunching", nor has the light come on, but the pedal does seem to go down pretty far to the floor before any stopping sensation is felt. They seem okay to me, though, and I have driven for long periods with bad brakes before. I guess I like to live dangerously. ;)

    I hope yours get fixed up in no time.
  • dchri2dchri2 Member Posts: 7
    I ,also, have a lunar mist base fit which arrived about April 20th. The color was different than expected, but I really like the blue(why can't they just call it light blue?) I'm very happy and have had no problems with the brakes. On the highway I'm getting 39 miles per gallon with the manual. The mileage is about 5-10% better than that of my retired '97 civic, overall. It's definitely better around town. I've installed a tow hitch along with the wiring harness obtained from etrailer.com. This morning I towed a light trailer to our recycling center without problems( beware warranty issues to which I've said, screw it) Does anyone have any hints about removing the seat belt warnings from the visers?

    Doug C
  • carfit4mecarfit4me Member Posts: 14
    So glad to hear that you can get a trailer hitch and trailer. I'll look on that website.
    I'm surprised that this pale silver blue is only in base model. To me, they saved the best color for us.
    I'm not a fan of blue but this is a nice blue. Silver is good but we have one already and it seems to be pretty common.
    Truth is that they need to expand on those choices
  • jtbryant12jtbryant12 Member Posts: 2
    I've been considering a Fit for a few months now. I took a test drive a few weeks ago and liked what I saw. However, I didn't get a chance to get it up to highway speeds. I usually take the train to work but sometimes I have to drive (30-40 miles one way on the expressway). I was wondering what people thought of the noise/stability and passing ability of the car. I've read many reviews and they say performance is good for the engine size. Just wanted some owners reports on this issue.

    Thanks for the input.
  • lydkidlydkid Member Posts: 1
    Our Fit (just a week old) doesn't have any trouble at highway speeds. I'd be more concerned about comfort during a 40 minute commute. My husband doesn't have any trouble, but I have a hard time getting comfortable.

    If my legs are comfortable, I'm reaching for the steering wheel with nearly straight arms; if my arms are at a comfortable angle, my legs are too bent. I read a post from some woman somewhere that talked about the car aggravating her carpel tunnel so I was wary when we test drove the car. I could tell it would be an issue just sitting there for 5 minutes but since my commute is 10 minutes and everything else was right, we bought any way. Hope we don't regret it in a year. :confuse:
  • carfit4mecarfit4me Member Posts: 14
    I just drove 375 miles and didn't have any problems with my 1 month old Fit (manual trans.). I bought this car to save on gas as I make this trip about once a month. I was ablle to make it on a tank of gas. That means slightly over 40mpg. I was totally fine with these seats and I am a middle age person with no back problems at this time.
    I had been making the trip at around 70-80 mi. per hr but i think gas slightly better at 65-70.
  • mudpuddlesmudpuddles Member Posts: 6
    Since you have now had your Fit over 1 year are you still in love with it? Have you had any problems with it at all. ANYTHING.

    I am looking to buy one but to be honest I have only ever had a Ford Ranger. I have read all 32 pages (lol) of the forum and dont seem to see anyone posting anything after 3 mos about their Fits. Could you please respond and tell me how you feel after a year of use. THANKS SO MUCH!! :shades:
  • stevecebustevecebu Member Posts: 493
    I am looking to buy one but to be honest I have only ever had a Ford Ranger. I have read all 32 pages (lol) of the forum and dont seem to see anyone posting anything after 3 mos about their Fits. Could you please respond and tell me how you feel after a year of use. THANKS SO MUCH!!

    I bought my Honda Jazz same as the Fit in the US in Sept. 2005. I sold it March 2006. So 6 months. I sold it because I was moving and in this country that is very very complicated if you car is registered in one place and you want to move and register it in another.
    Anyway with the exception of lower fuel economy that I would have likes 24mpg in the city and never any better. The only problem I had with it was a handle in teh rear hatch that you grab to pull the hatch down with. It would pop or fall out sometimes. I told the dealer about it but it didn't ever really get fixed they said no to glue it as it's used access light bulbs or something. But if I had kept it I'd put a drop or two of glue to hold it in.
    The other problem was the rearview had terrible vibration even on a smooth road. The dealer switched out the rubber part from another car and it was fine after that. Other than that I had zero problems with it. Oh I had the base 1.3L Sport manual which isn't sold in the US. I had plenty of power for city driving and loved the way it shifted and teh magic seats were so great and easy to use.
    I only have 3 problems with possibly buying a Fit when I get back to the US and one involves how well the 1.5L will do on American highways and my back is not so good and the seats are very hard in the Fit. The other is how well will it do in New England winters going up and down hills. Yeah snow rated all seasons most likely. My wife likes the car except she can't see the front of the nose. Seats from a Mini Cooper S would be awesome and solve my back problems but no more magic seats either. :(
    The Ft is a really good car and as long as you aren't getting old and fat (like me) :( and your back is good it should be fine.
    We are also considering other cars and I will test drive a US fit when I get there next year. If I were to go to the US today the it would be in my top 3 choices. In 2008 in the top 5. You've gotta drive one and see if the seats are comfortable. The 2008 accord looks so nice tho and comfy seats but almost zero utility. My wife likes the CR-V but the rear tire blocks her view backing up.
    So 6 months for me and now I own a Toyota Hi-Lux diesel. i passed on the Ford Ranger diesel,. Diesel is what is prefer but not until 2009. :sick:
  • zarathustrazarathustra Member Posts: 1
    I bought a black Fit Sport AT a couple of months ago and so far I've put about 1K miles on it.

    With the flexibility of the seats, ease of parking, cabin quality, etc. - there's a lot to love about this car. However, two things are making me (almost) regret my decision.

    #1: MPG. My first tank of gas I got 23 mpg. Since then it's hovered in the mid-20s, with my best tank being 27 mpg. I'm a pretty conservative driver, don't use a lot of AC, etc. There's absolutely no way my driving style is responsible for me consistently getting 25 mpg - it's clearly the car. Dealer told me I would need 5-7K miles for break-in and that I'd see improvements after. After reading these forums, however, I'm skeptical and am starting to wonder if maybe I just got stuck with a Fit that gets crappy mileage.

    #2: I can hear the gas tank sloshing around. I know the gas tank is moved up to allow for the magic seats, but when I shift the car from reverse into drive or go over a speed bump I can hear the gas sloshing around. Full, half full, near empty, doesn't matter. I can hear the gas like I had a huge bottle of water in the backseat. Dealer tried to say it was because of tank placement, but I'm skeptical... anyone else have this problem?

    Like I said, I want to love the car but every time I fill up and hear the gas moving around I get annoyed. I hear people getting 39, 40 mpg - I'd be thrilled with 30. 25 is simply ridiculous.
  • mudpuddlesmudpuddles Member Posts: 6
    Thank you both so much for replying. I will be happy with and gas milage that's more then 12.5 mpg. That's what my '90 Ranger gets now. :cry:

    Anyone else have any grips, complaints, love-it's or hate-it's?????
  • nthomasnthomas Member Posts: 40
    #1 - Are you driving city, highway, lots of stop and go, etc.? There's so many variables that can have an effect on mpg.

    #2 - Yes, I can hear the gas sloshing around, but it's usually only when I first start moving. Then again, most of the time I turn the radio on right away, so then I don't hear it. And yes, it is because of the placement of the tank. In order to allow for flexibility with the back seats and so they can fold flat, the tank was moved forward, pretty much under the driver's seat. That's why you hear it. I know there have been posts about this before, but it was a while back.
  • stevecebustevecebu Member Posts: 493
    #1 - Are you driving city, highway, lots of stop and go, etc.? There's so many variables that can have an effect on mpg.

    Yes, how you drive can and does affect your economy to a point but there is so much overwhelming evidence that some Fit/Jazz cars get poor economy right out of the box no matter how they are driven that it's undeniable.
    But no one listens if they have a good one and they just say it's your driving habits.
    If it was just that, Honda never would have sent factory technicians to look at my car. Honda cannot fix the problem, probably because they don't know what's wrong.
    Toyota is denying lots of problems to it's customers and saying it's normal or blaming the customer, just read up on the Camry or RAV4, that many people can't be wrong!
    Sweeping the Good mpg Fit, Bad mpg Fit under the rug won't help. With mine no one could get better economy out of it not even the factory techs driving it! Somehow I don't think they were redlining it in every gear.
    I will say this tho, on my Jazz it rarely would drop below 10.5km/l no matter how hard I drove it. Also unless I had really long roads with no traffic I wouldn't get much above 12km/l and that's driving for hours, as close to a highway as there is in that part of the country but the roads were winding and usually busy except late at night.
    This is enough of an issue that even tho my wife wants a Fit, I'm very leery of buying another one because I'm afraid it will get worse economy than a V6 Accord! :sick:
  • nthomasnthomas Member Posts: 40
    I understand that you're saying there's differences in the cars, that some are good and some are bad when it comes to mileage. Still, I was replying to someone with only about 1000 miles on the car, and without knowing in what conditions the car is being driven, it's probably too soon to say that it's one of the ones that you think will get bad mpg.
  • stevecebustevecebu Member Posts: 493
    I understand that you're saying there's differences in the cars, that some are good and some are bad when it comes to mileage. Still, I was replying to someone with only about 1000 miles on the car, and without knowing in what conditions the car is being driven, it's probably too soon to say that it's one of the ones that you think will get bad mpg.

    Sure, I understand, :) I'm just saying that for me that would be 1,600km and the dealer kept saying it would get better and it never did. Keeping that in mind there is absolutely nothing a person can do if they got a low mpg model except try and drive it very slowly and see the economy versus driving it like they normally would there should be very little actual difference in the mileage between the two if it's a bad mpg Fit. I got 10.5km/l if I drove it gently and maybe 9.5km/l if I drove it like Mario Andretti. On what amounts to long roads it would get 12km/l at best. So not even close to what it should get.

    So the poster should drive a tank and baby the car. This is from from fillup til the fuel light comes on. Use the exact same gas station if possible if not at least the same brand.
    1) Fill Up tank til it either shuts off and we all added a few cents to round it up usually. But if you do that do the exact same thing the next Fill Up. Make certain that you write down the exact amount you put in the tank like this (example 8.63 gallons), or whatever it is but to 2 decimal places. Make sure that you zero out one of your trip meters. I zero out both of them just to be certain i don't make a mistake
    2) Now drive the car as someone posted a link to, shift at 2,000-3,000 rpms, coast a lot be gentle with the brakes etc...
    3) When the fuel light comes on do not wait, but Fill it up right away, hopefully this is possible. Then record what you put in for fuel (example 8.71 gallons) whatever it is. Then reset your trip meter and calculate your economy based on the amount of miles drive and divide by the amount of gallons to 2 decimal places. Write that down.
    4) Now drive the car like a teenager, by this I don't imply breaking the law, but give it an Italian tune-up. Have fun going up the highway ramps, drive at a fast pace on the highway, don't worry about shifting at low rpms or coasting or anything like that. Just have fun with the car and don't do any of the gas saving techniques.
    5) When the Fuel light comes on, try and Fill it up right away. Record the fuel you put in and then do the math and see if there is a big difference. If it's a fairly small difference then it's possible that you have a low economy car because driving fast etc... should really affect your economy and if it doesn't then you'll know about the car.
    Yes it will probably improve some over time, mine never did and I had the 1.3l.
    After you do all this post the difference in fuel economy and what the actual figure were in the forum and we all can debate it for a long time. :blush:
    If you drive one tank all city and another all highway of course it will be different. But your normal driving routine for 2 tanks should answer the Do I have a low mpg unit. This isn't a guarantee, but it was what I observed with my own car.
  • tguntgun Member Posts: 20
    Hi-

    I've had my Blaze Orange Metallic 5speed manual Fit Sport 11 months now and have driven it over 21,000 miles.

    Overall, I have been very pleased with the car. For the price, you really can't go wrong.

    Specific likes: styling (kind of "gen x or y") gets looks from many bystanders and other drivers.

    Magic Seats (great flexibility for carrying cargo)

    Fuel Economy: Average 36-38 MPG, have had a all-time high of 45.32 on a trip back from Rockford IL to Minneapolis (drove at 70MPH the whole way with cruise on).

    Stereo: good factory system (supplement it with my XM Satellite radio receiver and ipod. Almost never listen to the commercial over-the-air local radio station crap anymore).

    Drivability: yes, it is fun to drive- but remember it is an economy car first. I have noticed it leans in the turns much more now and bottoms out the rear suspension as the macpherson struts wear).

    Dislikes:

    Drivers seat needs height adjustment
    Carpeting (is that what you call it?) is hard to vacuum, dog hair is especially hard to vacuum up easily even with a dyson vacuum).

    Body panels are very thin stamped steel. Easily dents (I made knuck impressions on my fender by simply applying downward pressure with my knuckles to better align the fender and hood after body shop repair due to an accidental collision with a divided highway sign which caused over $4000 of damage).

    Yes, the sloshing is there, however it is barely noticeable. Try an old pickup truck with the gas tank mounted behind the seat (early 70s vintage Dodge)!! It is so loud that you think the tank is going to wrench loose from the cab!

    The only other minor gripe is with the ABS... they activate when applying brakes while driving over bumps or railroad tracks on dry roads. Seem a little overly sensitive, could be the weight (lack thereof) of the car which may be causing the front wheel(s) to hop slightly which triggers the ABS. Not a big deal however.

    It is my daily driver and other than oil changes (usually at about 7000 miles or so per the Maintenance Minder) and 1 tire rotation, I have had no problems with it whatsoever.

    Would I buy another one? Yes, I would. Would I recommend it to a good friend or stranger? Yes, I would.

    Hope this helps you with your decision.
  • mudpuddlesmudpuddles Member Posts: 6
    THOSE ARE THE ANSWERS I WAS LOOKING FOR!!!! Thank you so much!! One guy said the seats bother his thighs. so do they bother yours?? How about not haveing the deal pedal or the arm rest?? Other then the XM & Ipod have you added anything. Like ground effects stuff like that?? I know comming from a girl it sounds funny but i HAVE to pimp it out.. :shades: it's gotta look, HOT HOT HOT!!! :shades:
  • tguntgun Member Posts: 20
    Glad to help!

    I am 6'3" and no, my thighs are not bothered/uncomfortable while driving the Fit. I tend to rest my right leg against the console while driving, this seems to be the the most comfortable.

    Dead pedal... I haven't found myself missing it

    Armrest... would be nice, but again, I haven't found it to be a make or break item. Many times my right elbow is resting against the side of the passenger seat (when no one is riding with me) which provides some support.

    I used to drive a 1999 Ford F150 extended cab 4x4 pickup, so for me to find the Fit relatively comfortable is a great testament to the good design.

    Feel free to contact me with any questions!

    Good luck. :)
  • beachgirl1106beachgirl1106 Member Posts: 7
    Hi all!

    I'll be commuting 55 miles one-way to work (35 miles of it highway driving on an Interstate from the Jersey Shore to just a little West of Trenton).

    My main concerns are: comfort of highway driving in the Fit, driving in less than ideal conditions (high winds, snow, heavy rains, etc.), and gas mileage at 65-70mph.

    I would love to hear from Fit owners about their experiences and their comments on these issues. Any feedback you could provide would be great!

    Thanks~
    Jeannie :confuse:
  • nthomasnthomas Member Posts: 40
    I commute a little over 40 miles each way in Michigan. I've had my Fit since February, and overall it's been a good experience. I was a little uncomfortable at first (I had back problems to begin with), but I added a seat cushion for a little extra padding and that resolved the issue for me.

    I've driven in snow, rain, wind, etc. and have felt very comfortable. If it's a really windy day you can definitely feel it, but it's never been enough to make me feel unsafe or like I was going to lose control of the car. I also feel confident driving int he snow. It's like most cars - as long as you take it easy and drive based on the weather conditions, you'll be fine.

    I drive about 80% highway (70-75 mph) and 20% city. I usually average 34mpg in my automatic, with my best tank so far at almost 38mpg. I know a lot of people will say that the Fit is a better city car than a commuting car, but it's made my commute almost enjoyable ;)
  • mudpuddlesmudpuddles Member Posts: 6
    You're making me feel better already. Being is that I have a '90 Ranger right now. It's got over 230,000 miles on it and my drive shaft/line just fell out a week ago. FUN TIMES!! ha haa not really but it's cool. I am going to go test drive another Fit today. I hope to test drive a M/T this time. I am also going to test drive the Civic SI. So I'll let you know how that goes.
  • anahita61anahita61 Member Posts: 110
    I can hear the gas tank sloshing around.

    I almost always play music when I'm in my car, and I've never heard the gas sloshing. Not even in rare moments when I drive without music. Hmmmmmm...

    I love my Fit - I've had it four months now, and I don't drive that much, just to work (12 miles each way, highway commute - 70 to 75mph), and some errands at lunch, and home, usually. I'm broke now that I have a car payment (my last car was paid for years ago, so paying a monthly payment is rough right now - I need to do a refi!), so I don't go driving all around if I don't have to, but my regular commute and errands running is still getting me 36 to 37 mpg consistently. I've got the manual transmission too.

    I notice when I get stuck in traffic, or have to accelerate to pass on the highway, or drive at all anything other than conservatively, I see the needle move faster toward empty. But if I do the coasting to a stop in neutral thing, and little to no a/c, and keep the windows up to eliminate drag (some say this really doesn't matter, but I notice a difference), and only drive around with me in the car, I get great mileage.

    Not to insinuate anything here, but maybe some people who are getting really low mileage might have more weight in the car than those who are getting the high numbers? I'm only 110 lbs after all, and I almost always drive alone in the car. Maybe that's a factor, I don't know. I know cargo weight, tire air pressure, low rpm's, and overall driving style can adversely affect mileage results.

    Honestly, I have no complaints about my Fit... yet. :)
  • gracie11gracie11 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I am new to the site and I too am looking into buying a Fit. I haven't read too many negatives on the Fit. I will be trading in my '06 Civic SI if I decide to get one. I see that you will be test driving a Civic also. I REALLY like my car but it isn't very practical if you need to haul anything (like a bike) or if you try to get 2 11 year olds out of the backseat. It is a head turner and I have had a lot of compliments on it but I like the payments on a Fit alot better. If I would've listened to my husband, I would already be in one:) I really hate telling him he is right. Good luck on you decision and I hope I can decide what to do. :)
  • jethadenjethaden Member Posts: 36
    I have owned my FIT manual sport for 15 months and 15K miles. The seat position took getting used to. It is not really good. My calf muscle has hot hurt for a long time from the weird gas pedal position. The cruise control in the sport is essential IMHO. The steering wheel is slightly too long from me with the pedals in the right place, but it is acceptable. It is good when driving barefoot, when I can slide seat forward about 2 clicks. The red paint looks like new except that I have picked several (many) tiny paint chips (down to white primer) in the hood from gravel (I do not drive on dirt, probably from interstates). I do not know if bra would help for trips. It is happy up to 80 (I cruise at 75). I am up to 39 mpg on interstates at 75 and about 32 with in-town commute and somewhat aggressive driving. The engine is not powerful, but is peppy and quite happy cruising at 4000rpm or higher. I only sometimes hit the rev limiter at 6300 (like 4-5 times so far). I like the car and it so different that I now have a hard time taking out my older Jeep Cherokee.
  • ithantechithantech Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone else had trouble reclining the front seats all the way back until they are level with the back seat? The instruction manual makes it look so easy, but every time we try, the top of front seat hits the back seat before getting level. We've pulled the front seats all the way forward, but there must be something we're missing. :confuse:
  • nthomasnthomas Member Posts: 40
    Yes, I had a problem with this at first, and I know some others have, as well. There's a few posts about it here somewhere, but here's the deal:
    There's actually 2 positions for the back seats. Try lifting the lever for the back seat and pushing it back a little. It should go into a slightly reclined position, which will allow you to recline the front seats all the way. Worked perfectly for me.
  • scarmisscarmis Member Posts: 6
    The rear seats actually have two settings; in one of them the seat bottom is slightly further forward than the other. Use the seat back lever to adjust them so the bottoms are as far back as possible, then the front seats should recline all the way.
  • writesonwaterwritesonwater Member Posts: 3
    My new Fit (four days old to me) is a hit with family -- and they're picky. When we drove up to the dealership (we had to drive past three others, there are so few Fit in the DFW area right now) we saw the car and said (from our lofty seats in our trade, a tall and tricked-up F-150 4x4) "oH, that car's too small -- this won't work."

    But once we got in -- my husband, 6'2" and son, 6'4" in the BACK SEAT, we loved it.

    The drive is great. Also, my husband's back revolts against a lot of seats, but the Fit seats were great.

    We miss the arm rest a bit, and the steering wheel position took a bit of getting used to, but we love it and would happily add another to our stable of vehicles.
  • caldodgecaldodge Member Posts: 8
    and keep the windows up to eliminate drag (some say this really doesn't matter, but I notice a difference),

    IIRC, for a typical modern car driving at highway speed the A/C uses less power than the drag from an open window. So yes, an open window does increase drag by a significant amount.
  • ithantechithantech Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, we got it, although it's a really tight fit. The instruction manual makes it seem like after reclining the front seat, you'll need to move the front seat back until it reaches the back seat.

    But still, it is a nifty feature. And the seats are pretty comfy.

    Thanks to those who responded.
  • jkandelljkandell Member Posts: 116
    I've owned my Fit for seven months, and I just took my first mountain trip to Sedona AZ. I was not impressed with the lack of power going up some of the hills or even the steep highway grades. Granted we had to use the a/c, which saps a lot of power on the Fit, but I noticed I was stuck with the trucks while all the cars were passing me. I guess the price to be paid for higher mpg.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    So you're saying that on the steep mountain roads, you couldn't go uphill at 60-75mph even in 3rd gear? I drove my Fit in the Applacian mountains, and while not as big as the Rockies, I still never had any problems going uphill, although the car would downshift to 4th or 3rd gear.
  • jkandelljkandell Member Posts: 116
    I think I was having trouble going up in fourth and perhaps needed third. But I was afraid of going 75 mph in third... the rpm's sounded too loud at that speed in third. So I opted for third going slower. But maybe I just don't know how to drive mountains.
  • fitman548fitman548 Member Posts: 172
    I took my AT up the 87 to Payson. You won't be at the head of the pack. I had to wait until a 8-10 car cap before I felt comfortable merging left to get around the trucks. Like you, I just didn't feel comfortable consistenly running over 4k rpms.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Maybe you've never driven small cars with small 4cyl engines, but there's nothing wrong with driving in the high RPMs for extended uphills as long as you're not in the redline. These engines, especially the Honda Fit's engine, is designed for these RPMs. This is not a V-8 or big V-6 engine that can run at 2-3000 rpm consistly.

    Plus I've noticed that even on steep uphills, the auto will downshift to 3rd for a little bit but once the speed is up in the high 60s then there's enough engine torque for it to upshift back to 4th. You may not fly up a really steep hill at 75mph, but then there shouldn't be any need to creep along at 50mph with the trucks.
  • jkandelljkandell Member Posts: 116
    We had a big rain this week and I noticed that it got wet in the gas cap compartment. It must not be sealed very well. Anyone else have this problem?
  • nthomasnthomas Member Posts: 40
    I haven't checked when it rains, but I know that when I wash my Fit, the area around the gas cap gets wet. It hasn't caused any problems, though. I assumed that was normal.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Plus there's a drain hole to allow the water to leave, and gas if you overfill.
  • fitchgrrlfitchgrrl Member Posts: 21
    Have had by blue Fit sport AT for 15 months now. Rolled over 25,000KM on it today. Love my Fit! Overall great car.

    So far under warrenty had the airbag software recall, a cable reel assembly replaced in the steering column (SRS light had come on and then i lost use of the horn)($400 repair - boy i like warranties). next is I have a piece of lose trim on the rear door window. two of the clips holding it on have broke. will have the dealership fix next time i am in.

    I have also had the drivers side door replaced (about $2K)(got hit by a crazy woman). not something i recommend. the window now has trouble going back up so it will be taking another trip into the shop to get that fixed. (wait time on a new door from Honda was a couple of weeks). car is made to fall apart to protect the cabin when hit so be prepared.

    mileage on this car is pretty good. in the city (i am a havy user of AC), i average about 10km to 1 L. Highway about 13km to 1L.

    bought an armrest from ebay when i bought the car. love it. as for the seating position, i find on long jaunts if you put the seat closer a notch or two, less leg cramps. doesn't bother the back.

    love the Magic seats. they were abig selling feature for me. - people will actually want you to help them move in this car. you can fit A LOT of stuff in! about 8 ft from dash to the rear in long mode. have put a double mattress in, furniture,my dogs in tall mode all sorts of stuff. lots of cargo rome. the seats in relax mode are fantastic for the drive-in. lots of fun!

    the car takes a little getting use to when yu first start driving it if you are not use to light or small cars. i will definately be purchasing snow tires this winter. car handles suberbly in the rain, snow i find it harder to control.(helps to use the paddleshifting rather than just going i found). many of my friends have driven it and they all love it.

    overall - would buy again . but so far i am glad i bought the extended warrenty seeing that i have used the factory warrenty so much already.
  • dawsonmpdawsonmp Member Posts: 12
    I'm averaging 36 mpg w/ 70% highway, 30% city. No hybrid premium cost, unknown resale, battery, or tech issues. I live in the Washington, DC exurbs, 40 miles each way to work. The car will exceed 100 mph and feels solid getting there. The power band seems to be 4K - 5.5K rpm's. I'm there a lot and the engine is designed for it. Some body roll and I wouldn't want to push the brakes at high speed - after all it IS a commuter car. Steering is VERY quick. Haul all my band gear on the weekends, then use the magic seats to rest on some long breaks. Installed Sirius Stiletto, plugs right in to the aux. jack and works great. Had 5 adults in the car for an hour with no complaints. Wish it had a 6th gear (w/ under 65 mph lock-out), dead pedal, lit glove box, lit vanity mirror for passenger. Ride is a bit choppy on concrete highways. Overall - VERY happy still.
    Minor issues: I left the windows down a crack in the hot summer and had an unexpected thunderstorm. The side airbag light was on until I drove a while. This has happened twice. Especially in the colder times of year when I first start out in the morning there is a bit of vibration until about 2 minutes after the blue "cold" engine light goes off. I hear a bit of a rattle when I let off the gas in the lower gears. Sounds like an exhaust heat shield. I'll have these issues addressed when I go in for service before the warranty runs out.

    I'm 5' 11" 190 pounds and that is no problem for the Fit. I have to squirm a little sometimes to find the perfect spot in the seat, but it's there. Tons of headroom, can't reach the windshield, snick-snick shifter, lots of cupholders and storage, good radio and A/C. Keyless entry is a "must-have" and cruise control comes in handy. Rear vision is not a problem if you know how to properly adjust your side mirrors - and most people don't know. Ask your insurance company, that's where I learned it.

    The view ahead is that of a picture window as you can't see ANY of the car front. I'm used to it now and it's OK.

    Oh, did I mention reliability and resale value? C'mon - it's a Honda.
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