Just came from the dealership with my 2005 Mazda 3i to trade in as they had the Fit 5spd Meteor Silver I was looking for. Before seeing the internet manager, I decided to just sit in the Fit for a bit to get a true feel as a driver. Found a few issues I know I will be bothered with since I drive 600 miles a week. I'll list the cons first since this is what broke the deal for me.
Cons: 1. No adjustable lower back support. I have a really bad lower back and the support is like sitting on a plane seat. I don't think I would like to compensate by buying those back pillows. The side support is great though, like recaro seats 2. No seat height adjustment. I'm not that tall and I felt I couldn't see over the hood. 2. No armrest/compartment. I actually tried to note how often I rest my arm on it and found when I'm stuck in traffic or cruising, I do. 3. No locking gas cap. I'm from NYC so I'm paranoid. 4. Cargo cover not standard. For a top of the line model? 5. No dead pedal. Again, I drive alot and this would help.
Pros: 1. First class gauge cluster. I loved it! 2. Stereo is growing on me. Lights match gauge cluster which is great. Although for 200 watts, do you get bass with those speakers? 3. Finally figured out the Magic Seats after someone posted. You just lift up! 4. Of course, the gas mileage 5. Smooth 5spd shifter
Yup, if the seat height isn't good for you, the car's not for you. But for others reading this thread...
I don't understand when people complain about things that "should" be included like a cargo cover and a locking gas cap, or similar complaints about other small items that can easily be added. In this case, for example, you can buy those things for $150. For the sake of argument, let's say the car was $150 more but included those things. The question is then, would you be happy? Or would you say that the car was now over-priced by $150?
Personally, I've taken the cargo cover out of every car I've had that has come with one, I have no need for it, it just gets in my way. And I don't care about a locking gas cap. (And I drive in NYC!) So I don't care that these things aren't included, and would be glad to not have to pay for them.
Not that I wouldn't have my own wish list. Unfortunately, the things I find lacking in the Fit aren't available as add-ons either. I like climate control, steering wheel stereo controls, stability control, traction control. I guess I'm a control freak! I wish it were possible to get a better stereo in the base (whether from Honda or aftermarket). Some fancy things like leather and sunroof probably are or will be available aftermarket, if one wants to splurge on an economy car. I'm kind of surprised it doesn't have a trip computer that calculates current and average fuel economy. Not that it's essential, but I think it's something a Fit owner would appreciate! On the cars that have had them, I've always used the compass (which one can get separately), and more often than I care to admit, the "distance to empty."
Wow! You go without a cargo cover and a locking gas cap? Talk about faith in humankind! :surprise: I don't suppose you would have much use for security systems either. :P
Cargo cover: How often are people stowing stuff back there that would be tempting if someone saw it? In my case, the times I carry stuff of value are also almost always the times I have to put the seats down, so then the cargo cover is useless anyway. And, as I said, more often actually in my way. But for people carrying things of value with the seats up, or carrying things that they want to protect somewhat from the light/heat of the sun, sure, I'm glad they can buy a cargo cover. The few times I may find myself in that situation, I'll toss a sweater over the stuff. When I first got a car with a cargo cover, I kept working around it until the day I accidentally knocked it out and said, "Oh! This comes out! Cool!"
Locking fuel cap: The issues are vandalism and siphoning. In the first case, I don't park on the streets in bad areas (and if one must, I think one is more likely to suffer a keying or broken window than a contaminated gas tank, which requires preparation). And I just don't think siphoning is a real issue either. Again, I'm rarely in bad areas. But even then, gas siphoning is hard to do inconspicuously or quickly, and there's not much payoff for someone to do it. Since we're talking about being in New York, most people don't even have cars, they use the subways, so what would they even want with the gas? It's not like they can bring it to pawn shops or hawk 5-gallon cannisters out of their coats on street corners. If I hear news reports of a mad rash of siphoning, I may reconsider.
And as long as you mentioned it, I don't really care about alarm systems either. At this point, when most people hear car alarms, they completely ignore them, and I'm sure the thieves know that too. So I don't know if they really do much good. And it's actually much harder to get into locked cars these days, by design, so that's good. And if the car is stolen, it will be replaced by insurance. And as I said, I generally travel in relatively safe areas anyway. But if someone sometimes keeps valuable things in the car unattended, then there would be some value to having an alarm which, if set off, will prompt the culprit to leave rather than linger. It looks like you can get some pretty cheap ones online, and you do get an insurance discount for having one, so... maybe.
No seat height adjustment: Neither of my last two Civics have had seat height adjustments. Makes no difference to me. But if you really need more height, buy memory foam wedge and put it under your rear. Not only will you gain height, but it will be very comfortable.
No center armrest: My last Civic didn't have one either. Never even noticed. I guess someone will come up with something aftermarket if it really bothers you.
No locking gas cap: It’s not needed. I posted about this earlier. Siphoning gas is a high risk / low reward activity. Why would any criminal bother? Similarly, if someone really wants to sugar your gas tank, a screwdriver and three seconds is all it would take to defeat a locking gas door—probably wouldn’t even leave a mark. Add another five seconds to defeat a locking gas cap.
No cargo cover: Yes. An annoyance. But you can get one for 118.00 at College Hills Honda web site. And, No, you don’t need to be a mechanic to “install” it. You’ll be taking it in and out anyway when you carry cargo.
No Fuel Consumption Calculator: Big deal. Here’s a course on driving to save gas. 1) Keep engine off. Biggest gas saver of all. 2) Accelerate very, very slowly always. 3) Shift before 2500 rpm. 4) Coast whenever possible. 5) Keep tires inflated properly. 6) Keep car maintained. 7) Get rid of the junk in yo trunk. Saves weight.
No Rear discs: Okay. Now you’re talking. This would have been nice. It’s not a deal killer, but it would have been nice.
Finally, the one and only semi-serious flaw I’ve found in my Fit: No 6th gear. It’s a shame, too, because I think that with a 6-speed transmission, the Fit would be the most awesome inexpensive, practical sports car ever made or shipped to the USA.
1. Buy Honda Fit Sport for $16,520 MSRP 2. Purchase Memory Foam Wedge 3. Purchase locking gas cap from Honda. 4. Purchase Cargo Cover from Honda 5. Import armrest from Europe that is available for the Jazz.
Uh...hold on...wait a minute...Why not just buy a Civic LX auto for $16,700 market price?
Or Nissan Sentra 1.8 S SE with Rockford Fosgate 300W stereo with subwoofer, side airbags and ABS, Sunroof, Armrest, distance to empty display, outside air temp. display, mpg display, 8 way adjustable drivers seat, mudguards, bodyside moldings, floor mats and trunk mat, for $14,595. :surprise:
The Sentra is an outdated design soon to be replaced, however, being nickel and dime'd adding equipment after the sale that Honda neglected to include is not choice.
At 40,000 units Honda will be have greater demand than supply for the Fit. If Honda imports the Fit at Civic levels they need to step it up a notch on the details.
Fit is amazing in it's packaging of space. The magic seats are very impressive and Honda has created another example to it's competitors of "why didn't I think of that".
I test drove a Sentra SE-R a few years ago, liked it a lot. And it's a good deal with it's $2500 rebate. And yeah, on bang-for-the-buck, it's hard to compare a a new model that is going for full sticker with a heavily discounted end-of-life model. But of course it doesn't have near the Fit's cargo capacity or fuel economy, either. Which also answers your question about why not just buy the Civic. There may be some overlap, some buyers who could be happy with either, but for many people, I think the Fit would serve a purpose that the Civic can't fill, since it has no 5-door config. I need cargo space, so for me, it's apples and oranges.
The list I made earlier, I couldn't care less about. I was just listing some things that were absent from the US market Fit.
Gas lock I would like, but after 4 days of ownership and all of those other cars without them, I don't even think about it anymore.
Fuel consumption calculators are only good for the average. I drive a car for work sometimes, and it has a calculator onboard. About as useless as it can be. It either shows 4 mpg when I accelerate or 24 when I'm coasting. I just divide miles traveled by gallons used when I fill up. Not the most accurate, but it does its job.
On the topic of seats, I actually find the seats of the Fit/Jazz to be perfect...for me. The height and the distance between the pedals/steering wheel are fine.
None of my cars in the past have had height adjusters, fuel consumption calculators, or rear disc brakes, so for me I didn't lose anything with the Fit.
I thought the Fit was going to be priced in the 12k - 14k range. 16k seems to be a bit much when the civic lx auto is in the same price range. Must say if I were in the market for a economy honda with an under 17k budget I'd have to go with the civic. If I really needed enclosed space to haul something I'd just a base element.
Yes, the cargo cover probably has a cost of $!0. To pay $150 or a little less for it is annoying.
You can grab an off brand locking gas cap for a few bucks, or will be able to soon. On the other hand since the euro and japan models apparently have the locking door, it is annoying as well.
Im a Realtor in San Diego. Today I showed property in my Fit for the first time. I was kinda nervous to see how it would do running around town, people getting in and out of it all day long and going into strange driveway/parking situations. I have to say, I was pretty impressed. There were three large men on board. One was me @ 6'2" 225lbs, one was 280lbs @ 6' and the other was 300lbs and 6'6". The Fit never missed a beat. In fact, it made running around city streets and back alleys a real breeze! I never felt it needed more power or was laboring. I did notice there was a little more suspension bounce when hitting bumps, but it was never harsh. I can only imagine how we all looked getting out of this tiny car.. must of looked like a clown act at the circus! What a great little car, Im impressed more each day.
Ive shown property in $70K Mercededs/BMW's, Full size SUV's, Mini Vans, etc., but in the end, this little car was as good if not better and I still had 3/4 of a tank of gas left! Im tired of expensive cars to own, these cars make sense. Im glad I didnt buy a civic sedan like I origionally planed. It would of been much harder for anyone of any size to get in and out of it all day long.
Sure, I could find things Id change about it and I did in the first day of ownership. One just has to remember this is a cheap car. Even the very high ends cars Ive owned had obvious faults to them but at least I didnt pay some crazy amount for this car like I have for status cars. Geez, at $16K, give the poor little car a break you guys.
> If I really needed enclosed space to haul something I'd just a base element.
A base element is a good $3000+ more than a base Fit, its EPA fuel economy estimate is 21/25 so your gas bills will be 50% higher each month, and it's not nearly as fun to drive. As long as I could manage to fit what I needed to carry into the Fit, why would I buy a base Element?
Believe me, I really love the car (been waiting for it since Dec 2004) but it got to a point I'm "compensating" too much for the sake of getting the car.
All the things "without" I expected if I was buying the BASE FIT but for the higher end SPORT model, I expect without excuse all the little basic things mentioned. Other cars are offering it. Honda is the leader, there is no excuse for them to go cheap.
I'm wondering about body side molding. One can certainly add it aftermarket, but where would one put it on the Fit? I think the point that most protrudes is in line with the door handles. But depending on the shape of the door that someone bangs into it, I'm not sure that's the most likely spot for it to hit. Plus, I think molding along that line would be kinda ugly. Aesthetically, molding looks better on the lower half of a door. (I guess that's a good argument for choosing a black car, you can put molding anywhere and pretty much not see it.)
Things to add: - Armrest. Put the cupholders there. - Needs an aux jack in the glovebox or armrest - someplace where your player isn't in plain view of thiefs. Armrest, again, would solve this. - Needs an overhead bin/console up near the review mirror. At least a place to store your garage door opener. - Adjustable seat height. - Locking gas door. The mechanism is there, just not enabled? ?QUE? - Make the dealers aware of the 14 inch Civic alloys.
Glitches/real problems that need to be fixed NOW - while it is in production: - NEED TO REVERSE THE VISORS. The Driver's side is the only one that has a mirror. In Japan, that side IS the passenger. But not in the U.S. - obvious goof-up by Honda. *note - there is no passenger-side vanity mirror - only a driver's side one - NEED TO REVERSE THE REAR SEATS. The same L/R Japan/U.S problem. The large side is behind the driver. It's the more comfortable rear seat and is not closest to the curb. Also, since many drivers have their seat farther back than the front passenger does, the best rear seat also has the worst legroom as a result. Cargo - the largest "tall mode" space with one seat still useable is facing traffic(curb in Japan, as it shoudl be).
A simple L/R swap would address this.
- DIPSTICK NEEDS TO BE ROTATED 90 DEGREES. It's incredibly easy to hit your finger on the red-hot manifold trying to check the oil in an emergency. *note - it's placed 2 inches from it and the hole you stick your finger through is *parallel* to the engine.
In the dark - you gotta put your finger around or through it and I have small fingers. Mine missed the manifold by less than an inch. A 90 degree rotation would fix it.
I too thought I was going to buy a Fit, but I had one instead when I realized that I had to buy fancy wheels, fancy mats and spoilers on everything just to get the one feature I require - -cruise control! What goofball made the decision not to include cruise control as standard on base and sport? I've never owned a Honda and I probably never will. I checked out the Yaris too and discovered that many options were standard on the sport model but alas! the sport is only available on the sedan! what is wrong with these people? Hello out there! Not all of your potential drives are 17-year-olds who love inchng through urban traffic with those cool spoilers. Some of us are fussy old boomers who need cargo space for whatever reason (I transport paintings) and don't even like the look of fancy doodads.
My "unreliable" (as consumer magazines always say) Golf TDI looks better and better.
Sayonara Honda. Next time find out what real people really want.
My china model has one that calculates average consumption in L/100 km (so good for me). but it is not very precise as there can be up to 10% inprecision.
Can't believe it it is not implemented in the US Version. There must be a mistake somewhere.
China models has some accessories/fitting not included in US models : 14" alloy Rims, Power Sunroof, Locking gas door, CVT Transmission. All for 15,620 USD including leather, mudguards+ side protection an solar film on windows
No Mp3 connector though. Radio setup is very average.
Cargocover sell for about 120 USD here. My worse shortcoming was that only one key came with remote
I was hoping I might be able to get some advice. I just bought a Black FIT Sport, and am debating on the Environmental Protection option -- it includes the clear coating to protect the finish, and undercoating to prevent rust, and sound insulation. It's an extra $600, but the car will be stored outside in Chicago. Is it worth it? I'm already planning to get the Cargo cover and MusicLink.
In response to previous posts -- I do think the car is a little pricey, but I test drove both the Scion XA and the Yaris, and I feel like the Fit is a much better car and worth the extra cost. For such a little car, it really drives well and has a lot of power. It's a perfect city car.
I would not advise it. These add ons are just another way for the dealer to make more money off you.
Got this article... "rustproofing and paint protection: All new cars are built with rust-resistant galvanized steel (or aluminum or fiberglass) and treated with a rustproofing agent at the factory. Experts say dealer-applied rustproofing is unnecessary, at best. Paint "sealant" is a similar story: factory paint is sealed and durable and can be protected effectively with a coat of wax you apply yourself."
Definately decline this nonsense. As for storing outside - a nice car cover works wonders. Just make sure it's a good one that breathes/lets moisture out.
As for protective sealants/waxes on the car, I use either pure carnuba(no abraseives) or this stuff: EDIT: No grit is critical with new paint - it should be pure liquid like beeswax or parafix wax if warmed up. 95% of car waxes aren't close to this and have a considerable amount of grit in them.
This stuff actually was designed to work on pinball playfields(specifically the clearcoat covered ones) and fiberglass boats. It is amazing and really works. It also will keep your plastic lenses on the Fit from ever getting yellow. It says plastic. It works on clearcoat finishes as well, though they don't market it as car wax. It's made for industry use and so they don't spend a dime on marketing the stuff. Basically, it's the only stuff professionals use on their clearcoat-covered pinball machines. But it's still clearcoat polish
#1 has no grit at all. Won't scratch brand new plastic glasses "no grit". Amazing for a brand new car, though - probably the mildest stuff on the market. #2 is comparable to most car waxes - small grit level - good as a very mild polishing compound. #3 is polishing compound, essentially. Use with care.
It's about $6-8 a bottle. I personally only use #2 for scratches/repairs and #1 99% of the time. It also works great for glass - much better than Rain-X, and it's not toxic.
Note: If you have a faided out clearcoat(zillions of microscopic scratches) that shines up like new when you get it wet, but then fades when dry(common for black cars) - #1 does an amazing job of filling those little hairline scratches in. It's the only stuff that I know of that actually is a clearcoat filler compound. And it dissapears, unlike many of those things you see on TV - no residue or yellowing.
It won't make an old car "look like new", nothing does - but it will make an old car look like an old car with faded but no longer scratched paint
I remember reading somewhere that it only costs them like $20 or something ridiculous to spray the car. That is why the will often not worry about it is you see the car on the lot and say you don't want to pay for that option.
This will probably sound trivial, but the owner's manual for my Fit Sport manual doesn't explain where the tranny fluid tank is located. I know it's under the car but haven't crawled around to look for it yet. The diagram in the owner's manual shows the tank's cap, surrounded by a bunch of nondescript structures with no verbal description of where to find it. I used to have to top off the tranny fluid in our Ford Explorer regularly, so I know what to look for, but I feel bad for first-time owners who may be hesitant to unscrew the cap without knowing for certain they've found what they're looking for.
From the photos it looks more like a sub $10K car. Are they really charging $16,520 for this strange looking mini-van car thing? Wow, that is amazing. Why not get a real car like a Hyundai with a 10 year warranty, if a person needs a car on the cheap? I agree, if you want a Honda, the Civic makes more sense. The Civic Coupe' is pretty cool looking too! -Loren
Cruise control is the only thing the basic doesn't have that I want. It's saved me many a ticket. If I can add it aftermarket, I'm a happy camper.
Geez, I was looking at a Matrix. The electric windows were extra. Okay, I can do that, but then I wanted cruise control and ABS, which came only with the spoilers and moon roof in spite of the fact they were listed as individual options and not a package. I didn't want either of them so I got pissed and started looking again. By that time the info on the Fit was out. Waited a month and a half for the little puppy to come in. Got the third one.
"From the photos it looks more like a sub $10K car. Are they really charging $16,520 for this strange looking mini-van car thing? Wow, that is amazing. Why not get a real car like a Hyundai with a 10 year warranty, if a person needs a car on the cheap?"
Why not read the May issue of Car and Driver instead?
In their subcompact comparo, the Fit soundly thrashed the 'real car' Hyundai in its class. It wasn't even close. :shades:
Point taken on the Fit vaguely resembling the $10K Aveo, but in person the Fit looks quite a lot better than an Aveo.
1) If you want a non-black interior with the Fit Sport, you have the choice of exactly one exterior color: White. Oh wait... that's no 'choice' at all, now is it? A choice implies more than one option.
2) Needs a center mini-console/armrest. Oh, and it could use a sunglasses holder (a la the Accord) too if it doesn't have one.
3) Gas tank is small/limited range.
4) No option to get rear disc brakes.
5) No 'LE' model for the grownups that has the Sport's features and nice alloy wheels, but without the kiddie spoilers and sideskirts. Honda seems to be missing the fact that lots of older folks will be buying this car due to its practicality, kind of like how a suprising number of 30- and 40-somethings bought Scions.
6) No standard cruise control or mp3 player option on the Base model is criminal.
7) Speaking of criminal... whose idea was the wheel covers on the Base? Ugliest things I've ever seen. Hey Honda, we know you want to upsell people to the Sport, but still, this is massive overkill in the fugly department. They look even worse IRL than in photos, if that's possible.
8) 14" alloys as an option on the Base
9) Upgrade the el cheapo 'carpeting'
10) Lack of a dead pedal (c'mon Honda)
I'm sure there's more, just not remembering it right now...
Doesn't the choice of black or tan constitute an option?
An armrest would be nice, but given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured not many people would be taking the Fit on long trips so an armrest isn't needed.
Re small gas tank... the car is small. Fuel economy is high. And given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured drivers would want to stop frequently. It does make for a low load floor.
Lots of cars don't have rear disc brakes. C/D clearly wasn't overly impressed by the standard rear disc brakes in the Accent, Rio5, and Reno, since they rated the Fit so far ahead of those cars and never mentioned a problem with the Fit's brakes. Of course, if those Korean cars had come with drum brakes, they would have been called "cheap."
Re LE trim, I heard a rumor that Honda is planning an LE trim level that has a vinyl half-roof, crushed velour interior, and portholes on the front fenders. Or maybe I just dreamed I heard that.
Re cruise, some of the Fit's main competitors (Accent, Rio, Rio5, and I think the Yaris hatchback) don't offer cruise at all. Anyway, given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured not many people would be taking the Fit on long trips so cruise isn't needed.
The Base's wheel covers are not the ugliest things I've ever seen. There are a number of people I know who would fall into that category. Anyway, replacement wheel covers are readily available.
14" alloys are readily available for the Base, from Honda and other sources.
"Doesn't the choice of black or tan constitute an option?"
Doesn't the fact that tan interiors only come with white exteriors constitute a lack of an option? Pick tan, and you can have any color Fit Sport you want... so long as it's white. The rest is semantics.
"An armrest would be nice, but given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured not many people would be taking the Fit on long trips so an armrest isn't needed."
Call me crazy, but when people drop $15,000+ for a car, I think they'd probably like the option of going for a nice long drive if need be, instead of being limited to being more or less a city car/short hauler. But thank you for mentioning the missing dead pedal... I'll add it to the list.
"Re small gas tank... the car is small. Fuel economy is high. And given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured drivers would want to stop frequently. It does make for a low load floor."
Its possible that the 10.8 gallon tank is the biggest one they could shoehorn in under the front seats. But its hard to say without having the design specs in front of me. Its also possible that it was simply a bit cheaper.
I just think its a bit underachieving that the range on this gas sipper is barely better than my Honda CR-V, which gets only 22 mpg in mixed city-hwy driving. Ah well.
"Lots of cars don't have rear disc brakes. C/D clearly wasn't overly impressed by the standard rear disc brakes in the Accent, Rio5, and Reno, since they rated the Fit so far ahead of those cars and never mentioned a problem with the Fit's brakes. Of course, if those Korean cars had come with drum brakes, they would have been called "cheap."
The problem is that Honda is known to skimp in the area of brakes ... that and paint seem to be the two areas where they're not up with the best. For example, with my CR-V, I have had to replace the front rotors, though virtually nothing else, thankfully.
With a lot of other makes, I'd be okay with rear drums. With Honda, I'm not so sure. Though I'll grant that the Fit is light enough to where it may not be as big a deal.
"Re LE trim, I heard a rumor that Honda is planning an LE trim level that has a vinyl half-roof, crushed velour interior, and portholes on the front fenders. Or maybe I just dreamed I heard that."
And a fuzzy dice option no doubt.
Seriously though, the kiddie body styling cues are simply not for everyone. Demographics have changed, and quality small practical cars are no longer the sole provence of the kids, especially in the era of $3 gas.
"Re cruise, some of the Fit's main competitors (Accent, Rio, Rio5, and I think the Yaris hatchback) don't offer cruise at all. Anyway, given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured not many people would be taking the Fit on long trips so cruise isn't needed."
Let's be real here, instead of veering into 'Honda apologist' territory- including cruise in this price class is no big deal. Even a dorky outdated Nissan Sentra 1.8S has cruise STANDARD. So will the Versa SL, a prime competitor, when it launches.. Its simply not an expensive feature, and its trickling down to cheaper and cheaper cars.
And since you bring it up again, the lack of a dead pedal is pretty inexcusable of Honda. To me, what you're saying is that if Honda had included cruise and a dead pedal like they should've, the Fit would be a much better long-distance car. And I fully agree. :shades:
"The Base's wheel covers are not the ugliest things I've ever seen. There are a number of people I know who would fall into that category. Anyway, replacement wheel covers are readily available."
Or... Honda could simply include a non-hideous pair of wheel covers standard. Works for me.
"14" alloys are readily available for the Base, from Honda and other sources."
If Honda can get me 14" alloys, then thats the first good piece of news you've offered me. Thank you.
There was a tan interior in the silver-blue Fit I saw at two auto shows. I don't think tan is limited to white Fits.
I guess my little attempts at humor fell on deaf eyes.
While you are at it, why not add the lack of a height adjuster on the driver's seat to your list? That IMO is the most glaring problem with the Fit, and may by itself knock it off my list.
"There was a tan interior in the silver-blue Fit I saw at two auto shows. I don't think tan is limited to white Fits."
You're thinking of the Base Fit. Remember, I was referring to the Fit Sport, which indeed only offers the tan interior with the White exterior.
"I guess my little attempts at humor fell on deaf eyes."
Not at all. I laughed out loud at the crushed velour interior comment.
"While you are at it, why not add the lack of a height adjuster on the driver's seat to your list? That IMO is the most glaring problem with the Fit, and may by itself knock it off my list."
I guess it depends on what your personal dimensions are. I am medium height, so I'm thinking it won't be an issue for me. It also may be hard to have seat height adjustment with the gas tank being under the front seats. But I could definitely see how short or tall folks would be unhappy. I might throw it in there.
Sport has cruise (good) but only offers tan interior with one exterior (bad).
Base doesn't have cruise (bad) but offers tan interior with more exteriors (good).
And no, not everyone likes black interiors. Try out some San Joaquin Valley summers... I've seen 110+ degrees a few times. Black interiors frankly suck in a hot/super-sunny clime. :sick:
Honda STILL SELLS the older 14 inch alloys. Shoot, they sell two or three types. Even an older Del Sol 14 inch alloy will "Fit".
The problem with the dead pedal is...
Look carefully at the passenger side footwell. The car was never "flipped" R/L from the Japan market. In Japan, the driver is on the right side, like in the U.K., and there's a big cavernous area for your feet. Sit in the passenger seat. Notice how large and square-ish the area near your right foot is? That's the clutch area on the Japanese model.
The rear seats are also reversed - biggest passenger seat is usually on the side with the curb.(Left side in Japan, Right in U.S.)
The driver's side visor is the only one with a mirror in it. In Japan, that's the passenger - the driver doesn't have a mirror.
The rear center seatbelt is also on the wrong side. It's positioned as if the seatbelt goes over your left shoulder, which is normal in Japan and the U.K., but reversed in the U.S.
Lastly, look at the passenger seat area - under it where the tank is. The passenger seat has more rear foot area behind it and has a bit more space overall. That's the driver's side in Japan, again. I suspect the reason we didn't get a height adjuster is that it won't "fit" on the wrong side, since the gas tank is a bit more under the passenger seat in Japan(unchanged). That 2-3 inches at the edge is what you need for the height adjuster.
The gas cap? Again - I bet you that the mounts are there on the passenger side, under the sheetmetal, for the wiring. But they had to flip it over to the U.S. side, so we got it in an odd position and sans the locking part.
In short, Honda is sending us the Japanese model with five things changed: 1:Head/Tail lights are DOT approved. 2:Bigger bumpers 3:Gas tank filler moved to U.S. Driver's side. 4:Steering wheel moved to U.S. Driver's side. 5:Dashboard reversed.
Nothing else. It's clearly a right-hand-drive car that's been kludged to work over here. I'm a bit dissapointed, actually, at this point. I wish I could import one from Mexico, where it's all been properly flipped over to the proper side(s). All the minor troubles would not be there.
You are forgetting something important though regarding a few things.
Japan and UK are only a few of the countries that have the Fit/Jazz that drive on the left side of the road. The car since January 2002 is already sold in many markets that drive on the right side of the road. In those countries the Fit has the fuel filler door (locking might I add) on the left side. That sort of design is universal and if it is located on one side for one market, it will stay that way regardless of which side of the road people drive on. Since the fuel door is on the left side (passenger for Japan), it will remain on the left side for Europe, US, etc. The issue of the fuel pipe location is particularly relevant in the Fit, since the exhaust pipe runs along the far right edge of the car. Switching the fuel pipe location would interfer with the exhaust pipe, and then you would have to redesign the entire undercarriage...probably not the simplest thing. Lot easier just to keep everything in the same location.
The height adjuster is available on every European Jazz regardless of price...so it's there on the 1.2i S (base model) and the 1.4i ES Sport (top end). Also, I believe the United Kingdom (with Ireland and Malta) is one of only three countries in Europe out of 40+ that drive on the left side of the road. All the rest drive on the right and all the rest have driver's side seat adjusters.
Hungarian-market Jazz 1,2i S Cool (pre-MMC ~MY2003) (Note the seat height adjuster and intrusion of the fuel tank into the driver's footwell)
Taillights are actually identical to the European market with the sole exception being the reverse and turn signal lights switched. I think Japan is the only market that gets the fancy LEDs (doesn't mean US/Canada couldn't also though :P )
Other things like the dead pedal location (or lack thereof), the center seatbelt, and the fuel tank design are present on all the cars worldwide. Just some of the quirks to deal with when a car is designed for the Japanese market. Oh, and there is no dead pedal on the JDM versions either...but there is more space for the foot it looks like.
As for the dashboard, I'm perfectly fine to have it reversed. I would rather they spent a little extra to design, build, and store LHD and RHD dashboards then have Toyota's "cost-saving" center dashboard design.
"I wish I could import one from Mexico...All the minor troubles would not be there." No you don't. The "troubles" would all be there and you would be getting a car with less features and less safety equipment. I don't know about the mirror on the visor, but everything else is just part of the cars design, and is not flipped no matter what market.
Ah. That would explain it - that they never redesigned it. I'm amazed that it does as well in Europe as it does, with those "features" still not addressed.
Well, they need to "flip" some of the items for it to do well in the U.S. Certainly with the U.S. built models in a couple of years(the 2nd generation model).
The lack of maplights and the hight adjuster, which has to be all of $25-50 their cost still doen't make a bit of sense. I feel like we're being "bubba-ized" again my Honda management. You know the feeling - we get the cheapest most basic version years later than everyone else because they must think we're all driving trucks with gun racks in them with 80 IQs and won't notice the missing map lights and cheap carpets.
Sigh. That Hungary and Mexico get the adjustable seat - how low on the food chain IS America to Honda's management? Sometimes you have to honestly wonder. Now, I'm still impressed with the Fit, but I'm going to wait at this rate for at least an EX version with features most poorer countries get.
I also loathe the Toyota center-cluster nonsense. horribly distracting to read the tach and watch the road at the same time.
11) 'Refresh' mode not very 'refreshing', due to fact that the back seat doesn't recline very far at all.
Also and btw, thank you to the gentleman who pointed out that you can still get the old 14" alloys... checked out that College Hills Honda site... good stuff.
"That would explain it - that they never redesigned it. I'm amazed that it does as well in Europe as it does, with those "features" still not addressed."
Most of these things have never been mentioned in the European reviews. However, they have other features to make up for it, like 4-wheel disc brakes standard on all models.
I think what would be easier, rather than "flipping" everything would be to make certain things symmetrical like the gasoline tank and the foot wells, so that both the left and right side front-seat occupants have the same thing regardless of market. Of course, make sure there are two versions of a proper dashboard. Things like map lights and visor mirrors should be there for both sides regardless of market, price, etc. One interesting thing is that while the front windshield wipers were flipped from RHD to LHD, the rear windshield wiper is in the same location. Not a big deal, but the area it cleans is more useful for the person in the right-hand seat.
An EX version would be ideal. The 1,4i ES 5MT in Europe which (depending on country) runs about US$15500-$16500 has tons of neat standard things absent from the US. Driver's side seat adjuster (all models), audio controls on steering wheel, cargo cover, heated power folding mirrors (one press of the button and they fold in), headlight vertical-direction adjusters, foglights, luxurious "Euro" alloy wheels, disc brakes (all models), outside-air thermometer, automatic climate control, mirror casing integrated turn signal...and none of the silly looking body trim and spoilers. Also, in the countries which have the automatic transmission available, it is the CVT with 7-speed mode. Then they could throw in leather for an EX-L version too.
If it wasn't for the expensive importation price, I would have just purchased a European ES model. I am of course very happy with my purchase (base Fit), but there are some basic things that American Honda shouldn't have overlooked. Purchasing those European alloys has turned out to be very expensive, so I think I will just go with the 14" 2005 Civic 10-spoke wheels.
This may sound like a stupid question/suggestion, but...
How much of the decontention of the NA Fit could possibly be attributed to the drop in the value of the US dollar? If they were to have brought the car over as content-filled as it is elsewhere, what would the price have had to be, in order to provide the same amount of ROI for Honda? Maybe they had to pull items, in order to keep the price low enough to still be considered an economy car to US consumers.
I agree. Keep in mind the car is not priced that much above Korean-made cars in the same class (Accent and Rio5), and the labor costs are a mite lower in Korea than Japan.
6 airbags ABS EBC Larger Bumpers Redesigned fuel filler height for impact standards 5 speed auto Throttle by wire, ect ....and the fastest stock 0 to 60 time of any Fit / Jazz
I've already read forums in other markets complaining that Honda doesn't offer them our goodies
Comments
No bodyside molding?
No cargo cover?
OK, so Honda omits the bodyside molding on many of it's cars, however, there is not even an optional accessory.
No armrest and no cargo cover on a $16,500 subcompact is Honda being CHEAP.
Cons:
1. No adjustable lower back support. I have a really bad lower back and the support is like sitting on a plane seat. I don't think I would like to compensate by buying those back pillows. The side support is great though, like recaro seats
2. No seat height adjustment. I'm not that tall and I felt I couldn't see over the hood.
2. No armrest/compartment. I actually tried to note how often I rest my arm on it and found when I'm stuck in traffic or cruising, I do.
3. No locking gas cap. I'm from NYC so I'm paranoid.
4. Cargo cover not standard. For a top of the line model?
5. No dead pedal. Again, I drive alot and this would help.
Pros:
1. First class gauge cluster. I loved it!
2. Stereo is growing on me. Lights match gauge cluster which is great. Although for 200 watts, do you get bass with those speakers?
3. Finally figured out the Magic Seats after someone posted. You just lift up!
4. Of course, the gas mileage
5. Smooth 5spd shifter
I don't understand when people complain about things that "should" be included like a cargo cover and a locking gas cap, or similar complaints about other small items that can easily be added. In this case, for example, you can buy those things for $150. For the sake of argument, let's say the car was $150 more but included those things. The question is then, would you be happy? Or would you say that the car was now over-priced by $150?
Personally, I've taken the cargo cover out of every car I've had that has come with one, I have no need for it, it just gets in my way. And I don't care about a locking gas cap. (And I drive in NYC!) So I don't care that these things aren't included, and would be glad to not have to pay for them.
Not that I wouldn't have my own wish list. Unfortunately, the things I find lacking in the Fit aren't available as add-ons either. I like climate control, steering wheel stereo controls, stability control, traction control. I guess I'm a control freak! I wish it were possible to get a better stereo in the base (whether from Honda or aftermarket). Some fancy things like leather and sunroof probably are or will be available aftermarket, if one wants to splurge on an economy car. I'm kind of surprised it doesn't have a trip computer that calculates current and average fuel economy. Not that it's essential, but I think it's something a Fit owner would appreciate! On the cars that have had them, I've always used the compass (which one can get separately), and more often than I care to admit, the "distance to empty."
Locking fuel cap: The issues are vandalism and siphoning. In the first case, I don't park on the streets in bad areas (and if one must, I think one is more likely to suffer a keying or broken window than a contaminated gas tank, which requires preparation). And I just don't think siphoning is a real issue either. Again, I'm rarely in bad areas. But even then, gas siphoning is hard to do inconspicuously or quickly, and there's not much payoff for someone to do it. Since we're talking about being in New York, most people don't even have cars, they use the subways, so what would they even want with the gas? It's not like they can bring it to pawn shops or hawk 5-gallon cannisters out of their coats on street corners. If I hear news reports of a mad rash of siphoning, I may reconsider.
And as long as you mentioned it, I don't really care about alarm systems either. At this point, when most people hear car alarms, they completely ignore them, and I'm sure the thieves know that too. So I don't know if they really do much good. And it's actually much harder to get into locked cars these days, by design, so that's good. And if the car is stolen, it will be replaced by insurance. And as I said, I generally travel in relatively safe areas anyway. But if someone sometimes keeps valuable things in the car unattended, then there would be some value to having an alarm which, if set off, will prompt the culprit to leave rather than linger. It looks like you can get some pretty cheap ones online, and you do get an insurance discount for having one, so... maybe.
Neither of my last two Civics have had seat height adjustments. Makes no difference to me. But if you really need more height, buy memory foam wedge and put it under your rear. Not only will you gain height, but it will be very comfortable.
No center armrest:
My last Civic didn't have one either. Never even noticed.
I guess someone will come up with something aftermarket if it really bothers you.
No locking gas cap:
It’s not needed.
I posted about this earlier. Siphoning gas is a high risk / low reward activity. Why would any criminal bother?
Similarly, if someone really wants to sugar your gas tank, a screwdriver and three seconds is all it would take to defeat a locking gas door—probably wouldn’t even leave a mark. Add another five seconds to defeat a locking gas cap.
No cargo cover:
Yes. An annoyance. But you can get one for 118.00 at College Hills Honda web site. And, No, you don’t need to be a mechanic to “install” it. You’ll be taking it in and out anyway when you carry cargo.
No Fuel Consumption Calculator:
Big deal. Here’s a course on driving to save gas.
1) Keep engine off. Biggest gas saver of all.
2) Accelerate very, very slowly always.
3) Shift before 2500 rpm.
4) Coast whenever possible.
5) Keep tires inflated properly.
6) Keep car maintained.
7) Get rid of the junk in yo trunk. Saves weight.
No Rear discs:
Okay. Now you’re talking. This would have been nice. It’s not a deal killer, but it would have been nice.
Finally, the one and only semi-serious flaw I’ve found in my Fit:
No 6th gear.
It’s a shame, too, because I think that with a 6-speed transmission, the Fit would be the most awesome inexpensive, practical sports car ever made or shipped to the USA.
2. Purchase Memory Foam Wedge
3. Purchase locking gas cap from Honda.
4. Purchase Cargo Cover from Honda
5. Import armrest from Europe that is available for the Jazz.
Uh...hold on...wait a minute...Why not just buy a Civic LX auto for $16,700 market price?
Or Nissan Sentra 1.8 S SE with Rockford Fosgate 300W stereo with subwoofer, side airbags and ABS, Sunroof, Armrest, distance to empty display, outside air temp. display, mpg display, 8 way adjustable drivers seat, mudguards, bodyside moldings, floor mats and trunk mat, for $14,595. :surprise:
The Sentra is an outdated design soon to be replaced, however, being nickel and dime'd adding equipment after the sale that Honda neglected to include is not choice.
At 40,000 units Honda will be have greater demand than supply for the Fit. If Honda imports the Fit at Civic levels they need to step it up a notch on the details.
Fit is amazing in it's packaging of space. The magic seats are very impressive and Honda has created another example to it's competitors of "why didn't I think of that".
Gas lock I would like, but after 4 days of ownership and all of those other cars without them, I don't even think about it anymore.
Fuel consumption calculators are only good for the average. I drive a car for work sometimes, and it has a calculator onboard. About as useless as it can be. It either shows 4 mpg when I accelerate or 24 when I'm coasting. I just divide miles traveled by gallons used when I fill up. Not the most accurate, but it does its job.
On the topic of seats, I actually find the seats of the Fit/Jazz to be perfect...for me. The height and the distance between the pedals/steering wheel are fine.
None of my cars in the past have had height adjusters, fuel consumption calculators, or rear disc brakes, so for me I didn't lose anything with the Fit.
You can grab an off brand locking gas cap for a few bucks, or will be able to soon. On the other hand since the euro and japan models apparently have the locking door, it is annoying as well.
But, if you like the car...waddayagonnado?
Ive shown property in $70K Mercededs/BMW's, Full size SUV's, Mini Vans, etc., but in the end, this little car was as good if not better and I still had 3/4 of a tank of gas left! Im tired of expensive cars to own, these cars make sense. Im glad I didnt buy a civic sedan like I origionally planed. It would of been much harder for anyone of any size to get in and out of it all day long.
Sure, I could find things Id change about it and I did in the first day of ownership. One just has to remember this is a cheap car. Even the very high ends cars Ive owned had obvious faults to them but at least I didnt pay some crazy amount for this car like I have for status cars. Geez, at $16K, give the poor little car a break you guys.
A base element is a good $3000+ more than a base Fit, its EPA fuel economy estimate is 21/25 so your gas bills will be 50% higher each month, and it's not nearly as fun to drive. As long as I could manage to fit what I needed to carry into the Fit, why would I buy a base Element?
All the things "without" I expected if I was buying the BASE FIT but for the higher end SPORT model, I expect without excuse all the little basic things mentioned. Other cars are offering it. Honda is the leader, there is no excuse for them to go cheap.
Things to add:
- Armrest. Put the cupholders there.
- Needs an aux jack in the glovebox or armrest - someplace where your player isn't in plain view of thiefs. Armrest, again, would solve this.
- Needs an overhead bin/console up near the review mirror. At least a place to store your garage door opener.
- Adjustable seat height.
- Locking gas door. The mechanism is there, just not enabled? ?QUE?
- Make the dealers aware of the 14 inch Civic alloys.
Glitches/real problems that need to be fixed NOW - while it is in production:
- NEED TO REVERSE THE VISORS. The Driver's side is the only one that has a mirror. In Japan, that side IS the passenger. But not in the U.S. - obvious goof-up by Honda.
*note - there is no passenger-side vanity mirror - only a driver's side one
- NEED TO REVERSE THE REAR SEATS. The same L/R Japan/U.S problem. The large side is behind the driver. It's the more comfortable rear seat and is not closest to the curb. Also, since many drivers have their seat farther back than the front passenger does, the best rear seat also has the worst legroom as a result. Cargo - the largest "tall mode" space with one seat still useable is facing traffic(curb in Japan, as it shoudl be).
A simple L/R swap would address this.
- DIPSTICK NEEDS TO BE ROTATED 90 DEGREES. It's incredibly easy to hit your finger on the red-hot manifold trying to check the oil in an emergency.
*note - it's placed 2 inches from it and the hole you stick your finger through is *parallel* to the engine.
In the dark - you gotta put your finger around or through it and I have small fingers. Mine missed the manifold by less than an inch. A 90 degree rotation would fix it.
My "unreliable" (as consumer magazines always say) Golf TDI looks better and better.
Sayonara Honda. Next time find out what real people really want.
As for what people want, personally, I never use cc, and would be glad to not be paying for it. You can always add it if you want it.
My china model has one that calculates average consumption in L/100 km (so good for me). but it is not very precise as there can be up to 10% inprecision.
Can't believe it it is not implemented in the US Version. There must be a mistake somewhere.
China models has some accessories/fitting not included in US models :
14" alloy Rims, Power Sunroof, Locking gas door, CVT Transmission. All for 15,620 USD including leather, mudguards+ side protection an solar film on windows
No Mp3 connector though. Radio setup is very average.
Cargocover sell for about 120 USD here. My worse shortcoming was that only one key came with remote
In response to previous posts -- I do think the car is a little pricey, but I test drove both the Scion XA and the Yaris, and I feel like the Fit is a much better car and worth the extra cost. For such a little car, it really drives well and has a lot of power. It's a perfect city car.
Got this article...
"rustproofing and paint protection: All new cars are built with rust-resistant galvanized steel (or aluminum or fiberglass) and treated with a rustproofing agent at the factory. Experts say dealer-applied rustproofing is unnecessary, at best. Paint "sealant" is a similar story: factory paint is sealed and durable and can be protected effectively with a coat of wax you apply yourself."
As for protective sealants/waxes on the car, I use either pure carnuba(no abraseives) or this stuff:
EDIT: No grit is critical with new paint - it should be pure liquid like beeswax or parafix wax if warmed up. 95% of car waxes aren't close to this and have a considerable amount of grit in them.
Novus
This stuff actually was designed to work on pinball playfields(specifically the clearcoat covered ones) and fiberglass boats. It is amazing and really works. It also will keep your plastic lenses on the Fit from ever getting yellow. It says plastic. It works on clearcoat finishes as well, though they don't market it as car wax. It's made for industry use and so they don't spend a dime on marketing the stuff. Basically, it's the only stuff professionals use on their clearcoat-covered pinball machines. But it's still clearcoat polish
#1 has no grit at all. Won't scratch brand new plastic glasses "no grit". Amazing for a brand new car, though - probably the mildest stuff on the market.
#2 is comparable to most car waxes - small grit level - good as a very mild polishing compound.
#3 is polishing compound, essentially. Use with care.
It's about $6-8 a bottle. I personally only use #2 for scratches/repairs and #1 99% of the time. It also works great for glass - much better than Rain-X, and it's not toxic.
Note:
If you have a faided out clearcoat(zillions of microscopic scratches) that shines up like new when you get it wet, but then fades when dry(common for black cars) - #1 does an amazing job of filling those little hairline scratches in. It's the only stuff that I know of that actually is a clearcoat filler compound. And it dissapears, unlike many of those things you see on TV - no residue or yellowing.
It won't make an old car "look like new", nothing does - but it will make an old car look like an old car with faded but no longer scratched paint
-Loren
Then maybe you should actually look at the car in person.
"Why not get a real car like a Hyundai..."
:sick:
Geez, I was looking at a Matrix. The electric windows were extra. Okay, I can do that, but then I wanted cruise control and ABS, which came only with the spoilers and moon roof in spite of the fact they were listed as individual options and not a package. I didn't want either of them so I got pissed and started looking again. By that time the info on the Fit was out. Waited a month and a half for the little puppy to come in. Got the third one.
Why not read the May issue of Car and Driver instead?
In their subcompact comparo, the Fit soundly thrashed the 'real car' Hyundai in its class. It wasn't even close. :shades:
Point taken on the Fit vaguely resembling the $10K Aveo, but in person the Fit looks quite a lot better than an Aveo.
Not much, but a few things:
1) If you want a non-black interior with the Fit Sport, you have the choice of exactly one exterior color: White. Oh wait... that's no 'choice' at all, now is it? A choice implies more than one option.
2) Needs a center mini-console/armrest. Oh, and it could use a sunglasses holder (a la the Accord) too if it doesn't have one.
3) Gas tank is small/limited range.
4) No option to get rear disc brakes.
5) No 'LE' model for the grownups that has the Sport's features and nice alloy wheels, but without the kiddie spoilers and sideskirts. Honda seems to be missing the fact that lots of older folks will be buying this car due to its practicality, kind of like how a suprising number of 30- and 40-somethings bought Scions.
6) No standard cruise control or mp3 player option on the Base model is criminal.
7) Speaking of criminal... whose idea was the wheel covers on the Base? Ugliest things I've ever seen. Hey Honda, we know you want to upsell people to the Sport, but still, this is massive overkill in the fugly department. They look even worse IRL than in photos, if that's possible.
8) 14" alloys as an option on the Base
9) Upgrade the el cheapo 'carpeting'
10) Lack of a dead pedal (c'mon Honda)
I'm sure there's more, just not remembering it right now...
An armrest would be nice, but given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured not many people would be taking the Fit on long trips so an armrest isn't needed.
Re small gas tank... the car is small. Fuel economy is high. And given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured drivers would want to stop frequently. It does make for a low load floor.
Lots of cars don't have rear disc brakes. C/D clearly wasn't overly impressed by the standard rear disc brakes in the Accent, Rio5, and Reno, since they rated the Fit so far ahead of those cars and never mentioned a problem with the Fit's brakes. Of course, if those Korean cars had come with drum brakes, they would have been called "cheap."
Re LE trim, I heard a rumor that Honda is planning an LE trim level that has a vinyl half-roof, crushed velour interior, and portholes on the front fenders. Or maybe I just dreamed I heard that.
Re cruise, some of the Fit's main competitors (Accent, Rio, Rio5, and I think the Yaris hatchback) don't offer cruise at all. Anyway, given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured not many people would be taking the Fit on long trips so cruise isn't needed.
The Base's wheel covers are not the ugliest things I've ever seen. There are a number of people I know who would fall into that category. Anyway, replacement wheel covers are readily available.
14" alloys are readily available for the Base, from Honda and other sources.
An extra tall 6th gear would be heaven.
Armrest is the other glaring omission.
Doesn't the fact that tan interiors only come with white exteriors constitute a lack of an option? Pick tan, and you can have any color Fit Sport you want... so long as it's white. The rest is semantics.
"An armrest would be nice, but given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured not many people would be taking the Fit on long trips so an armrest isn't needed."
Call me crazy, but when people drop $15,000+ for a car, I think they'd probably like the option of going for a nice long drive if need be, instead of being limited to being more or less a city car/short hauler. But thank you for mentioning the missing dead pedal... I'll add it to the list.
"Re small gas tank... the car is small. Fuel economy is high. And given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured drivers would want to stop frequently. It does make for a low load floor."
Its possible that the 10.8 gallon tank is the biggest one they could shoehorn in under the front seats. But its hard to say without having the design specs in front of me. Its also possible that it was simply a bit cheaper.
I just think its a bit underachieving that the range on this gas sipper is barely better than my Honda CR-V, which gets only 22 mpg in mixed city-hwy driving. Ah well.
"Lots of cars don't have rear disc brakes. C/D clearly wasn't overly impressed by the standard rear disc brakes in the Accent, Rio5, and Reno, since they rated the Fit so far ahead of those cars and never mentioned a problem with the Fit's brakes. Of course, if those Korean cars had come with drum brakes, they would have been called "cheap."
The problem is that Honda is known to skimp in the area of brakes ... that and paint seem to be the two areas where they're not up with the best. For example, with my CR-V, I have had to replace the front rotors, though virtually nothing else, thankfully.
With a lot of other makes, I'd be okay with rear drums. With Honda, I'm not so sure. Though I'll grant that the Fit is light enough to where it may not be as big a deal.
"Re LE trim, I heard a rumor that Honda is planning an LE trim level that has a vinyl half-roof, crushed velour interior, and portholes on the front fenders. Or maybe I just dreamed I heard that."
And a fuzzy dice option no doubt.
Seriously though, the kiddie body styling cues are simply not for everyone. Demographics have changed, and quality small practical cars are no longer the sole provence of the kids, especially in the era of $3 gas.
"Re cruise, some of the Fit's main competitors (Accent, Rio, Rio5, and I think the Yaris hatchback) don't offer cruise at all. Anyway, given the issues with driver's seat adjustability and lack of a good place for the driver's left foot, maybe Honda figured not many people would be taking the Fit on long trips so cruise isn't needed."
Let's be real here, instead of veering into 'Honda apologist' territory- including cruise in this price class is no big deal. Even a dorky outdated Nissan Sentra 1.8S has cruise STANDARD. So will the Versa SL, a prime competitor, when it launches.. Its simply not an expensive feature, and its trickling down to cheaper and cheaper cars.
And since you bring it up again, the lack of a dead pedal is pretty inexcusable of Honda. To me, what you're saying is that if Honda had included cruise and a dead pedal like they should've, the Fit would be a much better long-distance car. And I fully agree. :shades:
"The Base's wheel covers are not the ugliest things I've ever seen. There are a number of people I know who would fall into that category. Anyway, replacement wheel covers are readily available."
Or... Honda could simply include a non-hideous pair of wheel covers standard. Works for me.
"14" alloys are readily available for the Base, from Honda and other sources."
If Honda can get me 14" alloys, then thats the first good piece of news you've offered me. Thank you.
I guess my little attempts at humor fell on deaf eyes.
While you are at it, why not add the lack of a height adjuster on the driver's seat to your list? That IMO is the most glaring problem with the Fit, and may by itself knock it off my list.
You're thinking of the Base Fit. Remember, I was referring to the Fit Sport, which indeed only offers the tan interior with the White exterior.
"I guess my little attempts at humor fell on deaf eyes."
Not at all. I laughed out loud at the crushed velour interior comment.
"While you are at it, why not add the lack of a height adjuster on the driver's seat to your list? That IMO is the most glaring problem with the Fit, and may by itself knock it off my list."
I guess it depends on what your personal dimensions are. I am medium height, so I'm thinking it won't be an issue for me. It also may be hard to have seat height adjustment with the gas tank being under the front seats. But I could definitely see how short or tall folks would be unhappy. I might throw it in there.
FYI- if you're talking the 2006 Civic Hybrid, those alloys are 15", not 14.
The Sport has cruise. And doesn't have wheel covers.
Besides, everyone knows black interiors are more sporty than tan interiors.
Base doesn't have cruise (bad) but offers tan interior with more exteriors (good).
And no, not everyone likes black interiors. Try out some San Joaquin Valley summers... I've seen 110+ degrees a few times. Black interiors frankly suck in a hot/super-sunny clime. :sick:
The problem with the dead pedal is...
Look carefully at the passenger side footwell. The car was never "flipped" R/L from the Japan market. In Japan, the driver is on the right side, like in the U.K., and there's a big cavernous area for your feet. Sit in the passenger seat. Notice how large and square-ish the area near your right foot is? That's the clutch area on the Japanese model.
The rear seats are also reversed - biggest passenger seat is usually on the side with the curb.(Left side in Japan, Right in U.S.)
The driver's side visor is the only one with a mirror in it. In Japan, that's the passenger - the driver doesn't have a mirror.
The rear center seatbelt is also on the wrong side. It's positioned as if the seatbelt goes over your left shoulder, which is normal in Japan and the U.K., but reversed in the U.S.
Lastly, look at the passenger seat area - under it where the tank is. The passenger seat has more rear foot area behind it and has a bit more space overall. That's the driver's side in Japan, again. I suspect the reason we didn't get a height adjuster is that it won't "fit" on the wrong side, since the gas tank is a bit more under the passenger seat in Japan(unchanged). That 2-3 inches at the edge is what you need for the height adjuster.
The gas cap? Again - I bet you that the mounts are there on the passenger side, under the sheetmetal, for the wiring. But they had to flip it over to the U.S. side, so we got it in an odd position and sans the locking part.
In short, Honda is sending us the Japanese model with five things changed:
1:Head/Tail lights are DOT approved.
2:Bigger bumpers
3:Gas tank filler moved to U.S. Driver's side.
4:Steering wheel moved to U.S. Driver's side.
5:Dashboard reversed.
Nothing else. It's clearly a right-hand-drive car that's been kludged to work over here. I'm a bit dissapointed, actually, at this point. I wish I could import one from Mexico, where it's all been properly flipped over to the proper side(s). All the minor troubles would not be there.
Japan and UK are only a few of the countries that have the Fit/Jazz that drive on the left side of the road. The car since January 2002 is already sold in many markets that drive on the right side of the road. In those countries the Fit has the fuel filler door (locking might I add) on the left side. That sort of design is universal and if it is located on one side for one market, it will stay that way regardless of which side of the road people drive on. Since the fuel door is on the left side (passenger for Japan), it will remain on the left side for Europe, US, etc. The issue of the fuel pipe location is particularly relevant in the Fit, since the exhaust pipe runs along the far right edge of the car. Switching the fuel pipe location would interfer with the exhaust pipe, and then you would have to redesign the entire undercarriage...probably not the simplest thing. Lot easier just to keep everything in the same location.
The height adjuster is available on every European Jazz regardless of price...so it's there on the 1.2i S (base model) and the 1.4i ES Sport (top end). Also, I believe the United Kingdom (with Ireland and Malta) is one of only three countries in Europe out of 40+ that drive on the left side of the road. All the rest drive on the right and all the rest have driver's side seat adjusters.
Hungarian-market Jazz 1,2i S Cool (pre-MMC ~MY2003)
(Note the seat height adjuster and intrusion of the fuel tank into the driver's footwell)
Taillights are actually identical to the European market with the sole exception being the reverse and turn signal lights switched. I think Japan is the only market that gets the fancy LEDs (doesn't mean US/Canada couldn't also though :P )
Other things like the dead pedal location (or lack thereof), the center seatbelt, and the fuel tank design are present on all the cars worldwide. Just some of the quirks to deal with when a car is designed for the Japanese market.
Oh, and there is no dead pedal on the JDM versions either...but there is more space for the foot it looks like.
As for the dashboard, I'm perfectly fine to have it reversed. I would rather they spent a little extra to design, build, and store LHD and RHD dashboards then have Toyota's "cost-saving" center dashboard design.
"I wish I could import one from Mexico...All the minor troubles would not be there."
No you don't. The "troubles" would all be there and you would be getting a car with less features and less safety equipment. I don't know about the mirror on the visor, but everything else is just part of the cars design, and is not flipped no matter what market.
Well, they need to "flip" some of the items for it to do well in the U.S. Certainly with the U.S. built models in a couple of years(the 2nd generation model).
The lack of maplights and the hight adjuster, which has to be all of $25-50 their cost still doen't make a bit of sense. I feel like we're being "bubba-ized" again my Honda management. You know the feeling - we get the cheapest most basic version years later than everyone else because they must think we're all driving trucks with gun racks in them with 80 IQs and won't notice the missing map lights and cheap carpets.
Sigh. That Hungary and Mexico get the adjustable seat - how low on the food chain IS America to Honda's management? Sometimes you have to honestly wonder. Now, I'm still impressed with the Fit, but I'm going to wait at this rate for at least an EX version with features most poorer countries get.
I also loathe the Toyota center-cluster nonsense. horribly distracting to read the tach and watch the road at the same time.
11) 'Refresh' mode not very 'refreshing', due to fact that the back seat doesn't recline very far at all.
Also and btw, thank you to the gentleman who pointed out that you can still get the old 14" alloys... checked out that College Hills Honda site... good stuff.
Most of these things have never been mentioned in the European reviews. However, they have other features to make up for it, like 4-wheel disc brakes standard on all models.
I think what would be easier, rather than "flipping" everything would be to make certain things symmetrical like the gasoline tank and the foot wells, so that both the left and right side front-seat occupants have the same thing regardless of market. Of course, make sure there are two versions of a proper dashboard. Things like map lights and visor mirrors should be there for both sides regardless of market, price, etc.
One interesting thing is that while the front windshield wipers were flipped from RHD to LHD, the rear windshield wiper is in the same location. Not a big deal, but the area it cleans is more useful for the person in the right-hand seat.
An EX version would be ideal. The 1,4i ES 5MT in Europe which (depending on country) runs about US$15500-$16500 has tons of neat standard things absent from the US. Driver's side seat adjuster (all models), audio controls on steering wheel, cargo cover, heated power folding mirrors (one press of the button and they fold in), headlight vertical-direction adjusters, foglights, luxurious "Euro" alloy wheels, disc brakes (all models), outside-air thermometer, automatic climate control, mirror casing integrated turn signal...and none of the silly looking body trim and spoilers.
Also, in the countries which have the automatic transmission available, it is the CVT with 7-speed mode.
Then they could throw in leather for an EX-L version too.
If it wasn't for the expensive importation price, I would have just purchased a European ES model. I am of course very happy with my purchase (base Fit), but there are some basic things that American Honda shouldn't have overlooked. Purchasing those European alloys has turned out to be very expensive, so I think I will just go with the 14" 2005 Civic 10-spoke wheels.
How much of the decontention of the NA Fit could possibly be attributed to the drop in the value of the US dollar? If they were to have brought the car over as content-filled as it is elsewhere, what would the price have had to be, in order to provide the same amount of ROI for Honda? Maybe they had to pull items, in order to keep the price low enough to still be considered an economy car to US consumers.
6 airbags
ABS
EBC
Larger Bumpers
Redesigned fuel filler height for impact standards
5 speed auto
Throttle by wire, ect
....and the fastest stock 0 to 60 time of any Fit / Jazz
I've already read forums in other markets complaining that Honda doesn't offer them our goodies