Honda Fit Interior and Passenger Comfort Concerns

jacinta

I just bought my Fit a week ago and have had two stiff backs since then. Prior to my Fit I never had a back ache. Is anyone else having this problem? My last car was a Honda Odyssey where I sat up high. I'm 5'4". Could it be the lack of a height adjustment?

hungarian83

Seats up:


Seats down:

shneor

Dimensions I'm looking for are length and wideh of the cargo area with the rear seats folded flat. The volume only comes out to 30 cu.ft. This does not make sense to me, as I have 43 cu.ft. in my Mazda 323 hatchback, which is 6 inches lower and 6 inches narrower than the fit - and has a much longer hood. Or are the Fit's wheel wells huge?

Shneor

hungarian83

Good point. That's interesting that the cargo area they give is so small. The interior should be identical to the US version in terms of dimensions. The US figures are 21.3 cu.ft. for the rear cargo area with seats up while the Japanese site says 380L (13.4 cu.ft.). The cars are identical in this respect, so its just the way they measured it. US figures for the seats down cargo area are "TBD" and 90.1 cu. ft. for passenger capacity.

Dimensions:
JDM (again should be same as US)
1720mm (67.7 inch) cargo area length in utility mode (rear seats down)
1385mm (54.5 inch) interior width at rear seats

Regarding the head rests, you don't need to remove them. You can slide the front seat forward, move the rear seats down into utility mode, and then move the front seats back to the original position. The headrests slide underneath the front seat. This is what the animation on the Japanese website shows.
Of course, I'm sure you can remove the headrests and store them under the front seat too.

Here are some good animations that go over the interior.
http://www.honda.co.jp/Fit/showroom/utility/index.html

bamacar

It appears in the video that during the "sleep" mode the front seat headrests are removed. I am not sure what mode the question was referring to. They may have been referring to the "long" or "utility" modes like you, and as you said there would be no headrest removal.

shneor

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for! I'm sure the interior height of the cargo area is at least 30". That gives about 60 cu.ft. (subtracting a bit for the curve of the upper rear hatch).

Shneor

plekto

I did some trickery with the images posted recently and some calculations. Enjoy.

P.S. I want the 14 inchers you can get in the U.K. and Japan. Why? Bigger tires in a small car eat into mileage and handling, plus they cost more to replace.



I get as a rough estimate, 38 inches or so wide and 32 or so high. Not the magic 36*36, but pretty close all things considering. When it arrives, though, I'll be sure to take a tape measure or maybe a 30*30*30 and a 36*36*36 box along.

raychuang00

P.S. I want the 14 inchers you can get in the U.K. and Japan. Why? Bigger tires in a small car eat into mileage and handling, plus they cost more to replace.

Actually not. If you're willing to shop around you can get 185/55R15 tires at pretty reasonable prices--if you're a Costco member check around because they can get tires in that size for you.

jonniedee

P.S. I want the 14 inchers you can get in the U.K. and Japan. Why? Bigger tires in a small car eat into mileage and handling, plus they cost more to replace.

Huh? I've yet to see a Spoon track Fit with 14's - their's and Mugen's hotted up Fits go to bigger rims (16+) for handling

hungarian83

"I want the 14 inchers you can get in the U.K. and Japan. Why? Bigger tires in a small car eat into mileage and handling, plus they cost more to replace."

You can have those wheels.
The wheel sizes the US base model is getting are the exact same as the Fit in Japan and Jazz in Europe.
USDM: 175/65 R14
JDM: 175/65 R14
EUDM: 175/65 R14

In fact, the wheel covers are essentially the same as the 2001-2003 (Japan) or 2002-2004 (Europe) Fit and Jazz. They just put those black stripes on them.

It is the Sport wheels in the US that have the slightly different specifications:
USDM: 195/55 R15
JDM: 185/55 R15
EUDM: 185/55 R15

plekto

Nice. The 14" wheels' turning radius is the smaller one, just like in Japan and the U.K., so the idea is to modify from there and maintain as tight handling as possible while making it more agressive at the same time.

I'll probably get some 14" alloys though - I don't liek plastic covers much.

robertsmx

These pictures may also help a little...

montreal2

quote-"The Versa is a nice car. Closest to the Fit, most likely. But, it has one glaring problem. The rear seats don't even come close to folding down, let alone flat or away, like the Fit or half a dozen SUVs do(RAV-4 comes to mind - superb hidden 3rd row option). "

OK now I see your point and the brochure pic confirms it; the Versa rear seat is huge and when folded it takes up half the cargo space where most other designs fold flat or into the floor. I guess Nissan didnt figure this out yet. Also they quote interior volume as a measure of passenger space where everyone else talks about cargo space. Must be a French thing.

The Fit's roughly 3000 litres of cargo space is HUGE compared to others I looked at; Rio Wagon with seats folded was 2400 litres; a Dodge Caravan has about 4000 litres with the seats removed so kudos to the Fit on interior design!

Make mine a hybrid.

hungarian83

There is no Fit hybrid, and it will not be a hybrid in the US or Canada either. The battery pack in a hybrid takes up an immense amount of room. Have you ever opened the trunk of a Civic or Accord hybrid or looked in the back of an Insight?

Honda engineers spent a lot of time trying to get the Fit to have the amazingly versatile interior that it has. Sticking the battery pack for a hybrid in there would first ruin the possibility of Magic Seats and second take up room behind the back seat.

Fit Hybrid? It won't happen until Honda is able to make more space-efficient technology. Whatever that magazine said was completely wrong, but I have heard that rumor before. Even in the October 2005 San Diego Union Tribune which listed all of the future cars said the Fit might be hybrid. Nope.

Look for hybrid technology in the CR-V first.

buyacargetac

What is the cargo length with the seats down in Utility mode? I have long items to carry along with 3 other passengers. Also, do the rear windows roll all the way down? One of the pictures I saw makes me think not.

strager

I have a teenage family member, about to go to college who is very interested in the Fit. She is 5'1" and loves the Fit, but is not comfortable because there is no seat height adjuster.

Honda offers the Fit with a seat height adjuster in all other markets. Could someone from Honda answer why it has chosen to delete this important feature for the U.S. market? Makes no sense whatsoever! :confuse:

kagedude

If Honda added the seat height adjuster and all the standard accessories its missing, the MSRP will go up and will compete with the Civic. At the dealership, I noticed the Honda Civic coupe LX had a $17,060 MSRP sticker price. My Honda Fit sport build with the accessories below was $16,084 MSRP.

Wheel Locks $54
Cargo Cover $165
All-Season Floor Mats $109

ansandov

That is strange, My Honda Fit 2006 Magnesium Color (Mexico)(Bough November, 2005) has the Height Adjuster (a Knob that you turn).

I'm not a Tall Guy (5'6") and even at the "shortest/lowest" position I feel in great commanding view, actually I prefer the lower position, which is odd due to my height

ergo

Good question! :confuse:

5 years after it's debut in Japan, North America finally gets a decontented version. :mad:

Approaching $17,000 there are MANY other cars worth considering. Unfortunately. :sick:

bodble2

If VW didn't have their miserable reliability record, I would consider a Golf/Rabbit. That car seems to have most of the items on the Fit wish-list.

hungarian83

I'm also surprised Honda removed some of the things that many (or all) of its Fit/Jazzes have in other markets.

- fuel consumption (mileage) calculator
- locking fuel filler door
- seat height adjuster
- rear disc brakes (all European models)

These things would have all been easier to keep in than remove. I'm starting to think there might be a reason for moving the fuel filler door up a few inches, because that sort of thing is usually left alone unless something structurally was changed in that area.

Of course, Honda did add side curtain airbags which I am glad to have.

jpmccormac

RE: "...I would consider a Golf/Rabbit. That car seems to have most of the items on the Fit wish-list."

Yes, plus the handling and general driving experience of the VW leaves the Fit in the dust. Better warranty also. It remains to be seen whether the reliability of the Rabbit/Golf improves. Maybe, since they will all be built in Wolfsburg.

---- Still loving my '96 Golf. Even a new Fit can't make my smile the way it does.

strager

"If Honda added the seat height adjuster and all the standard accessories its missing, the MSRP will go up and will compete with the Civic"

A seat height adjuster is an inexpensive, but important feature that is necessary for people of all statures to get a safe, comfortable driving position. Obviously Honda feels that drivers of the Fit in Europe, Mexico and other markets need this feature, but U.S. drivers don't. That's just dumb! In my opinion, NONE of the features of the Sport are necessary for safe driving, all are discretionary frills. The same applies to expensive alloy wheels, fuel consumption calculators, etc etc.

joey0708

i agree with you about the seats , i am just to short and i need the seat adjustment . i loved the room and what you can do with the seats , i also liked the drive . that is the one reason i have to say no to buying the car . i waited along time for the fit to come out , just wish it would have had the seat adjustment . with all the thought put into the car i was surprized it did not have the adjustment . i liked driving it better then the civic , and i wanted the space it gave me that the civic did not .

ross14

Is it "Sexist" not to have adjustable seats? With one car, & a man(6'plus), & a woman(5'plus), one of the sexes is going to suffer. Is someone suggesting that every couple must have 2 cars? You know those drivers who seem to be peering through their steering wheels? Perhaps their seats have no vertical adjustments. Lets let the short: ride TALL. Non-adjustable seats may be discriminatory, so lets Thank Hyundai & Kia for liberating those with odd shapes!

verily

I'm a 5'2" female and have no problem with my seating position in my Fit Base 5MT. I tend to sit a little closer to the steering wheel because I feel like I get better control of the clutch, but my view over the steering wheel is just fine. I actually feel like I'm positioned much higher in this car than my previous car, a Mazda Protege.

22000 CDN (~19000 USD) sounds pretty darn high for a Fit Sport. They seem to be marking it up a couple thousand over MSRP.

anotherscott

Although it sounds logical that a tall and short person sharing one car without seat height adjustment will mean that one will have to suffer, I don't think it's necessarily true. I don't know why. But I've often shared a car with someone much shorter than me, and we only moved the seat forward or back, and that seemed to do the trick, and that was on a wide variety of cars. I couldn't even say whether most of the cars had height adjustment or not, but it didn't seem to be an issue.

So how about a survey... of people here who share a car with someone (spouse, whoever) of very different height... When you switch driving the car, do you change the seat height (if you can)?

strager

I think if Honda tested a good size sample of short drivers, the seat height adjuster would be a must for a majority of the short drivers (but not everyone, just like you). I had a '99 Civic LX, which had the seat height adjuster standard. For the '96-'98 Civic LX, the seat height adjuster wasn't available. I've heard that Honda did the same with earlier Odysseys, where apparently enough customers complained, and then they included the height adjuster. I find this approach contradicts their "Safety for Everyone" slogan.

Incidentally, I have a Scion xB which doesn't have a seat height adjuster. My 5'1" cousin (who wants the seat height adjuster on the Fit) had no problems getting comfortable behind the wheel of the xB. But she doesn't want a xB, she wants the Fit!

backy

I sometimes change the seat height with my spouse but not always.

There is something missing in this discussion about lack of a seat height adjuster. It's not just about the height of the seat, but the angle of the seat bottom. The Fit's driver's seat is high enough for me. But the cushion is too flat. Which means I have two choices:

1. Move the seat back far enough so my thighs are supported and legs are comfortable. But that leaves the steering wheel too far away to be comfortable.

2. Move the seat closer to the dashboard so my arms are comfortable. But on the Fit, that leaves my thighs unsupported and my legs (especially the right leg) uncomfortable.

Two solutions could correct this problem: A) a dual-adjustable seat bottom as on cars like the Protege, Elantra, Accent, Rio, Forenza/Reno. a telescopic steering wheel.

Note that I am not of an unusual size. Actually I am pretty "average": 5'10", 32" inseam. If I don't fit in the Fit, I am thinking many other people won't either.

So I have to decide if the trade-off of an uncomfortable driving position overcomes the plusses of the Fit. I won't know that until I drive it. My closest local dealer is making that hard to do. They have their only Fit (automatic base model) under wraps (literally) until a special Fit Preview event on May 5. They said they would have 3 Fits there to drive. I asked if any of them would be a stick, and the sales rep said he didn't know. :surprise: At least they will serve food.

anotherscott

I'm just under 5'9", with a 30" inseam, and I was very comfortable in the Fit. But there is variation in people's individual builds, and as someone else said earlier on, sometimes it's also a matter of what you're used to.

I mentioned elsewhere that I had test-driven a Mazda5 a few years ago, and your problem reminds me of that. I couldn't get really comfortable in it. In one position, the seat was a little too close, but in the next position back, it felt a little too far. But I only went up and back, I didn't even check to see if I could fix the problem via seat height or telescoping steering wheel, I don't know if those adjustments were available. (Though if they were, a savvy salesperson should have suggested them!)

Sylvia

Lots of chatter about this...

trickydick1936

I am 6', my wife is 5'2". Our previous car was a '91 Infiniti M30 (had no height adjustment, but did have a power driver's seat - fore/aft only.) The only thing we miss is the power driver's seat (fore/aft). Doesn't seem like much, but it was convenient for my wife to power the seat forward prior to entering the car. TrickyDick

drknife

This car puts the driver much higher than many other cars. I am 6 foot and my fiancee is 5 foot 4 inches and we both find the field of view is better with the Fit than other vehicles we test drive, Mazda 3, Matrix, Civic.

There is a seat belt height adjustment.
The steering wheel has a tilt.

These two features are leapyears ahead of my old vehcile a 95 Ford Escort.

bodble2

whether the driver seat is positioned higher when you move the seat forward? I think someone mentioned this earlier, somewhere. When you think about it, that makes perfect sense. If some needs to move the seat forward, it means he/she has shorter legs, or arms. And while there are no doubt exceptions, I'd bet most of the time those people are also shorter overall and needs a higher seat. To me, that would be a simple and cost-effective alternative to a genuine seat-height adjuster. Can some who owns a Fit verify this?

kagedude

This car puts the driver much higher than many other cars. I am 6 foot and my fiancee is 5 foot 4 inches and we both find the field of view is better with the Fit than other vehicles we test drive, Mazda 3, Matrix, Civic.

I drive the Mazda 3i and it has the seat height adjustment. I am 5'6 and I normally like to adjust it where I can see past the hood.

When I sat in the Fit yesterday, my line of vision can't get beyond the end of the dashboard. A little extreme example but it made me feel like I'm in the first generation Mitsubishi Eclipse.

bodble2

Do you mean see past the hood, or see the hood. I kinda doubt you can see the hood on the Fit no matter how you adjust the seat because it dips so sharply.

kagedude

Correct. I could not see the hood of the Fit but my line of vision is kinda blocked or bothered by the end of the dashboard. Sat in my Mazda 3i and with my adjusted seat height setting, I can see over the hood which makes me feel more in control of the car.

bodble2

I'll have to try that, and maybe compared it to the Civic, which has the seat height adjustment, as well as a tilt/telescoping steering wheel.

BTW, if you don't need the utility of the hatch, and don't care for alloys, you can get a better-equipped Civic sedan for less money than the Fit Sport, at least in Canada.

ross14

My wife & I shared cars with no height adjustment on the seat. She accepted. Then we purchased one with up & down. Guess what? She laughs when we get in a car now where the seat doesn't adjust up! Not acceptable.

bodble2

I checked out both the Civic and the Fit seats today at the dealer. Neither one allows you to see the tip of the hood because of the drop-off. However, because there is no height adjustment on the Fit, you cannot lean the seatback back too much without affecting your sight-line out front, whereas on the Civc, you can lean it back for comfort and then raise the seat to compensate.

Bottom-line: I wish the Fit had a height adjustment.

kagedude

My sentiments exactly. I guess we have to wait till the 2008 model to see if they make any changes. Another long wait. :confuse:

sd_driver

Since Honda is only making 35 to 40,000 of these for US and Canada this year, then, perhaps, to make peace in the family here, they might offer to replace the Fit's driver's seat with a height adjustable seat at cost, with free installation.

How many would take them up on it? 1,000? 5,000? 10,000?

What would that cost? $50? $100? $150? $200?

I think it would be a very good customer relations gesture of goodwill to do so.

spotbearsd

LOL.. OMG.. you must be high! Do you really think a nationwide seat recall is going to happen!

While were at it, how about getting them to throw in a telescopic steering wheel off the Civic?

A nice idea... if we all lived in Utopia. Watch next years Fit model. The Accord just showed up with a manual seat height adjuster this year and it was never foreseen or mentioned by any press or Honda.

If they do come out with a telescopic wheel next year, my post will read "2007 Honda Fit For Sale"

backy

Yes, it will never happen. The best we can hope for is that Honda will see input like this and put a height adjuster on the car for '08, like they did in '02 with the Civic (after the new '01 model didn't have a height adjuster and many competitors like Focus, Protege, and Elantra did).

Lucky for me, I don't need to get a Fit before the '08 MY.

sd_driver

It looks like there is about a 3/4 inch rise as the Fit driver's seat moves forward. Someone with some know-how might want to confirm this. If true, very clever.

jsuess

what is the width of the "truck" section of the Fit? I am curious if it can take a golf bag(s) lying down or not. In a Scion Xa for example, it won't fit, except with a back seat down.

anotherscott

If the 2008 is the same basic car, but they have the height adjustment, it might be possible to buy the appropriate parts from the service dept and retro them into a 2007... for that matter, the parts may be available now, if you know someone in a country where they sell the Fit/Jazz with a height adjustable seat...

anotherscott

At its narrowest, between the wheel wells, it's just shy of 40.5" wide. If you need more width than that, you could consider putting something else back there, and laying the golf bag on top of that. If you raise the surface enough to get over the wheel wells, I think you'll get quite a bit more width. How much do you need?

backy

That's an interesting idea... I wonder what the height-adjustable seat would cost?

bodble2

It does rise as the seat moves forward -- I got down on my hands and knees yesterday at the dealer and eyeballed it. But the rise is not really significant to make a noticable difference. But now that I've thought about it, I think all manual seats are built that way. That's why they slide back so easily, but you always have to pull on the steering wheel to slide them up.

bodble2

$10 for the parts, and $300 labour. :sick: