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Honda Fit New Owner Reports
Have you picked up your Fit? We want to know...
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What I like... great transmission tied to a eager 1.5 VTEC. This car wants to go! The large shifter knob feels great. Of course, the expected fuel economy was a big draw too. Quiet & solid feeling. Seats are very comfortable. No doubt, the car feels big from the inside, and the seating position feels elevated too. The alloy wheels are sharp looking too. We saw a base model and the wheel covers are inexcusible. The dash looks cool too; the blue light effect looks good. Safety features are key too, wouldn't buy a small car w/o side curtain airbags.
What is disappointing... not much really. But I expected better of the 200 watt stereo. Speaking of the stereo, the large blue lit interface is too much. It could be 1/2 the size. It's hard to see in the sun too. For some reason the headrests on the back seats are larger than on the front. This obscures visibility somewhat looking in the rear view mirror. RPMs were at about 2800 rpm at 60 mph! What's up with that Honda? Fortunately, this is an intown car for us 98% of the time. This car is geared for the city. Also, they didn't have carpeted floor mats in yet, so we will need to drive back 55 miles to get them. Why they don't include them, I don't know.
Our dealer experience was just fine. We paid MSRP and were in & out in less than an hour, including the test drive. They threw in a free oil change too.
For those tracking demographics, we are mid 40s professionals. Love Hondas, could afford much more expensive cars, but hey, they are just cars. Rather buy a $16,000 new car and retire earlier. Also think it is ridiculous & wasteful how many people drive around in these huge OPEC-friendly trucks & SUVs while US soldiers are dying in Iraq. It's a disgrace... OK, off my soapbox now.
Love the car! And wow... just $16K.
5 spd automatic or 5 spd manual?
I have been an audiophile and found the stereo rather cloying, but not worse than expected. I think changing speakers might help.
My dealer took an extra 40 minutes trying to figure out the paper work, it being their first Fit sale, but that was OK.
They threw in splash guards free. Problem was they were designed for the Base Fit. So if I remove the body skirts I can use them. :P
Only major complaints so far: 1) Wish it had 14" alloys not 15" (from what Ive heard on this forum; how can I tell when the tires are low on air? they already look flat!)
2) Need that seat height adjustment and or steering wheel extension. I am 6'1" with long legs so my arms get tired when I have the seat back as far as I like it. Moving it forward at bit helps, but then I have less "resting space" for left foot than I would like.
Anyway, I bought it sight unseen to be among the first (really tired of waiting for the "perfect" car!) and can get used to the quirks. Safety and performance beats my 76 hp 87 Civic sedan (will be tough to get rid of, great car) hands down.
If they come out with an Fit HX version next time and trade off some of the sportiness for say 46 mpg hiway then I will upgrade. Otherwise I can be happy with this one for a long time.
Well it took all day but I finally got blue book trade in value on both of my cars, and bought 2 new Fits yesterday. They are Storm Silver and Vivid Blue both sport automatics. I placed an order 3 months ago (no deposit thankfully) thinking that they would all be pre-sold. I really got discouraged and walked out when my dealer tried to hose me by 1200$ below bluebook trade in. I thought that now I would have to re-order and wait months, but to my surprise there are plenty of Fits on the lots of Houston.
Honda has done such a poor job marketing this car that at least around here nobody knows what it is, and the buyers are impulse buyers that came in looking for a civic. It’s good to be done with the car buying thing.
The cars are both great everything you would expect out of a Honda. No rattles, smooth power, nice fit on everything. I think that I will keep these cars a long time.
The FIT was SUPER comfortable on the trip. My wife and I both agreed that we were not any more tired then in the Ody. At 72 mph the engine in turing about 2700 rpm. Only gets a little buzzy when it would kick down in the hilly areas getting above 4500 rpm.
From here heading for St. Petersburg, Florida Monday then back to Texas in about 10 days. Figure I will save between $200-250 alone in gas with the FIT over what I would have gotten with the Ody!! SUPER FIT..LOVE IT!!!
Have fun!
So you traded down and got money back in the transaction?
Right now I use an IPod with a RoadTrip in the cigarette lighter. Does the IPod just plug in somewhere and play on an FM bandwith?
I liked the silver color a lot more than I thought, so I didn't want to play the waiting game any longer.
REALLY impressed with the car. Meets all of my needs (safety features, mid-30s mileage, flexible cargo space). Many others have posted their plusses and minuses on the vehicles, and I thought I'd contribute to the conversation.
+ The magic seats work incredibly well. I didn't really have a sense of how easy it would be to flip the seats up. We have a 2005 Odyssey and I expected that I'd have to grunt my way through manipulating the magic seats, similar to the effort involved in taking the 2nd row seats out of the Odyssey. My fears were unwarranted. The seats flip up with no effort and you don't need to trigger any mechanism to unhook the seats from the floor. My 4-year old son could probably figure out how to flip the seats up.
- The only issue I have with the seats is that putting it in lounge mode is the trickiest. The fit between the rear seat cushion and the top of the front seat is quite tight and the front seat has to be in a specific location for them to fit together. Unlike the other modes (which I'm able to do right the first time), it seems that half the time I don't have the front seat forward enough when I try to put it in lounge mode. That said, I imagine that lounge mode is not going to be a mode I'll be using too much.
- I am disappointed in no daytime running lights, or at least headlights that turn off when the keys are removed. All my cars since 1990 have headlights that turn off automatically and I like driving in the daylight with my lights on. I imagine that I'll be stuck with a dead battery multiple times. Speaking of the battery - it's tiny! Seriously, it looks like a battery that you'd put in a remote control car. That's not a negative - just something I noticed (however, I can imagine that it won't hold out too long if I leave my lights on).
- Really wish it had an arm rest for the driver's right arm.
- I can see why it doesn't have a dead pedal (the wheel well would be in the way) but I sure wish it had one.
+ Coworkers and friends all rave about the car's good looks and features. This will be a popular model once the word gets out that it's not just for 25-year old tuners (like Honda seems to think the car is designed for). I'm in my late thirties with a family who commutes to work and I feel that this car was made for me.
+ Pleasantly surprised about road/engine noise. I was worried that the little engine would drone on at highway speeds, but it's really not noticeable. The engine doesn't strain at 65-70, which is usually where I'm driving it on the highway. General road noise (mostly a function of the tires and soundproofing) is a bit pronounced, but not unbearable. When the OEM tires wear out, I'm hoping that there's a good alternative tire that might be a bit quieter.
+ Sport wheels are really nice looking. I'm not one who would really ever considering buying aftermarket wheels, but holy cow are the base model's wheels ugly. I mean, we're talking UGLY. They look like temporary spare tire wheels with plastic covers tacked on that don't really hide the ugly black steel wheels.
? Haven't decided if this is a plus or minus - (black) cloth interior is very nice looking now but I imagine that it will be a bear to keep looking clean.
- Floor mats are a necessity with this car. As noted, it will be hard to keep the interior looking clean and the carpeting seems to be about as thick as a t-shirt (slight exaggeration). It won't take too much driving before your passengers wear a hole through the carpet with their feet. I'm also buying a cargo mat since the floor of the cargo area doesn't look very rugged.
I've listed a number of negatives on this car, but the fact is I couldn't be more pleased with it. I knew some of these issues going into the purchase. For the money, it's wonderful. Probably the only thing in the car that looks/feels cheap is the carpeting. Everything else appears to be typical good Honda quality. Yeah, I have some wishes (things I wish the car had) but I have absolutely no regrets about buying it.
Second fillup 350 miles it took 9.68 gals for a 36.208 mpg. For the two fillups I'm averaging 38.98 mpg!
Just tried using the sport mode on the AT. Feel it will be a lot of fun driving here in the hills surrounding Atlanta.
All the Hondas I have ever driven have a chime or some sort of noise that indicates you left the lights on. The Fit is no different. There is a two-tone chime. You will definitely know if you forgot to turn them off.
Unless you're parked next to a busy, noisy thorough-fare. It may be more helpful if the warning is a continuous, loud buzzer, rather than just a chime.
First, I have to say that the Fit looks far better in person than it does in pictures. Somehow photos make it look cheaper and plasticky. In person, it’s none of those. It looks like a Honda! My mechanic, whom I’ve been going to for seventeen years, who helped keep my last two Civics going for 300,000 miles, looked at it and said, “You bought a Civic.”
That’s actually a good starting point: It kind of looks like a Civic hatch might have looked if they would have made one before last year’s model change.
My last car was a 92 Si. Put 180,000 (total 219,000) after I bought it used. Technically, for the last three and a half years, after I had the engine/transmission replaced, it hasn’t been an Si. The engine and gearing I got were not the same. The car was slower but got better mileage. ?
Comparing the Fit to my 92 Si: There’s no comparison. The Fit is far superior in almost every way to my old 92 Si.
The Fit is the best handling car I’ve ever driven. Yes. This forum is filled with jaded auto-enthusiasts who will surely inform me how the Fit doesn’t compare in handling too whatever. Please spare me. I haven’t driven those cars. I’ve only driven my own cars, some friends’ and family members’ cars and some rental cars. And the Fit beats all of them—by a wide margin.
My old 92 drove like a rattling mush wagon in comparison to the Fit. The Fit is unbelievably tight, solid.
Acceleration is superior to my old 92 in it’s original configuration and especially after the engine swap.
Headroom: No comparison. I almost feel like I’m in a mini-van in the Fit.
Rear passenger room: Much better in the Fit. And access to the back seats of my 92 (2-door) was limited to the agile.
Quality of construction seems to be as high or higher in the Fit in comparison. The only thing that seems a little cheaper is the carpet. But I got Fit mats and a cargo liner.
Cargo capacity: No comparison. I’m 6 feet and I can duck-walk around the Fit’s cargo area with the seats folded down. I won’t be doing this often; but it can be done.
In other words, an awesome little car.
Now for it’s shortcomings. I’ll start with the really nit-picky stuff and save my one big gripe for last.
Factory stereo: It’s not bad in the Fit, but not great either. Sorry. Car companies just don’t seem to put really great sound systems in cars. It sounds fine. I’ll get used to it. (Actually, it started sounding a lot better when I faded the speakers toward the back.) And I appreciate the MP3 jack and that it plays MP3 and WMA disks. But for 600 bucks I could have gotten a system that smokes it.
Lack of “dead pedal”: That little piece of rubber covered, flat, raised metal to the left of the clutch that my left foot used to call home in my 92 is now a carpet covered, angled lump. Feels awkward right now. I’ll get used to it. (I hope.)
Power windows/Power locks: Yes. Everyone else likes/loves these things but they drive me nuts. It’s going to take some training to remember to keep the key in the ignition until everything’s rolled up and shut down. I wish they had button so you could open and close the windows with the key out.
Is there an aftermarket way to do that?
No hot-wired stereo. Once again, the bureaucrats of auto industry are “protecting” us from wearing down the battery by forcing us to have a key in the ignition to listen to the radio. I absolutely hate this. Yes. This is probably true of every car made today, but I still don’t like it.
Is there a way to hot-wire the radio without messing up the electrical in the Fit?
Front seat leg-room. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. My 92 had puh-lenty of leg room in the front. The Fit seems to have a couple of inches less, even all the way back.
No telescoping steering wheel. My 92 didn’t have one either, so I’m used to it. But I would have liked to have had one.
No hidden storage bins, pockets, drawers, trays. My 92 had this way cool hidden little pull-out below the ash tray that was practically invisible. In four break-ins, I never had anyone even find that spot. Except for the glove (and that’s hardly hidden) there’s no closeable storage within reach of the driver.
Harsher ride--sometimes. Okay. That IS the trade-off in getting this level of handling. And the fact is that the ride is fine—98% of the time. But I hit my first speed bump last night. Wow. Quite a jar. But I’ll get used to it.
No temp gauge. Come on. This is a critical piece of info for a car.
And finally, the one thing that irks me the most about the Fit:
No 6th gear!!!
The Fit needs a sixth gear. It really does. A sixth gear would improve the fuel efficiency and the drive-ability of the Fit.
At 75mph the Fit spins 3500 rpm! The median speed on free-flowing CA freeways is about 75; the are some freeways where, if you’re not doing 80, the SUVs will blow you off the road. At 75, my old 92 would spin about 2350 rpm. Granted, it was geared way low, but that much a of a difference is too much. I can’t believe that 3500 rpm is optimum for economy and engine wear.
Freeway passing. Many freeway traffic situations involve accelerations and braking between 55 and 75 mph. Unfortunately, there is a “gap” in the Fit’s gearing around these speeds: 4th gear accelerates too slowly at these speeds for emergency situations. 3rd gear hits the redline way too fast at these speeds. Therefore, it’s a tough choice between trying to protect yourself and trying to protect the engine.
6 gears and a supercharger: What a little econo-rocket you’d have with that!
To sum it up:
1) The Fit is fantastic. The best car I’ve ever owned. The most fun to drive. The most practical.
2) I got a decent deal at the Honda dealer, but I had to work it a little. (See previous post.)
3) No 6th gear is the only major drawback to me. But, I can live without it.
Happy motoring.">
After I completed the purchase of my (replacement) Fit, the salesman asked if I wanted to see the original Fit that I was supposed to purcase. It had been hit right on the driver's door. The side airbags had deployed, but the doors (both front and back) had held up really well, with no intrusion into the passenger compartment. I feel better about the side impact safety of a Fit after seeing some evidence with my own eyes!
I asked what would happen with the Fit that was supposed to be mine, and he said that he thought they would end up repairing it and selling it on the used lot. So if anyone in Central Florida wants a heck of a deal on a Fit with next to no miles on it, there will be one avilable before much longer...
1)I estimate less than 3500 RPM at 85+ so cruising at 75-80 makes the engine stay very quiet.
2) the absence of any gap makes the CVT optimize any accelerating at any speed
3) seems can get a bit better mileage than 5 speed auto. User's reviews will confirm
Fit customers should lobby for the CVT. it is very well matched with the 1,5 Engine
Thirty five miles down on my first Honda: better than I had hoped, but I'm nervous about how MPG will turn out. Plenty of power for me. And looks sleek I think.
I want to thank the regular posters here for informing all of us inexperts about so many details concerning the car that helped me at least to come to a decision. Thank you Hungarian especially.
Insofar as anyone is interested, I'll have a lot more driving and cargo-carrying experience to share fairly soon, I would think. (for those still considering).
I'll be interesed to hear about what people are actually able to fit in their Fits. So far, my only use of the Magic seats is to show people how versatile they are.
Well, a few trips to Costco and IKEA will change all that!
I drove my xB for 20k miles, just under a year. Very roomy, fun to drive, and really you get a lot for your money. But, you get even more with the Fit.
The Fit is quieter - road noise, wind noise and engine noise, oh, and squeaks and rattles (despite earlier writer suggesting otherwise).
The Stereo in the Fit Sport is better (except no steering wheel controls - which in a subcompact seem rather silly to me).
The Fit handles better than the xB.
The xB's actual gas mileage was a huge disappointment - I was lucky to average 27 mpg - totally unacceptable in a subcompact with a 1.5l 4cyl 105 hp motor.
The interior fit and finish, placement of controls, quality of materials, is simply night and day better in the Fit.
The drivetrain is far more refined than the xB (though the xB is no slouch for the price point).
My kids lost some legroom with the Fit, but it's still quite spacious back there for my 6' tall 14 year old - and I now have far more useable room behind the back seat than in the xB - this comes to the heart of the matter regarding space between these two vehicles. The overall measurements in the two vehicles are nearly identical, but the Fit's space is simply more practical. Yes, the box offered lots of perceived space, but the fact is that most of that height was almost never needed - it is length and width that is more important. And, the truly flat folding seats in the Fit give almost the same height as the Fit.
I believe gas mileage will be far better in the Fit according to some real life tests - avg. 32-35 (much better than 27).
The Fit just looks better; while I enjoyed the uniqueness of the xB, in the end, after a year, I still felt a little odd in it (I'm 38 years old).
The xB had too many rattles - that was totally unacceptable, and surprised me about a Toyota.
In the end, I've always been a Honda person, but found the xB package to much of a value to resist. The Fit, though, just did a better job of everything, really. I'll miss stability control and traction control, but I think I'd rather have the side and side curtain airbags. And, in the end, the Fit's price is better too.
Ultimately, I am totally impressed by what you get for your money in the Fit. The xB was quite a deal, but this is even more, which says a lot. I feel lucky to know that I can get most of what the SUV and horsepower folks are getting in space and amenities (and safety) for less than half the price, and way less gas. To any prospective buyers, jump on this vehicle. It's great. (yeah, I too wish it had height adjustable seats, armrest, 6th gear - but nothing is perfect - nothing). Thanks Honda!!
Drove 20 miles, loved the handling, could not try the acceleration yet.
Mechanic told me to wait for 5k to changen the oil. This sounded absurb. he told me honda adds special addiative to the oil to get the engine to Gel.
Ill do mine at 3K.
The fit has a cool oil feature that tells you the oil life left. I wonder how this will work.
I love the car. Just wished it had a temp gauge( really surprised by the lack of this).
Stereo was ok not great.
Tires/rims are vry nice.
I took off all dealer adverising.
Take cars,
The car is very peppy for its size. If you are driving by yourself, you are a speed demon but I do feel once you add passengers, it will drastically slow down.
Another thing I found is that it can be a bit bouncy when it recovers from bumps or when doing abrupt stops. Could be due to the short wheelbase?
Either way, I am in love with the gauge cluster. Its cool on the eyes and even on all the time like my old Acura TSX. Honda definitely got it right on this one part!
Did notice no map light but I do have my Tomtom now. The 200W radio had nice highs and acceptable bass so again, its not bad.
With a trade in of my 05 Mazda 3i auto/31k miles, I only owe the dealer $5520. Might be a little high but you do get to be the first kid on the block with the Honda Fit!
Remember that Acura described TSX owners as passion buyers? My TSX has always been my baby and couldn't see driving it to work every single day and for reasons below.
1. I drive 600 miles a week.
2. With the mileage that I do, the warranty would expire in less than 2 years.
3. To replace 17inch tires every year and a half will be quite expensive.
4. Main thing that was getting to me was no body side molding. I couldn't stand parking it and having to think about people accidentally hitting the door. Seen too many RSX, MDX and CLs with weird door dings... dented vertical lines around 8inches.
5. I'm too paranoid with this car. Remember the Jetta commercial with the supermarket cart. I'm that guy.
My old commuter car used to be a 2002 Hyundai Accent GL. I just thought I needed something better to make me feel good about driving everyday. I think the Mazda 3i fills in quite nicely.
As far as losing a small fortune, depends on how you look at it. For me its a car expense and as long as the monthly expense averages to a certain number throughout owning the different makes, I'm okay with it. I might lose on 1 car but will make it up on the next. :P
Lets see how long the Honda Fit lasts!
The filler door is not remote release.
The gas cap is not locking.
This is absent on US and Canadian models.
I wanted to go ahead and buy the car because I didn't have a car at all (I live in Chicago, didn't need one) and was borrowing a friend's car for a job. I think if I'd have been able to wait a month or two I could have gotten a much better deal.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It's a Sport AT/paddles. I'm usually an MT guy, but this auto tranny is stellar. it is pretty peppy and I love the paddles. I've been trying not to hammer on it yet as we're not through the break in period. The three shifting modes give as much control over the tranny as one would need. you don't have to use the paddles in sport mode, it just pushes rpms more before shifting, but once you hit the paddles in the S mode you have to use them to shift. I love this car. It is very fun to drive. It cruises comfortably at 80 mph pulling only 28-2900 rpms very quietly. The MT version pull about 3900-4000 rpms at 80 mph. The AT sport seems like a much better value.
Looks - Number one for its class. Its so versatile with the magic/fold down seats. The gauge and the radio lights are so cool on the eyes. I can't believe how luxurious it is. Yes, since its so close to my old Acura TSX set up. I can't tell you how many looks I already had driving home from the dealership. The car is so sporty.
Seats - The front side supports are excellent. One thing my passengers noticed and rated excellent was that the backseat height is so comfortable. Kinda like sitting on a regular chair. The headrests as well. They are so exact. First car I can put my head back and actually feel the correct headrest support height.
Drive - Coming from a Mazda 3i, the Fit can't be compared. The steering on the Fit is very light and it seems to have understeer and tends to get wobbly. The stick is very nice except for the 5th gear. I had a hard time engaging in 5th the first few times. Merging on the highway was a bit bouncy and wobbly until I stabilized into a straight line and again the steering didn't really give me that tight feel of what I was used to with the 3i.
Radio - I have to say its very good. My mom sat in the car for a while after the test drive to just enjoy the pleasant sound. The highs and bass does remind me of the Acura TSX which had a 300watt system.
Seats - The seat without the height adjuster is acceptable but I have to say when I was pulling out of the dealership, someone had to guide me all the way from the sidewalk to the street. I couldn't see beyond the dash so I don't know the depth from the next car. I guess I will get used to it.
I'll now order the accessories online. I'll definitely need the all weather mats, cargo cover, locking gas cap and alloy wheel locks and the aftermarket armrest. Accessories will add another $500.
Again, although it has its shortcomings, I'm a very happy new Fit owner!
I can understand why some people might not like the seats, though I really like them. The back does support my back nicely and I don't feel like I'm all hunched over which was my biggest complaint with the seats in the Tacoma. I prefer sitting pretty straight up - hate the feeling like I'm driving laying down, so the seats suit me very well.
Stopped at Circuit City and bought a Roady XT, to be installed Sunday (I'm not at all handy with such things so I'll let them hard wire the power in then use the aux jack to connect it to the radio). Haven't decided what I'll do about the antenna - any ideas?
It's not a vehicle that will appeal to everyone, but then that's nothing new for me. It's sort-of quirky, mainstream but different, practical but fun. It's, well, like, "It's a Fit thing, you wouldn't understand."
What was it about the car that made you think that? Any particular characteristic that sort of stuck out like a sore thumb?
First Impression - We all liked it. My son loves the shape and style. He played with all of the seats and tried all the modes! We liked the initial drive and had an immediate comparison as we drove a 06 Civic EX after returning from the Fit test drive. The Fit has a roomy interior. It feels much larger then it appears from the outside looking in. The overall first extended drive (70 Miles to get the new baby home) was spirited, very responsive, plenty of power on the interstate and quick and nimble on the back roads. I had the honor of the initial drive as my wife followed, or attempted to follow me in our Freestar van.
Accessories - I never made it out of the dealership before getting the I-Ppod option. They did not have the FIT floor mats so we will look on line for options. With the length of an additional trip back to the dealer it is doubtful that we will make many trips back to them. We did decide to spend $1195 for a 6 year 120K 0-deductible warranty coverage as we plan to keep this car for a long time.
Wrap up – I was reading some web articles about top fun cars, top teen models and top fuel efficient models. The Fit is on all of these lists. We are in our mid forties so we are turning back time and planning to have fun with the paddle shifter and the fun to drive quotation that the Fit delivers
Speaking of navigation systems, I took the GPS this morning to check the speedometer/odometer. Unlike the Wrangler, the Fit is pretty much right on. I'll have to be more careful about my speed (Wranglers often are off, short, so you are going a bit slower than the odo says).
http://www.carspace.com/kagedude/.59a36f0e/
I like the way it handles and takes bumps. I thought it would be too stiff for me, but I like it better than the oddy.
Some funny things I noticed. Laughable lighting, it's sufficient that's all. Lot of water collecting under gas cap cover- doesn't seem like it will be a problem, I just don't like water there. That big plastic cowl on the windsheild wipers is going to be hard to keep fresh. Wipers-biggest section i've ever seen in a manual. Seem to work good. Two different sizes, looks like they will cost extra at honda dealer. Water stays in cowl around base of pass wiper after washing. Have to lift up driver side wiper first.
Dip stick for the AT- I'm going to need a little grabber tool for that, and you better have the right funnel if your going to add some fluid.
I noticed the lights pulsing occasionally, like something was starting for a second, taking too much energy. We'll see if that disappears- but never a good sign in my opinion. Seems to have good size alternator. The battery has a useful condition eye, which I like. Three sets of fuses, inside, underhood, and on battery.
To change to bulbs you have to go up through the fender well cover, hope they never go out.
The boot area floor is just cardboard with carpet. Reminds me of 70's vw, but a little thinner. If the trunk tray is a hard/stiff piece, that is a go. Don't put engine blocks, heavy tools etc over the spare on the stock floor. Tall mode is for heavy things, or just beef it up it you need to. Spare tire well offers some room for stuff. The tools in there are just loose, so they could rattle.
The steering wheel- I would prefer four spoke.
Great little run around- enjoy. More later. Regards to all
Are you talking about the gauge cluster? If so, mine does not pulsate occassionaly but I did notice that my a/c light blinks once in a while.
For my Fit, I'm driving under 60mph, only up to 3000 rpm and got my first fill up today. 304 miles divided by 8.179 gallons comes to 37.17 mpg. Not bad since I idled a lot. I definitely feel the savings. :P
Here's what I know so far:
The look: I like it. At times I like it a lot. However, the base model is not what you'd call an automatic head tuner (especially not in the more subdued colors). I think I see it as "sportier" and "cooler" than a lot of people do. When I showed it to a couple of guys at work (one drives a Ford Mustang, the other an old pickup), one said that it looked like something a dad would buy his daughter when he sends her off to college. By that, I guess he meant that it looks safe and useful and is sort of "cute". I think the car looks sportier once you've driven it.
The Wheels: I may be the only person in America who kind of likes the base model wheel covers. Yes, I know that they're just black steel wheels with a plastic hub cap. I know it looks nothing like an alloy wheel. But, for some reason, the funkiness of it all appealed to me. That being said, I may eventually come to my senses and replace the wheels. My problem is that I've seen plenty of cars with even uglier custom wheels that the owners have added later. It seems to me that it's really hard to come up with a combination that "works". I'm leaning toward chrome wheels instead of alloys if I ever do it, because I personally think chrome looks great on a black car.
Driving Position: Given the low profile of everything in the car (except the roof), I don't think a height adjustment would do much for me. The seat is a bit short (I mean front-to-back) and a bit low (I mean off the floor), but it reminds me of our del Sol in that regard. I do very much like the way the bucket seat holds me in on the sides and the lower back support is perfect for me. My wife, who is 5'1" hasn't tried the driver's seat yet, but she did like the feel of the passenger seat.
The lack of a dead pedal: Normally (in any car) my foot kind of rests on its side in front of the clutch. In the fit, I find that or the area where a dead pedal would normally go to be OK. I also find that putting my foot under the clutch pedal a bit works for me (there's plenty of room even in hiking boots). This is one thing I've read lots of people complain about that doesn't bother me.
Front Storage: The fit does have a shortage of places in the front to put "things". There a few spots built into the center console which are handy but they're for small things (other than the cup holders which are actually bigger than the ones in my CR-V). There are the door pockets. The rest of the places where you might put things are unavailable because of the presence of the fuel tank under the front seat/console area. And that's a trade-off that I'm willing to make. The reason I kept coming back to the fit when I compared to other small hatchbacks (other than the fact that it's a Honda) was the large luggage compartment behind the rear seats.
The Engine Revs: I have the manual transmission and there has been lots of talk about the high rpm's at highway speeds. Compared to my CR-V and to the del Sol, I don't detect any real difference in the fit. 3500rpm at about 70mph is "normal" for me. I don't find the noise to be excessive nor do I detect any real "buzz".
Speaking of noise, we noticed when I took my co-workers to lunch today that the noise dampening when the windows are closed is pretty amazing. The front passenger rolled down his window while we were at a light and we heard the poor little pickup right next to us was making a horrible noise. He rolled up the window and the noise disappeared. He rolled down a bit...horrible noise. Rolled back up...no noise. I think he was fascinated by it, because he just kept doing it.
Passenger Room: I took 3 passengers (all full grown men) to for a drive today and all commented on the amount of room inside. The two in the back seat said that they really thought we could get a fifth person in the car without trouble. I'm not so sure about that myself, but we may try it before too long.
The Magic Seats: Incredibly easy to adjust into all modes.
The instrument panel: Very cool. My 5-year-old son is into "cool" right now. He initially thought the black car was "boring". I think the instrument panel (at night on the drive home) changed his mind. He loves the blue.
The radio: AM radio reception is important to me because I listen to local sports talk and other AM-only things during my commute. This is one of the best AM radios I've ever had as far as being able to hear local stations well over my full 20-mile commute.
Acceleration: Very fun at low revs. Lots of torque to (initially) convince yourself that you're driving a hot car. At highway speeds, however, I may have to learn to downshift if I need a burst of speed. If I keep it in fifth gear and stomp on it after I'm already going 55, things don't change in a big hurry.
Handling: A blast! Maybe it's because I've read the Car and Driver report ( http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/10983/honda-fit-sport.html ) and the "tuner" report ( http://hondatuningmagazine.com/features/0308ht_spoonfit/ ) and I've just pre-convinced myself that this little car handles great. Whatever it is, I'm throwing it into corners faster and faster, trying to determine when/if starts to feel like it can't handle it. So far, I've chickened out (or backed off to keep the revs down for a few hundred more miles) before the car has given any hint of having trouble.
If anything was going to give the car trouble in a corner, it would probably be bumps in the road. Pretty much every bump is noticeable. Fortunately, long drives around here are on smooth highways. On the shorter commutes the firm ride is OK with me (especially since I know that it's a trade off to get the fun handling).
Overall, I think the fit is going to be a hit. I think it will be one of those products that produces a bit of passion in its supporters. Some people won't "get it" and some will even hate it, but there will be plenty who love it -- maybe even more than it deserves. I'm just looking forward to a couple of hundred thousand miles of economic, fun, dependable transportation.
Mike
Red, base model, manual.
Lack of engine braking is surprising. Break-in should improve this.
Python remote entry & security system caused Circuit City's Installers about 1/2 hr extra as it was the first they had seen and the rote instructions aren't available.
Get an awful lot of blank looks and "What does it fit", "Is that a new Suzuki" and "Bit, What's that".
Feel and handling is reminiscent of my old Fiesta (A good thing to some, my eldest son has unfavorably compared the handling of every car he's ever driven to it.)
The good news: Road feel and handling are intense. The bad news is the same. If you liked the feel of the old MGs, Austin sedans, Fiestas, etc. you may fall in love with it. If you want a plush ride like an old Roadmaster or Caddy it won't satisfy.
Takes me back...
Ken