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Honda Fit Real World MPG

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Comments

  • bilbofettbilbofett Member Posts: 3
    I'm the one that started this thread, and when the first responses were all "sucks to be you" and "oh well" I got pissed off, as I was already at my wits end, and basically gave up on the forum. I've had the same experience on 2 other forums as well.
    I've seen that since then a few people have been quite detailed and helpful and I appreciate that.
    Fitfight, I'd like to know the name of that lawyer please. I will probably be in that class action lawsuit.
    So far I've called Honda customer service, they opened up a case for me, and they've told me I need to get a "fuel consumption" test from my local Honda shop.
    I tried twice to do this, and both times they rescheduled, or I drove all the way down there and they said they couldn't fit it in.
    I haven't been able to get it tested since I work and I can't afford to rent a car right now while they have some teenager drive my car around to test the mileage.
    I will probably take it to another dealer but that one is an hour away and so I'll have to take a day off work to take it there.
    I'll let you guys know the results of the test, and then what Honda said to me after I call them back with the results.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    Yes, something is definitely wrong with your car. I drive my '09 Fit Sport in roughly comparable conditions and get very close to twice the mpg you are getting.

    It could be something as simple as the fuel enrichment programming--when the engine is cold it's programmed to run rich. A faulty thermostat could be telling the ECU to dump extra fuel in all the time, which would (a) ruin your fuel economy and (b) eventually ruin your catalytic converter.

    On the '09 model there's a blue light that tells you when the engine is in "cold mode"--is the same light present on the '08?
  • northernfitnorthernfit Member Posts: 10
    I have a 08 Fit Sport automatic and am conservative driving. 90% of my trips are 10 miles at 40 mph and 15 miles at 65 mph. No stoplights or traffic; some hilly sections. Winter temps as low at -30 *F and I use winter tires (both of which make a BIG difference on mileage). I use the "S" mode and paddle shifters which puts me in control of the shift timing (prevents the transmission from up-shifting too soon which should increase mileage).

    Since new I've kept track of mileage on my iphone and have a high of 34 mpg and a low of 22 mpg with an overall average of 30.5 after 12,594 miles driven.

    I wish it was better and would happily give up the potential power this engine has for increased fuel economy.

    Good luck with your troubles.
  • jayboydjayboyd Member Posts: 1
    I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on the Fit.

    I bought a 2009 Fit and was at first happy to have the average MPG indicator. The trip counter was reset when I drove off the dealer lot (car had 70 miles on it), and I watched as my average climbed up from the low 20s to 37 mpg. On my first tank, with 60-70% of driving on the highway in dry conditions, no weight but myself, I ended up discovering that I actually went 235 miles using 9.3 gallons of gas. So, while the computer said 37, I actually got 25.2 mpg.

    Even crazier -- I reset the trip counter when refueling (I'm keeping all receipts to prove actual mileage), the average MPG indicator reset, but this time, driving *entirely* stop-and-go in the city in my work commute, within the first 20 miles, the average MPG indicator had climbed to 45 mpg. In fact, in going forward and backward to get into a parking space, I watched as it went up from 44.2 to 44.5.

    Problem #1: 25 mpg is not what I paid for. Assuming typical 15000 miles per year, that's 600 gallons of fuel as opposed to 483 gallons at the advertised 31 mpg. A difference of 117 at current pricing of $2.50/gallon is an additional $292/year.

    Problem #2: The computer is inflating my mileage by at least 40%. On the second tank, unless the mileage in the city has dramatically improved over the first tank on the highway, the computer is inflating the mileage by 80%. The difference between 25 mpg and the reported 45 mpg adds up to $666/year, again assuming $2.50/gallon. In reality gas prices are almost certainly going to rise much faster than inflation over the lifetime of the car, so this could mean costs in the several thousands.

    The problem with problem #2 is that it is consumer fraud. At a time when fuel economy is both an economic and environmental issue globally, well, Honda could be looking at a pretty serious liability depending on how many vehicles have this problem. Under the Lemon Law, I'd have 30 days to return the car for a full refund if it was defective (I actually received the car on Oct 2, however this is a case where I'd expect the dealer to give me a bunch of crap about how actual mileage may vary, the car needs to be broken in, etc., and if as it appears this is a problem with the Fit line, there's not too much the dealer can do about it. They could offer to "fix" the computer (in theory) so that it correctly reflects the 25 mpg the vehicle is actually getting.

    What's particularly bizarre is that the computer *knows* how many gallons are in the tank and how many miles I've gone. I'm calculating mpg using the miles from the same computer. Gallons could be arguably slightly off as reported by the gas pump vs. the computer, but for the math to work out, the computer would have to be misreading 9.3 gallons as reported at the pump to be 6.3 gallons.

    Is anyone aware of pending or prior class action suits against Honda?
  • thurst1963thurst1963 Member Posts: 42
    I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on the Fit.

    My 2008 sport Fit has been through all the break in stuff they talked about
    I have done the batter disc reset 2 times I have 18000 30miles per week day 26 of the miles highway so 87% of my driving is highway I am up from the high teens I was getting when the car was new now I am getting 27-28 on the highway the dealer has checked my car 2 times said the car is fine HUMMMMM I dont think so I hear all bout these people getting mid 40s
    Well Honda must have figured the MPG with 100 cars in the 40s & 100 cars in the high teens to low 20s crazy
    I first dorve this car the FIT in Brazil before they where here in 2004 loved the car & my friend in brazil Her car gets like 40mpg and she drive 50%-50% maybe 60% city
  • cwalticwalti Member Posts: 185
    Dude, get over it!!
    These readouts are just TOYS..
    Get yerselfes a Scangauge, and you have a much more practical setup with calibration ability...

    Suing over a gadget... Got nothing better to do?
    Classaction, - you obviously don't know how worthless that is for the individual participants!!!
  • cwalticwalti Member Posts: 185
    I don't know what you guys are doing, but the other day I saw a guy going 95+ mph in his little Prius. I am cerrtain he didn't get 50 mpg.
    On the other end of the scale, I just returned from a vacation trip. My, stuffed to the gills, '99 V6 Ody wit an additional lbs300+ carrier basket got 24.5 mpg going at fwy speeds and making a total 4,000 feet climb. 300 miles from Los Angeles to Bishop. The CR-V ('05) got 28.5 mpg on the same run...
  • colloquorcolloquor Member Posts: 482
    I am surprised of the wide variances in reported fuel mileage between the onboard trip computer's readout, and measuring it the old fashioned way. I've always calculated fuel economy the old fashioned way - miles driven/gallons used. But, this can be hard to do these days with the need to be very careful not to overflow the evaporative emission control system, and get fuel into the carbon canister. Topping up the tank is not an easy thing these days!

    Every car I've owned which had an onboard trip computer with fuel economy readout never varied more that +/- .5 MPG from the old fashioned way of calculation mileage. So, something must really be wrong with the algorithm used in the computer, or the sensors.

    I know that I would be upset with 25 to 27 MPG with a Fit, as our minivan with a 3.8L V6 gets over 28 MPG on the highway consistently. Moreover, I have a friend in the UK with a Honda Jazz (the European Fit equivalent), and he gets over 40 MPG.
  • bilbofettbilbofett Member Posts: 3
    I've been driving it more than a year, since august of 2008. Its beyond 7,000 miles, has been broken in, has had oil changes, etc.
    I'm not driving it like a loon, and even if I was, theres no way in hell driving it like a crazy person would cut the mileage by 60%.
    I've kept it under 3,000 rpms. I've stayed below 70, I've accelerated slowly and glided into stops. Did that for entire tanks of gas... didn't make a lick of difference.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    On my Fit the gauge is consistently high by about 10%, which is 3-4 mpg.
  • gasman2gasman2 Member Posts: 6
    My "09 Mini classic has 2 speedos which are 10% out when checked with my GPS. I knew there was a problem before I even checked it. Both speedos agree saying that I am going faster than I really am. This 10% error is also putting extra kilometers on my car that really isn't true. I believe the factory does this on purpose to display better gas mileage figures than we are really getting. Dealer says there is nothing he can do. Am presently in talks with the Mini people. I believe my GPS is 100% accurate and can figure out my true mileage accordingly. Anyone else with these issues?
  • maxhraymaxhray Member Posts: 7
    I Get 35 MPG Around Town With Auto. And A/C Going Most Of The Time.

    I Have The 2009 Sport With 6,000 Miles..No Trips As Yet..Can Only Get Better!!
  • aaykayaaykay Member Posts: 539
    I just put 250 miles on it today .. all highway miles with cruise control set at 65 mph and the mpgs look like they're going to be down from the 2nd tank as the car's computer is showing 39.4 mpg and I covered less miles on the first half tank of gas.

    Are you saying that you are driving with cruise control on, before you completed the break-in of the car ? :surprise: The wear patterns on your "virgin" engine are still being established and I personally would take some additional care and NEVER drive it with cruise control for the first 1000 miles.

    I have been struggling to complete my break-in miles by continuously varying the RPMs while not allowing it to cross 4000 rpm. I have another 400 miles to go, before I can start driving at a constant RPM for better mileage. Even with the fuel-sapping break-in driving, the mileage is a little over 35mpg, which means that with more constant rpm driving, the mileage should be significantly better.
  • aaykayaaykay Member Posts: 539
    I've heard some people say that the gauge lacks a correction factor for powertrain losses, and that it is more accurate with a manual transmission than with an automatic.

    Interesting. This is because I calculated the mileage versus what was being displayed on the computer and found that my calculated value was roughly 1mpg below the average displayed by the computer. The calculated value was a little over 35mpg, while the computer indicated a little over 36mpg.

    Mine is an 09 Fit Sport Manual Trans.

    PS: I typically ignore the dealer fill and as soon as I get home, I go to my favorite Shell or BP gas station and fill it till the first click (at a specific pump to make it more exact), set the trip-meter and calculate the mileage from there. To calculate the mileage, I divide the miles driven - since the last tripmeter reset - by the gallons filled till the first click (at that specific pump, in that specific gas station)

    PS1: For whatever reason, I am seeing better mileage from my 09 MT Fit Sport than my previous 08 MT Fit Base, even though according to the EPA numbers, the figures should be reversed. I will allow some more miles to accumulate before I can be definitive here. But as it stands, even with the fuel-sapping break-in driving with constantly varying RPMs, I am getting over 35mpg (most of it is stop-and-go city driving), which is just fantastic. :)
  • lovemyfit1lovemyfit1 Member Posts: 1
    I've had my base model automatic Fit for two months and drive it both on the highway and around town. It consistently gets over 39 mpg in combined mileage. I think this should be more widely advertised since the actual mpg is so much higher than the manufacturer or EPA ratings.
  • carattorneycarattorney Member Posts: 62
    My 3 cents on Honda FIT MPG for what it is worth:

    I have a Base 09 Automatic.
    I always fill with Chevron Gas, 91 (used to have a Mercedes--can't help it)
    I have 3000+ miles on it since new.
    I drive in Los Angeles.
    I usually have between 15 and 30 lbs of stuff in the cargo area and usually no passengers.

    One day riding around the city with A/C on and stop and go, cutting in and out of traffic=18 MPG :(

    Another day on the clear freeway for 200 miles back and forth to San Diego (110 each way)=39.5 MPG :)

    I really have not noticed any change in gas mileage since the first days I drove it but I will keep an eye on it given the problems people are reporting.

    Thanks.
  • roxy11roxy11 Member Posts: 27
    the epa rating are closer to reality with the fit, since so many owners are discovering that the 38 mpg on their computer is actually 34 mpg when actually calculated manually. (ie 10%+ optimism by the fit computer is very common)
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    Quite correct on one point, roxy--there is approximately 10% error on the fuel economy gauge. Even so, my best (42.4 mpg on the gauge) is a pump/odometer calculated 39.0 mpg, which is still 20% above the 33 mpg EPA highway rating.
  • aaykayaaykay Member Posts: 539
    In my case roxy, I am finding that the EPA numbers in case of the Honda Fit is very pessimistic. I consistently got better than EPA highway numbers, in mixed driving in my 08 Fit. Remember this is MIXED city + Highway driving that is better than the EPA's highway number.....the EPA city number is something I don't think I could ever get, unless I park somewhere with the engine switched on the whole time.

    I am finding that the 09 Honda Fit is also continuing the trend in getting me better mileage in MIXED driving than the EPA's Highway number.

    PS: I have not been able to better the highway mileage number for my other 7-seater vehicle (09 Subaru Tribeca) however, and I am solidly between the City and Highway number with the same type of driving as the Honda Fit (majority of the driving in the City with a lot of stop and go and a little bit of highway mixed in). I am hoping that the Tribeca's number will improve as I accumulate more miles (currently at approximately 1500 miles).
  • dawsonmpdawsonmp Member Posts: 12
    New on May 2, 2006. Now over 75K miles. Oil and filter changes. Michelin Pilot Sport Tires at 55K - worth every penny. Rear wiper blade. That's it. 80% highway/20% city on 80 mile/day commute. Consistently over 35 mpg. Worst mpg 32.5, best 41 mpg. Pedal to the metal accelerating, I don't exceed 70 mph when up to speed though it easily tops 100 mph (don't ask). Luv my little buddy still. Aftermarket stuff - Installed Sirius Stiletto 10, KIWI mpg meter, Honda rubber mats, Honda rear cargo cover, and that big fat Honda chrome exhaust tip.

    Over a year ago a Tahoe with a trailer backing up scraped and dented my rear door in a parking lot boo boo. Body shop ordered a new door skin from California and the silver paint matched well. No problems. Getting a little brake pedal shake if stopping hard, which I will have inspected soon.
  • fitboyfitboy Member Posts: 2
    It fluctuates between 30-35 for me - In cruise going 60mph, close to 40 mpg - in city with lots of lights, under 30 - but crusie seems to max the mpg - I tried the paddle shifters in city to see if I could get the mpg up, maybe I haven't perfected the shifting yet, but it's about the same - about 29 or so in the city - still higher than what is listed. I'm pleased. - Trick for me is to be light on the pedal and glide into lights rather than gas it/break.
  • thurst1963thurst1963 Member Posts: 42
    Ok I have a crazy one for all of you.I have posted on this thread many times.I drive 50 miles each day 45 highway & 5 City.I get 28 MPG always since my car when over 13,000mile.It was very low before that the first 5000 mile got 18-20 MPG.So car is 2009 Sport Fit Auto 21000mile now.28 MPG for 90% highway is very bad but I can live with it.Here is the crazy part Thanksgiving Holidays so I drove 840 miles total highway400 each way & I was driving much faster then normal 80-82 miles per hour.I got 42.5 MPG !!!!! so what the H#LL is up with this 95% highway.Driving 80-82 no every work day I drive 60-65 & get 28MPG this is nuts
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    When you drive "normally," do you spend a lot of time accelerating, or do you get to cruising speed and hold it within a couple of mph? Also, are you in Sport mode on the automatic?
  • doc1878doc1878 Member Posts: 1
    In April, when I took possession of my standard 09 Fit (automatic), I got 55 mpg on a 180 mile trip, mostly highway -- feathering the gas and eggshelling the brake. Got more careless after that, and went down to 42 mpg, mostly city. Since getting the oil changed and the tire pressure adjusted, I can't seem to climb over 34 mpg. The tires were over-inflated when I took possession, and I wonder if reducing that tire pressure has hurt. Is it dangerous to over-inflate them now, to increase the mileage?
  • thurst1963thurst1963 Member Posts: 42
    Cruising no fast then slow I drive to work @ 5am no one on the road but me
  • thurst1963thurst1963 Member Posts: 42
    Also yes I have the Sport Auto with the paddle shifters
  • specboyspecboy Member Posts: 1
    My average fuel econ is just under 38mpg at this point (around 5100 miles). I do no highway and no city driving (I live in VT) as it is all country roads - 40 & 50mph (moderately hilly) with 25mph towns.

    I use a program called GasUpLogger on my Windows mobile phone and enter the data at every fill-up. The trip computer is constantly 4-7mpg high and it is because of a bad calculation in the trip computer and has nothing to do with not calculating drive train loss. Honda has a TSB out for it for the '09s as it is already fixed in the '10 model year. It's a quick computer update and all real world tests show mostly within 1mpg of error (usually less). I'll get it at my next service.

    ~SB
  • gatortom1gatortom1 Member Posts: 25
    Were you drafting? I got an actual 47.5 mpg--not computer but calculated--over 200 miles of flat terrain on I-95 drafting three to four car lengths behind an 18-wheeler doing a constant 65. (I was in dreamland before I figured out what had probably happened.) Still, I generally average 42.5 on the highway and 32 to 35 in suburban driving. Now getting into my second season of cold weather, I am again seeing up to a 3 mpg loss--i.e. 31 to 34-- with the same short 4-mile trips but in temperatures 30s and below. I guess this makes sense because of the longer warm-up time and the short trips. (I have 7000 on my base Fit Automatic bought in Sept, 2008.)
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    I've had my 2007 Sport Fit Auto for 3 years now (46,000 miles) and get in the low to mid 30s MPG all the time (I manually check my MPG after every fill-up), but now the past two fillups were 28mpg and now 26mpg.

    Could it really go down by 20% due to the colder weather? I don't remember it going down that much last winter.

    I also just bought new tires (just replaced the factory original), so could that really reduce MPG by that much?

    Otherwise the car seems to be running fine, but I'm wondering if there is some underlying mechanical issue affecting the MPG.
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    If you are using the same gas pump, might want to try another. Yours may not be delivering the amount of fuel it says it is. OR could be that the fuel at that particular station is not up to par for some recent reason. :sick:

    I had that happen with my favorite pump. It started delivering less gas than the dial indicated.

    If you are using different pumps at different stations, it could be the "luck of the draw" or bad fuel. Try a few tanks of Shell or Chevron. They have better than average "Cleaners", or so they say. :confuse:

    I switched to Shell, from an independent, and mileage went up more than enough to pay the extra few cents per gallon.

    The new tires may not be as efficient at rolling as the old ones were. If they are not the height, calculated mileage will be affected. If wider they will have more rolling resistance.

    Kip
  • gallantgazelagallantgazela Member Posts: 2
    I have a 08 honda fit sport. tracked mpg religiously my first year.

    I am replacing my tires presently and read reviews on tire rack about oem tires dunlop sp37 i believe. it said they excel in gas economy. so I am expecting lower economy on my new tires which are not on yet.

    That said, I found about 4 mpg decrease over the winter with the same tires. Approximately 35 mpg down to 31 mpg.

    any
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    One word to explain unexpected high mpg on the highway. Tailwind. It makes a huge difference. I can get 33 mpg in my minivan with a nice tailwind, and close to 50 mpg in my Accord (this is at about 62-3 mph). Of course with a a headwind the reverse is true.
  • jonnysubarujonnysubaru Member Posts: 10
    I've had my new 2010 fit sport auto for less than a month and a couple tanks of gas, but I'm pleased so far with the mileage. I'm averaging 32-33mpg with 40%city/60%highway mix and 33 is the EPA rated highway mileage. On congestion free highways I notice 37~39mpg is easily achievable... that's awesome in my book. The mileage computer in the 2010 is pretty accurate too.. it said 32.7mpg and when I refueled and did the math I computed 32.9.. AWESOME!

    I am driving it mellow but would guess aggressive mixed driving would put you in the 29mpg area. Not bad.
  • staticdstaticd Member Posts: 3
    word. i drive mine like a bat outta hell and i AVERAGE 31 MPG +/- .5! Awesome. When i say bat outta hell, i mean i max accelerate a lot, cruise at around 78 mph. best commuter car ever.
  • wildbillr4wildbillr4 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2008 Sport fit. When I bought the car I was getting 34 road 30 city. I am now getting 25MPG city. Have 36000 miles on it What could have happened to drop 5MPG. Bill
  • thurst1963thurst1963 Member Posts: 42
    Air in the tires,Dirty Air Filter,bad gas,could be lots of things
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Did you install new tires? That can drastically drop mpg if the new tires are not as efficient. Especially since a tire is most efficient when it is about worn out.
  • wildbillr4wildbillr4 Member Posts: 2
    Installed 195 60 15 and thought that was the problem. Took them off and installed 195 55 15 General Tires (original size) back on the car. Using my trip odometer to calculate miles traveled.
  • tele_marktele_mark Member Posts: 10
    I recently traded my 2008 Yaris for a 2010 Fit Base with manual transmission. First tank completed. Brand new engine, 11 miles on it at delivery. Same driving conditions as the Yaris for my commute -- New England "mixed" driving, little stop and go to be considered city driving -- I live in No. Central Massachusetts and my 30 mile commute is into So. NH , averaging about 50 MPH.

    Normal driving, plus some "spirited" excursions down some twisty roads to check the handling. Pretty much normal driving. Results: 377.7 miles on the first tank, 9.3336 gallons to fill it. 40.46 MPG on paper, 40.7 average reported by the car's average MPG gauge.
  • wistlowistlo Member Posts: 13
    This is consistent with my results, on Fit now approaching 26,000 miles. Mileage got better for me after the first thousand miles.

    My measured mileage at 50 with cruise control is 40-43 mpg. At 70, the best I can get is 34-37. The dash indicator is consistently above that, I mentally slice off 10-15% any time I look at it.
  • tele_marktele_mark Member Posts: 10
    Second tankful today. Almost a carbon copy of the first -- 368.5 miles on 9.066 gallons, calculated to 40.64 MPG. Same conditions as the first tank -- commuting 60 miles RT daily, from 30 MPH in places to 70+ MPH, with 50-60 MPH most of the time. Also this tankful included some city driving for about 30 miles where the MPG gauge went all the way down to 38 MPG. This car will at least easily get the mileage the Yaris it replaced got with equal effortlessness.
  • tele_marktele_mark Member Posts: 10
    edited May 2010
    Third tank completed -- 347.6 miles, 8.4 gallons to fill -- 41.4 MPG, 1000 miles on the vehicle.
  • carattorneycarattorney Member Posts: 62
    edited June 2010
    Folks,

    I have been reading these MPG posts for some time, and it seems like FIT owners gas mileage is all over the place and that makes sense--Poor MPG is less likely to be a mechanical problem with the FIT than caused by other factors--some controllable and some not. On a small light car like the FIT, MPG is going to be more sensitive to tire pressure, are you using the air conditioner, passenger and cargo weight, on board weight location, wet or dry roads, ambient temperatures, idle time, heat or cold, how fast on highway, and highway or city driving.

    I have a 2009 Base FIT with 11K+ miles on it and at its worst MPG (approx. 23) I was sitting in stop and go Los Angeles traffic with the air conditioner on all day. A few weeks later, I filled the tank up and headed to San Diego, Sunday morning, no traffic for 125 miles and MPG was 41. Some months later traveling to San Francisco from LA, 39 MPG up using the full tank and 42 MPG back using another full tank. (More downhill going from SF to LA.) Over 11K miles, my combined usual highway and city driving gets me approx. 30 MPG.

    Looking at and reading now my Base FIT Sticker EPA: City is 28 (23 to 33 range), and highway is 35 (29 to 41 range). So my experience thus far has been right on target. Now most FIT owners reading this have the Sport model, which due to wider tires and heavier suspension and equipment weight gets 2 MPG less I believe it is. So factor that in too if you have Sport.

    Lets turn to tire pressure--the FIT MPG is very sensitive to tire pressure. I learned this when my average MPG a few months ago dropped from 30 to 27-28. It took me a month or more to find time to check the pressure and I then discovered that every tire was approx. 3 to 5 lbs under recommended pressure just from normal use over a few months. After pumping the tires, the better MPG returned.

    Weight--I always keep approx 50 lbs of stuff in the hatch area and clothes hanging weight in the FIT. I like and need the convenience, but I know that I am paying for it in 1-2 MPG probably. You are less likely to notice weight MPG effect on a large vehicle than a small one like the FIT. On a 2 person, 2 bike, 2 suitcase trip to Tucson and back from LA, highway tank MPG was at best 38 MPG simply due to the weight. The trip to SF and back was better: 1/2 the extra weight.

    Other things I do, because that's just the way I am, but you certainly don't have to is Synthetic Oil Changes at the dealer and 91 octane or more fuel always. It's not required--but I just do it. I traded in a Mercedes for the FIT--my happiest day and still is, so when the Honda dealer tells me that it's 50 for an oil change, I want to hug him, because it used to be 125 for the Mercedes at the same interval.

    After years of the Porsche and then the Mercedes, you don't know how lucky you are to own a FIT. I have so much more free time and peace of mind on the road. One year on my ML 350, with only 40K miles in it, the Mercedes service advisor did so many warranty repairs and was so accommodating to me, that I bought him a nice gift certificate for Xmas. I was at the service bay so much talking to him, that we almost became best friends.

    Enjoy! :)

    PS. Some folks have written that they think the FIT MPG gauges are all broken and off by as much as 4 MPG. It’s not broken. Honda would not install an important instrument that is highly inaccurate.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    edited June 2010
    The Fit's MPG gauge is in fact documented to be off by 10-15% on 2009 models. There's a TSB on it. It's been corrected for the 2010 models.

    link to Fit mpg TSB
  • jkandelljkandell Member Posts: 116
    For two years I got high 30s in manual Fit all-city driving by careful hypermiling (lots of chances for coasting in neutral). Then I moved branches and using the same hypermiling but in less conducive roads got low 30s. I thought something was wrong mechanically. How could it drop so much? Then switching back to old office, back to high 30s. The route makes a huge difference with the Fit.
  • 1nf1n1tman1nf1n1tman Member Posts: 1
    I've owned my Fit for over 1 year now. Once i installed the k & n replacement air filter and started doing my oil changes with synthetic, the car's overall performance is great. Tire pressure at 32 psi all around and rotating tires with 20,000 miles. I usually get around 34 to 36 mpg just city driving by myself and 36 to 42 mpg on the highway. With passenger, air condition and driving 80 mph on freeway i'm averaging 39 mpg. Handling is great through the canyons on stock height. Overall i love this car, it does great in whatever activity you want.
  • hojczykhojczyk Member Posts: 2
    Just traveled 9,000 mile around the country...MPG averaged 37.5...
  • wordsworthwordsworth Member Posts: 5
    edited July 2010
    I purchased a 2010 Fit base model after having been assured by dealer that no performance or handling upgrades were available on either Sport or base and that the only difference is in the cosmetics. I found out the same day that was not strictly true. The handling was really horrible as was the performance. I had expected poor performance, but all the test reports I had seen thought the handling was great!
    Bottom line was it took me about three weeks to find a buyer even for $3000 less than I paid, but during that time I averaged 33 mpg on regular gas. However, considering the awful handling and braking, even if it had got 100 mpg I would still have wanted out .
    Moral is that saving money sometimes costs. The other lesson I learned was never to buy a Honda anything ever again.
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    >"The handling was really horrible as was the performance. I had expected poor performance, but all the test reports I had seen thought the handling was great!"

    All those test reports are wrong?. WOW!

    Didn't you drive it before the purchase?

    What did you replace the Fit with?

    Kip
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    edited July 2010
    Almost none of the usual enthusiast sources bothered to test the base Fit. The larger wheels and low profile tires on the Sport make a big difference, as does the rear stabilizer bar.

    The Honda literature and website clearly indicate the differences, and you took the word of a salesperson rather than check for yourself? And I'm with Kip--why not test drive first, then buy?

    Sorry, man, but it sounds like you made an uninformed and very expensive decision. Better luck next time.
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