After almost 18 months of Fit ownership (I picked up an 07 orange manual Fit Sport in May of 2010) I have come to realize that as much as I wish it were not true I am not overjoyed with owning a Fit. I can't exactly put my finger on why I don't like it . It has held up reasonably well to the abuse an an 8 year old boy can deliver (which is more than I can say for some cars) but it is just not doing it for me.

I think part of the problem is that I had expectations for the car that were just not in line with reality. First off, I expected great fuel economy and the Fit has IMHO quite disappointing fuel economy considering the rather leisurely level of performance and the small size. I had an 1980 Honda Civic GL when I was in college and that car consistently gave me 35 mpg in town and almost 48mpg on the highway. I would think that in 27 years Honda would have been able to come up with something even a little bit better than that. My fit is lucky to crack 33mpg on the highway even if I drive like a granny. Performance wise the Fit is probably faster than that old Civic (but I don't recall ever thinking that Civic was particularly slow) but not enough to make up for the fuel economy. Next is the fit and finish of the Fit. While it pretty good in some areas...it is shockingly bad in others. The carpet...I'm sorry but the carpet in the Fit is an absolute hunk of sh*t. I see no reason why a car that is 4 years old should have huge holes worn through it, I have had rubber mats in it since the first day I got it. That is just crazy how bad it is and as far as I can tell there ar no options for replacing it with anything better. The dash has also started to get weird little wear spots that are losing their color. Finally, I find that it does not like bad weather. I live in the PNW and our winters are not particularly difficult but driving in snow with the Fit is not something I would care to try again. Granted it is not AWD or even 4WD like my wife's 91 Civic wagon but it doesn't seem at all happy when the conditions are slippery (even with chains). That however is really my own fault for thinking that it would be better than it was. I guess I came to it remembering that 1980 Civic GL and really wanting the Fit to be great the way that car was great. Unfortunately the Fit really falls short when compared to that car. I drove that thing into the ground i sold it with 279K miles on it and it was still driving several years after that. There is no way I can imagine the Fit making it past 150K let alone nearly 300K. Even my 87 Civic Si and 94 Civic DX held up better than the Fit is doing (although I admit the Fit is a better car than the 87 Civic Si was).

Now I will admit the Fit is handsome in a geeky sort of way and so far it has been relatively cheap to maintain (and that does count for something) but right now it sure doesn't seem like enough. Now I don't think the Fit is a bad car (I have recommended it to a few folks since I bought it) and I really WANT to like it but it's not happening. So..is there anything that anyone can think of that I can do to the Fit that will make it better? It's not going anywhere (can't afford to buy a different car) so I figure I'd better make the best of it. I am open to an sort of ideas. Right now all I have come up with is replace the stereo with something that actually sounds good, replace the P.O.S. carpet and perhaps a rear stabilizer bar to improve road manners.

 

Well, you're having a lot of issues I have not had w/ my Fit and haven't heard from really anyone else on this forum. My Fit has been driven for three years now (in the midwest of all places) and the interior is holding up just fine. If you want better fuel economy, you're basically gonna have to go with a hybrid, or diesel engine. Not many cars on the US market that run solely on unleaded gasoline that get over 35 mpg. I don't know what you're basing your prediction that the Fit won't make it over 150k miles on. It's a Honda with very simple, reliable, and comparably cheap parts in it. That's the makings of a vehicle with longevity. There have to be people on this forum whose cars are over that milestone (haha bam!).

If you're looking to make your ride more interesting all you need to do is browse this forum, there are many many threads detailing possible modifications. A lot of DIY stuff as well.

 

The car prior to the Fit was a beat up old Subaru wagon and it got almost the same fuel economy as the Fit. It was slower but then again it was also considerably larger and had 4WD. I don't think it's too much to expect that a new car in 2007 can get better fuel economy than a 27 year old Subaru or Honda Civic (which BTW used a very similar engine to the Fit).

As far as not making it 150K miles I was speaking more about the way the materials seem to be holding up (or not holding up). I agree that it's cheap and mechanically reliable, whether that means it has the making of a long lived car...let's just say that the state of the interior is not filling me with confidence. That said, I am willing to accept that a lot of folks seem to be having less issues with the quality of their Fits...perhaps I just got a bad one in that respect.

 

1.) I seriously doubt that a Subaru wagon got anywhere near 33 mpg.
2.) If you're only getting 33 mpg you're doing it wrong.
3.) Do you realize all the things that have caused the Fit to get worse mpg than your old Civic? Let's see a plethora of airbags, nice stereo, A/C, power everything, emissions items, etc.
4.) The carpet, my carpet also has a hole in it. Guess what, replacing carpet is neither that expensive nor that difficult. Get a higher quality set up from the aftermarket.
5.) Snow, are you still on the stock tyres? Are you on cheap Farm/Fleet tyres if not on stock? My guess is you aren't on proper tyres for the conditions.



As for what you could/should do:
1.) Replace the carpet with better aftermarket stuff.
2.) Get a scangauge, it'll make you realize how uneconomically you're driving
3.) Get a set of steelies and snow tyres.

And it seems like the reason you're disappointed with the interior is that you've never owned a newish car and you were expecting way too much (not necessarily of the Fit but of new cars in general). Well unfortunately for you and everyone else, vehicle quality is lower than it used to be, while the interiors may look fancy in MOST cars they are very cheaply finished. The Fit is actually better than many more expensive cars I've ridden in.

 

You have not kept up with the required safety and emissions from our dear feds. my 91 Civic Crx weighs only 2100 lb, the latest civics weigh close to 2800 lb. Try carrying 500 lb more in the decade old civic and check your mileage. Thats not even accounting for the emissions tightening that the current engines have to meet. Those also cut mpg as well. Welcome to 'progress'. Just wait'll next decade when that Civic weighs 3500 lb and gets 35 mpg but accelerates 0-60 in 20 seconds.

 

A lot to consider...

1. As to the Subaru not getting 33mpg...I don't know what to say but it regularly got 33mpg on the highway. Of course it's not AWD like later Subies. It is switchable 2WD to 4WD. But in 2WD mode it pretty reliably delivered low to mid 30s. Maybe I got lucky. As far as things like stereo and airbags being responsible for lowered fuel economy...I seriously doubt that. Emissions standards sure but then again my point was that it is not unreasonable to expect that in 31 years that Honda could have come up with an engine that was at least as good as the old CVCC engine (which by the way would still qualify as a clean burning engine). No matter, they didn't so the Fit engine is what it is.

2. I am well aware that I could replace the carpet. I did it in both of my Civics, then again they both had close to 200K miles on them when I did it not 58K. Now, if you know of any good after market replacement carpets I'd be interested to know what they are (I haven't found any).

3. I've been living in the PNW for almost 30 years so I know that stock tires are generally useless. I changed the stock tires within a week of buying the car. It's got a nice set of all season Yokohamas (that do quite well in the snow generally). Yes, steelies with snow tires are an option.

4. I've owned a few newish cars. The Civics were all bought new, and most recently a 2002 Subaru WRX so I don't think it's not knowing what to expect from a new car. Granted the Fit was the cheapest car I've owned in quite a while so perhaps it was just unrealistic expectations about what the Fit was going to be like. Now to be fair the Fit looked good inside when I bought my issue is that the interior is not holding up well. I think its the choice of material quite frankly. They weren't chosen for their durability.

In the end the Fit may just not be my cup of tea. I got it for the utility factor and because I had always had good luck with Hondas before. I was hoping it would give me that same level of fun to drive and utility that I come to expect. It delivers in some ways and not in others. I like the fold down seats and the fact that it has a pretty big area to haul stuff when you need it but the cheapness of the interior is not so fun. I have an old 91 Civic wagon in the driveway (with 4WD) and I think maybe I'll just get that running and give the Fit to my wife (in truth it's my wife's wagon and I doubt she'd want the Fit anyway...she LOVES her wagon and I can understand why...it's waaay more fun than the Fit).

 

True enough...but in 31 years (relative to my 1980 Civic) Honda couldn't have improved efficiency enough to compensate for the tighter emissions standards? The CVCC engine in my brother's mid 70's Civic still exceeded CA clean air standards when it was introduced. It burned so clean it did not require a catalytic converter.

 

The CVCC probably weighed less than 2000 lbs and the emissions are different now than they were in the 70s....

And airbags, etc are quite heavy

 

okay...I see your point, and the addition of safety equipment and emissions undoubtedly will lessen mileage. That said...the basic Civic engine (and it appears to be very much the same design in the Fit as it is in the 91 Honda Civic wagon I have here to compare it to) does not appear to have changed that radically. Take Subaru engines (that I know a bit more about) the transition between their 70's engines (EA81) 80's engines (EA82) and modern engines (EJ series) represented a steady progression in power and smoothness (at the expense of fuel economy). The engines in the Civic (and I assume Fit) do not appear to be dramatically different over the past 30+ years. In stock form the 1.5 litre engine in the Fit isn't much different than my 91 Civic wagon and it certainly doesn't perform much better (if at all). I am sure there have been refinements and improvements but surely in three decades they could have at least kept the fuel economy in the same ballpark as the older cars. I'm not expecting 100mpg but 40mpg is not unreasonable to expect.

FWIW the 70's CVCC weighed around 2200lbs, the 80's Civic around 2300lbs, the 91 4WD Civic Wagon 2500lbs and the Fit is around 2500lbs. Horsepower has increased from around 70 to 106 for the Fit.

 

Eh I found the L15 to be much quieter/smoother than the D16 in my 91 Si

 

True enough, the Fit is much smoother engine wise than any of my previous Hondas. I suppose I din't give that enough credit as an improvement. Coming from a WRX as my last newish car (which is not particularly quiet and any smoothness takes a back seat to power) I suppose I am not very observant about smooth and quiet.

You mentioned aftermaket carpet previously...any links? I sure can't seem to find it.

 

"I have an old 91 Civic wagon in the driveway (with 4WD) and I think maybe I'll just get that running and give the Fit to my wife."



Sorry babe, *my* *89* RT is not for sale. But you're welcome to get it running again if you like, and I'll let you borrow it anytime!

You Know Who

 

Ah well...yes I DID get caught speaking in the royal "I". Mea Culpa. Gotta watch that, you never know who they'll let on the boards (I did amend the statement for clarity though.). I don't need to borrow it however, I already HAVE an underpowered, wagonette with worn out carpet. Two seems like overkill.

 

"Wagonette"?

Ouch. Bluebell does not like being called a Wagonette and as soon as she's running again she might bite you.

This is getting good ...

 

Unsubscribed

 

Great discussion, I live in fairbanks, ak and run Blizzaks - definitely some devoted snow tires would help with traction and control. As for the carpet issue, I have extra set of carpet as rubber floor mats to prevent wear and hopefully sound deadening. Cheap solutions that work for me.

 

Maybe trade down to an older model Honda that will live up to your expectations? I enjoy my Fit, but I understand what it feels like to constantly not like something. I like my 97 Civic for a lot of things that the Fit doesn't match up to, but I wish it came with a more powerful motor. The stock 1.6L non-vtec engine, though awesome on Gas Mileage, doesn't match the menial power output of the Fit's 1.5L Vtec engine, sadly. However, I know that I can swap motors in the future. In sum, you can't force yourself to like the Fit. I say just get rid of it if you can. It's kinda like being in a bad high school relationship, hehe.

 

Is this a generational issue? I have a GE8 that just crossed 100k. Other than my drivers armrest that cracked shortly after I got it, the car is in great shape. I have factory floor mats, and they look great as well. Car is really good in snow, though I opt for my truck when it really comes down.

As far as mileage goes, I can get 35 mpg to and from phx with a passenger and a dozen bowling balls in back, cruisin close to 80 (elevation goes from 7k, down to 3k, up to 5k, and down to 1k). I think that's pretty darn good.

 

That's funny...I'd never thought of it as a bad high school romance (I'm too far removed to even remember her that well).

Well...I've made a sort of peace with my Fit. I have just come to accept that it isn't going to belike driving my WRX was (and never will be). In that spirit I decided to see what I could do to make it more fun for me. I picked up an SRI and Progress RSB. I have hopes that they will make the ride a bit more fun. The carpet is still a P.O.S. and that isn't likely to change but I suppose I can figure out some way around that. I was reminded by another post that VTEC engines love to rev so I've changed my driving habits and I have to admit if I do that it brightens up considerably.

 

My 07 Fit has around 61K, the floor mats are cr*p (rubber ones) and the carpet on the passenger side looks like a raccoon has been gnawing at it. As far as snow worthiness I have been driving Subies in the snow so the Fit seems pretty anemic to me. Mileage is 33mpg all around. Driving style doesn't seem to matter much. It's better than 25mpg. that said, 40mpg is a pipe dream in my car...it'll never happen. As I said above I think I've made peace with the car. I don't hate it anymore. I wouldn't go as far as saying I love it but it's growing on me. I'm adding a few things to personalize it (Progress RSB, SRI and a Skunk2 shift knob). I figure if I put some time wrenching on it I'll feel more invested in it. I will say it has been very cheap to maintain...so that's something. FWIW, I have been eyeing some Clazzio seat covers. That will go a long way to making the interior much more friendly (those friggin' seats are impossible to get REALLY clean).