Hello, I'm new to this forum and my family was thinking about purchasing a new Fit. I have done some research into the car and overall I have heard nothing but praise for this car. I had some questions about the car.

I currently drive a 2001 Civic LX sedan 5spd and get above 33 MPG consistently so I am a tad worried about the 28MPG estimate for the FIT. I hear people getting mid 30's and 40's so I was wondering if many people here had the same results. We will be getting the sport auto (brother can't drive stick) and I am a conservative driver so I would think I could get it above 30, but I figured I would ask.

I also had a question about driving this car on the highway. I prefer to drive quickly and usually drive at around 80 mph so I was wondering how stable or confident you feel driving the car at such speeds.

My last question is what don't you like about the car. I don't mean ascetically, but it terms of something you think was designed poorly or could be designed better.

Thank you very much!

 

The MPG varies greatly depending on how you drive....if you can get that kind of MPG out of your civic chances are you should be fine with the Fit, at least I think so.

As for driving on the highway, I've gotten to speeds up to close to 80 mpg, but I don't think I've pushed it past there...but from what I remember it was smooth and fine for my liking. I've heard that at higher speeds you'll notice more wind noise, especially around the side mirrors. But from my experience it doesn't bug me, especially if you've got some good tunes going in the background.

What don't I like about the car?
- still getting used to estimating the room in the front
- no stock foot/cupholder lights: the only light is the one in the middle of the cabin on the roof
- on the non-navi radio, there's no button so you can scroll what's being displayed on the LCD
- no covered compartments other than the dual glove compartments. It would have been nice to have a covered compartment below the center dash.

All these things are pretty minor and with some DIY modding you could fix most of them...
On the whole I love the fit and am very glad I got it Good luck with your car-shopping endeavors

 

Like M4psycho said, mpg of course depends on driving conditions. I've had my Fit a week and a half. I've been driving it a lot gentler than I usually would due to the break-in period, and I'm averaging 35 mpg on the highway. That's probably averaging 75 mph.

I think the 28 mpg estimate is VERY conservative. People on these forums are doing a lot better than that. You should have no problems getting better than 30 mpg.

Most of ergonomic or design probs I've noticed are specific to the MT, so I won't delve in to those.
-no center console but it's a sub-compact and they have to keep prices down...

I've gotten it up to around 100 mph and it felt completely stable. The engine is a little 4 cylinder so it will rev high but the car itself felt very safe at those speeds. I realize you said you're getting an AT, but in the MT, at 80 mph on a flat road, I think it revs at 4000 rpm.

Again, I've only had my Fit for a little while, but I absolutely love it so far. I traded in an 06 Accord EX-V6 MT and have no regrets.

 

Thank you for both your replies I appreciate it. The small ergonomic problems I can live with or change. I'm more concerned about the mechanical aspects of the car and whether or not there are any major problems, however it doesn't sound like there are any. Thanks again for the replies!

 

As it stands I don't think anyone can firmly say that there are absolutely no mechanical issues to worry about with the car, and the reason being that it's such a new car (only 2 months in) that it's unlikely you'd see any real problems this quickly. On the other hand you could also say that since there has been nothing reported so far that that's great, and that since it's a Honda there's unlikely to be any real issues with it.... I'm willing to firmly sit on the Honda name just because the original Fit was so successful and reliable, and Honda would have to be complete dumbasses, pardon my French, to mess such a good car up with a revamped model.

 

One nice thing about the '09 is this: although it's a new design for North America, it's actually the design's second year. This means most of the bugs have already been discovered and solved.

I like the car a lot. My only complaint is that the manual transmission needs taller gearing, or a sixth gear.

 

You will have a little problem with stability at high speeds on the highway. It's mainly due to crosswinds. The GE8 isn't very aerodynamic and the skinny ass 185s don't help much either. It's a minor issue though.

 

Yep well I figured since the only thing changed is the body style if I'm correct, all the bugs would be worked out. Thanks!

Yeah I have heard that a taller gear was what some people had wanted as well, I know my civic revs at 3000-3500 at 80-85mph and that annoys me, but I guess thats what you get with a small engine like that. I only drive on the highway at those speeds maybe 10 times a year if that so its not to big of a concern.

Yeah if there are heavy crosswinds I will be slowing down, I'm definately not reckless and don't want to endanger others or myself. Just out of curiosity I went to Tirerack.com and checked out the prices for tires onthe GE8, and saw that they only had 3 to choose from and all were pretty darn expensive the cheapest being $81. Is there really only 3 tires to choose from, because thats getting into the price range of my moms 4runner and dads tacoma.

 

As of now, those are the only tires that I know are available in the stock size. I'm sure other companies will catch on and release tires for us GE8 owners.

 

195/55/16 and 205/45/16 are also other options for the tires. Pretty close to the same size.

 

If you want taller gearing get the automatic. The manual is geared for "sporty feel."

 

They changed the wheelbase and suspension as well. The body is also much more rigid than the previous model. The engine is also a bit different than the GD3 as it is an "I-Vtech" as oppsed to a "V-tech". I will let someone else explain that as I understand (from reading some of the technical information posted on here) but I am not good at verbalizing that.

The issue with the crosswinds is worse than the GD3, but anyone who pays attention while driving shouldn't have a problem with it.

Overall, the GE8 rides better, is quieter, and has more features than the GD3.

 

205/50-16 is an even better match to the stock 185/55-16 size, only 1.5 mm larger diameter.

 

I'm not prepared to give up full control (not to mention significantly lower purchase cost and lower long-term maintenance costs) to get taller gearing that way.

Adding a sixth gear solves the problem elegantly. That's what Honda should do, ideally.

 

I wish I had a 6th gear too! I've had my GE8 for only a few days so far and I love it. Anyone else have a clutch shudder when starting from a stop?

 

That's not a good thing... sounds like a burnt or warped clutch.

General reasons for clutch shudder as clutch is engaged:

1)Clutch disc contaminated A contaminated clutch disc can cause the clutch to grab, shudder, or even slip. Check for oil and coolant leaks around the back of the engine. Look for signs of oil or coolant coming out of the bottom of the clutch housing.
Fix: Replace clutch disc if there are signs of contamination

2)Driver induced shudder. Sometimes the way a car is driven can cause the clutch to be grabby or induce the shudder. There are basically two different types of drivers with regards to clutch operation. Those who feather the clutch and those who jab the clutch. Those who jab the clutch get on and off the clutch pedal very quickly when changing gears. Over time, this will tend the make the clutch grabby. Someone who feathers the clutch engages and disengages the clutch slowly. So, if you're one who normally feathers the clutch and you get in a car that's normally driven by someone who jabs the clutch, you'll likely notice a shudder when you engage the clutch. The advantage to getting on and off the clutch quickly is that it normally extends the life of the clutch by reducing the amount of wear. (This would take some time to appear not generally just a couple of days)

3)Warped pressure plate or flywheel. Again, there's really no way to check for this without disassembling the clutch and inspecting the pressure plate and flywheel.

4)Worn splines on clutch disc. There's really no way to check for this without disassembling the clutch and inspecting the clutch disc.

5) Burned Pressure plate or flywheel. Again, there's really no way to check for this without disassembling the clutch and inspecting the pressure plate and flywheel.

 

My car only has 236 kms now. I'll have this checked!

 

do you really think it's all those things on a brand new clutch? Clutch shudder from a stop just means you aren't giving it enough gas in this car.

 

Hmm...The Fit is a great car. But I don't quite get that you call yourself a "conservative" driver in one sentence, but then admit to prefering to drive quickly and drive 80mph?

Sure The Fit is capable of being "sporty" and quick, but it has a small engine. If I was going to be driving 80mph for long, long periods of time? I might want a bigger automobile. Something designed to cruise at high speeds. Which really isn't the design aim of The Fit.

In every respect though, I'd say The Fit was designed excellently for what it is, which is a sub-compact. Great looks (imo), great utility, and fun to drive.

My personal experience with a 2010 automatic is I'm getting almost exactly the gas mileage that is posted. With mixed driving, it's between the 28-31 range.

If you are coming from a stick shift to automatic? I don't know if you wouldn't see a drop off. I think it's hard to get less than the posted MPG's with The Fit and I certainly think you can get more, but (seriously) have you considered teaching your brother to drive a stick?

I love my automatic, but often miss the "fun" of a stick shift.

 

I just bought the 2010 Sport MT and after two full tanks of conservative break-in driving I was getting around 38mpg cumulative. Now that my break in period is over (achievement unlocked!) I will probably get less.