Dislikes and questions from new owner
#21
About the stock Dunlops...I think they're surprisingly great for an all-season. I haven't been able to break lateral grip with them yet and I've cornered pretty hard on them many times. This is unproven yet, but I'm confident that the Dunlops have much more grip than the Bridgestones. The Bridgestones may be a tad softer/quieter, but they give up grip.
#22
My biggest gripe is still the low gearing in the Manual. We're not all Japanese taxi drivers y'know.
#23
No, the fuel door does not lock! It's a push to open/close mechanism.
About the stock Dunlops...I think they're surprisingly great for an all-season. I haven't been able to break lateral grip with them yet and I've cornered pretty hard on them many times. This is unproven yet, but I'm confident that the Dunlops have much more grip than the Bridgestones. The Bridgestones may be a tad softer/quieter, but they give up grip.
About the stock Dunlops...I think they're surprisingly great for an all-season. I haven't been able to break lateral grip with them yet and I've cornered pretty hard on them many times. This is unproven yet, but I'm confident that the Dunlops have much more grip than the Bridgestones. The Bridgestones may be a tad softer/quieter, but they give up grip.
We have tested the SP31's several times on our test course and track.
Definitely well below average laps either case in rain or dry. In tirerack's ratings they were 20th out of 21 in the catagory. Our results match tireracks precisely.
In your defense, Bridgestone 380 and 200's were only slightly better at no. 16 and 17 and might be marginally worse at dry and wet traction. But none are a good tire, nope. just cheap.
Last edited by mahout; 02-19-2009 at 06:54 PM.
#24
No, the fuel door does not lock! It's a push to open/close mechanism.
About the stock Dunlops...I think they're surprisingly great for an all-season. I haven't been able to break lateral grip with them yet and I've cornered pretty hard on them many times. This is unproven yet, but I'm confident that the Dunlops have much more grip than the Bridgestones. The Bridgestones may be a tad softer/quieter, but they give up grip.
About the stock Dunlops...I think they're surprisingly great for an all-season. I haven't been able to break lateral grip with them yet and I've cornered pretty hard on them many times. This is unproven yet, but I'm confident that the Dunlops have much more grip than the Bridgestones. The Bridgestones may be a tad softer/quieter, but they give up grip.
#25
Thanks spreadhead. I'll likely go with the zeta sills.
As for the extra key, one dealer wanted $250!!! 2nd dealer wanted $180. Both pretty pricey. W/o remote was only $20 cheaper. I'm all for remote and the immobolizer, but the real downside is the cost of extra/replacement keys.
As for the extra key, one dealer wanted $250!!! 2nd dealer wanted $180. Both pretty pricey. W/o remote was only $20 cheaper. I'm all for remote and the immobolizer, but the real downside is the cost of extra/replacement keys.
#26
No, the fuel door does not lock! It's a push to open/close mechanism.
About the stock Dunlops...I think they're surprisingly great for an all-season. I haven't been able to break lateral grip with them yet and I've cornered pretty hard on them many times. This is unproven yet, but I'm confident that the Dunlops have much more grip than the Bridgestones. The Bridgestones may be a tad softer/quieter, but they give up grip.
About the stock Dunlops...I think they're surprisingly great for an all-season. I haven't been able to break lateral grip with them yet and I've cornered pretty hard on them many times. This is unproven yet, but I'm confident that the Dunlops have much more grip than the Bridgestones. The Bridgestones may be a tad softer/quieter, but they give up grip.
Personally, I thank my lucky stars that mine came through with Bridgestones. If I were a betting man, I would say there isn't one performance parameter that puts the Bridgestones below the Dunlops.
TireRack sells the OE Bridgestone for $50 above the price of the OE Dunlop, and though paying more does not guarantee a better tire, in this case it just turns out that way.
I'm still waiting for a true "premium tire" in the OE size to hit the market. Somehow, I don't think that tire will be made by Dunlop (or Bridgestone, for that matter). Believe me, I'm no Bridgestone fanboy. When I bought my '08 Mazda CX-9, I dumped the OE Bridgestones in favor of the Yokohama Parada Spec-X after only 3,400 miles.
#27
oh before i forget here is a update on the key fob
if you have a GE8 read from page 5 and on.
if you have GD read from the beginning.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...key-fob-5.html
also here is a much simpler method.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...e-key-fob.html
I my self order one also.
waiting for it to come in.
#28
No surprise. There is the perception that Canadian retailers (not to just pick on car dealers) gouge Canadians more because the sterotypical Canadian won't complain (unlike Americans presumably). Retailers are always giving assorted reasons why things costs SO much more here - lower population so less economies of scale, greater transportation costs, higher taxes, etc.
#29
I've driven enough cars and explored their grip to get a sense of lateral g figs in conjunction with the published figs from the car mags.
The 0.79-0.81g figures recorded for the 09 Fit were with the Bridgestones. I have yet to see the Dunlops tested, but I and TOV tester Jeff strongly feel the Dunlops pull way harder. I can give endless examples to justify my suspicion, but I can even give a recent example of my 08 Accord that pulled 0.85g (C&D)...my Fit pulls at least as hard. I've cornered pretty hard many times and have yet to hear the tires squeal. With 0.79-0.81g I would've heard squealing by now. A simple test drive with the Bridgestones cornering hard should be able to corroborate or not corroborate this. My parents have the Bridgestones, but it was brand spanking new to corner hard with it especially with them in the car.
The 0.79-0.81g figures recorded for the 09 Fit were with the Bridgestones. I have yet to see the Dunlops tested, but I and TOV tester Jeff strongly feel the Dunlops pull way harder. I can give endless examples to justify my suspicion, but I can even give a recent example of my 08 Accord that pulled 0.85g (C&D)...my Fit pulls at least as hard. I've cornered pretty hard many times and have yet to hear the tires squeal. With 0.79-0.81g I would've heard squealing by now. A simple test drive with the Bridgestones cornering hard should be able to corroborate or not corroborate this. My parents have the Bridgestones, but it was brand spanking new to corner hard with it especially with them in the car.
#30
oh before i forget here is a update on the key fob
if you have a GE8 read from page 5 and on.
if you have GD read from the beginning.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...key-fob-5.html
also here is a much simpler method.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...e-key-fob.html
I my self order one also.
waiting for it to come in.
if you have a GE8 read from page 5 and on.
if you have GD read from the beginning.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...key-fob-5.html
also here is a much simpler method.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...e-key-fob.html
I my self order one also.
waiting for it to come in.
Having said that, the big key is just an annoyance. My real issue is wanting to get a 3rd key, but not wanting to blow $200 on it. I like to keep 2 keys with me so I can never lock myself out - so one goes on the car-keychain, the 2nd goes on my house-keychain. Problem is, we need the 3rd key so the wife can have a spare on her house-keychain.
Problem solved using the 2 keys I have (and so simply too)! I rummaged through my box of keychains (where did I get them all?) and found one that actually has two rings that can separated via a buckle. So I now put a key on either end. They stay together when I put down my keys at home. But as soon as one of us goes to use the car, we separate them - one goes to start the car, the other goes into our pocket. Voila! No lockout! I must be losing it . . . don't know why I didn't think of this 3 weeks ago.
If you don't worry about locking yourself out, then I suppose you read the above and thought, "Does this idiot lock himself out on a regular basis?" Well, let me tell you, once is enough . . .
Last edited by eddie777; 02-20-2009 at 01:25 PM.
#31
I'm wondering how you reach your conclusions about the Bridgestones and how they give up grip?
Personally, I thank my lucky stars that mine came through with Bridgestones. If I were a betting man, I would say there isn't one performance parameter that puts the Bridgestones below the Dunlops.
TireRack sells the OE Bridgestone for $50 above the price of the OE Dunlop, and though paying more does not guarantee a better tire, in this case it just turns out that way.
I'm still waiting for a true "premium tire" in the OE size to hit the market. Somehow, I don't think that tire will be made by Dunlop (or Bridgestone, for that matter). Believe me, I'm no Bridgestone fanboy. When I bought my '08 Mazda CX-9, I dumped the OE Bridgestones in favor of the Yokohama Parada Spec-X after only 3,400 miles.
Personally, I thank my lucky stars that mine came through with Bridgestones. If I were a betting man, I would say there isn't one performance parameter that puts the Bridgestones below the Dunlops.
TireRack sells the OE Bridgestone for $50 above the price of the OE Dunlop, and though paying more does not guarantee a better tire, in this case it just turns out that way.
I'm still waiting for a true "premium tire" in the OE size to hit the market. Somehow, I don't think that tire will be made by Dunlop (or Bridgestone, for that matter). Believe me, I'm no Bridgestone fanboy. When I bought my '08 Mazda CX-9, I dumped the OE Bridgestones in favor of the Yokohama Parada Spec-X after only 3,400 miles.
We test our tires on a 200 ft asphalt circle out back. acceleration in a curve Centrifugal force equivalent is v squared /radius. Acceration is expressed in g's as the fractionof 32.16 ft/sec2.
With a tire generating .8 g (@5.728 ft/sec2) thats about 50 fps in velocity or 34 mph. Good tires generate .86 g or better even on our Fit.
On a steady state circle thats within statistically equal with the Dunslops. Our test of the SP31's took from 12.4 to 12.8 seconds per lap. Thats close to what the Bridgestones would take at .8g.
If you don't make multiple steady-state laps on the circle you really have no idea how much cornering power the tire delivers. 'Feel' just doesn't cover it. only the stopwatch knows.
#32
I've driven enough cars and explored their grip to get a sense of lateral g figs in conjunction with the published figs from the car mags.
The 0.79-0.81g figures recorded for the 09 Fit were with the Bridgestones. I have yet to see the Dunlops tested, but I and TOV tester Jeff strongly feel the Dunlops pull way harder. I can give endless examples to justify my suspicion, but I can even give a recent example of my 08 Accord that pulled 0.85g (C&D)...my Fit pulls at least as hard. I've cornered pretty hard many times and have yet to hear the tires squeal. With 0.79-0.81g I would've heard squealing by now. A simple test drive with the Bridgestones cornering hard should be able to corroborate or not corroborate this. My parents have the Bridgestones, but it was brand spanking new to corner hard with it especially with them in the car.
The 0.79-0.81g figures recorded for the 09 Fit were with the Bridgestones. I have yet to see the Dunlops tested, but I and TOV tester Jeff strongly feel the Dunlops pull way harder. I can give endless examples to justify my suspicion, but I can even give a recent example of my 08 Accord that pulled 0.85g (C&D)...my Fit pulls at least as hard. I've cornered pretty hard many times and have yet to hear the tires squeal. With 0.79-0.81g I would've heard squealing by now. A simple test drive with the Bridgestones cornering hard should be able to corroborate or not corroborate this. My parents have the Bridgestones, but it was brand spanking new to corner hard with it especially with them in the car.
We got similar numbers with the SP31's: laps at 12.4 to 12.8 sec on a 200 fdt asphalt circle. All our good tires generate at least .86 g even on the Fit.
That is of course a big impovement. For a thrill try some Hoosier R's 205/50x15's The Fit can be two wheeled almost at will. Sorry, no times. just two unstable to get steady-state.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SunnyLlama
3rd Generation (2015+)
5
11-23-2017 01:10 AM
lewis2k
2nd Generation (GE 08-13)
9
08-08-2010 01:32 AM
enjoito
For Sale / Want To Buy / Classified Ads for USED Fit Items
5
03-08-2009 09:14 PM