when the ge8 first came to our shores, it sparked the typical honda anti-new model sort of antics that fans of makes outside the brand are even aware of.

for anyone who has followed my posts, you will have gathered the following points about me and why this reveiw is well weighted:

1.i NEVER judge a car by the way it looks (contrary to what MANY fit drivers on this forum do)

2. i'm a fan of the ge8

3. i've owned my gd3 for 2 years

4. and i have a rather long commute that is almost exclusively highway, and used to own an excellent high speed cruiser, and 07 rabbit 2 door, that i have always used as the basis for my criteria on how good a small hatchback can be.

Dave over at honda of concord was kind enough to give me a spin in a ssm a/t fit sport navi, to let me savor the differences between the two. my drive consisted of rural highway, traffic in general streets, and a 5 mile jaunt on the freeway.

I came away MORE than impressed.

the GOOD:

1. Stability. You want to know something? its VERY easy to differentiate a brand new Ge8 owner from a brand new GE8 owner who owned a gd3 previously/currently. How? the exclusive ge8 owner complains more often, and rarely sees the utter genius in his or her car, because if you have never driven a gd3, or even better owned one, you will NEVER appreciate your car to the fullest extent possible, and see/feel first hand the difference between the two.

my highway jaunt has proven several things. one being that the new ge8 is quieter...but suffers from slightly more wind and engine noise. BUT that engine note is more pleasant than in the gd3 (imo) so i dont mind that. wind noise however is no biggie to me. its the road noise that kills it and compared to the gd3, the new fit has addressed it.

there were crosswinds...and let me tell you i have NO Idea what you ge8 owners are talking about as far as being blown all over the road goes...you could argue that you live in a windier area, but if you do, i'll know you have never visited NC AND the situation would STILL be worse if you had a gd3. so there is that. i felt so much safer inside this car. while it still was not a dead ringer for my rabbit, it was about 85% of the way there. and the cheaper cost of maintenance and better gas mileage and fun to drive factor is enough to rule out that extra 15% that the rabbit accomplishes with a nicer interior and more hushed cabin.

the car feels worlds more solid and secure, and thats with the wimpy stock tire size...even slapping some 195's on there would be sufficent.

2. the steering.

WOW. i recall a test drive of a base mini cooper a/t (similar weight and hp ratio as the new fit) back when the newest generation debuted. jumping back into my fit after the drive was the only time i felt like my fit was 'loose'. if had owned a ge8 when i took that test drive, i would have been less impressed with the mini.

the gd3's steering is awesome...but the steering feel and feedback on the ge8 is UNSURPASSED by anything in its class, and even above it. (the mini was probably still a little tighter and more bmw like, but i'll be damned if honda has better steering this side of an s2k.) its superior to the more traditional civic, better than the si's mill, better than my old bunny, and better than the last mazda 3 hatch (thats saying a lot) and audi a3 i drove. the old ep3 hatch? not a chance.

i could feel the subtle textures and patterns of the road (in a good way)...the helm just spoke oodles of info...for half an hour the fit was not a car, but more like a sex hotline operator who was actually hot.

4. torque.

gobs of it? no. a difference from the gd3? yes. just enough shove to feel like i moved up, and not sideways as far as my automotive choice is concerned.

5. the seating position.

like i have said before, 250% better. better bolstering too. and SO much more comfy. makes the fit feel like the substantial car that it is, rather than an overweight kei car that manages to still be reasonably attractive.

i already covered the solidness, but let me add to that the more satisfying sound of the doors and trunk shutting, the dead pedal, the seat fabric, the lower hatch clearence,the superb nav system and usb port,telescoping wheel,shift paddle feel/location, the acura grade gauges (less pre 06 tsx and more current gen TL) and the sportier looks (that i happen to prefer. i wont elaborate on WHY i think the ge8 looks better overall, because for some reason on this site, its ok to go on and on about how you dont like the way the ge looks, but if you do its heresay, and i'd rather not get into a discussion that i'm more than willing to continue for hours.), to things that i loved/preferred/felt were improvements over the gd3.


and now the bad:

the tire size. not a fan. at the very least they could have given us a 195/55 or 60 (hell even 50) size, or just upped the ante and give us the old fit sports optional 16inch tire size. the funny thing is that if you order the mugen xj wheels, which are 16x6.5, they are delivered to you with 205/50/r16 tires.

the slightly larger windows: does worlds for visibility, but i can see how this makes some folks feel like they sit ON the ge as opposed to IN it. its not the seats. they also add additional wind noise, but again, this is not anything major,and i'm just being nitpicky with the complaints on window size in general. you sure as hell can see a lot more.


all in all guys, i think the ge8 is freaking fantastic and better* in about 93% of everything over the gd3. unless the new golf (due in sept/oct) is spellbinding, or the next gen civic comes in a hatch, i have a winner for my next car.









*because its inevitable, when i say 'better' i mean strictly from a stock standpoint. i know and understand that the availability of parts for the g3 actually makes it better from a tuner/aftermarket perspective, but this is stock to stock.


HOWEVER

i will say this: the tires are the only thing really holding the ge back. this chassis is so much more rigid, yet almost as light as the ge8, that the compromises in peformance are things that can easily be changed. as a starting point, i think the ge8 is MUCH better. this is probably the reason companies like j's and mugen and spoon continue to mod the fit as opposed to older, more parts-laden platforms...compared to even the gd3, old eg and ek civics rigidity must be like comparing a marble slab to plywood.

 

Awesome review.

Can't wait to get my own.

myke

 

Excellent, balanced write-up.

As someone who has driven both, I agree with you on the comparisons you made. I also agree that, contrary to what others have said, there is almost no crosswind problem with the new Fit (or that much of one with the old either).
In addition, I think your comments on the engine/road/wind noise are spot-on. The GE DOES have more engine noise (which I too prefer over road noise), but there is substantial improvement in road noise.

The "greenhouse" is definitely a pro and a con--it results in the elimination of pretty much all blind spots but it does give you a different (and to some, perhaps, bad) feeling while driving than most cars. I'm OK with it myself, but I could see how some might have a problem with it.

Oh man...the TDI? The thinking man's rabbit? Looking forward to seeing that as well.

I don't envy you that decision.

-P

 

really? you found the ge more rigid than an ek? ive got a 00 si-g and on stock suspension it waaaayyyyy out handles the ge in my opinion... the ge is good but theres way to much body roll stock

 

Very nice, balanced and eloquent write-up. I too am looking forward to my GE coming in September/October of this year.

 

thanks for the comments guys! i tried to be as balanced as possible...sometimes its hard to do in a world were stats are all over the internet...but no amount of 'numbers' tells the whole story, especially here, since 'techincally' the gd3 brakes better, grips a bit more and has a faster slalom time. if you were to go by that no one would buy the ge.

 

ARGH!!! i dont like the ge because *insert typical gd owner hate*

 

well...see here is a common misunderstanding.

feeling stout and solid is different than 'handling' better. like i said, the old fit, numbers wise, technically 'handles' better than the ge, but on the road you can feel why its a superior machine held back by crap tires and tire size.(the ge that is)

the ek is a great machine, and plenty of go-fast exists for it...and i'm sure your si handles amazing...but that doesnt mean its more 'rigid' than the ge. i'm not talking about how stiff the suspension is, rather the body and chassis itself.

even the gd is more 'rigid' than the old ek's. hence why they are superior in an auto accident. (all extra safety features aside)

remember the ep3 hatch? (i believe it was the SiR to you guys up north?) it was techincally more rigid than the ek bodystyle was...but it handled worse,again because of tires and suspension tuning.(you cant blame everything on not having double wishbones.)

and in all honesty, you you want to go by numbers, look back at some car publications to see what old civics did stock...compared to the fit, especially the ge, its not that impressive. (even an integra type r has a slower time than the fit in the slalom) and just look at what has been done with those cars. imagine what one could do in a shell as stout as the fits...

 

lol! its getting harder to fault it on anything outside of looks, and as stated, thats purely subjective.

 

Great review and good job summing up why people like this car. I love everything about mine and have never owned a gd. But I have owned a couple of SAABs, a Bimmer, and a couple of other "sporty" cars. The Fit is fantastic for what it does. I can't see how anyone can complain in the slightest about this car. The steering is fantastically direct. So much so that it took me a bit of getting used to. But that was a good thing. This is the most fun I've had driving a car since my old BMW.

 

i agree with that completely but i still think my ek feels more rigid from a drive perspective stock-stock... maybe just me

 

very intelligent, honest and well written post.

Having owned both, the ge is improved in some substantial ways,
best thing is the improvements are done while still keeping the concept of the gd intact. They did not stray from the original.

Yeah the big target for dislike is the looks, it would not be from driving the 2 cars back to back.

The ge does feel more substantial by a noticeable amount, and with only a minute weight penalty. I do admit the car is a little sensitive to crosswinds but all it takes is slight corrections to the almost surgically precise steering.

Remembering back 9-10 months to my first test drives of the ge, it was the more solid feel to the structure, the sound of the engine, the boost in torque, the steering and that it was still very much a Fit that hooked me.
They did not screw it up (styling excepted) it simply evolved 6-7 years in technology and engineering.

 

its ok, looks like a hamster...

 

The whole "looks" issue must be residual love of the gd. Coming to this with a ge as my first Fit, I can't help but look at the gd front and see the car's age. Same front styling that my 02 CR-V and the 03 Accord have. Dates it a bit for me. Granted, if there were no ge, I'd still love it the gd. But the ge just seems like a natural stying progression to me.

 

never really noticed that but it does remind me of that now

 

As someone who hopes to pick up a new Fit 7 days from now, this is all very reassuring; thanks for a great comparison review.

Re "wimpy stock tire size" can you go oversize on the stock alloy rims that come with the Fit Sport? 195? 205? What are the downsides to bigger tires?

 

less fuel economy and lower whp. were talking like completely negligible difference but if u went from like a 195 to a 355 it would be noticeable... I'M NOT SAYING STUFF SOME RIDICULOUS 355s ON THERE!... just thought i'd clarify

 

That answers the downsides (I would also expect possibly harsher ride), but not whether wider tires can be fitted to the stock rims, and if so how much wider is prudent. I've got a couple of years to figure out gas mileage before I have to think about the tires wearing out (and being a cheap bastard -- or I wouldn't be looking at a Fit -- I will keep the OEM tires until they wear out).

 

Dain thanks for the plug- im telling customers about how the Fit is a sexline operator. Bad news though as long as the Fit is on the lot a Civic hatchback is 99% out of the question.

 

Look, you admit that you prefer the way the GE8 looks. To me, this is the most telling thing in your post. If you saw it the way that some of us do, no number of substantive improvements would make you willing to sit in it and call it your own. That being said, you're right, it's a much improved vehicle.