Considering purchasing a Fit, will be used mostly for 2.5 hour highway drives. Was wondering how those of you that own the car like it's highway manners.
Thanks

 

this thread sums it all up...

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...-horrible.html
See post #5 to get my opinion.

I love my fit on the highway. I love seeing the 40+ mpg too.

 

Coming from a Jeep, I don't know what all the whining is about with the Fit on highways. I think it's pretty good and felt it to be better than the last generation of the Corolla in headwinds. I only feel it get wobbly when a large truck passes me. But then again I only do about 65 on the highways.

Edmunds says for highway, the Suzuki SX4 is better. I trust Honda though.
2009 Honda Fit and Suzuki SX4: Which Is The Better Highway Car? | Long-Term Road Tests Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line

 

Crosswinds affecting the Fit ain't really that bad as long as you got your hands where they should be...BEHIND THE WHEEL.

Due to the short gearing, the engine drone can be a bit vocal past 65 mph or 100 km/h. At that speed most Fits have their engines pinned at 3000 RPM or so. Being a cheap car, the Fit's sound insulation also isn't too good. Asphalt is fine, but when you get to concrete roads the road noise goes up.

Otherwise everything else is peachy for highway use...especially the fuel economy

 

I haven't noticed much of a problem in winds, but this is coming from a guy that drove a van the last few years.

I often drive from Mojave to L.A. (2+ hours) and think the gas mileage outweighs any negatives. Wind / Road noise? Turn the radio up.

 

I don't notice a difference wind-wise, however I had a '99 Civic before this... so it's not a huge change by any means.

 

Gonna be interested to see if all the talk about the Fit in crosswinds really adds up to anything.

I drive two tall profile vehicles for work.

A Chevy 3500 van that's somewhat tilty in the wind if it isn't loaded.

A Ford Aeromax semi that's been converted to a curtain side straight truck. That thing is like a sailboat in heavy crosswinds, inspite of the fact that it is close to weighing 10 tons when empty. It's seriously affected by crosswinds.

I don't really think I'll have a problem with the Fit, just have to wait and see what all the talk is about.

 

In your case, probably not much

I used to drive sedans so the effects of crosswinds are a little more noticeable on the Fit. Nothing to really worry about though.

And agreed on the road noise...I use that as an excuse to turn up the volume.

 

Not my Fit...............vv

 

Crosswinds affecting the Fit? You gotta be kidding! Compared to my last vehicle (an Element), the Fit is wonderful in crosswinds. You try driving a large box on wheels on a windy day! lol

 

I don't care what anyone else says, but strong winds DO blow the car around quite a bit on the highway and it requires both hands on the wheel in that situation. Light winds are not a problem, but on really windy days here the Fit is a handful on the highway.

Wind and road noise is surprising low in a car of this class. It's the engine drone that becomes a problem at speeds over 70 mph. 80 mph and the engine is turning 4K rpm's and that gets old fast. But the car does get excellent highway mileage. It only pains me to think how much better it would be if 5th gear was a tall overdrive gear, or if the car had a six speed.

Also the car tracks really, really well. If it's not windy out you can take your hands off the wheel and it keeps going straight. So in summary as long as you keep your speeds at 70 mph and under, and as long as it's not really windy out the Fit is a great highway car.

 

ATs and CVTs probably not. I drive one with the five-speed manual 'box.

The CVT in particular is MARVELOUS in reducing cruising revs. At the same speed the engine's just turning over at about 2000 RPM on a very light foot.

 

fyrmd,

I too bought this Fit for a 2.5 hour highway commute from San Antonio to Houston. I make the drive 2 weeks a month and I find it to be an excellent highway car if you go in with the right expectations.

I've been making this drive for 10.5 years in everything from a turbo Audi, GTI, Wrangler(s), full-sized truck, MX-5, WRX, Element, Civic & 2009 Fit Sport A/T Navi. In some ways, the Fit is better, in some ways the Fit is not as good as many of these vehicles.

The trip to Houston is usually made late Sunday night and back to San Antonio late afternoon on Friday. This provides us with a good cross-section of driving conditions to evaluate. Night-time driving with little to no traffic going East, daytime driving (into night in the winter) with heavy traffic going West. I'll take a different approach than other commenters by describing the Fit in terms of comparison to other vehicles:

Let's just get this out of the way - the Jeep Wrangler is an awful highway commuter. It lives for being in the back-country, and punishes the owner for not taking it there. I've had 4 Jeeps spanning more than a quarter of my life, so I can speak with loving authority. Neither Jeep could make the not quite 200 mile trip on one tank. Both were soft-tops and were loud with wind and tire noise. They have limited storage space and none of it is secure. And yes, I still love them.

The full-sized truck was a 4x4, 4-wheel steer Silverado with a 295 hp V8. It was very comfortable, but sucked gas to the tune of 13 mpg, wandered all over (dead on-center feel) and the half-doors whistled. I get a reliable 34 mpg in the Fit in the summer (w/ A/C) and at least 38 - 40 in the winter. These are hand calculated figures, not off the optimistic MPG meter.

The GTI and the A4 1.8t quattro were OUTSTANDING highway cars. They were both effortlessly fast, incredibly stable, extremely comfortable and had decent luxury. The A4, in particular, was unflappable in any condition. The GTI was nearly as good...when it wasn't in the shop. The GTI bit me enough times that I could no longer trust it, and it was my second to last VW or Audi. I gave it one more try in 2004 with a Toureg. 9 of the 11 first weeks I was in a cheap loaner while they worked on my $46k vehicle. It was my 11th and last VW/Audi. The Fit has never been out of service. The oil level never dipped a fraction of a mm, despite going 10,000 miles before it's first service. Yep, that's right - I followed the maint. minder and brought it in at 10k for its first oil change. I was once a 3k with synthetic guy, but this is an experiment with the minder. So far, so good. Bottom line - dead reliable beats dead in the water any day.

Perhaps my favorite vehicle of all time was (is?) my 2005 Element EX 4WD. It has adequate power, great storage, tons of flexibility and rides ok. Like the Wranglers, it is influenced by winds and is louder than a "traditional" passenger car. I'd still be driving my Element today, but I gave it to my wife's parents when their 268k Dodge died. Now it gets driven about 4k a year. I'll get it back in another 10 years with less than 100k on it and I'll keep it forever. There has been much said about cross-winds, head-winds, truck blasts, etc. The Fit is, in fact, affected by the wind. It is no more than 50% as affected as an Element, while still offering (almost) as much flexibility, cargo hauling and utility. It is NOT as easy to sleep in at a roadside stop as the Element, but then again I don't find myself getting as tired behind the wheel since it is less work to drive and much quieter.

This brings us to the 2005 WRX Wagon. Wow, the perfect "rain" car. I've owned 29 cars in 21 years. None have managed water flow as well as this car. All the glass was magically blown clean at speed, including all but about a quarter sized spot on the mirrors. The visibility was outstanding. The grip in any condition was simply amazing. It was similar to both my A4's, but felt lighter on her feet and more fun. Once at highway speed, the turbo meant instant power to pass or climb hills. What a great car! I gave it up to buy my wife the first blue 2007 Fit Sport A/T in Texas. (that's how I inherited her Element) Both Fits (I have an 07 and an 09) do not have nearly the power of the WRX. But they are lighter and have a different mission. I find that once you get used to the power curve, a little thoughtful driving (plan hill climbs, passes) means I hardly ever find myself in a situation needing more than I have. The 07 feels sprightly and spunky while the 09 feels substantial. No, the Fit isn't fast. I got 25 mpg on premium on the highway in the WRX if I babied her. I get at least 9 - 14 mpg better in the Fit, on regular. It does almost as good in the rain, except the back glass wiper must be used to keep visibility acceptable. It is a light car (compared to most others on the road) so it does skip when you hit a puddle too fast. It happens less in the 09 than the 07. Nevertheless, both power and wet-weather can be confidently checked off - the Fit is fine on both counts.

THE BOTTOM LINE
I have the means to own and drive any vehicle under $100k. I choose to drive a Fit because it is the best blend of the attributes that are important to me:
- Fuel economy
- Flexible
- Cargo capacity
- Fun
- Small parking footprint
- Reliable
- Low profile (not attracting attention)
- Inexpensive

We liked the 07 so much, we bought an 09 to replace my 07 Civic (the seats hurt my back). We have been a two Fit family for about a year, and I wouldn't change a thing. You've probably guessed I had a car-addiction. Switching to Honda's curbed that (they're just so darn good) and switching to Fits stopped the addiction altogether. I've finally found the perfect cars for me.

Enough said. Jon

 

wow!!!
Nice write up...

+ rep.

 

Well, thanks for all of the replies. I am somewhat on the fence as wether to buy a used Escape hybrid or take advantage of CARS program and get rid of my old truck and get a new Fit. I have a second pickup, so I don't really need an SUV, just seemed like a bigger vehicle would be more comfortable for the long ride. I know that it will not be long before gas prices head up again, so fuel mileage-along with comfort are important. I also have 2 dogs that will be traveling with me much of the time.

Texas Jon, thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed reply, this is the information that will really help me make the decision. I too had a WRX wagon for a time, I loved the car. The only downside for me was premium fuel and the fact that it seemed to like 85 mph better than any other speed. After 3 tickets and my insurance doubling, I was somewhat forced to sell it.

I also get the impression from some of the posts that the automatic is geared a bit different with lower RPM's at speed. Is this true? Most of my weekly trip will be spent between 70 and 75 mph.

Thanks again for all of the HONEST info. The salesman yesterday was mostly filling me the stuff he thought would sell the car.

 

Texas Jon

What year was your GTI? I had an '85, first year for the Golf, and really only had two major issues in the 10 years I had it.

The clutch seals blew right at the mileage everyone said they would, and I started having fuel pump issues just before I sold it.

Anyways, nice writeup, just reinforces my decision to get the Fit, Monday can't arrive soon enough.

 

I'll apologize in advance, but I found this kinda funny... except for crosswind stability, engine noise, and road noise, the highway drive/ride is great.

 

to the op: check out my review on the ge versus the gd in this same forum.


i used to have an excellent highway car (a 2007 2 door vw rabbit) before i moved to my 07 fit.

a better indicator of how good the 09+ fit is on the highway is how much BETTER it is than the car it replaces. despite the fact that the 09 still weighs less than my rabbit did, its combo of suspension tuning and far more stout chassis lend to making it a good highway companion.

granted, its was still only 85% of the way there compared to my rabbit, but still, considering the savings in gas and maintenance, its a worthwhile consideration. (steering feel is unmatched by anything in the segment, except for the mini.)

compared to the gd3, there is a lot less road noise, and there would be even less than that if the tires didn't suck from the factory. there is a bit of engine noise though, but is a nice tone.

 

I find my Fit an Excellent highway vehicle. I traded a 2009 Toyota Matrix S in on my 2009 Fit Sport. And coming from the Matrix you other Fit owners have nothing to complain about as far as, road noise,wind buffeting,rough ride,bad seats,poor stereo,etc. You see how long I hung on to the Matrix. Other then the power, Matrix was a downright disappointment in all aspects. I LOVE my Fit.

Like everyone else already stated crosswind/trucks can make it wobble a bit,but nothing like I had before. I too see the 40MPG range weekly on my commute from Pa. to MD. to work. {42miles one way} The seats are comfortable far more then previous the car. Spending an hour in them is not a problem. Haven't driven my Fit more then 2 hours at a time,but still good.

Good Luck with your decision.

PaFitter

 

its probably due to is excessive weight (for a car of that size due to awd). but honestly, if you value handling, why would you want a sx4?