This. I usually stay in the right lane at about 65-70. If I have to pass someone, I'll get into the middle lane.

 

In these parts, staying in the right lane is a total chore at least, and hazardous at most. Cars entering and exiting is too frequent, making the lane all but dead for straight ahead driving. Of course some people use it just to drive slow and completely screw things up. 65 mph is not slow to me. I'm talking 45-55. THAT is slow on an expressway, and it's a hazard as well. I usually occupy the center lane and keep to 65mph.

Dan

 

Here is my experience the paddles can get better MPG than D mode
1-2 gear is used when car is going below 10
3rd gear is used from 10mph - just below 20 mph
right after 20mph you can shift it to 4th gear
then right after 25mph you can get it in 5th.

 

No. It's posts like these that make it clear why some people get 45mpg, and others struggle to hit mid-30's. You are doing no harm to your engine or drivetrain by shifting from 4th to 5th at 2k rpm if you're accelerating leisurely. When I'm driving with economy in mind, I won't see over 2k RPM UNTIL I hit 5th and get on the highway. No reason to spread misinformation like that.

However, if you're cruising in 5th at 1300rpm and need to accelerate, you anticipate that need and bump it down a gear before giving it gas.

Half the fun of the Fit for me is extracting every last MPG, within reason - I have my Miata to take out when I don't want to worry about gas mileage (and I still get high 20's in that when I drive it hard).

 

I hear you man. But I'd STILL like to know how that 51 was arrived at! I commute 24 miles a day round trip to work- at night, when I can drive slow and peaceful like. Nothing in the car but me @ 160lbs. Two small hills during the drive. I can't seem to get my readout past 32.7. Showing 51 seems like a far off distant land!

Dan

 

I've mostly driven in "D". I have to admit driving with the paddles is twice as much fun though.. I don't know why exactly, the knock-off shift feeling maybe. lol. I only assumed I was getting worse Gas mileage in "S" but with less than 400 miles, and a 100% city street commute I don't know if I have enough data to draw a solid conclusion...

as of now the Avg. MPG is only 23.7

 

You are correct if you're driving at 10/10ths. For ordinary driving as long as you shift up so the upshifted rpm isn't below 1600 rpm on level ground your mpg will improve. If traffic around you is in a hurry you should raide the upshifted rpm to match.
That help?

 

I gotta admit when I'm wrong, so I will. Turns out I didn't reset the trip milage when I thought I had. In my defense, I'm new to the fit and this is my first fillup! Once I reset the trip mileage, I now push 40 mpg's on the readout. Now 51 doesn't seem impossible. None of it may not be particularly accurate, but at least I can push higher numbers anyway. I knew I wasn't driving like a moron! Now I'll have to try putting the paddles in the water too...

 

Great you figured it out..............

But going back to your first post, 51 is still a far our distant land.

I drive as thrifty as anyone and have no illusions about ever reaching that number, unless I get gas at a mountaintop gas station and hit it going downhill for a few seconds.

There is no car in the history of driving that ever got that much over EPA estimates.

Maybe I'm just getting too old and heard too many stories over the years, but I'm just not buying it.

 

Well, that certainly wasn't a fake pic- the dudes readout was 51. If you reset your trip milage and do a steady 30-35 on backroads for just a little bit, I think you can hit 51. Can that be done on the highway? I'll have to see. All I know is when I reset my trip milage, within six miles of conseravative driving [about 40-45 mph] I bumped over 40. It didn't stay there though. It jumps around pretty good. Both the meter and the avg readout seem to be momentary averages. Running the numbers on papaer is the best way to really know, I guess.

I'm really sorry for the interruption of this PADDLE thread. I'll lay off the key now.

Dan

 

I agree 51 could be hit and probably higher, after resetting and starting with the right road conditions. Maybe I missed the point.

My skepticism comes from the claims of these kinds of numbers over a tankful.

I'm done too............

 

5 speed>paddles

 

I'm sure someone else has already done this, so it wasn't worth me goin thru the trouble of a photo. The avg MPG meter max = 150.0, and all ya gotta do is reset yer trip meter while going down a long hill...then stop long enough to capture the reading. I just ignore these ultra high MPG claims/photos...fantasy can be fun, so why bother pissin on their parades?

 

Its easy. find a long down hill and depend on the mpg gage. I've gotten readings of 48.5 to 56.8 mpg on a 4 mile downhill on I40 south of Asheville on a vehicle with a 2.5 liter engine and 6 spd CVT A/T.
Any mpg quoted less than 100 miles is not trustworthy.

 

Couple things; I use the paddles in bad weather (snow) to avoid unwanted up/downshifts; descending a slippery hill, the last thing you want is a surprise downshift. Same thing is true going uphill; an unwanted downshift can break traction.
I also use the paddles in mountain driving, for engine braking and to avoid unwanted shifts. For the most part, the tranny in Sport won't shift without you telling it; downshifts happen automatically at about a walking pace, and upshifts only happen when you squeeze the paddle because you're tired of hitting the rev limiter.
That said, the tranny won't permit a shift that would (A) take the engine revs too low...1.5K?, or (B) above redline. Even in Drive, I'll bump the right paddle for an upshift to save gas if I'm not in a hurry.
I was experimenting with shifting all the time to save gas, but after a not terribly scientific investigation, I reverted to Drive.
Moon
ETA-BTW, nice tip on the 'rev-matching' downshifts; I'll give it a try.
M

 

My 08 holds the selected gear right at red-line and won't upshift. Are you sure yours will upshift? If it does thats a real improvement for 09 over 08. And yourrecognition of good practice with a paddled auto is spot-on. Good show.

 

Either I wasn't clear, or you misunderstood; when you get to redline, ALL you get is the revlimiter; it won't go to the next gear. It sounds like the engine is cutting out. Frankly, I prefer that it holds a gear; my wife's manumatic VW upshifts at redline, all unbidden.

The only danger, IMHO, is when you're distracted, like passing on a secondary road without one eye on the tach...you can bump up against the revlimiter, and it slows you up for an instant before you trigger another gear. I did this once passing a guy on a shortish straight; we hit the limiter while we were right alongside, and my wife thought we were out of gas or something; '...what the hell was that... ?' she inquired.
Thanks for the attaboy, mahout.
Moon
ETA- I seem to recall a tale about a guy driving the 917K Porsche panzer not even looking at the tach, but shifting when he hit the limiter...but somehow that ain't the same thing.
M

 

Yes, I misunderstood.
You need to try a Nissan Sentra or Atima SER. When driven in anger the automatic upshift keeps your momentum maximized. Exactly whats needed. I'd refer you to the you tube SER video but the sound tracks offset (strange).
On the Fit you have to pay close attention and upshift yourself; not a way to keep accelerating. Both allow close control of downshifts, good for corner entries.

 

...oh, one negative about paddle shifting. Trying to shift-up accelerating thru tight turns.

 

Mahout, that's kinda how my bride's Passat acts, and it protects you from yourself but takes away some control at the same time.
I think I like the upshifts when passing, but not on a mountain road.
I STILL like the way a regular stick shift works best, but the paddles on the Fit are a great setup.

Watsoff, are you talking about keeping track of the up/down paddles while stemwinding the wheel?
Some makers have fixed paddle stalks, independent of the wheel. Others have paddles that are both forward for upshifts, back for down. I'd like to try another system.
Moon