I guess that I just enjoy driving and consider clutching and shifting as a major part of the enjoyment.... I generally get well over 100,000 miles out of a set of brakes on cars I have owned with automatic transmissions and have only had to replace the front pads on a VW diesel pick up that was driven in heavy city traffic carrying loads much heavier than it was rated for and that was at 128000 miles I have never had a clutch wear out except on another VW diesel my son used when he first started driving that was approaching 200,000 miles..... Most people I know that drive cars with automatic transmissions seem to need brake work before 50,000 miles and transmission work before 100,000 miles... The manufacturers make it hard to find cars equipped with manual shift because the can charge more automatics and the dealerships can make more money on servicing and repairing both them and the brakes.... If I now lived in an urban environment and was forced to drive a car that was equipped with an automatic transmission I'd be forced to rely on public transportation because driving would not be as rewarding and just about be as stimulating as riding a bus..... There have been a tremendous number of people that did not purchase their car with manual that have posted that they wish they had..... Check out the dyno run charts to see how much of a power drain the automatic imposes, or even better get someone to let you drive their stick shift car and you may discover why it is so popular among the bulk of those here on FitFreak.

 

I have to say, I really don't care what transmission people drive as long as they stay out of my way.

 

I shall disagree.
Folks who buy automatics almost never look at the cost and benefits. They do so because that is what the dealer has in stock and they have no idea what to do with that third pedal anyways, (this describes my wife).
In reality I couldn't care less what you drive. Your decision is no less legitimate than mine. I only get worked up over this subject because I know manual transmissions are slowly disappearing and I will someday be forced to convert. If I can convince a few people to buy a manual maybe I can hang on a little longer...

 

i love this. ahaha

 

If no manual Fits had been available last spring, I would not have bought one. That's how strongly I feel about this.

 

Hi guys first post on FitFreak!

I recently bought a 2010 Fit Sport with M/T and even the color I was looking for so after reading this thread I feel pretty lucky to have been able to find it so soon after deciding a Fit Sport manual was what I wanted. I went on a weekend dealer hop and by Sunday had the keys to EXACTLY what I wanted.

I recently had a Yaris that got totalled due to it completely losing traction on a sharp curve in a downpour but that's another story Nobody was hurt but the car was a wreck. Interestingly enough my insurance rate actually went down after buying the Fit!

In all the reviews the complaints about the Fit automatic were the same as what I experienced with the Yaris. The transmission was incredibly sluggish. I know they are different cars but man what a difference! The manual is both way more fun to drive and doesn't leave the tailgater behind you beating his steering wheel and screaming because your car just won't move off the line fast enough.

The difference between the Yaris and Fit is like night and day. I went with the Yaris because I wanted something really cheap and economical but man the Fit is just so much nicer for not a whole lot more (I had a 5-door hatchback Yaris with power everything, I think it was second from the top model). The Fit Sport is just so much nicer and more practical there are no words! The only thing the Yaris had going for it was the "cute factor" but my wife and I love our new Fit.

I got some of the same stories about manual transmission models being tough to get from more than one dealer so when I found one advertised online at one of the local dealers in the color we wanted (dark blue not the blackberry blue that's almost black) I jumped on it, and after reading some of the posts here I'm glad I did.

 

I was told I purchased one of the first 2007 fits in the twin cities area. It was in early 2006. It was a automatic sport, and I never really warmed up to it. I put quite a few miles on her and traded her in month's later. I never warmed up to the auto tranny. I didn't like the paddle shifters that move with the turning steering wheel, making it difficult to locate on twisty roads. I also didn't like the gas mileage and gear hunting. It sounds like some are experiencing a few bugs with the new auto tranny too, but I am sure it's still a great transmission
Anyway I actually received a few hundred dollars less then what I paid for this 07 fit in trade because there was such a high demand and low supply.
My personal preference...I LOVE manual transmissions
I do love the new Tafetta White M/T FIT that I just purchased. It's great on gas, and entertaining to drive, and is the Upscale car in the subcompact class IMHO.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a car with a small displacement engine equipped with with a CVT with sport mode operation and the ability to down shift to decelerate... I understand there are shifting systems that will allow that on Subaru's and tried to sell my wife on one but she just will not have a car that isn't equipped with a manual transmission.... Automatics with torque converters ,pumps, valve bodies, filters and electronics sap a lot of power that is already limited by a small displacement engine on cars that are already overweight due to legislated safety equipment and lower octane fuel that is available in the U.S..... They definitely last longer than they did in the past but are more costly to repair and will cause a driver to wear out brakes much sooner than if driving a manual that can be accurately shifted to the appropriate gear to decelerate as needed..... When I was trying to find a Fit to buy in 2006, every sales person I spoke with told me that the cars equipped with automatic transmissions compared with the ones with manual were very slow and boring in comparison.

 

Same here. As much as I love many other things about the Fit, I would not have gotten one if I had not found one in the middle of my months of looking for one. I just simply won't drive a non-stick car. I'd be bored out of my mind.

I think the key thing that's been brought up about sticks is that for many people, the reason they will not drive them is because they've never really given them a chance. People grow up driving automatics, and they are intimidated by sticks because they don't know how to do it. They might drive them once or twice, not like it because it takes effort and learning, and then that convinces them that they never want one. It's once you've given it a chance and done it for a while and mastered it that it becomes something you're passionate about. It becomes second nature--you don't think or agonize over having to do it in traffic or on hills; it just comes naturally. And when it's not there, you miss it bad. You miss the control, the response, the involvement.

Americans are lazy and don't want to do something that they don't find easy at first try when it comes to driving; they don't want to have to put effort into driving, so they never let themselves get to the point where driving a stick becomes effortless and enjoyable.

 

Agreed. Sleek gauges, smooth dash, and nice texture to the seats. Carpet is lame, but what gives. Mugen mats will take care of that.

All of the small perks really make this car a nice trick. USB and Aux connectors, seat configurations, upper glove box

love it.

 

I'm with you. Took my dealer a week to find my MT taffetta white fit, which I should be picking up tomorrow if all goes well. They are hard to find, but not impossible.

 

fit or fit sport?

 

Sport. My dealer found it in south Jersey.

 

well I'm heading out to fondle my auto transmission selector. I promise to pay extra attention to the accelerator pedal this time (makes the brake jealous). Drive-time nirvana ensues.

 

cool. i work an hour west of you in phillipsburg.

 

These things are all on a spectrum. A rear wheel drive vehicle would provide a more engaging experience with superior cornering driving dynamics (try to power out of a corner with FWD and you go sightseeing in the nearest ditch). A F/R weight balancethat is less nose wavy would make for a more exciting experience. An engine with a better power/weight ratio than a typical minivan would build some excitement. Real multilink suspension in place of a twist beam would be an improvement.

Do these shortcomings mean that a Fit is not enjoyable or exciting to drive? Not at all. There is more to the fun of driving than pumping your left foot, just like there's more to the fun of driving than straightline acceleration. If you can be bored gearing along the PCH in a Fit, clicking the paddles as you round a corner, you may need to have your adrenals tested.

 

I wish to hell that all of you guys that are so content with driving automatic had been around and buying them when I had to look for two months put up a $500.00 deposit and drive to a dealership 150 miles away to pick it up when they got one in 3 weeks after I made the deposit.

 

There's no way I would have been ok with an automatic. The thought never even crossed my mind.

 

I can't fully agree with this. I would be full on power in my old DC5R Integra and would have the rear end hanging out like it was a FR chassis when out doing gymkhana and had quite a few passengers not believing the car was a FF chassis. A nice differential up front does wonders for the understeering nature (I just had the stock helical in it) and also proper sussy settings as well.

And when I would always be out doing touge (winding-road) I never once felt like the car was out of control and couldn't be on the GO pedal through turns, easily was the best FF car I ever owned and I had plenty of Hondas while living on Okinawa.

The Fit probably could use a nice diff which I will be looking to pick up whenever I do get my damn Fit. Was just at Honda yesterday and now it looks like the car won't arrive until the 20th of January and I am in the country of build.

Texas Coyote, I'm like you as probably others here as well, I'm afraid that the day will come when you get into the car and just sit there. What would be the point of driving anymore, might as well just take public transportation. I'm not saying that the paddle shifters couldn't be fun, but they definitely are not as fun for me as rowing through a gate. It's too bad Honda doesn't send over the CVT mission like the Fits here. I have driven one of the GD models with it before and it did have some nice little go for what it was, but for me it just wasn't the same engaging feeling.

I do believe that everyone should have to take their driving test with a MT. Getting a license in the US is a pathetic joke when compared to around the world. Driving isn't a given right, it's a privilege that should be earned.

 

i have friends in that area... from exit 8 on 78, to the exit for Rt31,.. some crazy partying lol love the roads out in that area.
and as far as going sightseeing in a ditch, i avoid that by becoming friendly with the handbrake,.. its a life saver,.