I searched the forum for some of the questions that I have but most were about items that would fit in the car. My questions are based on more the car itself rather than its components.
I am considering buying one in early summer and of course I have considered other models. Test drove the Civic and enjoyed it but it didn’t compare to the fit.
I was wondering. What have some of you done to boost the Horse Power up a bit? I’m willing to spend about a grand on the car for the time being but I want to make sure that the parts I put on are legal and will make the HP boost a worthwhile investment.
Also, consumer reports says the headlights are horrible. I think they could be better but am hesitant to convert to HID because of the reflector housing. I would be willing to buy new housings but the ones I can find look cheap. Has anyone upgraded their headlights other than converting the OEM housing to HID and blinding oncoming traffic?

 

I can share what worked for me.

I dropped around 28lbs of wheel weight. Noticeable improvement from that alone.

PRM intake.
Lightweight crank and alternator pulleys.
idk22 plugs.

I havent seen a cat back that does much (the stocker is surprisingly efficient and amazingly light). A 'B' pipe may help, not sure yet. You cant do a conventional header because of the cast in head header, but precat delete down pipes could prove to yield results in the future. No real ecu reflashes available yet either.

Obviously forced induction is 3.5 times over budget with no real choices yet.

That is mostly about it.
2 things have gotten me over the hump on the headlights, adjusting them higher and installing silverstar ultras.
With HID, I would not do it without projectors (as you mentioned) and $700-1000 would be the number I would be looking at to do a nice looking and working system that I would be happy with.

I hope that helps.

 

What's horrible about them? They're the best head lights I've had yet.

Dan

 

Thats good to hear! I have only taken a Fit on a test drive during the day so I cant say I said that. It is something that consumer reports as a con though.

 

less than 1k miles on my 2010 sport...

Only problem I have had so far was on a moonless cloudy night, in the country with no street lights. Not sure if better lights could have cut that darkness any better.

However, do plan on checking the alignment of the head lights really soon, as well as the fog lamps. The throw seems a bit short, from the factory. But I really haven't measured it out yet.

 

Different strokes for different folks on the headlights I guess. Have you tried a test drive at night?

Alternatively you could at least have a GE brought to the shoulder of a street at night, just to check out the throw of the headlight beam with you seated and with correct driving position.

For headlights I've used the following, all at stock 60/55W wattage with good results:
OSRAM Silverstars (Sylvania over there)
OSRAM All-Season bulbs, pale yellow
Narva All-Season bulbs, yellow

If you want a power boost, try to look for the HKS Racing Suction intake. Not sure if it's legal over there, but it'll definitely give you some gains - dyno-proven. I'm told most of the restriction on the L-series engines is on the intake side rather than the exhaust, so mufflers are cosmetic are best.

 

I'm in agreement. I think the headlights are great. Of course, I am coming from a 91 Accord so maybe I don't have experience with the most recent cars to compare but I have no intention of upgrading the headlights on my Fit.

 

I will be coming from a 91 Accord also. I am glad that there are fit owners that feel the headlights are good. Makes me wonder why consumer reports rated them as a downfall?

Not sure whether you would be able to read the review without a subscription to consumer reports so I copy and pasted the Highs and Lows.

HIGHS | Fuel economy, handling,
space utilization, cargo flexibility,
crash-test results
LOWS | Ride, road noise, fit and
finish, headlights

 

Only problem I had with the headlights is that they are poorly aimed as delivered. The low beams were "politely" aimed at the ground right in front of the car, and the high beams were aimed where the low beams should have been. A few minutes with a wrench and a long, level stretch of road at night and the problem was fixed. They're fine now.

 

Now that you mention it, maybe they are aimed a little more "politely" than my 91 Accord. I will grant that. I do not find that to be a problem though. In fact, they illuminate the road more fully and evenly IMHO. I drive plenty on dark, rural roads and really like the way they are set up stock. I find the lows give me great illumination without blinding oncoming drivers. The highs light up the road and give me a lot confidence that I won't outrun them and come up on a deer unexpectedly (unless it just darts in front and not much the headlights can do about that).

So I guess my observation is that this could be a subjective thing. Either way, if the complaint is the aim, it can be rectified (as you have done) but please be considerate of oncoming traffic.

 

There is a goofy 'who uses the fogs all the time' thread around here somewhere, but I have the fogs on all the time at night. With the low beams and fogs on, there doesn't seem to be a thing I can't see out front, and curb sides. And it doesn't blind drivers. High beams do and of course you must use proper courtesy with them. But low beams/fogs makes for a perfect view of the road for me. Can't imagine anything better. Certainly not those horrid blinding pieces of shit the kids throw in these days- those little ray beams. Good for nothing but blinding everyone.

Dan

 

I'm fine with the lights, and I drive a lot of rural back roads at night - 28k on my car in the last 8 months. I would consider spending $800 to have some FX35 bi-xenons installed professionally, but I'd rather not tempt thieves and I really am not horribly unhappy with the factory lighting.

 

I should add, that after aiming my headlights "by eye", I DID recheck them with the procedure listed in the service manual and found them to be right to spec. They're still on the low side (I like my high beams to illuminate the ROAD, not the trees), and other drivers don't even seem to be bothered by my settings, so I'm pretty happy.

Your headlight aiming may be different from mine for any number of reasons (variance in assembly, different loading or weight distribution in the car, etc), so, of course, YMMV.

 

Power is fine, but with a small 1500cc engine, RPM = HP. Buy a MT to minimize drivetrain power loss, and don't be afraid to rev it. The Fit engine doesn't start to make good power until it clears 4000 rpm, and test drives don't usually include redline shifts. If a Fit operating between 5000-6800 RPM doesn't make enough power for you, the Fit may not be the right car for you.

Fit headlights are fine, especially if you get the Sport, which has foglights standard

 

I really don't think you'll have a problem with the headlights.. I find them exceptional and have owned many cars. Turn on the fogs if you want extra light

As far as power, what is the goal? From the factory the motor will get the car moving at a decent rate if you rev it properly. You are not using the power if you keep the revs under 3500 rpms (redline is ~7000). Going on a diet will make the biggest difference on this car.

 

Power is adequate but is there any way to boost the Horse Power to where it is easily noticeable within a reasonable budget? Say $800-$1200?

Realistically, I have never even considered getting the base. Never looked at it at all. The fit sport although the engine is the same is personally a much better car. It's only a bit more and offers options that come in handy.

I live in the Los Angeles area and know how to drive a stick. (Dad has a Mini Cooper S 6 speed) I'm still hesitant to get a stick shift. Not really sure why. I love driving his but its a pain in traffic. However if it is an obvious boost in driving style and performance I will definitely consider it. Anyone have any 0-60 times etc. of AT vs. MN?

 

I just traded my 09 Cooper for my FIT, and the FIT's clutch is SO much smoother and easier to engage - bumper to bumper traffic is a joy in this car compared to the Cooper..

I think Motor Trend tested a FIT recently and posted a 0-60 time of 8.3 for a manual? Here's the link: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...est/index.html

And I also had xenon headlights on my Cooper, and I hated the way the light just cut off at a certain distance - there was a distinct line where the light just stopped. The FIT lights are much better and I enjoy driving at night again.

Hope that helps!

 

+1 the clutch. Some people have quibbles with it but I love it. I guess it's what you're used to. I haven't been driving Porches or Ferraris so compared to anything I've driven in the past or on recent test drives, the Fit had the smoothest clutch/tranny by far. If you're gonna get stuck in traffic with a MT, the Fit is the car to do it in. Also, first gear is so low that if you're moving at all, you don't have to touch the clutch and there is no herky jerky feeling.

So what I'm saying is that if you have your heart set on a MT, go for it. The paddle shifters on the AT get major kudos from AT owners here as well so if you go AT, that'll work to. It's all a matter of personal preference.

 

If you spend the majority of your time in and around Los Angeles, don't worry about the lights. Plus with the Fit Sport and Fogs, that will give you extra lighting while out-and-about in the city. Once you head to the country where it REALLY gets dark, you should find the headlights pretty decent compared to many other cars (both in and above it's class). You'll want to cut the fog lights off at that point so you get better visual distance. The Post about driving all the time with fogs on explains it but in short, lighting up the foreground in a very dark area prevents you from seeing decently at a distance. Here in VT, I think the Low beams do well at night. In the Rain, in the middle of nowhere at night, I've yet to find any vehicle that really does well.

As for performance, I recommend the Manual Trans but... In LA, if you find you spend lots of time in traffic, (or commuting for long periods at 70mph), get the auto (but you'll lose some of the sporty nature).

~SB

 

+1 for the clutch.

It's an absolute pleasure to drive this car in even bumper to bumper traffic.