The Fit is really great at cruising the freeway at 70 mph. No issues with power and passing other slower moving cars. The paddle shifters work great in slowing down the car and in accelerating the car when needed.

 

When I read your first sentence, I said to myself, they've gotta have an Auto... then I got to your 3rd sentence and voila.... paddles.

the 5MT is a bit loud at 70. not too bad but the gearing in 5th is more aggressive than the 5AT so the RPM's are around 3500 in the 5MT where I think it's closer to 2800 on the 5AT. (not sure on that though).

My 5MT cruises nicely besides the sound issue. We've done a few longer trips but only one over 3 hours in the Fit. it was ok and something we'll likely do again, due to the fact that the Fit gets literally 2x the economy of our ridgeline. The Volume level on fit 5MT is passable, but not optimal. Reminds me of my Integra GS-R.

~SB

 

We drove our old GSR home from California when our kid was done with it. It was a hoot to drive through the southwest at 90 mph, but it sure was loud. The GSR would kind of hunker down and fly down the road all day without complaining.

We've driven our Fit all over the country, too. The buzz of the engine at 3500 RPM does get tiresome, but I prefer that to the busy automatic having to downshift to get over a hill. I tried them both before we bought. I guess everything is a compromise.

Cheers.

PS: Anybody driving the Fit to anyplace interesting this summer? The view out that big windshield is a great way to see the USA. Hit the road, everybody!

 

When my wife and I moved to VT, We packed up her Civic Coupe and My GS-R Hatch full. I had the roof rack with a cargo carrier and 2 bikes and the rear seats down fully loaded. it was loud but got 28mpg on the drive from PA to VT.

We took the Fit up to Ben & Jerry's (factory) a month ago, and then another trip up the same road Rt 100 to a wedding of some friends last week. beautiful ride but it's even better in the Fall (2nd weekend in October).

~SB

 

Sounds beautiful. Who else is listening to the highway hum of those little Fit engines?

Cheers

 

My daily commute is a mix of interstate and 2 lane highway averaging between 60-75 mph. I have a 5AT sport and it's a pleasure to drive. Sound is not an issue anymore than it is in any of my Hondas.

 

I think the AT has a real advantage there.

Cheers.

 

For long, flat highway trips I really wish my 5MT was a 6MT.

 

yeah. darn you automatics. my car screams on the highway from the how high the RPMs are

 

me too. would totally come in handy just to be able to listen to music at a normal level

 

Well I've had a few runs up to Old Town Maine in my FIT and that means about 400 some odd miles of turnpike driving each way. I cruise just shy of 70MPH and the road noise is just something to get used to. XM and the ipod work wonders along with cruise control.

Do I wish I had an auto just for the 'noise factor' at speed, I doubt it. It's about 500RPM higher, not such a big deal for me. I truly enjoy the MT in my FIT. A sixth gear would be appreciated, but sadly not an option.

Like all my other cars I fall in love with the sound of cruising. My FIT is singing to me that all is well. When it's time to get the Dunlop's off I'll change the pitch a bit with some Cooper Tourings.

K_C_

 

Went to Glacier Nat'l Park in Montana last summer, seriously thinking of doing southern Utah later this month, Capitol Reef, Zion, etc....

 

Man--that sounds great. If you go, post some pix. That is real Fit country out there. Drive huge distances without going broke at the pump, even at 75 mph+. You really appreciate the big view out the windshield and you never run out of space to haul your stuff. How long did it take you to get to Montana from your neck of the woods?

Cheers.

 

I agree. I am amazed I can cruise at 75mph in the 1.5L engine, with very little engine noise, rpm @ 2500. Except for the road noise due to the tires, the engine is really something else, smooth and willing at those high speeds, Kudos to Honda for their i-VTEC.

 

Three and a half days of easy driving, I'm retired so don't rush anywhere anymore!

 

I'm spoiled... our other car, a 2005 legacy wagon has great sound proofing all over, and has dual exhaust. we definitely feel the difference between the two when we go for our usual weekend get aways.

 

I have to be honest the Fit is not the smooth, quiet highway cruiser compared to other cars I had/have... my Acura CL-S and TSX are way way way smoother and quieter than the Fit but they also weight +1000lbs more (alot of that insulation) and they are a lot more $$$ so I'm not complaining about the Fit.
Where I see the Fit shine the most is mpg and cost of ownership. I bought the Fit to be fun, economical, cheap, and roomy. If it is slightly louder at 70-75 mph its well worth the added mpg and $$ in my pocket.
For what its worth we almost always take the Fit on road trips because the 40 mpg and endless storage greatly over throws the slightly quieter sound and 33 mpg of our TSX.

 

How come honda doesn't fix the 5mt issue (by putting longer gears or better, a 6th gear)? Seems like everyone complain about this, even if they like their fit.
Yaris, accent and versa (pretty much all the other sub compacts) feel smoother and quieter on the highway. It's just too bad the yaris is boring and not roomy (and not so cheap in Canada once you add some options to make it similar to a fit).

 

As for noise. a taller 5th would be nicer... something like 5th from the auto would be nice. the problem is, the engine would likely get lugged too often with gearing like that on the highway. with an auto, the trans chooses for you and if you read up on many who drive highway in the auto, it downshifts pretty quickly when beginning up a hill. without some additional torque (really only available from a larger engine), the top end will need to be a shorter gear on the 5MT. a 6th would be nice but the same problem would [I think] occur. Other manufacturers don't run into this as much because of their engine sizes. most are 1.6 or 1.8L motors which adds the necessary torque.

As for Smoothness on the road. I feel the fit is a great driver but it is more go-kart like than the others. Part of the charm of the fit is the responsiveness but it is more of a driver's car than the yaris or Versa. those are more "rider's" cars and toyota is known for it's "floaty" feeling across the line.

~SB

 

specboy I wouldn't change fifth at all as you explain.

Your point on the sixth gear is good, however, I don't think 'bog down' would be an issue.
It would be overdrive.

A real simple concept that has been 're-invented' somehow.

Use above 55MPH.

They've taken the 'shifting' out of shifting I think.