My car came with 2 odometers.

 

2012 fit should have optional 1.6 or1.8L variant ( like integra gsr or civic sir) or atleast 2 liter
base model rsx/ csx motor.
also it would be nice to have an actual engine temp gauge, not just a light that tells you if its still cold. just for piece of mind.

 

I'd like to see a torqueier engine.

 

Small displacement torque, See: Turbo, Direct Injection.

 

I have to admit that my old 1600cc diesel powered car and trucks had the stock Fit 1500cc engine beat all to hell..Diesels have monster compression, no ignition and direct injection. Oh those engines had all of 60 BHP but would accelerate with the same load as a Ford 302 automatic at least 2 times faster to 40MPH an get 3 times the mileage... 54.7MPG was consistently what I was getting in an 84 sedan.

 

How do you figure this? Your opening sentence that is. On cars that are built in the US and Canada, they are not losing money (to an extent), but any car that is imported into the US right now that was built in Japan, they are losing big time with the exchange rate, whether they keep funds in the US from those sales or not, doesn't matter. They can't really raise the prices to reflect the amount they are losing in profit, because they wouldn't sell at all. Would you have bought your Fit if it cost you $23k, what mine practically cost me or $26k today? I seriously doubt many or any would. Honda took too long to start Fit production in the US and going to Mexico to do it, only serves to make money back that they have lost already.

 

Harley Davidson was griping about how the Japanese sold motorcycles for less here than in their own company in the 80s... There was a surcharge on all Japanese bikes over 700cc to help Harley become profitable... People have jobs in Japan because prices are higher and CEOs aren't taking outrageous multi million dollar bonuses. From what I understand there are people that have jobs in business districts that walk around with dust pans and cleaning products and clean, sweep and make things look nice.. I also read that there are no automatic elevators.. Well dressed polite people operate them and exchange pleasantries with the passengers.. It was way back in the early 60s since I saw an elevator operator but before then I had never been on one that was automatic. The same man that organized the manufacturing plants for war production during ww2 wasn't wanted by the US auto industry after the war so he was sent to help get Japan up and running and they have been running better than us ever since... Ross Perot was traded GM stock as part of the purchase of EDS and when he went to board meetings and went off on the big shots about how they were not doing a damned thing right it got a lot of press and Perot made a killing by holding out for more money when they wanted to buy back all of his stocks to get rid of him. The corporations in Japan work to benefit the country as well as make a profit but unlike the US. The corporations answers to the demands of the government instead of the government answering to the demands of the corporations as it is here....They aren't sending troops off to die so arms manufacturers and others can be awarded no bid contracts and not pay taxes... W e are sure screwed.

 

I would definitely agree with you on this.

Why there are no jobs in the US? Well, jobs went to China, India, Mexico, etc. American corporations only concern about their profits, not the country. For example, a corporation wants make a product. One made in the US costs $50. The same product made in China costs $45. The corporation will buy from China. Chinese is very competitive in term of price.

If you go to Japan, China or Thailand, governments there encourage to buy domestic products especially in government purchase. If the same products made in domestic but cost more than import but less than 15%, government agencies have to buy domestic products. That is why there is no jobs for Americans. I wish US government would do the same thing.

 

I knew we were going to be getting it stuck to us when the former Democrat Ronald Reagan made a speech about us no longer being a manufacturing country but a financial and communication service country.. When the former Democrat turned Republican and began a program of doing away with laws that had prevented what happened in 1928 like the Glass Steagal Act that prevented crap like derivative trading and bank, insurance and brokerage collaborations, I knew it wouldn't be long before the bulk of the money would be in the pockets of few... All of the bastards have homes outside of the US and will never pay for extorting money from the Bush and Obama governments... Anyone that saw Obama's face after his first briefing at the White House as he was leaving knew some bad shit was going down and he wanted no part of it.

 

I should have been more specific. The American $ is weak and that is why cars made in Japan and imported here likely cost Honda more than they sell for. However, that is offset by the profits they make on models that are made and sold here.

US Fits are still made in Japan. They may eventually be made in the US, but, as of the 2012 model, still are not.

 

I want a 6th gear, more comfort and front legroom.

 

From talking to my brother in law who worked at the Toyota assembly plant in San Antonio I believe that Japanese trucks and cars built here should be pretty close to what is coming from their country of origin... That wasn't the case in the early 80s when VW Rabbits were made in Westmoreland Pa. It wasn't so much the assembly as it was the origin of the parts.

 

Here's what I want:

1. CVT automatic from JDM Fit, but acceleration feel "tuned" for American driving styles.

2. L15A i-VTEC engine switched to direct fuel injection for increase in power from 120 to circa 130-135 bhp and better fuel economy.

I believe that Honda will switch the sourcing of US-market Fits from Japan to their new assembly line in Mexico very soon.

 

I like your short list of wants... I have owned a few VW Things that were made in Mexico and found them to be well assembled and of at least as well built if not better than Rabbits I owned that were assembled in Pennsylvania.. The Brazilian made shocks, struts and steering dampers did not work well very long on either.

 

My concern would be more about long term reliability than assembling or fit and finish.

 

That is the reasoning for buying a Honda in the first place.. I got mine in 2006 and have not had one problem even after 2 1/2 years of having a supercharger, 1 1/2 at 10 PSI boost... The original battery is still in it and doing fine but I have had a bit of a problem with excessive front tire wear.

 

Replace the toy battery with a real one.

 

What I want in a future Fit? Perhaps a bit more driver leg room? Aside from that, nothing. It does everything I want it do and does it well. If I want more then I'd pay out the nose for a "premium" vehicle. Something I did before eventually trading it for the Fit.