Ok, I can say for sure now that my 2012 Fit Sport MT handles terribly compared to my old 2010 Sport MT.

The new one is softer on highway expansion joins but has terrible suspension that makes the car very unstable if I rock the wheel.

I test drove my old one last night and could tell without a doubt it was as I remember it - stable like a go cart.

The 2012 also has loud valve train that makes it sound like screws shaken in an empty metal coffee can.

I am disappointed.

Has anyone encountered the same?
I wonder if the 2010 struts would fix the "problem".
How difficult is it to do the valve adjustment without taking it to the dealer?

 

Its the same car. They didn't change anything suspension wise. The only difference is the tires Bridgestone vs dunlop.

 

Tires.....

 

They did change the part number on front and rear struts between '10 and 12. I have the same tires.

 

I bet its still built to the same spec. Suppliers change all the time.

 

I know suppliers change but this darn car drives like a van. I think I might have to take it in with that complaint and if they fail to correct it in 3 tries, I will want to get rid of it as a lemon.

I wonder if maybe something is lose on it and that's why it wonders on the road like the wheels are about to fall off. I am super frustrated with this thing.

I heard Honda was trying to improve the harshness of a ride by adding insulation, thicker windows and maybe new struts, resulting in this crappy handling.

 

I read somewhere on here that the spring rates on either the '12 and/or '13 are softer...

 

According to my local honda parts dept, they looked up the springs for 2010 and 2012 and the parts were the same, whereas the struts (I think they are technically called shock absorbers) are indeed different. I test drove some other 2010/2009 fits and they were all stable and stiff. I will try to ride some more 2012 manual fits to see if I can spot the same behavior as my 2012.

 

I noticed the same as compared to my previous 2008 Fit. Then I checked the tire pressures on my new Fit as soon as I got home and found that they were low. The dealership had them set at 25 psi. I bumped everything up to 38 and the vague steering feel was replaced by the snappy handling I was accustomed to. I hope its something as simple as this for you as well.

 

Thanks dookoo I may try that.

 

While this isn't the best handling car Ive had its miles better then my lifted 4runner. I dont have much complaints on the handling of the 12' Fit Sport I drive, I think its better then most family and econobox sedans Ive driven. It has a bit of understeer at its limits but what FF econo car doesn't? Steering is somewhat vague because its electric but still feels more lively then any of the Toyota EPS systems ive dealt with.

 

Get thee some Swifts mach sport springs!

and some 205 55 16's....and a RSB

handling is the one thing that can be improved fairly easily.

No one that has been in my car has compared its handling to a van....a roller coaster cart or a go cart, even one of those mine carts in Indiana Jones, but not an odyssey....

 

This ... isn't really a helpful review ... sorry, just my opinion but ...

 

yeah i hate the screws noise so i bought a greddy axelback A/c on put music and pop vtekk with my 6yrexten warranty lol

 

I just drove a 2012 new auto tonight and it felt basically the same as mine in terms of handling but had a quieter engine.
I am going to wait with the engine and hope it might quieten down with synthetic oil change (I am on mineral 5w20 Castrol right now).

The tires are stock and at 33 psi. It's the very first thing I checked.
Sorry, I am not interested in getting larger tires. The problem is not the tires. Buying some springs is not an option to me either. Let alone aftermarket springs. Sorry. I don't know what RSB is.

The problem is that my 2010 Fit did handle beautifully with everything stock, and it still does.

Does anyone know what's the difference between cars with 85% Japan parts content and 90%?
Both come from Sayama Saitama. (Speaking of which - do a google image search for "Sayama" Yummi!)

 

I dont think there is a difference really. Just different suppliers based on how much the yen is worth vs the US dollar. If you've never had 205's on your Fit your missing out for no god reason. Honda offers them as an option with the Mugen wheels and they feel sooo much better than 185's.

 

Do a quick check for Continental Tire garbage on those circular metal things under each wheel well. I'll bet that's the problem.

 

In your defense, I was test driving a '12 not that long ago and comparing to my MT '10 it felt the same way as you are describing your Fit. I asked the salesperson about it, but he said nothing changed but simply it feels way different from my Fit.

 

Thanks for sharing. Right now I have no doubt about the difference, I just want to know what exactly causes it and how to change it.
Even to know it's not a defect with my particular car is good. Hopefully the struts would make all the difference and I could wait to replace them when they wear out. (in 75K? :|)

 

No one has mentioned wheel alignment? My 2011 sport seemed to wander around a lot on expressways when I purchased it. I tolerated it for several months because I drive on twisty roads a lot and it works well on those type roads.

A few months ago I decided to check the wheel toe in front/rear. The tolerances are rather wide on the Fit as they are on most import cars.
The rear was toed in almost 3/32", Close to the tolerance limits. There is no adjustment for rear toe in. I didn't worry about being toed in,
I have no abnormal tire wear. The front was toed out about 1/16"+. Specifications are 0 +- .12" or a little over 3/32". Toe out will cause most
cars to wander on most roads. I adjusted the toe to 0. That change eliminated the random wandering. It now feels close to my Mazda 3. I
have used 35# psi in my tires from new.

I assume if you try to have the Honda dealer check the alignment they would tell you that it's in tolerance and do nothing. You need to find
a good wheel alignment shop. Not Sears, WalMart or most tire shops. Look for a shop that only does only alignment. Good shops will know
what settings should work best for your car.

I know most people say the OE tires are sorry. I agree they are noisy, but most replacement econemy tires are somewhat noisy. I have
owned other cars with Dunlop tires and for me they last about 40k miles. I get about the same with Kumho tires. At 16 k miles my Fit Dunlops
show very little wear. I think they should go 40K or more

Hope this helps.

Clifton