Friends,

As the title suggests i have the 2019 fit sport with paddle shifters. My only issue is when I throw it in sport mode, it actually seems to get off the line slower than when it's just in normal automatic mode. Is there a way I can make this thing meaner off the line? I know it's no drag car, but it would be nice to hit it hard off the line when I want to have a little fun or just need to get somewhere quick.

Thanks for any help!

 

Have you tried brake torqueing? Firmly push the brake with your left foot, put the car in drive, then smash the gas and let go of the brake. It builds the revs up to preload the drive wheels, and once the brake is released, there's more torque on the wheels than a normal start, giving you a boost in off the line acceleration. It's horrible for the transmission so don't leave a long time smashing both pedals and do this over and over again without giving the transmission fluid time to cool down.

 

With all due respect to Chugiak76, do NOT brake torque/power brake your car. Here is a link from a group who knows a lot about modding Hondas.

https://www.hondata.com/tech-looking-after-your-cvt

It turns out that at stock power levels, and even a bit higher, you can actually run the Honda CVTs rather hard, and they hold up very well. However, power braking during their testing was a sure fire way to damage the transmission. Check out that article I linked you to and come to your own conclusions, but I strongly recommend against doing that.

I've got a 2018 Sport, and I can relate to the sensation that launching in sport mode may actually feel slower. I believe what you're experiencing is the torque converter locking up sooner in "D" than when you launch in "S". On my 2018 at least, the torque converter locks much later in sport. When the torque converter locks, you get an extra little bit of pull when the RPMs are dropped rather rapidly. It's similar to shifting a manual at full throttle to a higher gear. That brief moment when the clutch is locking up pulls extra hard as the inertia of those extra RPM are dumped into the transmission. Still, I love going manual while screaming up an onramp. It's definitely faster than just leaving it in "Drive". You've got to keep those RPMs high with that tiny little motor if you want to get anywhere quick.

Edit: In Chugiak76's defense, they did say it was bad for the transmission. I'm just suggesting you don't ​​​​​do it at all.

 

I knew it was horrible for the transmission, but I didn't realize it was that bad. I wonder how long the testers power braked to get damage like that? Surely just a quick power brake only spending 1 or 1.5 seconds tops on both pedals at once shouldn't do that much, but it very well may cause damage even done momentarily. I would never power brake my own car, but my Fit is a manual transmission anyway, and I don't launch my car even on full throttle starts.

The torque converter lockup occurring at different speeds would help explain the difference in takeoff speed. Not only does the inertia transmit a kick to the drivetrain, but a locked torque converter doesn't convert as much energy to heat, leaving more power transmitted to the wheels. The balance with engine torque is the key though. Locking up sooner provides the efficiency boost, but the lower engine RPM will limit the torque produced in the first place.

 

Another reason why MT's rule!