Just finished a 600 mile journey in my Fit (affectionally named "Slim") over the long weekend. Since the first 800 miles that I've had the car had been in LA traffic, these past three days were enlightening to the Fit's character; both its strong points and its shortcomings.


The drive up to my parents took the Fit way out of its comfort zone in the city and included steep grades, fast-paced freeways, windy mountain roads, long flat stretches, and some suburban driving. It allowed me to get to know the car better through such a mixture.


Here are my observations, starting with the bad:
-Engine and road noise are always present. As the reviewer on Consumer Reviews said about the Fit "the noise is like that guy who sleeps on your couch and never goes away!" That's exactly how I felt, there was always some type of noise. The engine revs high at about 3,000 rpm at 55mph and there's a constant drone. Road noise and imperfections make themselves known, almost as through the chassis is made of cardboard.
-The Fit was particularly sensitive to grooved surfaces (very common on California highways). Vibrations through the steering wheel and continuous road rumble were present. Not such a bad thing, but after 20+ miles of it, it became beyond annoying
-The manual transmission's gearing is dreadful- especially the 5th and 6th gear. 5th is way too short and sometimes it was worth just skipping over. There is just little difference between the two gears. Going up steep grades on freeways, I'd downshift to 5th only to find there's no reaction. After realizing that I'd shift to 4th and a boost would come along, but by that time, I've lost so much momentum, that I had to shift to 3rd to keep up at 65mph. The engine itself is pretty gutless, and the transmission does it no favors.
-The front seats could use a little more legroom. My husband and I are both 6'5'' and both felt like we couldn't stretch as much as we'd like. It feels like the front seats have been purposely hampered from going back further to be able to claim the roomiest back seat in its class. If they could go back an extra inch or two, it'd make a world of difference.


Now the good:
-Fuel economy was excellent- 45mpg while going up, and an average of 46.8mpg coming back! That is almost hybrid territory, and almost matches the Mitsubishi Mirage I had as a rental a few weeks ago
-Gauges are clear, crisp and easy to read, as are all controls. Very logical and attractive
-Even though front leg room was precious, there was plenty of room for knees and arms. The cabin didn't feel narrow or tight. The back seat carted around my healthy American-sized parents in comfort. This is where the Fit trumps a Fiesta or 2
-Excellent visibility all around and a clear view of the road. The convex driver side mirror was appreciated in lane changes
-I loved the cruise control feature in the manual transmission that stays engaged after making shifts.
-Handling was sure footed and fun on twisty roads. Not quite Fiesta levels of fun, but better than most small cars I've ever driven, especially a recent Yaris and Accent. The car had a secure but tossible feel to it
-The linkage and shifting of the manual transmission was silky smooth


All in all, I enjoyed the Fit more than I thought I would. Driving steep grades was a burden and not so much fun, but the car was good on straight stretches, and really shines on meandering hilly roads. Even though I prefer my old Focus which felt more refined despite being 10 years old, the Fit was a comfortable, economical, and spirited companion.


Here are some pictures:


The road less travelled



Is this my best side?



The road is mine!



Getting to know nature



Sporty Spice






King of the road



The beautiful Sierra Nevadas



Did we land in Ireland?



Low bridge






A rare site in California; green!






Day comes toward an end



The green really highlights the Aegean Blue



Hiding



Sunset seen from a Fit's perspective






The camera couldn't even catch what a beautiful sunset this was



100 miles into the trip home and we've averaged 45.7mpg, not bad!



But it gets better, once the entire 263 mile return trip is complete, an average of 46.8mpg!

 

Nice write-up and pics. I still can't get past the fact that two 6'5" people fit comfortably in a subcompact. Yes, the 6mt should have a taller overdrive gear, 3000rpm at 55mph is just too high. Cruising at freeway speeds in a CVT Fit isn't as noisy as what you described.

 

Yes, indeed... very nice write-up and pictures! That blue is just drop-dead gorgeous. Thanks for sharing. The EX is quieter, especially with the CVT. I'm turning only 2,000 rpm at 60 mph on flat and level. That goes up only as much as necessary as a grade increases.

 

We're both very tall, and my parents are almost as tall (and much wider), but we all rode in comfort for a few hours. Try that in a Fiesta!



With what you've both said, I'll have to test drive a CVT just to try it. The revs do seem high, but I just though it was because of the smaller engine. My old Focus would be around 2100 rpm at 55mph, and some of my parent's old GM V6's would lazily hang around 1500 rpm

 

Honda should pay the four of you big bucks to do a Fit commercial. :thumb ups:

 

Most photogenic Fit award. My favorite is the sunset from the Fit's perspective hehe

 

I liked your long trip report and thought I'd contribute my own.

I recently took my (Canadian EX-L Navi) Fit pretty well non-stop from Edmonton Alberta through the Rocky Mountains and down to Vancouver BC. That's 1160 kms (or 720 miles) each way.

I've had the car since September, so I felt enough time had passed to give the car a real test. What a winner! The Fit did everything I asked without hesitation. I haven't calculated fuel economy, because between my hard driving and the mountains, I don't think it'd mean much. (Though for the record, I spent $71 Canadian to make Vancouver).

The road noise some folks have mentioned is only an issue for me at very high speeds or RPMS; that said, if you're the type that doesn't enjoy the stereo on, you might care more.

After the long drive into Vancouver, the Fit gave an almost imperceptible harumph starting the next morning.

 

Nice report and picture! And for context, since you are in Canada, and the manual is an option with leather... Are you driving the 6 speed manual or the CVT ?

 

Can you define 'fun'?

 

The car was a combination of being sure-footed and stable, whilst allowing the driver to get involved with the handling and shifting of the manual. There was a direct connection between man and machine, and the Fit showed some more character and eagerness than many other subcompacts. It was tossable, confidence-inspiring, and interactive all at the same time

 

CVT: I've wanted paddle shifting for a long time.

 

Thanks for the clarification!

We just did our first 'smallish' road trip to Palm Springs, about 250 miles total and mostly interstate freeway. The CVT did great maintaining the set speed (cruise control) up some pretty good grades with the RPMs going up and you'd start to hear the engine above 3200. Otherwise and except for passing, you only heard a little bit of wind and road noise.

Pretty comfortable over all especially with my custom soft elbow and arm rests in place in the few instances I could relax a little bit where traffic was lighter.

The windy sections definitely pushed the car around and the Firestone tires were pulled side to side in some grooved concrete sections more than I'm accustomed too. I guess that would be about the only complaint of the trip.

The seats were mostly comfortable having raised the front edge but they could still use a little more side bolstering in the curvy sections for my thinner frame.

 

Could you or anyone elaborate more on this "feature"? It too is on my other car, 2013 Accord Sport, and I honestly hate it. Never understood it's use... 😞

 

I'm with you on that one, it seems too narrow to be of much value.

 

It's there for those who adjust the mirror so they can see the side of their car. With the mirror adjusted properly, it isn't needed.

 

Honda doesn't do this feature quite as well as Ford, but I do find it handy when changing lanes in busy LA. It allows me an extended view of two lanes across, as it's coming that another car could be changing into the same lane as me from the alternate side. It's non-intrusive, and anything that does that and helps visibility is always welcome. Of course, nothing takes the place of turning your head to look across and get a broader view. .


Funny, I feel the same way about Honda LaneWatch as you do about convex mirrors. I thought the system was more distracting than anything, and it felt unnatural to look ahead at the radio when merging into a lane or turning. The constantly changing screen was distracting and the camera itself looks like wart on the side mirror. It was one of the main reasons I happily skipped the EX

 

Now that I've been driving my Fit for just over a month, I really like the LaneWatch feature and use it all the time. At first I would always turn to check my blindspot, but quickly learned it was much quicker to just check the screen. It also allows me to change lanes without taking my eyes completely off the road.

 

I turned it on while in the rush hours because of motorcycles doing lane splittings. It helped me a lot. When not in the rush hour, I turned it off. Let the right turn signal care of it.