why isn't the manual transmission great on the hightway?

 

Cause your transmission is geared differently and you rev higher at freeway cruising speeds.

 

You can tell them to shove it, it's your car and your money. Just cause it's an auto doesn't make it any less of a vehicle. I've driven 3 manual cars, an Integra, an S13 240sx, and a SW20 Toyota MR2. All in all it's what you want out of the car. I drive 2 hours daily in Los Angeles traffic and nothing would make it worse than driving one of those manual cars in traffic. Doesn't matter what you drive (MT/AT) as long as you love it and those people who look down on others have some serious self esteem issues if they think a MT car is so much better than an AT. This coming from a guy who has driven a MT car for the past 6 years before the Fit.

 

^^^ what antpwny said, but just get what you think *FITS* (lol) you best! I have no regrets getting the MT. It is my first MT car and, personally, I don't think I'll ever go back to an AT (my first car was auto); I just have too much fun driving it! I pretty much learned how to drive MT on my Fit and you can bet in the beginning I was wishing I got the AT cuz I was so nervous, but I am more than happy with the MT! haha I don't mind having an MT in traffic at all and I don't notice a difference in gas on the highway, i still get about 35 mpg. But in the end, it just comes down to what will suit you better and which ever you feel the most comfortable driving.

 

hmm i never knew that...but I never noticed a diff, but prob cuz I didn't know to look for it lol

 

Freeway mileage is pretty much even between the two... MT revs higher but we don't need to downshift to 4th for passing. An auto will 9 times out of 10 downshift to 4th if you give it the throttle for passing. Or if you feather it you just have to suffer the longer wait time to get up to speed.

As far as bad traffic... My commute doesn't put me in scenarios that end up in bad traffic, but I did get stuck in Virginia 7AM rush hour traffic on I-95 which was stop and go for about 2 hours and the Fit wasn't all that bad. The clutch is so damn light that it really doesn't put that much strain on your ankle. Also you can leave the car in 1st gear and it will keep itself going unless you're going up a grade. So as long as the traffic is at least moving and you don't come to a complete stop you can leave the car in 1st and sometimes even 2nd and the ECU will regulate throttle to keep the car from stalling.

$.02

 

there are days when i wish i had the MT. then there are days that im glad i have the AT. i guess it all depends on what you want out of the car, where you live, so the circumstances change for whatever situation youre in.

i still have a blast driving the AT, and though you dont get the feeling of rowing your own gears, you can still throw the car around like its some sort of go kart.

some people buy the AT so that their significant others can drive it when they want. some people buy the MT so that their significant others CANT drive it when they want (in which case, i doubt their significant others are very significant at all. heh).

so imo, if you live in a densely populated area (los angeles), a hilly area (san fran) or drive mostly highway, AT is the way to go. But if you drive mostly city, lots of backroads, or plan on modding your car, MT is the way to go.

i also believe that the AT will resale a bit higher if you eventually decide to part with the FIT.

 

I have no regrets with my a/t. One thing is I have never learned how to drive m/t and the other thing is it is nice when your just zombie driving to not have to worry about shifting.

Only thing I would like about the m/t is that you can get more into the actual driving of your car make it a little more fun.

 

My significant other is significant, and she's is welcome to drive my MT if she's willing to learn how to drive it, but dang it, this one is my car and I get to pick the tranny! She already has an AT so she won't be stranded if she decides not to learn....

Re Resale:
sure the AT resale will be a bit higher, since the MSRP is higher, but I don't think the depreciation will differ much. It may take a bit longer to sell though since the pool of MT drivers smaller than the AT drivers - then again there are fewer MT's out there than AT's so its probably pretty close to a wash.

 

Yeah but none of those cars have soul-sucking torque converters, either.

 

I bought the Auto to be an extra commute car when I was not driving the hybrid.

I didn't buy the FIT for speed I bought it because it was unique and the AT with it's paddle shifters make it even more unique.

 

yes i do

 

ditto

Especially when I am doing performance driving competition.

Other than that I can live with the short comings of the AT.

For a family with multiple drivers the AT is more friendly.

If everyone drives manual then MT would be better, higher mpg, better pickup and more fun to drive.

AT is easy to drive, doesn't get as good mpg unless you really keep the rpms low and go easy on the throttle.

AT has higher resale and is more popular with buyers of used cars in urban areas.

If you want the highest performance then get MT not AT.
If you want the highest mpg then get MT not AT even in traffic.
If you want the cheapest Fit then get MT.

 

I want an auto.

 

repped

 

Yes...so much so that I traded in my Fit A/T after 2 months for a Fit M/T.

I planned to keep this car for a long time and didn't want any regrets. It was an expensive lesson....but I'm very happy with the M/T.

My experience since:
1. I'm getting better gas mileage (33mpg as opposed to 28mpg)
2. I feel more in control...no longer @ the mercy of the AT gearing
3. Driving is much more "fun" to me
4. More mods were opened up...i.e. Mugen SS...
5. Mods I had on the AT seem better on the MT (i.e. Tanabe axle-back & SSI sound better)

Downside of MT:
1. Because of bullet-item #5 above...the mod-bug bit me big-time!...so I've been spending more $$ on Fit...Darn Loans
2. Driving in traffic....made me miss the AT...just a little.

 

I am going to buy a new 2009 Fit Sport with an Automatic transmission (AT). Why ? My Fit is going to be my go to work and to the store car and I will keep mods to a minimum. I work and live near Houston, Texas and traffic is bad at times and a MT is a drag in stop and go traffic. I used to drive 4X4 trucks and I always have MT's in them but I rather really drive and listen to my tunes and enjoy the ride...

If I could change the Fit in one area, I would put in an engine option with about 160+ HP (2.3L+) for some zoom!

Billy - SGR

 

I half way regret it.


the reason we got an auto was because my wife refuses to drive stick, and i hadn't driven it in a long long time, and didn't want learn again with a dealer saleman in the car. (i know they say you never forget, but i sure as hell did. )



But i'm not going to lie...i don't wish i had the manual for economical reasons, and i don't think anyone else should either. its a tiny bit cheaper, but not by much and while the gas mileage is slightly better, its still a wash and you are revving nowhere near as high on the freeway. (the mpg issue is moot for me, as i happen to be an auto fit driver who gets decent mileage. much better than the high 20's that some seem to get.)


But, again, the real reason for my desire to have a manual is from a modification standpoint. I really wanted the 10psi kraftwerks charger, and its simply not doable with an auto. i was going to build the engine up a bit too, mugen short shifter, the whole shabangabang.


But honestly, that the only real reason.

this whole crap of the manual being 2 seconds faster is utter rubbish, and i know that MY fit doesn't take 12 seconds to go from 0-60.


One thing about mods i will say is this: unlike other hondas such as civics and integras, it seems that having an auto fit only penalizes you slightly; I'll still be able to get A kraftwerks kit, just not to the tune i want. It seems that most mods for the manual fits usually get adapted, or a version is made for the auto fits, something that very few other honda auto-transmissioned cars can say. so in that regard i'm happy.


wether or not that is enough to keep me from buying a gti down the road ( a car that rewards you for the auto version ) is yet to be seen.

 

We got both, though my wife finds herself wanting to drive my MT more than her AT. We bought both the same day back in February with about 21 miles on each; now there are over 4,000mi on the MT (we prefer to drive the MT) and only 1300mi on the AT. Plus, gas mileage on our AT can't compare to our MT, we have a notebook in each car to track fillups and MPG and from day one the MT has consistently gotten 32-35MPG, while the AT has yet to break 30.

We thought the paddle shifters were cool on the AT when looking at Fits, but we rarely use them as it's awkward to shift when turning (they are mounted to the steering wheel). Do you want the car to drive you, or do you want to drive the car? We prefer the latter. Not that we regret buying an AT, it is nice not to have to shift when stuck in stop and go traffic (there are times I'm stuck in traffic and wish I was in my wifes AT), but we get more kicks out of driving the MT. It's a nice gearbox and was a surprisingly pleasant transition from my Miata's legendary gearbox.

 

Quote from Car & Driver's test of Fit Sport Auto...

"So there's this institutional prejudice we harbor when we plant our backsides into any automatic-equipped subcompact. Which is precisely what makes the Honda Fit Sport automatic a pleasant surprise. As subcompact automatics go, it actually goes. Okay, 0 to 60 mph in 10.4 seconds isn't likely to produce brownouts in your peripheral vision. The manual Fit Sport in our May comparo, "$15,000 Cheap Skates," did the same sprint in 8.7 seconds. But it's not bad for cars at this end of the spectrum, it's far more entertaining to operate than competing automatics, and it's well suited to urban driving."

So it's a 1.7 second difference from that source. While not a lot in absolute terms, that 1.7 seconds is a 20% penalty.

C&D consistently gets the fastest acceleration times because they do clutch drops or brake torquing to wring every bit of performance out. Less aggressive launch techniques (feathering the clutch or just stomping the gas in the auto) return times like Consumer Reports' 9.9 seconds for the manual and 12.4 seconds for the auto.