Honda 5 speed = Fun. Even if the CVT is "quicker" I still want the 5 speed. Cheaper and way more fun.

 

The rest of the world finds the seven speed paddle shifter fun.

 

Honda being an innovative company doesn't feel the need to always do what everyone else does. No other company has VTEC (they have similar copied systems) so should Honda stop having VTEC on any vehicles by the same logic because everyone else doesn't have it. A growing number of vehicles are being offered in auto only guises. Other companies are moving to CVTs. The new Mitsubishi Colt is only avaiaable in CVT form in Australia.

If we look at the breakdown of sales of auto vs manual for this vehicle globally and then further break down those results by country you will find a clear preference for the auto (at least in all developed countries).

If saving money is of paramount importance than a Hyundai (manual or auto) is always going to be cheaper than a Honda.

CVT is not like a normal auto. You really need to drive it to appreciate the difference.

 

I'm okay if the U.S. Fit is not offered with rear discs...there's always the aftermarket. However, the sunroof/moonroof is a different story...I'd prefer OEM. ...and I don't mind either tranny...this way, my wife's able to drive it and I'll still be able to switch gears at the flick of a wrist, or finger for that matter.

 

I'm not concerned about rear discs, either. The things that'd be important to me would be 5-speed, cruise (or at least an aftermarket option), ABS, power windows/locks. I'm sure it'll have all of those, except possibly the cruise.

 

No cruise. I'm waiting for an aftermarket option but don't know if the CVT causes any issues with conventional cruise control.

You loose alot of headroom with the sunroof as the external dimensions of the car are still the same. Personally I would no longer fit comfortably in the car. Sunroofs are pretty useless in Australia anyway except maybe at night as its too damn hot and the sun burns like you would't believe (welcome to the international skin cancer capital). You know that big hole in the ozone, well this is where it's at.

 

Picture of sunroof.

This one is a better shot

 

I THOUGHT I had seen those pics somewhere on this forum...hope it makes it to the States. I agree...it's gotta have cruise control, or at least offer it as an option. I'd rather have that than the 7spd CVT.

Honda should just package the Fit like the Civic...just cheese on the DX and supreme on the EX. I'm sure there's a bunch of us who's willing to pay a little extra for everything. If Honda's goal is to sell 60k of these a year, then they definately have to at least offer these as options, if not standard on the different trim levels. With those kind of numbers, I'm sure Honda's not only looking for buyers that can't afford Civics (as someone had mentioned).

 

I think right now the Fit for the US market will have at least these configurations:

1. No sunroof to keep costs down.
2. Five speed manual or CVT-7 automatic.
3. A/C probably standard.
4. ABS likely standard (ABS systems are really cheap nowadays).

The big unknown is still the engine choice. Will we get the L13A i-DSI engine (83 bhp) or the L15A VTEC engine (108 bhp)? Or will it be a 1.5-liter i-DSI engine (100 bhp)? Or will it be a new 1.5-liter SOHC i-VTEC engine (110 bhp), essentially a larger-displacement version of the 2006 Civic Hybrid engine? Hopefully, Honda will provide details before the end of 2005.

 

That figures....they did the same thing with the 88-91 Civic sedans...no sunroof, not even on the EX. Not another SOHC....it's bad enough that the new Civics are still using SOHC! :P

 

Actually, the new R18 1.8-liter SOHC i-VTEC engine found on the 2006 Civic is actually a very nice engine--it's rated at 140 bhp (SAE 08/04 net) and gets 30 mpg city, 40 mpg highway with the five-speed automatic. People who've driven the 2006 Civic say the engine is quiet and quite powerful even in the higher rev ranges.

That's why I'm hoping for the 1.5-liter version of the SOHC i-VTEC engine found on the 2006 Civic Hybrid.

 

Actually, SOHC has the advantage of one less moving part, which equals a bit less friction (from what I understand).

Also, the Scion xB/xA, which will be the Fit's main competitor in the U.S., doesn't come with cruise — not even as an option, although many Toyota dealers offer an aftermarket unit that they will warranty. The other thing is that the xB/xA are 108 hp (well, 103 with the revised U.S. horsepower figures, I believe). I think many Americans won't buy a car with less than 100 hp — not enough power. However, I could be wrong, especially with the price of gas.

(BTW: I currently own an xB and a Civic if you were wondering).

 

Jazz 1.5ltr VTEC is 81kw which is 108hp. Exactly the same as a 1.9ltr TDI Audi A3 except the Audi is significantly heavier but has more torque.

 

Also, the Scion xB/xA, which will be the Fit's main competitor in the U.S., doesn't come with cruise — not even as an option, although many Toyota dealers offer an aftermarket unit that they will warranty. The other thing is that the xB/xA are 108 hp (well, 103 with the revised U.S. horsepower figures, I believe). I think many Americans won't buy a car with less than 100 hp — not enough power. However, I could be wrong, especially with the price of gas.

(BTW: I currently own an xB and a Civic if you were wondering).[/QUOTE]

How does the Xb compare with your Honda? I have a soft spot for The Box. My wife hates it. :-) I guess you either love it or hate it. BTW, I had a Civic Si that had 91 HP and a 5 speed, and I never had any problem with power. It would scoot pretty good for a little car. That's why if the Fit has around the same HP as the Scion, I could live with that. I'd just be buying it to drive 99% in the city anyway.

 

Hi Mav,

One very burning question I have, that your friend at AHM may know the answer to:
Will the new Fit have the Maintenance Minder system that is now standard on the new '06 Civic? I love the feature that tells you how dirty your oil is getting, you can get away with far fewer oil changes this way than just doing it every 3000-4000. This is a big deal to me because I run a courier service and spend $30/month on oil changes. This maintenance indicator could reduce my oil changes from one per month, to one every three months. That's a savings of $270/year!

Thanks!

 

No current model Jazz/Fit in the world have a maintenance indicator. Doubt they will add one just for the US market. Bad enough everything has to be configured in ancient imperial measurements. They can't even use the setup they have already for the UK because US gallons are a different size to normal gallons.

 

We Americans just like to make things tough.

 

The maintenance minder idiot light is right up there with day time running lights for stupid automotive inventions. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people forget to turn on the lights after sun set because the DLRs are still on. Its bad enough that Honda mandates 5w20 oil for all temperatures in the US just to make the EPA happy.
Bad things happen when you mix maintenance minder light and dumb owner using cheap oil.
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/...1;t=008933;p=1

 

We have to use a synthetic blend oil in the Philippines but this is a waste of time as it's more expensive and far better to use cheaper oil and change more often, not like the 10,000K the dealer reccomends. The city is dirty with all the diesel soot and pollution so for me every 5,000K it's worth the extra $40USD to have the car last.

 

The way I look at things lately, if you buy a Honda or Toyota, you're going to get top-notch quality and reliability. I have about 6,500 miles on my xB and have had zero problems with it. I average about 32 mpg with 18" wheels/tires, too.

I went from owning a Prelude SH to the xB; I almost bought an xB twice before, but didn't think I could live without the power. When gas started to jump, I decided now would be as good of a time as any to buy the xB. I also hesitated because I wanted to wait for the Fit, but it kept getting pushed back and I hadn't heard any offical word on the car actually coming to the U.S.

Power wise, it is just fine. 90% of my driving is to and from work in traffic. The car accelerates better than expected, thanks to its short gearing. More impressive is the handling, though. Althought it's fairly tall, most of the weight is low, and the traction control and stability control (and my Tein S-tech springs and bigger wheels/tires) all help. This is the first non-Honda product I've had in five years.

Our Civic is probably faster; then again, maybe it just feels faster (we have intake and exhaust on it). My old EX was good for a mid-16 second 1/4 mile time; I'd bet my xB runs low 17s. However, if you're buying an xB for a racecar, you're going to be disappointed. I'd bet that'd be the same for the Fit, too (then agin, maybe not: e.g. Spoon Fit).

The shifter on my Civic is a bit nicer than my xB, too (not as notchy), but overall, it's still fairly good.

Again — I don't think you can go wrong with either Honda or Toyota. If the Fit had been available when I bought my xB, I would've been inclinded to stick with Honda (then again, I wasn't able to drive a Fit, obviously). However, the Civic will need replacing within the next few years, so we'll look at that when the time is right.

I should also mention that I looked at Suzuki's Aerio, too. I liked the car but the milage wasn't great and I just don't trust Suzuki's automotive line. Not so much the quality, but their dealer network is very small, but more importantly to me, the resale was poor. However, the Aerio did come with a lot of standard features for the money. I don't think it is built as well as the Honda or Toyota, though.

Cliff Notes:
I like the xB; handles well, adequate acceleration
I'll look at replacing our Civic with a Fit
Also looked at Suzuki's Aerio