I am considering buying a '11 Fit Sport Automatic. My current car is a '06 Dodge Grand Caravan. The Fit is my top choice due to the excellent ratings, great MPG and storage. I have test driven the Fit three times and it drives well around town.

Obviously having a salesman in the back seat, and short test drives limits my understanding of how this car drives on the highway and at night. My Dodge powers up mountains in NH (on vacation) without any issues. I know that I can not compare this performance to a Fit.

I have read that the Fit struggles on hills and mountains and that one must use the paddle shifters to shift to a lower gear to keep up with traffic. Also Consumer Reports rates the headlight performance at the lowest level - A solid black circle - much worse than average.

I am freaking out a little in that I love the Fit however if I can't see the road an night and I have to work the paddle shifters just to go up hills that I will end up regretting my decision.

So my questions are how are the headlights at night and how does the car drive on steep hills and in the mountains? Thanks in advance.

 

The headlights are fine. You may have to adjust the aim manually, but the brightness is adequate when it's dark enough to need them, and a nonissue otherwise (which will be most of your driving if you live in suburbia/urbia).

If you take hills in Sport mode and switch to a lower gear, you will be fine on most grades.

 

Headlights are great I live out in the country and drive through a large area with no street lights. I drive with the fog lights on and you can see animals in the ditch such as raccoons and deer long distances ahead of you.

 

Thanks for the response. This is very helpful info to me. Regarding downshifting on uphill grades, do you mean steep grades or will I have to do this on most hills and grades? I like AT vehicles now that I am older. I have driven MT vehicles in the past and while they are more engaging to drive I don't want to do that now especially in NY/LI bumper to bumper driving.

It's not that much of a big deal to use the paddle shifter to switch to a lower gear once and awhile. If I have to do that with most grades it may become bothersome. I would have to re-consider a MT and not sure if I want to go there.

 

Hello Purplehondafit. Thanks for the response. I thought the CR report probably was a bit off. Sounds like the headlights are fine and I won't have any problems.

 

I live in Florida so I can't really tell you for sure about that, haha.

 

But a cheap upgrade in bulb makes them spectacular...
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...eadlights.html

Under $50. Well worth it!

 

^that or get some hid lights. You would be able to see for miles...

 

I'm on the same boat as Blackbeard with getting a better set of bulbs. Raising the headlights via adjustment can do the trick to but it is possible that one could raise it too high and blind traffic.

As far as mountain driving, we don't really have any here in south Texas so I can't say much there. But in the hilly sections of north-east Texas I've noticed that gaining (running start in other words) and using your moment when approaching hills helps a lot.

My 2008 GD Sport didn't down shift much when doing that (it was in S with paddles engaged) but the torque converter didn't open up as soon when climbing steep hills while doing this.

Sure, while blinding everyone in front of you with their glare from not having the proper projector housing.

 

the headlights are absolutely fine and more than adequate. H4 bulbs really are pretty much the best when it comes to halogen lights. if you need side to side vision, the fog lights are there to help. ...and please don't install an HID kit unless you're using a properly retrofitted projector.

 

Year ago I used Cibie headlights that were not legal since they were not sealed beam type. That law has long since changed, BTW since almost no headlight are sealed beam now. These lights were called Z beams. The lamps had a very defined horizontal cut off with a slight rise on the right side. They do not blind other drivers like cheaper lights. The Fit has the same type of light pattern. Adjust them up a tad and they are great.

 

I have 2011 Auto Sport. I live in California, and I set the cruise to 65mph, the Fit can go up the hills in 5th gear in S-mode just fine. It may have to unlock the torque converter for steeper hills. But I didn't have to paddle downshift.

I didn't notice any headlight issues. I think the factory headlights are fine/average.