drove test an 09 today..

[BOMFIRSTVEGASFIT]

hello, first off honestly i like the look of the 07-08 better, 09 is still very nice i love the back bumper, the interior of the 2009 is made of better quality then the previous model, i didnt really like the non-nav layout, look kinda ugly to me.. the steering wheel and the tact is prolly the best part.. i didnt like the weird pattern on the seat and the door panel.. i drove it around the block, it feel a lil bit faster, handling is pretty good, engine bay is stuff, look like a pain to do any mod to the engine, but overall i wouldnt trade in my 2007 for an 2009.. good luck to all 2009 fit member.. =D

[feddup]

That's cool you gave us an up close look at the sticker. Are 16s standard on the sport? What are programmable door locks? Is the "underbody kit" like the "ground effects" all 07-08 sport owners got? I'm not usually a big fan of blue but I like that blue.

[Tastycakes]

Oh the programmable door locks are prob the thing thats in the Civics auto lock and unlock.

Like you can have it lock your doors when you put it into drive or lock them when you start to drive (for manuals) and you can have it unlock your doors when you turn the ignition off or put it into park.

[BOMFIRSTVEGASFIT]

16s are standard with 09, im not sure what the programmable door locks are lol.. sorry and ground effect are the sport body kits..

Originally Posted by feddup

That's cool you gave us an up close look at the sticker. Are 16s standard on the sport? What are programmable door locks? Is the "underbody kit" like the "ground effects" all 07-08 sport owners got? I'm not usually a big fan of blue but I like that blue.

[feddup]

Wow, you guys answered my questions in like 5 minutes. Thanks!

[Silly Monkey]

I was able to test drive a Fit today here in metro Detroit. It was a SSM AT (w/o nav). This car was available for sale, as it wasn't allocated to a customer. I have a white MT on order so I was just a tire kicker; nevertheless, I was curious to see the new Fit "live."

I must say that the car looks significantly more handsome and aggressive in person versus all the press photos. The front end doesn't look bad at all -- I was initially concerned about it having an overbearing snout. The car was still a bit dirty from shipping, but it still looked nice in the sun. The SSM looks lighter in the sun, but when the clouds rolled over it definitely looked more gray.

I was able to drive it about 4 miles; it was immediately evident that the chasis is more refined than the outgoing model. The 16" rims are a big improvement in terms of filling out the wheel wells, as well as handling characteristics. The engine still came accross as wanting a few extra HP, but it wasn't laboring (hoping the MT will be marginally better). The windshield is heavily raked and it's now about 5 inches farther forward. Personally, I think this gives the Fit a more sporty look, and it also creates a more spacious feeling inside.

The interior looked and felt more upscale as well. The seats felt more bolstered than the outgoing model, and the dead pedal is a much-needed addition. The 2nd row seats now fold flat without first removing the head restraints, making it much easier and faster for stowage configurations.

Some minor annoyances were the external air flow lever, which I think looked cheap and dated -- should be a push button like the JDM model. Lack of steering wheel radio controls is a bummer, though not a deal breaker by any means. The stock radio sounded reasonable, yet the on-off button was rather smallish and not initially intuitive. The USB interface, which is located in the upper glove box (if that's what it's called), is a nice feature and perhaps will mitigate the need for satellite radio (not sure why XM isn't optional as well, especially given the competition).

Overall, my ride was brief, but enlightening. I think the '09 is a nice evolution from the '08 in most areas, however, the fun-to-drive factor might have dropped a point or two. Very impressive package, especially when compared to the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, and Chevy Aveo (which, imho, doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath). It appears that Honda is trying to go more upscale in its positioning of the car, and by my measure, they've succeeded!

[waraeor]

For you guys who've driven both 1st and 2nd gen, how would you compare the steering response between the 2? Would you say that the old one steered quicker and felt more like on rails? What would make the new one 1 or 2 points down in the fun factor?

[pinballlooking]

The EPA cost for gas on your sticker was $4.10 the cost on my sticker was $2.80. Wow they changed that fast.

[Silly Monkey]

Originally Posted by waraeor

For you guys who've driven both 1st and 2nd gen, how would you compare the steering response between the 2? Would you say that the old one steered quicker and felt more like on rails? What would make the new one 1 or 2 points down in the fun factor?

I think the drop in fun factor -- remember that this is my personal opinion -- is due to the fact that the car feels more refined now, and it feels like the suspension has been softened a bit to compensate for a body structure that is 2.5 times more rigid. Driving the '08 felt like a go-kart, just point it and go -- ride could be a bit tedious on longer journeys. I only drove the '09 for 4 miles, so didn't have a chance to put it through the paces, nor on the highway at cruising speed. As with most things in life, there's a price to pay for most things, and I think the price for the rigid body is a recalibrated suspension that might give up a little feel, but will enhance the car's driving refinement -- some might say that this isn't a good thing.

[waraeor]

Yes. I remember when driving my dad's 07, the steering response was so tight and quick and the car turned in razor sharp. (This is just going by memory) Ride was a little stiffer, but you felt more connected.

My 09 still feels great, but I think like you said it lost just a degree or 2 of that connection, though no one will ever know the difference if they didn't spend some time with the GD3.

I'm thinking of getting stiff sidewall summer tires to compensate for the softer ride. Hopefully it will recapture those 1 or 2 degrees of lost connection.

[mahout]

I looked at both base ($16,407) auto and sport ($17,580) and see only one thing better in 09: The track is wider and wheels are apparently 53 mm offset 6x16 on the sport. (that means you'll have stay much closer to 53 mm offset than before. Probably not less than 45 mm if you weant to avoid rubbing but that requires us to remove at least one wheel before we make a requuirement. Right now, the 09's wheels tires are closer to the fender arch than last year's stock Fit.
Steering appears about the same: 2.41 old to 2.48 new.
The transmission ratios are changed:
08 manual 3.462, 1.870, 1.321, .970, and .757 final: 4.29
14.85, 8.02, 5.667, 4.16, and 3.24 overall.
09 manual 3.308, 1.870, 1.303, .949, and .727 final 4.62
15.28, 8.639, 6.02, 4.384, and 3.35 overall

08 auto 2.996, 1.679, 1.067, .756, and .550 final 4.560
13.66, 7.656, 4.865, 3.447, and 2.508 overall
09 auto 2.996, 1.679, 1.067, .761, and .552 final 4.560
13.66, 7.656, 4.865, 3.470, and 2.517 overall.

As you can see the manual gains a tad in torque for all gears which will make up for the weight gain and allow for the increase in rpm from 5800 to 6600 at peak power. Increasing rpm at peak power is how they got the increased power. The torque of 08 engine's 109 hp is 98.6 lbft at 5800 rpm; the 09 engine has 93 lbft at 6600 rpm which it may have had before if the programmer allowed the rpm. At 4800 rpm, peak torque for both is 105/106 lbft. Not enough difference to know it, the 09 weighs supposedly 1% more so an increase of 1 lbft torque means nothing much changed. That too is dependent on our weighing an 09. Naturally, it will cost mpg. And I doubt if there'smuch change in performance between 08's with 42 mm offset aftermarket wheels and 09's with 1.4" wider track and 53 mm offset wheels.
One other thing: the antisway bar increased from 21mm to 22mm; unless the weight gain is really 180 lb and not 50 that makes no sense at all, but at least they added 17mm rear bar on the Sport (not on base), which may work out just fine for balancing cornering power with the 22mm bar in front. (thats not too different from mine with no antisway bars that handles very well on track at speeds you don't want to do on the streets.)
The auto gears should reduce the tendency to down shift on hills in 4th and 5th but 3rd remains the same and should also have had increased ratio to offset the need to hold second too long to maintain momentum.
One thing I didn't like was the change in Sport's tires. They are now 185/55x16 which has a diameter of 24" vs the 08's 23.44". That 1% change probably wastes any improvement from the changed gearing noted above (which means lesser performance).

All considered, the 09 is still a driver's car and the best choice in the econobox class but I am disappointed that Honda again failed to put discs on the rear and CVT in the auto. My Thailand friend was back over Labor day and drove my auto (with discs rear) and stated his would drive away from mine easily and didn't down shift so much, a real improvement.
He didn't know his gear ratios though so its not a direct comparison.

Finally, I couldn't really tell any difference in my seats and the 09; nor could I feel the extra room, although it is probably there.

My advice: if you get a deal on the 08 compared to the 09 jump all over it. Its not $600 plus better than the 08. Looks? thats up to you, like favoring brunettes over blondes or redheads. Whatever floats your boat.
cheers.

[methodbasic]

^ well said. +repped.