[dbzeag]

I knew going into this I was either going to get flamed, insulted, just flat out ignored, or ridiculed. Let me try and explain my reasoning behind what I said.

Originally Posted by feddup

Sell it! I love the Fit. I read your "review" word for word and either you got a lemon or you're sporting the worst anti Honda bias I've ever heard of. Why did you buy a Honda? You must have gotten a completely different Fit than I did. Mine, while not being perfect, is well rounded, behaves impeccably, handles superbly, rides well and gets excellent mileage in a variety of circumstances. We apparently have completely different cars.

This is my first Honda. It's not that they have never been in the running before when I have been looking for a car, they just haven't checked as many of my boxes before.

It is well-rounded to a degree. I wished for more mileage given the power and emissions compromise. I wished for more weight capacity (and support for it with better brakes and less floppy suspension) given the interior dimensions. I wished it didn't ride like a pogo stick but still take a corner as fast as my Protege did (and Mazda3 do).

Originally Posted by ChrisG

Did you even test drive the car before you bought it? And you are comparing a Honda to a Kia.

Originally Posted by ChrisG

All Im going to say is you get what you pay for. Go ahead and sell the Fit and get a Kia, that should be an interesting post to say the least.

I did test drive the car beforehand. I didn't know how fuel efficient (or not) the car was because I wasn't allowed to drive it on my daily route for a week in my test drive. I didn't know how it rode on my roads because the dealership wasn't even close. I knew about the blind spots and I thought I could live with them if I had spent more time adjusting the seats and mirrors and such instead of the quick test drive time I had. I couldn't take the car around a corner quickly. I couldn't accelerate, or at least try to, quickly. I couldn't pack the car with what I consider average cargo (4 people and a couple of suitcases) to see how it does with added weight in the test drive.

For the quick test drive I was allowed, I reasoned that I could live with the poor acceleration if it meant I was going to be rewarded high mileage, so I let that slide. I reasoned that I could find a better seating position if I kept fiddling with the seats and mirrors to avoid some of the rear blindspots. I reasoned the car should be able to handle the weight expected of it if it is good enough to supply the space for it. I reasoned because of its diminutive size, the handling should be nippy almost by default (which it is) but the ride should not have been compromised because it is "easy" to make a small car handle in a nippy fashion without having too much effort into it (see Mazda3, see Sentra, see Versa, see SX4, see VW Golf).

Like I said before, with the Kia I know what I am going into. A cheap car that gets from point A to point B (now) reliably and cheaply, cheap to insure, cheap and economical to run, warrantied so cheap to maintain. That makes up for the unsophisitication of the steering or clunkiness of the transmission.

I can't/couldn't make that argument with the Fit.

Originally Posted by comptrekkie

Wow that was long. It helped pass a good amount of time at work though. :-)

Glad I could be of service

Originally Posted by Robywolf

For someone who obviously hates their car, why are you on a Honda enthusiast forum? Seems like your just here to bash on Honda, I personally love my Fit and every Honda I or my family has ever owned.

Originally Posted by Robywolf

The easy choice is to sell it and buy something else and give the Fit a home where it will be love and not treated like the red headed step child you say it is.

I joined the forum or at least lurked for months before I bought the car, doing research. Of course going to an enthusiast forum will bias the information or at least the decision process, but I was interested in seeing what people were doing with their cars. What modifications they were making to correct things or just improve them. I joined to see what kind of an aftermarket is available; to see what issues people were facing and how easy it is to maintain with daily upkeep.

First hand experience was what I was looking for, and I found it.

Originally Posted by GAFIT

I agree with most of his rants. The car should ride better, should have come with a center console, should have better paint, should get better mileage for the performance it provides, etc.

Originally Posted by GAFIT

But, I knew all that going in and still bought it. Why...because it's fun to drive, roomy, looks good, and is affordable.



It's not perfect, but I still like it. Anything can use improvements.

I didn't know about the paint/body thinness. I didn't know about the mileage and/or performance for my type of driving on my roads. I didn't know about the handling/ride for my driving on my roads. No information I could research would have told me that.

And affordability it was not, either. Like I said, a Mazda3 hatch was $1000 less than the Fit OTD for me. I couldn't realize until I lived with it that the Fit wasn't worth $1000 more than the Mazda3 (until resale value kicks in, which again I can't know until I actually sell it).

Originally Posted by mikow

lol... this guy. bann this foo yo. haha jk

If my opinions are a bit too harsh for these forums, I totally understand and please go right ahead and ban me. No need in letting someone on an enthusiast site spoil the fun for those that are indeed enthusiasts.

Originally Posted by FITDragon

So sorry you regret buying the Fit.

Originally Posted by FITDragon

I myself came to the Fit from a Kia. The Rondo was larger, more luxurious, more comfortable on long drives, and more powerful.



But the Fit has twice the mileage, much better resale value, and is much more fun to drive around town.



It is by no means the world's most perfect car. Even after one month, there are things I wish for; things like a dead pedal for the left foot (Easily remedied with an aftermarket), a right armrest (also remedied), and more legroom for the driver (that gas pedal is just too close.. sometimes hard to find a good position for my foot). But even though I have a *GASP!!!* automatic sport, I still am averaging 33-36 mpg consistently, and the engine barely has 2500 miles on it so far.



I am sure Honda is improving on many of these things with the new 09 redesign, though we'll have to wait and see. But my God... you really ARE a negative person! The Fit is clearly not a fit for you, so sell it, and I hope you find a better car for your needs!

I won't argue with the resale value of a Fit of the Kia (any Kia for that matter). But the mileage, I am not convinced; my coworker's rented Rondo got almost the same mileage as my Fit. More fun to drive around town, I will agree the Fit trumps a Rondo. But then again these are two fairly different cars for different markets.

I am interested in seeing the new 09 Fit. I am sure they have fixed things that at least annoyed me. Honda said they have improved the ride and reduced some of the blind spot areas while improving seat comfort and gear ratios, mitigating some of my arguments.

Originally Posted by solbrothers

OP, you should kill yourself. life is tooo hard for you lol

This thought has crossed my mind a couple of times.

Originally Posted by Sugarphreak

A lot of the rants are valid, I dislike the front blind spot and I removed my rear headrest. But this car has much better all around visibility than the other cars I looked at in the same class; Kia Spectra, the Yaris, The Nissan Versa. I also agree with the soft paint comment, I am not too impressed with how mine is starting to chip off my front bumper. 3M is highly recommended.

Originally Posted by Sugarphreak

You really put a lot of thought into this, but it seems like you are dwelling on pretty insignificant stuff.



-You can put more weight than 700lbs in the car, don't be afraid;

-You knew ALL the options when you bought it, no sense complaining now.

-The suspension is much more firm that most cars, no idea what you are complaining about.





Ok, and here is my "Come on, give me a break" list

-You are concerned about blocking the tach when you shift?

-Reverse is too hard? How far exactly are you driving in reverse?

-Your old car that has no air bags getter better mileage... uh huh Give me safety any day.

-32mpg is crappy?

-Your fit is unreliable? Are you kidding me? This car is great, it goes longer between oil changes and I haven't had a single issue with mine yet.

-You car is crappy in the snow? Do you have snow tires? Because if you are driving around on all seasons you have no legs to stand on. My car handles fine and believe me I have dealt with my fair share!

-the entire rant about the dash lights is beyond me how that could actually bother somebody.



I don't think any car you buy will bring you happiness, the Fit is a great comfortable car for most people and mine is a pleasure to drive. Reliable, Good on Fuel, tons of features and options, great suspension.... all the things you rant about seem well above average to me for this class and price range. One final note, a Kia won't have good resale like the Fit.



For the record I am not picking on you, I appreciate you taking the time to put together this report. It is always interesting to see how others think, I disagree but I also do respect you sharing your opinion.

I agree without the A pillar and rear blind spots, the visibility offered by the low dash and low belt line is superior to most other cars on the market.

I am not going to exceed what Honda has told me it recommends for fear of warranty cancelation (yes I know they would never find out and the car could probably get away with hauling heavier weight, but that's not the point). I never complained about the options on the car. Well, I complained I wish it didn't have them because it would be one less thing to break and overall make the car cheaper, but not that the equipment list was lacking. The suspension is not so much firm as jumpy, but still soft enough to top out with only 500lbs in the back.

The tach was a minor inconvenience and is stated as such.

Reverse issue is when starting from standstill in a small parking garage where very slight movements in controlled fashion are preferred to revving the piss out of it and abruptly letting the clutch out so as not to stall the car.

My "old" car has side air bags and front airbags just like the Fit. The only air bags it didn't have were the A pillar head bags. Still 4 - 5 star crash test ratings on the "old" car. Similar mileage.

32mpg is crappy given a whole new design platform from the world's most economical car maker for an entry level world platform economy car, yes. When a rehashed old design engine from a poor R&D firm of GM comes out with an engine more powerful, more emissions efficient, AND more fuel efficient for the Cobalt platform, that's startling.

A recall, three recommended dealer fixes, check engine lights before 10K miles, thin paint/bodywork with dirt/salt traps, long oil changes on a stressed engine with terribly small (but hopefully effective) oil filter is not my idea of reliable for a car that has been on the market for 6 years prior to my purchase.

I have not had as much trouble with my 85 Ford Thunderbird RWD V8 car with all seasons than I have with my Fit. I have never needed anything but all seasons on any of my cars I have ever driven (well with the exception of the Fit).

The dashlights annoy me because that is just another light that will have to be replaced quicker that needed because it is always on. Replacing dash lights aren't that easy, either. If it was never on, it would last longer.

I have been coming to the realization the car's proper home, the one that it is most suited for, is the downtown city traffic. Great 0-30 acceleration, great visibility, small size and turning radius for superior parking, lots of interior room for messenger work or work lunches with coworkers. I don't do these things enough to warrant the compromises the car has for an environment like that. I thought I could live with them, though.

Originally Posted by cojaro

I'd like to know what speed you're at on the highway before you tell me that 32mpg is bad. If you like it at 75-85mph, then sure, enjoy your 32mpg.

My speed averages 75mph for 18 miles, then 40mph for 1 mile. 3 traffic lights. That is my daily commute. My Protege auto did that with 30mpg. My coworker's Civic from 1995 does it with 40mpg. Another coworker's Mazda3 sedan does it in 33mpg. Another coworker's 1997 Saturn does it in 35mpg. 32mpg for a light car with little power should do better than those heavyweights. It doesn't. A lot of it has to do with gearing. It just isn't catered to my style/need of driving.

Originally Posted by FITrunner

HAHA I read this post and guessed what he did for a living. Sure enough towards the bottom I was right. He's a tech guy. Really bright and really intelligent. Problem is most of the folks I know this bright are also a little gullible and light on the common sense.

Originally Posted by FITrunner

No offense dbz but comparing the mpg is a new car to one built years back is not a fair comparison. Newer cars are required by the NHTSA to have safety features which add weight and kill mpg. Of course a late 80's CRX will have way better mpg! It's a lot lighter! Last I checked those didn't even have an airbag.



Ok now comparing to later models like an Accord or Civic. Hmmm lets see bigger motors, better ability to move the weight. Sounds normal to me that the mpg of those would be comparable. But NOT the PRICE point. Are you willing to plunk down the extra change for those cars? If so then why didn't you?



MPG overall, simple physics, the more weight you put in, the harder the car has to work. I always tell people that going to a Fit is a learning experience. You need to learn how to drive the car. If I drove this thing like I did my Integra I'd be hosed for MPG. Again chalk this up to research my friend, something that you do good at for work, but need to apply in real life decisions like buying a car.



Regarding the gearing, it’s a Honda they all for the most part spin at high rpms. You either like it or you don't. I'll give you that if you don't. But you should have done more research before the purchase. (Seeing a pattern here about research yet?)



No room for 3 in the back? Get skinny friends! Seriously if you bought this to constantly truck more people around. Then you bought the wrong car. Chuck that into no research on your part again. On one of my test drives I brought friends with me so they could sit in the back. Hows that for anal and making sure I got all the bases covered? Maybe I should be a software tester too since I'd be really good about looking into details.



Now about your insurance going up, yet another wth are you thinking? Its a new car! Its a popular car! You really expect the insurance company to give you a break on a brand new popular car?? Come on!



Comparing this to a KIA. It's all perspective man. If its not worth the $5K to you, why did you buy it? I drove the Rio, along with the Versa, XA, Yaris. Heck I took 3 different test drives on the Fit before I made a choice. If you'd have done the same then maybe you wouldn't be in this mess. Or maybe you'd be crying on the road side somewhere because the engine of your new Kia Rio fell out? Who knows.



Seriously man. Sorry about the problems you experienced, but you sound like someone who was just too lazy to do any research and bought based on here say and what the salesman at the stealership probably said. If I believed everything I heard about cars and read in magazines I'd be driving a Ford. Ummm no.



Lesson learned I say, next time you buy a car, drive it and drive it again. Ask the guy at the dealership to let you take it on the freeway. Talk to other owners and don't believe everything you read. Heck the folks on this site are happy to give you their feedback. We could have saved you the time and money. We could have told you that the mpg could vary greatly, the gas tank only heal 10.8 gals, the fabric, etc etc etc. Now if you say you are too busy with your life, or its beneath you to get down and dirty and do some work, then that sir is your own problem, not Honda's.



Good luck on your next purchase.

Of course adding features to a car of similar size will add weight, all things being equal. But read again carefully what I wrote. The cars weighed the same, the hp was the same, the older car got MORE mileage. Safety features or not, the weight is the weight.

Bigger motors + more weight should not mean better mileage. If that was the case SUVs should be owned by everyone in the world.

I am willing to plunk down another $5000 on top of a Fit to get a turbo diesel hybrid configured to accept biodiesel. I have no qualms about that. Then it should actually get 70mpg consistently (if a VW Polo can get 70mpg with a simple and conventional diesel today, I would think a tweaked Honda should get the same).

I shift at 2500rpm every shift. I am never in VTEC until I get to 70mph because that's from the gearing. I shift into neutral and "coast" to stops and while I am stopped. I am not a hypermiler, but I am not a jackrabbit starter either. I still get unexpectedly bad mileage for that style of driving. Hell a V6 Mustang will get average 30mpg with that style of driving.

Hondas usually have high rpms, except for the Fit and Accord and CR-V and Element, set up for more low end torque. The redline is only 6500, which isn't that high, nor is it as high as other cars in their stable. The goal of the L15 is to have low end torque (at least a lot for such a small motor) and to that they do a good job. 0-30mph acceleration is acceptable. Cruising at 70mph at 3400rpm in VTEC activation isn't good top gearing, no matter how to slice it. WV and GA speed limits are 70, so asking a car to be able to cruise comfortably at 70mph in the US should not be unusual. No research I have found in the past year prior to buying the car told me the engine speed at 70mph for a manual version of the car. I have no issues if the car revs high to get power, but it should settle down to allow it to cruise.

I didn't buy the car to exclusively haul people. If I didn't care about people at all, though I would have bought a coupe or something even smaller on the inside. I do occasionally haul people around. When 2 people in the back with a weight of 175lbs each are almost touching shoulders with each other and on the glass, I don't know how 3 normal sized people can be comfortable back there (besides the plank that is the seat cushion). The research numbers I saw accounted for the head room being more than adequate, but the way the seats are positioned and how the doors are constructed did not paint the picture that the rear seat is that small. Now for how small the car is in general, the seat is quite roomy. However, the seats in many other cars of this price class are more comfortable for 3.

I can expect the insurance company to give a break on price when the car is supposed to be safer (your argument from before) with more safety features and more economy-based. A car that coddles the driver and passengers more with safety and that is slow and meant for city driving is cheaper for insurers to insure than something a bit more sporty (a Mazda3 for instance).

I bought it thinking it was worth the $5000 more. And it will be when I sell it again because of the resale value. I am just disappointed with it until the time I can sell it.

I don't think I could have done any more research on this car than I did. I have read every US review of the car I could find (Car and Driver, Road and Track, Edmunds, Inside Line, Consumer Reports, local newspapers), I looked at international reviews (Top Gear, Fifth Gear, What Car?). I subscribed and lurked on this site for information. I wikied the car for weeks. I took two test drives (one was very short indeed, just around a block). I previewed the owner's manual before I even purchased the car. I read eopinons about the car. Honestly, I can't think of any more outlets to find information. Please tell me what I missed because the next time I spent 9 months researching a car, I will add that to my suite of informational sites to use.

A lot of my complaints could not ever be found in a third party reviewer because that person does not have my commute, does not drive in the city I do, does not drive with the same equipment I have. All the research and reading can only get you so far. Test driving can get you a bit more data on top of that. But you can't make a judgement on a car unless you "work" with it for an extended amount of time in your environment. This is where the Fit let me down. I thought it was such an adaptive car that it would fit a wide range of environments; city commutes, long distance travels, cargo hauling with easy-to-park abilities. Some of these things it does sublimely for some people. For what I was asking of it, it fell short. I wouldn't have known that until I used it for a while.

Originally Posted by NaTuReB0Y

cliff notes please.......

I am not happy with my car for the above reasons....

Originally Posted by fittmann

Just a few thoughts: Why all this repeated carping over the "faults" of a car at the END of a 7 year production run? The design & development phase of a new car is anywhere from 3-6 years, the 2008 model represents the last chance to get one of the current Fits; the 2009 model addresses the majority of complaints voiced about the Fit. Granted the Fit is NOT perfect (WHAT car IS??) BUT, after having researched & test drove, I bought and LOVE my Fit for what it is!! It fits me (all 6'4" 210 lbs)& has provided 45 mpg!!

Originally Posted by fittmann

'07 VBP Sport 5MT w/ minor appearance & comfort mods!!

I know it's a bit late for my complaints and it is unlikely someone at Honda would even care to open up this thread let alone take notes on the next model. I just wanted a place to vent and to see if I am just really out in the weeds with my observations. Maybe I was asking too much out of the car to be as reliable than a Mazda entry level car, to be as gas efficient as a modern Civic, to be a similar price as an entry Mazda, to be as comfortable riding as a Hyundai Accent, to have as usable a room (because of size AND weight constraints) as a Suzuki SX4. From what I have seen and experienced, it fell short.

I am looking forward to seeing what the 2009 model fixes. I am sure my arguments will be drastically reduced after that model is released. The car will be more wisely geared to American driving styles.