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I was truly delighted and glad I bought the automatic when I drove down Ortega Hwy. from Temecula. It is an absolute godsend to have paddle shifters through the canyons. Engine braking for the win.
But generally I suggest shifting before 3000 RPMs and going easy to extend your mileage. I really don't mind the fact that the paddle shifters are on the wheel anymore since unless I'm doing a U-turn, I can keep my hands on with the wheel. Either way I don't know how many of you have realized this, but the shift up paddle shifter has three or so grooves so you know that one is always the shift up one. You may have felt it before but never realized it was only on the upshift.
The car will automatically downshift as you slow down. In my opinion the shiftings of the Fit are very distinct and you can feel the entire car move on upshifts and downshifts and driving in semi-automatic lessens the amounts of downshifts (i.e. from fifth to third to first rather than going down each gear in D) and feels smoother to the stop.
I forgot the username of the fella, but there's an awesome poster on here who has some Porsches and an automatic Fit with Scan Gauge II who posts very informative shit. Read up on his findings from using SG2.
Oh yeah, he did point out that driving in second gear is very inefficient and to shift up to third if possible. Since reading this I always make sure to get up to third when I'm driving in parking lots (when possible, I'm not a dangerous driver) and my community. He also pointed out the driving in fifth is the most efficient so do it when possible (speed limits around here are 45 and I can always get up to fifth so should be no problem). Another thing he said is that to drive in D when you're on the freeway. This is good anyway since if you're on the freeway and want to pass up some slowpoke to just tap the downshift, zip by, and then it'll automatically go back into automatic. Plus D is more efficient on the freeway.
I live in a private community so if I want to get it into manual, when I get to the gate to get out and I'm waiting for the gate to (slowly) slide open, I'll slide it into S and then downshift to put the M on (rather than being stopped and upshifting and popping it into second).
But as it's been pointed out, the car will automatically shift up if you forgot. I've never had it shift up for me before, but I have forgotten and gotten it to 6000 RPMs or so.
To be honest I love music but a lot of the times I find myself driving with music and the radio turned off and I just listen to the car. I know what the car sounds like around 3000 RPMs now so I know when to shift during turns (steering wheel gets in the way and you can't see).
Have fun. :]
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