Hi. I'm looking for opinions on the following questions:

• How does the Fit with a CVT perform on the highway? Does it have adequate power for passing, merging, and keeping up with high-speed traffic (70-80 mph)?
• Is it comfortable during long trips?
• Is the AC strong enough to cool the whole cabin?
• Does the stereo sound good?
• How bad is the wind/tire noise?

Here's the reason for all the questions.... My current '07 Civic coupe has 155k miles, and I'm planning to replace it soon with a new Honda. I keep going back and forth between the Fit and the new Civic. The Civic is more car than I need for everyday driving (daily commute to work is only 3 miles each way with a 35 mph speed limit). Plus, I love the styling of the Fit, its cargo capacity, and the lower sticker price. However, I do take a lot of long-distance highway trips (several hundred miles each way), and I'm worried about the Fit's performance on the interstate. I know I'll eventually have to take a few test drives before making a decision, but I figured I'd ask for some opinions here.

Thanks!

 

Have a manual, not CVT, but our Fit is fine on the highway up to 80 mph... comfortable enough on 600 mile trips, 40+ mpg hwy, 35 mpg around town, fun to drive ..it's a keeper in my book

 

* The highway cvt performance is more than adequate for the econobox that it is. The ECON mode will sap power if used so keep that in mind when you need to pass or merge. Otherwise I find that it has plenty of power to accelerate and maintain high speeds. Most of my driving is on the highway and it is definitely a highway cruiser - it's the main reason I chose the Fit, plus the high mpg.

* It is comfortable to me, even on my 9 hr road trips but everyone responds differently to the seats and to the ride in general. I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort level and I experience very little fatigue on these long trips. Unfortunately, you won't know the how it will affect you until you take a long trip.

* My a/c works fine even although others here have said it's not powerful enough.

* The am sound is muffled for some reason - this is a common complaint. The fm sound is adequate with me. If listening to music is important to you when you drive, you'll probably want to upgrade the system.

* I can't really detect wind noise due to the fact that the Firestone tires create a lot of road noise on most roads. Sometimes it's deafening.

Most of your questions can be answered when you test drive the car - except for the long road trip. I love the car and really enjoy driving it. I think you will too. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.

 

We returned from a 25 day, 5000 mile trip 2 weeks ago. In 2015 we took a 1500 mile trip. The car was utterly comfortable despite many long driving days, the power was sufficient, the car could be quieter, but it's definitely not a burden (plus the engine sounds great), and all that with lots of cargo and 38 mpg. We love the car.

 

Man, god love you guys for going road warrior with this car. I bought it for city slash and burn driving, and it's amazing for it, particularly with the gorgeous manual it has.

One of these days, I'll have to go on a long trip with this car. But for the time being, I'm too busy terrorizing BMWs and Audis.

 

Agreed....it's fine on the freeway, but it's a better blast around town, and even more fun on our back country roads and out in the mountains........am SO glad the sales dude "accidentally" found the manual Fit he didn't know they had on the lot....LOL....

 

My MT car has plenty of power to merge on freeway on ramps, does 75-80 for as long as I dare, and I find the seats plenty comfortable for long drives (YMMV on the last one, of course). I can average over 40 MPG with the manual, and for me, that's plenty.


The A/C was fine this summer and last, and much better than the A/C in the '09 Fit I had before (you could feel the compressor cycling on and off in the '09, not so the '15). Yes, the car is a bit noisy at speed, but considering my other ride is a 23 year old Harley-Davidson, it's plenty quiet for me. I just turn the tunes up louder. I don't listen to the radio much, except for news. If I want tunes, I have about 5,000 songs on a couple of tiny USB thumb drives.


I wouldn't hesitate to drive it anywhere I wanted to go.

 

The CVT has plenty of power at highway speeds. Like someone said though, take it of ECO mode if you're in really hilly areas. Some of the big mountains on the Shenandoah near me, the fit can hunt for the right gear ratio if in ECO mode. Better to be in regular mode in that scenario.

I've only been on 2 hour drives and it was plenty comfortable. The higher armrest I put in, helps to rest your arm on.

AC is adequate. If it's really hot, again turn of ECO mode as it seems to reduce the AC performance.

Stereo sounds good enough. I don't really use AM/FM, mostly stream music from my phone.

Tire/Wind noise isn't too bad but my vehicles have exhaust systems so I don't mind a little bit of noise. Just turn up the radio haha. A benefit of the CVT is that the Fit runs at lower RPM at highway speeds. At 70 MPH, it's about 2300-2400 RPM.

 

I have a 6MT and found the Fit has plenty of power on the highway. I was surprised at its pickup. The 6MT is noisier than the CVT, as it spins higher due to gearing differences, but still tolerable. The arm rest is important to install.

 

it does very good on highway even up to 90. i was going 70 holding it, there, i look at the speedometer and i was going 90, felt like i was going 70.

I have the ex that has 6 speakers and i think they sound very good better than what i thought it would for stock

With eco mode on, and a/c, with very little wind i got an average of 44 mpg going an average of 75MPH. on my trip to ohio.

On my way back it was pretty windy, on the way back, i only averaged 34 mpg.

 

How does the Fit with a CVT perform on the highway? Does it have adequate power for passing, merging, and keeping up with high-speed traffic (70-80 mph)?

'15 EX CVT here, 47K miles in just over two years of ownership, which includes five 750-mile (one way) trips to see my Dad (who has dementia, so I'm trying to make the most of the time we have left with him). I normally drive in "D," and used ECO mode a lot for the first few months. Never use it any more (doesn't make a real difference for my driving use case), other than on snow and ice in the winter. The car has plenty of power for what it is, although if you're expecting neck-snapping acceleration, look elsewhere. I don't feel unsafe or anything, whether in rural stretches or in a major metropolitan area. I drive the posted limit, but have had the car up to ~105 (just curious if it could, officer!), and it felt stable.

Is it comfortable during long trips?

It's adequate, and actually more comfortable than my wife's VW Routan SEL (rebadged Town & Country minivan). I'm 5'-16" tall, and don't feel cramped, even after being on the road all day.

Is the AC strong enough to cool the whole cabin?

If the car is heat-soaked, it will take a while to cool down. I'd say the a/c is "adequate," not a meat locker, by any stretch.

Does the stereo sound good?

I'm a year away from getting senior discounts, so my days of loud stereos are well in the past. The system is again, "adequate," although I may look at upgrading speakers at some point. I don't need loud, but a little better clarity would be welcome (although I suspect it's the fact I only listen to my phone through bluetooth streaming that's the main issue with the sound quality being a little muddy).

How bad is the wind/tire noise?

The car is light and tall - you'll find it gets buffeted if you follow large vehicles too closely. Quartering winds generate a lot of A-pillar noise (although my wife's van is almost as bad). I run wider wheels and the tires I have (Continentals) have a deserved rep for being noisy after they get some miles on them. The car doesn't have a lot of sound deadening material (weight), but if you're into modding, that's easy enough to add.

The Civic will be a more refined experience (although how much more, I can't say, having never driven one), but you'll have more *utility* with the Fit. Actually, the Fit really reminds me strongly of the '90 Civic hatch we had back in the day.

I'll be autocrossing mine for the second time tomorrow, FWIW - it's a hoot to drive "in anger!"



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I'm always very suspicious when people come into a specific vehicle forum looking for opinions about that vehicle.

This is a Honda Fit forum, so of course opinions are going to lean very heavily on the Pro-Fit side.

However, I like the Fit, i just bought my 2nd in 6 years. It's a great vehicle for many reasons.

But reading in between the lines?
Well, I'm just going to say, go test drive.
The Civic is a great vehicle too, and while you say it's more vehicle than you need, you follow it up by saying you also take long highway trips. While I think The Fit is very adequate for this, The Civic "might" be more comfortable.

I haven't owned this 2016 long enough to have firm opinions, but I had my 2010 for 3 years, it was an amazing vehicle. Early impressions of the 2016 would have me say the vehicle is fine as far as power on the highway, has a lot of "extra's" at a rather economical purchase price.

Side note, when I bought my 2010, I had the responsibility of having to care for someone with a wheelchair that was on oxygen. At that time I looked at both Fit and Civic, but actually chose Fit because of it's cargo versatility. Though smaller it actually offered better hauling room and configurations.

But only you know what your priorities REALLY are going to be. If cost isn't an overriding factor, and you can afford either? Go test drive both, they are both very good choices.

None of your concerns about the Fit I would necessarily say are huge red flags or deal stoppers. Even though I would say as a sub-compact, road noise isn't a strong suit, even if it also isn't a deal breaker.

I believe also this fall Honda is releasing the Honda Civic Hatchback, which looks fantastic.
I might regret that I didn't wait and take a look at The Civic Hatchback.

 

• How does the Fit with a CVT perform on the highway? Does it have adequate power for passing, merging, and keeping up with high-speed traffic (70-80 mph)?

No problems at all with mine. I cruise at 70 and there is plenty left to pop up to 80 if the need arises. At 70 the engine is loafing along at 2300RPM. Climbing over the passes here in SoCal the RPM never goes above 3500 at 70MPH.

• Is it comfortable during long trips?

I've gone five hours and it is great for my 6'2" frame. Back seat passengers are also happy.

• Is the AC strong enough to cool the whole cabin?

It is not quite a strong as I would like, but it keeps things cool at 105F. Since the entire windshield is a good solar collector it needs to be pretty good to do that.

• Does the stereo sound good?

It sounds fine to me (LX, 4-speaker)

• How bad is the wind/tire noise?

That depends upon your definitions. It is much better than my Scion, but if you're coming from a Lexus you may think that it is loud.


IMO, the Fit is a better car than the Civic. It has more room in the back seat, greater versatility, better mileage, and is more fun to drive. It's also available in hatchback, something that Honda is loathe to offer in the US for anything other than subcompacts.

 

Wow! Thank you all for your detailed responses. I really appreciate it. Like I said, I'll be doing some test drives soon to make my final decision, but your comments are big help -- now I know a few things that I should pay close attention to during my test drives. Thanks again!

 

Also test drive the Mazda3 (more expensive, better performance, less cabin space) and the Nissan Versa Note. There is also the Ford Focus, which may have a larger engine but less cabin room.

 

Drove 200 miles to upstate NY. 2015 EX 6 speed, I was impressed. Great on turns and uphill though the engine was a little loud because of the gearing (uphill) not bad though for a 1.5 engine. 37 MPG 4 adult 1 kid.

 

I live in central Alabama. The AC does struggle if the car is heat soaked and you are in stop and go traffic. The AC struggles when you are sitting still in a hot car. On the interstate with the engine going its fine the AC puts out plenty of cooling when on recycle.

 

One of the reasons I park at the far lot at work. It's nice and shaded so it doesn't take as long to cool it down on the drive home. Added bonuses are I get a little more exercise and no one dings my car.

WhenI started that, people asked me why I park so far away. A couple have started to do the same so I guess I have some converts