I just logged my first 1000 miles on an '09 Fit Sport Manual and I have some comments and reflections. See what you think...
First, I should say that most of these miles were on California freeways (unfortunately) and this is not really the Fit's strong suit. When it's four lanes wide and crowded with the SUVs bearing down on me it feels a little bit hairy. I am coming off a lifetime of small BMWs and Saabs and for some reason the perception of my first Honda elicits a "get the heck out of the way" response. Anyone else feel this vibe?
(When I downshift and stomp on the pedal of my 9-3 for example, the Suburbans and work-trucks are quickly dispatched with as the turbo spools up. Not so in the Fit, but then again that's not why I bought it!)
The noise level is quite a bit higher than I'm used to at full-bore, but then again I'm comparing it to some "luxury" sport sedans that cost 2-3 times as much! On the other hand. it is an incredibly quiet car around town. At stop-lights I sometimes wonder if the motor is even running. Whisper-quiet. Quite amazing. Any aftermarket-exhaust owners wanna' chime in here?!
The driver's seat/room/comfort is excellent. I'm 6'3", 250 pounds (no donut jokes Homer!) and it's nearly as comfy as it's European predecessors. More head-room in fact! If only there was some leather...
My wife and kids (tall, young teens) have ample room even with the driver's seat all the way back. They love this car since they know they will have it as a "first-set-of-wheels" in about a year-and-a-half. My wife drives a Mercedes sedan (Realtors gotta' have 'em she tells me) and she seems perfectly happy to be a passenger in the little Honda.
Six-speaker, USB, iPod-dock systems in their own damn glove-box RULE! My friend Tom spent $800 to upgrade to a similar system in his 330i. HaHA! Access to 9,353 shuffled-songs make this the perfect digital jukebox and the info screens with artist/album/title are great. Sound is better than any stock stereo I've owned before and the look (in blue letters) is stylie to say the least. Any aftermarket subwoofer owners wanna' chime in?
Controls are feather-light on this car. Brakes are effective and require very little force. I can't believe how little effort this car requires to shift/drive/brake. When I get back in the 9-3 it feels positively
heavy. Clutch-pedal throw seems a bit long in my opinion and engagement could be a bit closer to the floor for my taste. I've read that some people would like a 6th gear and I'm on-board with that. Around here, 70 mph is the standard on our freeways and that translates to about 3500 RPM at cruising speed. The motor sounds a little busy at 75-80+.
Since I've only recently broken-in the motor, I just discovered the 5000 RPM+ sweetness and now I know why Hondas are happy when they are flogged a bit. I can't wait to get the first oil-change and a few more miles under my belt so I can really start some thrashing. It's gonna be good!
This car is really just a minivan in disguise. One friend commented that it looks like a baby Odyssey and I can see the lineage. When the magic seats are folded down I can fit all my kitesurfing gear in the back and there's still room to spare. Yes, it holds a 6'5" surfboard INSIDE. Gotta' love it. Minivan, passenger sedan and ultra-compact-sport. It's like "Felix the Cat" and his bag of tricks. I haven't thrown in a mountain bike just yet. Any amazing storage stories to share? I saw a YouTube video showing two bikes and camping gear in the back. This is the biggest small-car I ever owned!
The twisties? WOW. Dive this car into the apex and hold on tight. Be sure you have no passengers or groceries 'cuz they will be tossed around like nobody's business. This car is very sure-footed during transitions and it seems to have "nearly zero" body-roll. The suspension is well-damped and only over the roughest pavement does it get a little jittery. I can't wait to run this thing on some of our "enthusiast roads" with a little Red Bull in my veins. So far, the only thing I've tried is a run up Mt. Diablo which requires a lot of caution due to the cyclists. On roads where there are no obstacles, I can see some fun times in the future.
I had to hunt a bit to get the Storm Silver paint with a manual transmission but I'm glad I ignored the dealer who told me "there are none of those around here". I'm guessing he never even searched the database since another dealer found it about 90 miles from her location and had it the very next day. Every time I look at this car I'm pleased with it's aesthetics. It really is a very pleasing design-- especially without a front license-plate bracket. Don't tell the CHP, but mine has disappeared into the garage and will only come back out if I must comply with a fix-it ticket.
The Honda Motor Company makes some great products, eh? I've owned their off-road motorcycles (exclusively) since I was a kid, and now I have my first automobile from Japan. I'm pretty happy about that. The only problem? I'm also lusting for the new Euro-only CB1000R-- a naked motorcycle that will cost nearly as much as the Fit did after the CARS rebate. (I won't miss that cheesy Windstar even a tiny bit.) Crush it ASAP since my
new minivan is WAY more fun!
) Minivans are dull, drab, and handle like crap. The Fit is far from that. It reminds me of a bigger version of the CRX with space you can use.
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