Hi all, I have recently purchased an early 2007 Jazz (Fit) the dealer offered to fit free 15" honda alloys as the original trims were scuffed, the car has only done 5000 miles, but I find the steering feels heavy and the back end seems to roll when turning.

Has anyone experianced this ?, is the power steering set up different on the base model and sport, that would cause this, I am considering asking the dealer to refit the standard wheels and tyres, as I find the drive very unpleasent.

Thanks

 

I suspect the tires on your 15" wheels, They could be a bit too large for your 1.2 liter engine and could also be the source of 'funny' cornering.
What happens when you increase tire pressures by 15 psi? Not permanently but just to see what happens to steering and cornering.
good luck.
PS your idea of returning to OEM wheels and tyres just might be the solution.

 

IMHO standard feeling given by the rear of the car is awful regardless of tyres/rims unless a better suspension setup is adopted.

My 0,02

 

If you decide awful compared to 911 or Vette I might agree but there is nothing wrong about the Fit rear. More often than not any rear end slow response (how we interpret dead handling) is usully due to the wrong tires, shocks, or anti-sway bars used as a first call. If the back end tends to roll a lot I would check the shocks first, then the tires for low pressure.
If you can easily rock the car sideways by jumping on and off the rear door sill the shocks are suspect IF the tires are pumped to 45 psig (3 atu).
If thats not the case reduce the tire pressure to 30 psi or whatever you used before and repeat. If the car rocks easily suspect the tire sidewalls being weak, as is the case for cheap Dunslops.
Last the Fit is a VERY understeering car and the back end tends to merely keep the bumper off the ground so it needs either a rear antisway bar or reduced front antisway bar. I personally prefer the disengagement of tyhe front bar first to see what that does along with 35 psig (2.4 atu) in all four wheels or substitute performance tires at 30 psig. If the back end doesn't track up much better consider reconnecting the fron bar and adding a rear bar.
Then kets talk.

 

I perceived, not decided, on my EU experience (I'm based in Italy) after having driven Citroen AX GT, Opel Astra, Renault Megane sw, Opel Vectra B and Skoda Octavia for a good amount of kms, town and highways, actually, so nothing fancy like a 911 or a Vette (BTW, would be glad to try them).

None of these cars would roll sooo much when doing an highway ramp at 60Km/h like the Jazz since new used to.

Stock tyres (Yokohama something) were unbearable, IMHO. So out with them and in with Bridgestones B250 inflated as I like (so harder than what suggested to "comforty" drivers). BTW I don't repute low pressure a good piece of advice, anyway, ever. Rear response was a plane, huge roll.

A front bar improved the coherency of the front of the car but the rear was not yet planted to suit my tastes. The Progress rear sway bar is still waiting to be fitted (there are some issues with EU Fit/Jazz).

But stiffer springs and firmer dampers did transform the Jazz.

My 0,02, again and HTH,