Just an FYI, I have over 2,600 miles so far on my Sport MT and last week I noticed a bump in torque. It now requires less downshifting and revving the engine high or to its redline is quite fun. Sounds better than my 05 Acura RSX Type S. The car now has palpable oomph compared to new.

...something you new owners can look forward to.

 

I swore to my wife the other day that our Fit just recently got a bit more torque, as well. Granted, most of my time is spent with the wife and child in the car, and the day I noticed this I was by myself. However, I've noticed the car is consistently quicker off the line and in the lower part of the rev range it just seems like there's less waiting to get going. A welcome change.

BTW - my Fit is right around 1200 miles right now.

 

Yes. Not that I get on mine often, in fact I drive very conservatively with her to make that MPG gauge as high as possible, but it seemed as if overnight mine got torquey-er. I don't have to downshift as much on the same grades I drive on everyday, and the sensation is as if there's less friction in the engine. It's freer revving now and when I do get on it it's pretty zesty. Quite fun to zip through the gears, similar to my RSX.

 

i think it's all in the mind! haha maybe carrying around less stuff?

i forgot what mileage im at. just did the first long run to SD in the fit...

 

Glad to see there are people out there who don't automatically need a damned SUV even though they have kids.

My hats off to you.

 

*sigh* I can't wait...I'm tired of driving this car like a baby *tears*

 

Are you kidding me? Everyone knows you're engine loosens up when it gets some mileage and therefore more power, more mpg. So I'm posting this not to inform others that hey, guess what? Expect your car to get more power after break in. I'm saying at 2600 miles is when I felt a big change. And it feels good.

No, not carrying less stuff as there isn't anything in my car. There definitely more power - acceleration is more effortless compared to new.

 

i think what he meant to say is that the change in power is not so significant that you would feel it. it's most likely just your perception that is changing? i would have to agree.

 

x2! Nothing mind blowing. However, the engine will feel much more flexible in a sense.

 

I can concur - I'm at 2900, and I don't know when I felt the change, but it does feel progressively more like a car and less like a golf cart

 

Folks, I wasn't waiting or looking out for more power once the miles racked up. It's a palpable NEW and different feeling in the power, and the giveaway is not having to downshift like I used to when the car was new on the same hills that I drive every single day.

Instead of necessitating a downshift to 4th and the car would still slow down and struggle a little I can now leave it in 5th.

Same thing was true for my recent 08 Accord 6MT. After a few thousand miles I didn't have to downshift on the same hills, and the engine feels looser and freer revving.

 

Maybe it's your transmission or break pads. It's possible they are also breaking in and allowing less friction/contact/etc.

It doesn't always have to be the engine.

 

Nope. It's the engine. I'm surprised it seems a lot of folks here don't know that engined inevitably loosen up and gain some power compared to squeaky clean new.

 

I know that engines loosen up but those days of being noticeable changes are pretty much gone...much like the 3000 mile oil change issues.

All components play a role though...your transmission will loosen up as much if not more than the engine.

 

Either way you look at it, the engine/tranny loosening up is a given (and not a surprise to me) and it's more power to the ground, which equals more power.

Again, I'm not announcing that I found a new characteristic here, but simply sharing the joy joy with my fellow Fitfreakers.

 

That's great...no surprise either. Just stating that the whole car is probably loosening up.

 

Boys.... So the car runs BETTER after it has some mileage on it? Gotcha. Something to look forward to, whether it be the transmission or some other part on the car I'm totally clueless about....

 

To repeat: we know the engine breaks in, but we do not agree that you would feel a significant increase in power. But this argument will probably go nowhere. I just don't want other owners to be misled into thinking that their cars are going to gain significant power as they continue to drive it, and then be disappointed when no such thing occurs. Nonetheless, congrats on your new car and I'm happy you're enjoying it.

 

Ok, "significant" can mean a lot or a little, depending on context, but I don't think I ever used that word. I said "palpable" which means it can be felt. That's all. I never said it all of a sudden feels supercharged. Let's all back up and take a look at the big picture and try not to read between lines that aren't there.

Let me restate it this way: I feel the inevitable loosening up of the engine now that I'm at 2600 miles, such that I don't have to downshift as often as I did when the car was new.

 

The other thing to keep in mind is not only the engine breaking in but also the computer has a program that is for break in, once all the proper conditions have been met (proper load, proper temps, proper speeds, etc. for a predetermined amount of time) it then switches programming over to a normal program. Depending on how the car is driven depends on when this change happens. The power/mileage increase is not imaginary but purposeful...it allows for better break in of the engine in general. Most new cars nowadays rely on this programming changeover for break in.