So here goes. I continue hearing lament from people, even Fit owners, about how slow the Fit is.

From test drive to ownership I can't see where the Fit is all that slow... I really can't. At least, i can't see it, yet. I actually wonder if I either got a Fit with some kind of "special zip' no one else seems to have gotten, or, will some of you just never be satisfied with the speed most consumer vehicles give or rather, allow you? Keep in mind, my opinion on Fit's speed is coming from someone who drives a very high-powered 8 cyl SUV.

I was getting some service work done the other day. While I was at the counter, a guy came in to bring his wife's Fit in for an oil change. The service guy asked him what he thought of "his" new Fit. The guy said, "Hey, don't attach that little piece of crap toy to me... it's my wife's car... I'm just bringing it in for service." He continued, "I've driven some cars with no power before, but that thing has to be the worst excuse for power, even for an economy car, I've ever driven. But, my wife loves it, so, what are you gonna' say?"

So my real question for Fit owners, and the reason for this thread, is this:

In what specific situations are you owners experiencing the Fit's supposed extreme lack of power the most? When is it the most noticeable for you?

I don't think it's anywhere near as slow/sluggish as some seem to indicate. Matter of fact, I have yet to experience anything I would actually call slow or even sluggish. Most of you who think otherwise must have driven Porsches or better at a previous point in your lives! Maybe I was expecting so very little from the Fit before purchasing that it actually turned out better than I thought it would.

For you modders, aside from the fun of customization itself, why didn't you just buy a car with [at least] a little more power, rather than the continuous lament over the Fit's lack of power, and the constant quest to give it more? Seems, in the long run, you could have just saved a lot of money by going for a bit more power to begin with.

Thanks for replies... consider it a personal survey!


BTW... I realize I've posted a similar thread in the past. But I started this one for more input, and because my experience with the Fit is an ever-changing and ongoing one. I get some type of question about, or comment on the Fit daily.

 

it IS slow.... But I didnt buy it because it was fast.

 

can i ask what your car ownership history is? id like to know what you have to compare to the fits power because the fit is amazingly slow when its stock. also, do you smoke alot of weed? because i could see being high and being like "whoa bro, this car is sooooo fast".

 

I don't think the Fit is slow its just average. Not fast not slow. I use to drive a 260 hp V6 Acura Cl-S. I considered that pretty fast. My wife use to have a 99 Cavalier I considered that slow...that thing was a dog! The Fit is a nice blend. I bought the Fit to get great gas mileage and have the versatility of a SUV. So far I'm pleased with the car.
On a side note I have noticed the car seems to accelerate better not when you punch it but actually when you give it 3/4 gas. It actually pulls quite surprisingly for a 1.5L engine.
I do agree this car is not a tuner car. Its a drive from point A to B and get great gas mileage, reliable and maybe a little fun in the twisties kinda car.

 

yeah the fit is slow, i drive my friends 09 BMW 3-series with turbo pushing 300hp and its a beast. the fit wasnt made stock to be a race car. its not amazingly slow but the tiny 1.5L isnt helping it haul ass. if you want to go fast, consider buying a bigger engine.

 

The Fits slow, compared to average cars.

 

i'd say if you want to go fast, buy another car

 

Honestly, the new 2009-10 fit feels GREAT! not necessarily more power, just more usable power in the lower revs and real VTEC. Very daily drivable response and surprising low-end grunt

 

X2 on the weed Dude is blasted...

Lol but seriously yah its slow what did you think people would say that its fast?

I didnt buy it because it was fast I bought it cuz it was a fun car to drive thats pretty rare around here eventually I supercharge it to get the power I miss from my preveous cars.

Its funny I used to drive my car and then the wifes 04 civic 1.7v-tec and think HER car was a slug now it seems fast compared to the fit.

 

haha thanks man but going from having about 200 hp back to 98hp in the fit makes you put things into perspective. its a lightweight car that is agile and is geared very well for 1st,2nd and 3rd gear acceleration, but anything beyond being above 4500rpm in those gears, the car is a major slug but i knew what i was getting into when i bought a one and a half liter single cam. i knew that there was an aftermarket for these cars when i bought one and half the fun of cars is trying to squeeze every ounce of power out of them you can. ive squeezed as much power out of a stock fit engine that you can and now i am going to go K20 just because i want more power. i dont look at trying to make my fit fast as a chore, i get immense enjoyment and a sense of pride out of the work i do to my car. its like one-upping the engineers that built the car.

 

Very well put.

 

I also own a Toyota Yaris and I think the Yaris is slightly faster on express ways, but the Fit is better for city driving.

 

i think the fit is fun slow or fast, it's fun if it's slow cuz then daily driving is like a challenging stategy game, and a fast fit is fun cuz then everyone will be like WTF when you blow past them in a puny econobox. haha

 

The fit gets much better gas milage both city and expressway.

If you do a lot of long runs just get a bigger car for comfort and speed.

 

+1 on this comment.. No comment needed.. that answer the whole thing.

 

0-60 mph 8.3 sec
Quarter mile 16.3 @ 84.9 mph

It's not that slow. I like driving mine around town. Haven't been beat through an intersection yet thanks to the gearing, smooth clutch action and vtec.

This car would have been considered a rocket in the early eighties. Mid seventies? Forget it. Corvettes ran 17 second quarter miles back then.

I've never driven a GD but to me the GE does fine. Wind resistance kind of kills it on the freeway but you can manuever if you're willing to keep it in the right gear, take it to redline and keep the pedal down while the VTEC builds some steam..

Around town though I would actually call it fairly zippy. I really want to take my base model to the strip and see if I can crack in to the 15s. The times above are for a Sport.

 

Lot of bicycles ha. Just joking.

Actually, I agree with you, but be careful lots of intersection have cameras.

 

I am not one to bitch about how slow it is. I think it's a joy to drive most of the time, unless you are trying to get up to highway speed quickly on a short, uphill on-ramp (which unfortunately happens at least a few times a week, since I mostly hit the same ramps).

I'm coming from a 4.0L '96 AT Jeep Cherokee. I much prefer the way the Fit drives (it's a very, very long list of how much better the fit is, so I won't go into it). The only way that it suffers for me, is in getting up to highway speed on the ramp. Once I'm at 60, it'll zip right up to 70 or 80 no problem, it's a pleasure (it really is, once it gets there)! But going up those steep on-ramps, even if I floor it, it just doesn't GO. Isn't it supposed to be a go? The Jeep didn't necessarily shine in those areas either, but if I was willing to hit the gas hard enough, it could get up to highway speed very quickly. The fit just... can't. Yet. Maybe as it breaks in more.

I'm still trying to find the right amount of lead in my foot that can get it up to highway speed as quickly as possible, without the engine bogging down. It really doesn't seem like it goes that much faster if you floor it going uphill. Times like these, I wish I'd gone for the manual. But I do mostly city driving, very stop and go, so...

For driving around town, I think it's got a very nice amount of power. I can zip away quickly, but most of the time I'm trying to drive fuel-efficiently, so I don't rev it too hard.

I have an AT, by the way.

 

The AT's are nearly as good as manuals these days and AT's with paddle shift is better.

 

More like people sleeping at the wheel, talking on the phone etc. Most people never floor their cars either. The Fit driven to it's full potential can do OK.

Another great thing about the Fit. You can drive it as hard as you want and not draw much attention to yourself. I never thought about tripping the camera leaving on red. Will have to be more careful how I time it.