Heya everybody,


Short time reader, first time poster here (but yes, I have searched this topic). The wife and I are considering buying a Honda Fit, and I figured I'd come chat with ya'll about it prior to pulling the trigger.

Simple question: Would you feel comfortable using the Fit as a daily highway commuter driving at 75 MPH every day?

Our situation is very basically this; I'm currently a student, and my wife works full time. I have an 80 mile (round trip) commute that is exclusively on expressways in Michigan.

We both really like the Fit. It's nimble, it's efficient, it sounds like it's safe from a crash test standpoint, but I've got some concerns about highway manners and highway safety with the thing.

At this point, we're pretty much down to a Subaru Impreza or a Honda Fit Sport, both new 2010 models. As much as I LOVED driving the Impreza, the gas milage isn't nearly as good as the Fit. At the same time, I'm concerned about getting myself turned into a splatted piece of subcompact on I-96 in the Fit.

So, would you guys recommend, and feel safe with a Fit as a highway commuter?

Thanks everybody.

 

the fit is a great highway commuter i make 100 or more mile trips all the time through out the week and its pretty comfortable at around 75-80 but u will expirience a lil road noise at high speeds over 75 it isnt bad so just having the radio on u wont really hear it .. but its good on the highway and the steering is very responsive so u can avoid any potential dangers if nessesary

 

Where I live every thing is spread out I have been on numerous long highway trips as far away as Mexico and my medical care is with the V.A. at hospitals that have me driving 200 and 300 miles round trips numerous time a year....I have chronic back pain but I am no worse off in my Fit than in our new Subaru Forester.... The Fit is blown around less than the Forester has more room for cargo and was just as fast as the Forester in stock form and much faster with the modifications I have done to it. The Forester does have better seats but no by much and it gets 10 less MPG. driving both the same way.

 

We drive the highway on occasion and to be honest with you, we never gave it a second thought. Some think the seats are a little too hard but they and the ride are fine with me.

 

In Ohio here everything outside Columbus is 60+ miles to get to any other city. I drive it very often and find the Fit to be a great commuter car. I did lower mine to make handling better (Strong side wind is annoying at stock height.... but not unsafe) I find the Fit just as comfortable as my TSX and past CL-S on long hwy trips... and I am getting 7+ mpg hwy better than both.
Like mentioned above this is a very light weight car though so sound deadening is minimal. Just be aware you will hear the engine. I actually like it. I feel disconnected to a car I can't hear the engine...and if I don't want to hear the engine I just turn up the music .

Good luck on your decision.

 

No worse than my old '89 Civic Si back in the day. Actually it's a lot better.

 

I just traded in a WRX for a fit 3 days ago. I have a very similar commute to yours, 35mi. each way, all highway. I find the fit more comfortable than the wrx was, however the wrx seats are different from the regular impreza seats and mine was lowered so the ride was a bit stiffer.

I haven't felt unsafe at all on the highway. It doesn't seem to get blown around much and the ride is actually quieter than my subaru was.

 

One thing nobody has mentioned yet is that the Fit Sport (at least my Fit Sport) HATES concrete highways, at least the ones in PA. I feel every single expansion joint (because PA sucks and doesn't make them level, or the snow and ice just causes the joints to heave), and it gets very annoying. Imagine feeling a kick in your pants every second -- this is what it's like traveling on I-380 here in PA. The whole car shakes -- but on the plus side, no rattles yet!

My friends 2010 VW GTI has the same problem on that road, though it's not as bad since it's got a slightly softer suspension. I think this is just the nature of short wheelbase cars with a sporty suspension setup.

Aside from that, the Fit is a pretty competent highway commuter. I often take 200 mile highway trips and aside from the above, it's not bad.

 

Nah, every car hates concrete highways, period. No matter what I have driven, they all make the ride choppier and freaking louder.

 

My only real complaints cruising highways with the Fit are
1) wind wash from larger vehicles
2) the sensitive steering is an acquired taste - you either like it or you don't

Both aren't things you can't get used to or drive around though.

At first I was a little nervous with the electrically assisted helm, but now I've gotten very used to it that it takes so little effort to change lanes or perform overtaking maneuvers.

 

My wife and I made 3 3,000 mile trips across the country in her car and it worked out perfect for us. We're about to do one more of those trips in a couple of weeks, but in my 09, which is quieter and feels more solid. BUT, my car is more sensitive to wind gusts (I'm pretty sure because of the slightly narrower tires) and rocks you back and forth more when driving over expansion joints. It is pretty annoying, especially if you like to rest your head on the headrest occasionally.

 

If $ and gas mileage is the primary concern get the fit.

The subaru will be quieter and will handle snow like a champ, but the gas mileage is not great. I think the subaru is more comparable to the accord (you can sometimes find accord lx specials for $18k~ish if you want a nice bigger car.

 

ive done 100mile commute trips. i have no complaints except that i have a manual transmission in traffic -_-

 

42 miles one way,from York ,Pa to Forest Hills,northern MD. I love it and the best car I had for the job. Right now mostly 45-65mph driving I am getting 39.8 MPG. When the cold nights warm up I expect in lower 40's, like last years on my commute to work. If the Fit owners here ever drove an 09 Toyota Matrix Sport,the Fit rides far,far smoother & quieter,and at tops the Matrix only got 29mpg. I traded the Matrix in less then 10 months because of ride,and noise,and not so good mileage for a car it's size. The fit holds more then the Matrix,another bonus. Yeah PA roads will always suck. I can tell when I arrive on MD roads with my eyes shut.

I have rode in the Fit up to 10 hours now,and the seats are fine for me,at 5'11",235lbs. Far more comfortable then the Matrix I owned,considering it cost 3K more.

All the Subies I had were good cars,but they lack good mileage figures. I e-mailed Subaru once to ask if they would bring back the old gear lever in & out lockout for 4WD,which the early models had and got great mileage. Their response "it is in our best interest to serve our customers with the convienence of NOT having to switch into 4WD". So so what they were saying was, America is to lazy to shift gears to help save millions of gallons of fuel. I think lately they have lost sales due to rising fuel costs and one day may come back to their senses,and come back to the lockout gearboxes that made them what they become from the early days and more fuel efficient cars. At that point I dropped Subies and looked elsewhere.

If snow is your concern, I am highly impresed by my Fit this past winter. I had Michelin Ice X snow tires put on,and it was the bomb in snow. Not Subie like but plenty good enough. Save the 6K difference from Subie to Fit. Good luck.

PaFitter

 

You'll love it. All the road noise you won't even hear cuz the car is a blast to drive.
It'll be rough if you don't like a bit more of a stiffer ride, as the actual chassis it's built on is a bit race inspired and one the stiffer side...but it's not that bad.

If you opt for the automatic, it'll be a tad quieter and you'll get better mpg than the MT because of the longer final drive.

with that being said, i drive my MT fit 90 miles a day. just sign the papers and don't look back, you won't regret it.

 

My Fit does great on the highway. Great mileage. I've never heard the supposed engine noise, but that might be because I have an automatic, and because the car I had before this sounded like a jet engine, in a bad way lol.

I find that there's a point between 40 and 60mph where you finally notice it's taking a little while to speed up, but once you're past 60 it's just as fast as any other car I've ever driven. I have no problems passing. I don't feel unsafe at all. It's steady on the road and the steering is really responsive so it's easy to make small adjustments without having to yank the wheel. Some people have trouble finding that sweet spot in the middle for straightaway driving but after a week or two I could do it without thinking. I find the ride really smooth and I really like getting to that space where I know the road and I've reached my cruising speed and I can just relax and put my elbow on the armrest and just chill.

If anything I find it's not highways that bother the Fit, it's lots of accelerating uphill that makes it fall behind just a little. But that would be true for any car of its engine size, at least IMO.

 

Sport AT is a better highway car than MT due to longer gearing, which makes it a lot quieter.

That said, I used to live in Michigan, and I doubt that highway maintenance has improved since 1985, so you might find the Fit suspension a little harsh. See if you can rent/borrow a Fit for 24 hours, and make your 80-mile commute with it.

Before the Fit, I had a 2003 Forester; it was ultra-reliable, easy to work on, and had great handling in the snow. Plus heated seats and mirrors. 120,000 miles on the Forester; the only repair outside routine maintenance was a water pump replacement at 109,000 miles. On the other hand, fuel consumption was never a strong point; the Fit gets about the same in 100% city driving as the Forester got on the highway.

 

The Fit is a lightweight car with an extra-firm suspension and a very short wheelbase, making the freeway ride choppy and harsh.

I love mine to death, but really it kind of blows on the freeway.

 

if your michigan highways are blacktop, not concrete, and not full of holes and bumps, then you'll be fine. every bump on the road is felt in a fit.

as noted, the fit w/ the auto trans will be quieter than the manual trans at highway speeds.

once i became accustomed to the feel of the car on 70mph roads, i felt perfectly comfortable and safe.

not all highways are the same.
here in nj, rt 287 is smooth blacktop and the fit cruises quietly and beautifully on that road.
meanwhile, highway 130 is full of ruts and bumps.... and is a less than pleasant experience in a fit.

 

If I had to have the ultimate highway car it would have to be a mid fifties Coupe DeVille..... Get some performance touring tires on lighter, wider, wheels and drop the tire pressure down to 29 or 30 Psi and the ride will be much smoother and the steering just a smidgen less twitchy.