If you are only planning on driving the car... home to work, work to home, maybe out to eat.. Get an auto shifting sucks.

BUT!! If you are looking to Turbo, or Supercharge and really go have some fun with it, the kits are already made for the MT.

I purchased a MT, and switched prior to taking delivery. I am glad I did, I love not shifting after YEARS of doing so. But this car was not for beating! I have others for that.

 

Traffic? The manual Fit isn't so bad. Clutch action is light (squishy even), shifter action is sweet, and barring arthritis I think you should be comfortable pushing and modulating a third pedal in traffic.

The automatic Fit does make a case for itself as a better cruiser. Top gear on that car would equate to a hypothetical sixth gear on a manual gearbox.

 

Fixed that for you. I've already commented, but not shifting is dull and boring for me and yet I have to tackle traffic that averages about 20~25km/h everyday. Having an auto would be so much easier for this, but at the same time I would feel bored out of my mind in the car.

They should probably ban automatics except for those with a real need for one. Maybe there would be less accidents on the roadways as people would be more in tune with driving and not adjusting the stereo, eating, drinking, smoking and diddle daddling themselves all at the same time.

Guess that last part is somewhat hypocritical with my previous post.

 

Get what ever you prefer, test drive both and see what you like better. If you do get the AT and mod it just be ready for some, not all but SOME of the MT guys to look down on you.

 

Go with the M/T coming from an S2000 the Auto would kill your fun.

I bought the M/T even though the wife can't drive stick, she will learn on the old Subaru first. Compared to my 99 Subaru Legacy, it takes about 50% less of the effort to work the clutch in the Fit. It is very comparable to the the feel of my old 2000 Civic Si.

Also the M/T is a bit cheaper then the A/T, but a lot harder to find depending on where you live. You may have to compromise and get your 2nd or 3rd choice of color to find a M/T car.

 

I have never used the paddle shifters. The auto shifts just fine when you floor it. I guess it would be helpful when the car is older and the trans takes a second or 2 to kick in.

 

Get MT. The clutch is so light, you won't get tired driving in stop and go traffic.

 

MT on the way for me. CANT WAIT!!

 

this is my 4th car.. and yeah they were all manual including this one.. but sometimes i regret not getting automatic, because girl's and such can't drive my car.

but then again.. whos going to be really driving my car the most? "me"...

 

manual is fun, but for resale and better mileage, the auto is better.
I have owned both, the 5MT is fun and you get more out of the car, but the fuel mileage wasn't as good as the 5spd auto, with the manual, you always wanna give it more gas!
for resale, probably sell 10 automatics for every manual

 

Wrong! Manuals get better mileage. If you got less it sounds like your own driving habits may be to blame.
As far as resale value goes, I would have to see some evidence that autos are higher.

 

not anymore, manuals use to get better mileage, Automatics are now just the same and actually better
look at the manufacturer ratings
and YES for resale, I have sold many Honda fits, most people want an automatic, odd person will ask for a manual. I have had manual 5spd fits that were not sold for a while, because from exactly what was said above...GF or other person cannot drive the car

 

Manuals have a majority market share in the automotive enthusiast marketplace.
This is a bug, which DSG is designed to fix.

 

maybe many moons ago, formula one and many race cars are no longer manual, hence the development of paddle shifters
MT's are on the way out and only are around for a lower price point in vehicles. the manual transmission is about $1500 cheaper on a 2009 or 2010, MSRP stick price.

 

I disagree on all counts, manuals get better MPG (look at the polls)
Manuals are cheaper to BUY, so obviously less resale
BUT.........
people are complaining all the time that the dealers have NO MT's in stock, so resale could be much better than you might think as demand apparently exceeds supply as we are reminded of that in countless posts here quite often. I have MT and I do not "always want to give it more gas"
This is not to say that a MT is superior for everybody, it clearly is not. Get what meets your needs best. I would strongly recommend that prospective buyers on the fence test drive both.

 

Manufacture specs in Canada, our Imperial gallon is larger then the US gallon
The 2009-2010 FIT rates as follows.

Honda FIT 5MT 39-50 MPG
HONDA FIT 5SPD AUTO 41-51MPG

 

Actually here in Japan the CVT, even more complex than the AT offered in North America, sells for about $700 cheaper than the MT equipped model and I still went MT. Think Honda of America/Canada is really ripping off the consumer if the AT costs that much more than the MT or maybe Honda of Japan is just trying to sway more sales from MT.

The CVT model does supposedly get better mileage than the MT. 18.8km/l (44mpg) versus 17.2km/l (40mpg). These are the numbers published by Honda in the old Japanese 10-15 mode of testing, which are way off from reality. I have seen a very best of 37.5mpg on a drive I took over to Mt. Fuji with the stock wheels and tires and the best I have managed since the switch to 205 width is 34mpg on a drive over to Suzuka (of course my foot is not light by nature). My average MPG since owning the car for the past 4 months has been 28.75. My lowest tank fill up was a 23.8mpg (all city driving bumper to bumper).

I don't see the normal automatic getting better mileage than the MT, the CVT makes sense as it is always in the proper gear ratio for the condition. I could see the AT offered in North America getting better mileage if driving was done a majority of the time on the highway. Put it in my scenario and it would be much worse. Maybe why Honda of Japan doesn't offer it except on the 4WD model Fits.

 

You're probably right on the demand/supply point. Think about it, the dealerships are supplying MT for two purposes, but mainly for one purpose, a lower price point. Secondarily, they know some people prefer manuals. OTH, dealerships have less risk by having an A/T on the lot rather than a M/T. Everyone knows how to drive an automatic, not all know how to drive a M/T. Even when the M/T are sold out, there's a good chance a consumer just might pick up an A/T just because that's all that's left. Especially if there's a "manual transmission" mode, i.e. paddle shifters. So, I betcha dealerships purposely undersupply M/T just because there's a higher risk they won't sell. Just my business perspective!

 

As Tork has stated, there have been several polls confirming that the 5spd Fit gets better gas mileage. Also it weighs less, accelerates faster, stops faster, handles better, cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain, and fun as heck.

If you are comparing paddle shifters on a Fit to formula one race cars, you are extremely stupid.

 

So for those that really want the MT, they should just order it and not settle. And don't let the dealer tell you they can not place an order because that is pure bullshit. If you are willing to wait for the vehicle then wait for what you really want. It took me 2 months to receive my Fit and the plant is just 4.5 hours away.