What does the spoiler do for the FIT? Does it help with fuel economy?

 

Hmmm..after my trip I'm thinking it doesn't help fuel economy...I had quite a bit higher FE without the spoiler but it also could have been because I had much lighter, smaller wheels as well...still trying to figure it all out.

 

I think in theory it could make the airflow smoother over the back.

Is it by anything but a negligible amount? Probably not.

It's a little bit silly looking, but it doesn't actually hurt anything. Still, I'd have gladly taken the money Honda spent on that and invested it in better door armrests, less flimsy door handles, and a factory center console armrest.

 

It's strictly for looks. If you can get it to F-1 speeds it would make an aerodynamic difference but otherwise.....looks....like the spoiler I installed on my mother's Pinto wagon.


Flea

 

This. Spoilers and wings on street cars are strictly for styling. They differentiate the Sport model from the riff-raff.

 

As the airflow is smoother, the back windshield may also stay a bit less dusty and cleaner longer.
But yea, would rather have a better armrest or soemthing else.

 

LOL- a cleaner back windshield is what the salesman used as one of the selling points on the sport model. However the cruise control & paddle shifters sold me

 

For me, the spoiler made the difference in terms of deciding between base or sport. If the base had everything the sport does I probably wouldn't have bought it. I think that little of the Fit without it, and that much of the Fit with it. The thing adds just enough sport flair for my eye and the car needs it for looks, imo. Practicality? Beats me! But it does keep the back windshield that much clearer- with snow too.

Dan

 

The main benefit is a cleaner back glass.

 

There are exceptions. The spoiler on the 911 has always been functional. I'm sure there are few other cars too. They are usually the ones most of us here can't afford.

 

Simply my opinion.

It may be sold as a "Spoiler" or marketed as a "Spoiler" but IMO it's greatest function probably is as a rain deflector/hood for the hatch.

I think of it primarily as styling and just slightly as functional. I doubt if it does much to either improve or hamper gas mileage.

That's just what I think about it.

I like it.

 

It'd take an aerodynamicist and some experimentation with wool or yarn tufts to check if there's any benefit to the rear wing.

However - and this is an educated guess - aerodynamic aids such as vortex generators have been used on cars with steeply descending rear decks (usually older cars from the 1980s) in order to force the air flow to stay close to the car. The benefit there would be at least some downforce.

There's also supposedly some aero/economy benefit to extending the effective "tail" of a car in aerodynamic terms, which is where the Fit/Jazz OEM deck spoiler would fall.

Like I said, this is conjecture. It'd take at least some time spent photographing a Fit at high speed with taped wool tufts on its rear, before and after spoiler installation, to really confirm this. That'd be the bare minimum. A true aerodynamicist would have formulas to work the downforce or aero drag benefit (if any) out.
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As far as GDs are concerned, to these peepers, they look much better with a rear deck wing. My own GD started life out sans wing.

The GE seems to need it less in stylistic terms - wing or no wing it looks equally good.

 

Spoiler? there's a spoiler on my Fit? I thought that thing was a sunshade for the rear window.

Seriously, I think its sole reason for existence is to make you think you're getting something for your money when you pony up for the "sport" package. When people see the spoiler, they know you are a high roller, who paid extra for the sport model.

 

lol high roller...I wouldn't quite say that!

 

it's for aesthetics only.

 

High roller- that's a good one. My consideration to pony up for the sport package had to do with what's in the package. The 'spoiler' just appealed to my eye. Without it, to me the Fit really is a farty looking car.

Dan

 

Spoilers, like racing stripes and flame decals, have been shown to increase any item's speed by 30%. I'm glad my car takes advantage of this latest technological breakthrough.

 

cuz the fit is ugly without one. Just my opinion....

 

It's simply for looks.

The placement of it would pose null aerodynamic drag coefficients and benefits.

 

I'd buy the Sport spoiler off anyone who wants to sell theirs