Had a 08' Sport till it was totaled. That thing handled like a dream. Very tight, responsive car. Now have the 11' Sport. Tracks dead straight, does not pull either way. On initial turn-in it is fine but then it goes into an oversteer condition. Seems to want to turn much more than I am asking of it... Both directions. All speeds above 30 MPH. Tire pressure good. The dealer just looked at it and said it is like any other new gen Fit. At least the last year or two. Anyone else have these comments on the steering? I will mess with the tire pressures a bit to see if I can dial out some of the over-steer.

 

Interestingly, I felt the same way when I got mine. I guess you get used to it. The car is pretty neutral in its handling, but does not oversteer.

 

Are you taking turns faster than recommended and then lifting the throttle quickly to "back off"? Doing that will cause the back end to want to snap out on you.

Cause, as long as i don't lift on the throttle too quickly, it'll want to understeer if i take any turn too fast.

A solution is to not back off the throttle, but you risk understeering into a wall. Best solution is to take the turn at a more controllable speed to begin with. You can lessen the effect by getting better tires too.

 

Drop the air pressure in the rear tires and stay on the throttle.

 

WOW. a front wheel drive that can drift. I cant wait to get one, it's going to be so much fun.

check this out on youtube

‪Jason's Honda Fit Scandinavian Flick: Streets of Willow‬‏ - YouTube

 

I'm guessing you're lifting mid corner? That will cause many FWD cars (that handle near neutrally to begin with) to oversteer.

 

No, not lifting mid corner, taking corners too fast (is there such a thing?), etc... I have been racing hi performance go-carts and tracking my 98' BMW 540 for years so I know a thing or two about driving, suspension set-up, tire pressures etc... I had an aftermarket coilover suspension on my 08' not long after buying it. Again, tyhat thing was a go-cart with its handling. Tho I will say that this 11' Fit seems to take corners at a faster speed. But it seems to oversteer and the fun factor is just not there like the old Fit. I miss my old car...

The new one is a more substantial car in every way. Larger, quieter, peppier/more midrange power, smoother, on and on.

 

You didn't say whether you had an anti sway bar on your 08.. The 2011 Sport has an anti sway bar and as you know they can cause a wheel to lift on the outside when in a curve or a corner causing a loss of traction in the rear.

 

Nope, no sway bar on the 08'. I guess I may have been throwing you all off a little saying my 11' was oversteering. Its not that the rear is trying to come around. Its the front is just trying to oversteer compaired to the rear. At first the front steering is fine with the initial turn-in. But then it feels like it ramps up the "turn in" a whole lot more [U]on its own[U]. Without any additional input by me. Like there is too much toe-in the front seems to really start turning a bit more... Could be the stock tires grabbing after initial turn to bite a bit more, I don't know. The front really seems to turn/hook in that more after initial turn in.

 

Hmm....Driving my grandparents all stock GE...it seemed to understeer more, but I can't say anything definite.

 

OP: does your new yazz have a rear swaybar? did your last yazz have a rsb?

 

Twin. Read further posts.

New Yazz has RSB. Old Yazz didn't

 

Its called lift-throttle oversteer, common to nose heavy cars especially if they are FWD. If the speed reduces in a turn, weight transfers to the front, the rear gets light reducing the tire contact patch and the rear wheels get a greater slip angle.
The biggest drawback to lift-throttle oversteer is downhill in the rain entering a sharp turn; the back end snaps out and the car will collect things in its path. The solution naturally is slow down enough in a straight line that no further deceleration is needed in the turn.
PS there isn't anything you can really do about it, its the nature of the chassis.Reducing rear tire pressure may help a little but it no miracle solution.

 

An antisway bar causes the inside wheel to lift. when the outside wheel compresses the spring under the added weight load. The key is lifting the inside wheel reduces the inside tire contact patch and thus less traction. Its one of the reasons why we don't recoomend adding stiff rear ASB's to make up for the Fits massive unndersteer. We prefer to reduce the understeer.

 

Oh well, I mean't to say inside wheel... When I go over 24 hours with out sleep I know what I want to say but it comes out wrong.

 

a swaybar reduces the traction to the axle it is bolted to, in a turn

 

why is this a problem? haha

 

It's a FWD, keep your foot in it or just enter the corner slower.

 

You can use raise the rear or lower the front to prevent the front tires from breaking loose (understeer) but that means you will break the rear end loose and oversteer like crazy if you lift off of the throttle in a curve.. JCrimson is on to a good thing by using wider front tires.

 

The GE8's handling is pretty neutral. Lift-off oversteer only occurs when your close to the limit and lift off in a corner. It's completely controllable. Know the limit of your car, the tires, yourself, and you should be fine.