Warning: long but possibly interesting read




Hello Everyone,

I've been a Fit owner since March of this year(2011) and I've finally decided to take some time to share my own opinions about my GE. It's a 2011 Honda Fit Sport with 5 Speed Manual(White for those who are curious).

I've been actually a member of FitFreak for years now, since I've always loved the GD Fit, but never pulled the trigger on one for many reasons. Let me give some car background of mine as to give some of my preceding opinions some credibility. I have owned the following vehicles:

02 Ford Focus ZX3
01 Ford Focus ZX3
89 Nissan 240SX
97 Nissan 240SX
05 Ford Focus SVT
06 Honda Civic Si
07 Honda Civic Si
08 Honda Civic Mugen Si
08 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
09 Mazda RX8 R3
10 Acura TSX

Note: all of the above vehicles had either a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission

So as you can see, I have quite the experience with a vast array of different sporty vehicles. Let's jump in now to my opinions of my GE Fit, starting with initial impressions and then with a broken down review, since I've had it for a few months now.

2011 Honda Fit Sport with 5 Speed Manual

Accessories:
Mugen Short Shifter
Mugen Shift Knob
Mugen Sport Pedals
Mugen Floor Mats


-Initial Impressions:

The night I picked up my Fit I was very excited. I didnt even test drive the vehicle. I had to transition to a economy car for numerous reasons and didnt consider anything else but the Fit.

When I saw my GE for the first time, clean and ready, I was surprised by how sporty it actually looked. I feel like White gave the lines of the vehicle a very distinct look, flowing and aggressive, but some what classy at the same time. When I stepped inside the cabin I was surprised by how roomy it was. Even though I sat in one in the showroom, you tend to notice and appreciate things more once you sit in your actual vehicle.

Clutch and pedal felt like my old Si, but I found that the shifter itself was too low and far away for me. It was really bugging me at first. I'm almost 6 feet tall and my arm reach is pretty decent. Seating position was ok, but shifting was just not comfortable.

As soon as I started driving on the highway on my way home, about a 45 minute drive, I noticed how limiting the tires were. Grip was just not there and I experienced the weaving around that other members have described, in which at high speeds the GE, with it's stock tires(mine are Dunlops), wants to move left to right on its on, instead of cruising straight. This was bothering me as much as the shifter was.

I wasn't happy with the stock radio as well. Listening to the radio on the way home was not satisfying at all. The weeks after didn't prove any better and I quickly started planning on aftermarket help in this area.

I felt the AC worked well enough. Visibility was good. I love the greenhouse feeling for some reason. Seats were not the most comfortable, but my driving is normally not longer than 30 minutes at a time, so there were acceptable.


- Review

Now here's my review after breaking in the GE and having driven it for a few months now.

Exterior:

I love the look of the GE Fit Sport. Again, the lines are sporty but not overly aggressive. The wheels, which I initially wanted to swap out for aftermarkets, grew on me a lot. I really the like the Sport wheels, with the exception of how limited your tire choices are for the appropriate sizes.
I also feel that White is one the best colors you can get a GE in. And once you throw in some CF parts it just transforms into something beautiful(From what I've seen online that is).
The GE Fit is not boxy like a Scion, round like a Beetle, nor undecided like a Versa(which cant decide if it wants to be an egg or a twisted donut). I cant even count how many times I have looked at my GE and just started smiling.

Score: 9
I didn't give it a 10 because that would imply I wouldn't change anything about the look of the car. I have to admit that if given the chance, I would do a JDM Mugen front conversion in a heart beat.


Interior:

Spacious. Very Spacious. I have a lot of room seating in the front. It's a very comfortable seating position for me. I can reach and use the pedals the way I want to. The radio, while large, is very easy to use, as is the AC controls and cup holders.
The rear seating room for some reason doesn't feel as spacious as the GD. Then again, when I was in the back of the GD, there was a much shorter driver up front.
Cargo space is excellent. I have been able to fit a 50" Plasma TV, with the stand, inside the little Fit, as well as other items.
Seats are comfortable enough for short trips, but wouldn't mind something more aggressive, which I'm so use to from the list of cars above.

Score: 8.5
I feel this was a fair score, based on my opinion of the rear space and front seats.


Audio:

I currently have an Onkyo 7.1 THX Surround Sound at home. I do appreciate great sounds, but I will admit that I lean toward the user who prefers clearness over bass. As I said in my initial impressions, I was not satisfied with the stock radio at all. That was, however, until I plugged my iPhone to the unit.
I didn't really have any music on the iPhone I wanted to hear through the USB plug, so I ended finding my audio jack and plugged it in through the line-in input and played Pandora. I was surprised by the audio quality.
Let me put it this. While it doesn't have strong bass, which is not a deal breaker for me, nor does it produce the class leading sounds of Acura's ELS system, which I've experienced countless times when I was salesman, I find the sound very clear, the volume high enough, and the bass present enough to satisfy me. I have now decided not to go the aftermarket route

Score: 8.5
Sound is good enough for my ears, but would appreciate the iPod controls to be more user-friendly. I have personally found it difficult to find some songs at a specific given time.


Handling:

Now let's get to the good stuff. When you think about the Fit, it's handling is definitely one of the top things that come to mind. As I added a few thousand miles to the stock tires, the weaving around at high speeds(left and right motion) has pretty much become nonexistent. I can now cruise on the highway easy, without having to use both hands or paying too much attention to the wheel.
The chassis itself is very stiff. At times I feel it even stiffer than on my previous Evo X. I have taken some turns at higher than expected speeds, with the stock tires, and can only dream of what this could do with some summer tires, wider wheels and aftermarket suspension. The ride is comfortable enough, and yet sporty enough to have real fun while driving.

Score: 9
While any aftermarket suspension would definitely increase the driving potential, I feel that summer tires alone would be enough of a compliment to the stiff chassis and stock suspension to warrant a 10 score.


Drivetrain:

Finally. The heart and soul of any vehicle. And when it comes to a Honda, there's nothing more that can possibly define it. Let's start with the engine. What a pleasant surprise this was.

After having breaking it in, I was shocked at how familiar it was to a K20 of one of my Sis. The similarity I mean is it's willingness to rev almost at a screaming nature. I have no doubts that the current engine could pull well past the 7K RPM mark with ease, maybe not 8K.
It wants to rev and with no one else in the car is very capable of pushing you and having fun. Its great to be able to drive the hell out of a car and not worry about going too fast. The icing on the cake has to be the stock intake. It sounds just like one of my old Sis at the same RPMs. It screams at you. I stopped looking at aftermarket exhaust systems once I broke in my GE and heard it's intake.

The transmission is what I expected from any Honda and the Mugen short shifter just adds to the pleasure of manually selecting gears. The pedal placement is perfect for heel and toe shifting. I believe the GE Fit would be even easier to drive on a Road Course than my old Evo X, which I did track.


Score:9
All I wish was for a 8K redline and a little more power. Thats it's. Its a commuter car for me, not a track car. An 8K redline and a few more ponies, for this car and its class, would have led me to give it a 10.
My old Evo X had more power than my Sis, but I prefer the high revving nature and pull of a K20, so I would trade power for that.


Overall Score: 8.8


In conclusion, the GE Fit Sport is a solid car. Spacious, good looking, great utility, fun to drive and good enough fuel economy. For those looking at an economy car, no other vehicle in it's class has the soul that lives in the Fit.

There is passion inside of it. I dare say, considering the state of Honda as a whole, and the recent downgrade of the new Si's engine, the Fit GE is the last vehicle that reminds you of the "Power of Dreams" that fueled a generation to love cars and the aftermarket in the 90s.

Honda may never produce another new model like the Fit ever again. A vehicle, unlike the rest of the Honda lineup, that will build a personal relationship with it's driver and will reward you with passionate driving.

From the famous streets of Monaco and F1's past, to the grand views of Fuji Circuit and Super GT, to our own local and Honda powered INDY car series, let's hope that passion of Honda once had be ignited once more.

 

This was a beautiful, heartfelt review, Cornerstrike, from one who clearly loves cars. It should be helpful for many, and I don't doubt you've captured much of the essence of the Fit. I can't comment further as I won't have one for a few more months yet.

Thank you so much.

 

Whew...good thing I skipped over all those unqualified reviews on C&D'er, Automobile magazine, consumer reports, AutoGuide.com, etc and came directly to this completely unbiased and no doubt all encompassing review.

LOL at 9/10 handling....LMFAO at 10/10 handling on summer tires. Take that Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, McLaren, and Lotus...you've been warned. There is a new super car with 10/10 handling and a 9/10 drivetrain in the B segment for $15,000.

/Worthless thread
\Flame on

 

those same reviewers would put the fiesta over the fit....

 

Thanks and good luck with your future purchase!!

 

Thanks for your reply. I respect your opinion, which is what the forums are for to begin with, and I thank you for bringing up such car magazines and excellent vehicles as the ones mentioned above. Let me explain further.

1. All personal scores given were keeping in mind B segment cars only. This would be the same formula as how IGN reviews today a SNES game and give it high score. For example:

IGN Review May 25th 2011
Chrono Trigger = 10.0

IGN is reviewing it based on other games from the same 16 bit era, not against games from the HD era of 360 and PS3. This is also how I gave my review of the Honda Fit, comparing it to the B segment class it belongs, in addition to using my past experience with my own cars.

My Evo X, for example, was faster than most Porsches on the track, including a Ferrari F430. To be fair, all my Evo had was a K&N Drop In Filter, Catback Exhaust(not full turbo-back) and a tune, with different summer tires. That's it. So using my Evo X to compare the Fit's handling, in my opinion, gives my personal scores more credibility.

2. Your assertion in regards to Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren are dead on. Would you believe that a 2011 Honda Fit can handle as well as the above mentioned iconic brands? Your answer would probably be no, but in fact, it's actually yes.
Take the Honda Fit from the B Spec Racing Series. All this car has is a completely stock engine, wheels and R compound tires(It's still a Fit mind you), and a rollcage for driver's safety. The Fit, along with the B Spec Mazda 2, were posting slalom numbers as quoted by Dan Edmunds of Inside line as

"A partial list of cars they both just beat includes the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the Porsche 911 Turbo (or GT3), the Dodge Viper SRT10 and any number of Nissan GT-Rs we've tested, including the 2012 Black Series."
Testing the 2011 Mazda 2 and 2010 Honda Fit B-Spec Racecars

I would dare say that the above vehicles merit a 10 score in the handling department. So, as you can see, the GE Fit can very much handle at almost supercar levels with the right combination of summer tires(if you swap them instead of R compound) and aftermarket suspension.

3. Furthermore, handling was the main advantage that Honda vehicles use to have over competing vehicles, since Hondas have never been the type to use high HP engines. You need to look no further then the example below.

Tsukuba Lap Times

Honda Civic Type-R JDM (FD2) 1:07.49
BMW E30 M3 Sport Evolutione 1:07.54
TVR Tamora 1:07.62
Porsche Panamera S 1:07.63
Lamborghini Diablo 1:07.66
Porsche 996 GT3 early 1:07.68
Ferrari 456 GT 1:07.74


As you can see, the FD2 Type R, which is nowhere near a Porsche or Ferrari in regards to price, power and exotic materials, regardless of model year, can still perform better on a track. While Tsukuba is a track that caters to better hanlding and balanced vehicles, which was my point, this is also the case in larger tracks with longer straights, which caters to higher HP vehicles, like Suzuka Circuit.

Honda Civic Type-R JDM (FD2) 2:35.20
Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 2:36.26
Ferrari 550 Maranello 2:38.50
Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec 2:39.56

3. And finally, just one more little bit of info. That B Spec Honda Fit, you know, the one with the stock engine and different tires, suspension and roll cage, posted a laptime of 2:09.36 at a 25 Hour Endurance race, which it completed. That's faster than a Porsche 996 Turbo at 2:10.73. Not many other lap times are available for Thunderhill Raceway, but Im sure the list of expensive sports cars that the B Spec Fit laps faster would be much greater.


Again, thanks for your reply and opinions.

 

Indeed, the Fiesta is an excellent car. Yet it does not have the same cargo space, smooth shifter and real MPG as the Fit. I say this based on C&Ds comparo:

Ford Fiesta vs. Honda Fit vs. Mazda 2 Comparison Test - Car and Driver

 

So Corn - what swung you over to the Fit?

Seems you didn't care too much for them back in '07.
Welcome to the enlightenment_

 

Hey,

While I did like the GD back in 07, at that moment in time I was able to afford sportier vehicles as you can see from my previous list of cars in the first post of the thread.
If ever can afford a sports car again, though, I will definetly be keeping my GE Fit. I love it.

 

Not meaning to pry or offend, but that's quite a list of cars, looks to me like a new car each year. It gets expensive really quick taking the depreciation hit on trading up/down like that.

 

In the meantime I can, some how, see you affording to sporterize your new GE - you do know that 'out-of-the-box' is okay but there's a ton of tweeks to be done and a whole bunch of fitfreaks to edge you on ;-)

 

No offense taken. Believe it or not, I was able to make out even in certain deals. It's a long story.
But the truth is that I was going to be getting laid off work, which led to the decision of getting a non sporty car, hence the Fit. If I still had a job I would probably be modding my TSX right about now.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Almost 3 yrs later and I still feel the same way.

Even when I see some one else's stock GE Sport I can't help but comment on how beautiful the car is.

 

Indeed. There are a lot of mods to be done to the Fit. But since power is not really my concern this time around, since already had a very fast car in my old Evo X, I will probably by concentrating more on overall handling and looks of the car.

Thanks

 

Times are tough these days - hope you make out ok and aren't out of work for too long.

 

Thank you. That's appreciated.

 

Actually, bnd, the Fit reviews I have read are mostly in line with the above by Cornerstrike, else I wouldn't have ended up on FitFreak. I guess your milage varied.

While I'm waiting around for my Ferrari (haha), I can "settle for" a Fit.

Best--

 

I dont mean to seem nosy, but im curious as to why you've owned three civic SIs from the same model?

 

No problem. The first was an 06 Si coupe. The next year they released the sedan and my wife at the time wanted us to have a 4 door car, so I got the 07. I was planning to get the official Mugen parts separately, but since only a Mugen owner could technically buy them, I went ahead and got the Mugen Si instead.

There you have it.

 

Nice write up. I like your style... feet on the ground (rubber in this case) , projecting due diligence with passion without losing sense of where the horizon is... Like those Fords on your list too. They were the snappy sleepers of the class.
Still feel the same way with my '02 Rex.
Hey Honda should find a "pitchman" spot for you somewhere.
Can totally relate, with my '02 Rex in mind when I picked it up. Would have picked up an STi which came out the following year... Thought about upgrading to one but then I was added to the dot com bubble burst statistics.

Still happy with my Rex and now the Fit to add. Enjoyed your post. Thanks!