Thought I would add my comments as a Devil's Advocate. I own a 2012 Fit Sport automatic and have been driving it for 3 months.

The bad:

1) The pickup is "spirited" up to about 40 MPH. Above that, the engine sounds strained and the acceleration slows noticeably. If you have a passenger (or two), the acceleration drops significantly.

2) Gas mileage is good, and you can probably get near 32 MPG around town, but only if you drive like a granny. Normal driving will get you around 27-28 MPG. The good news is that the range of MPG is narrow: if you drive like a maniac, you still get 26 MPG. The bad news is that if you're on the highway, you'll probably get around 32 MPG.

3) Just as the engine strains with passengers, it also is strained giong uphill or against a strong wind. Be prepared to floor it if you're on a hill with a 10% or steeper grade (which isn't really all that much). The car has absolutely zero low-end torque.

4) The seats are absolutely not comfortable. They're stiff, and they are unusually-padded so that there are several pressure points on your body that you never even really expected to have to worry about. After 3 months, my body is finally getting used to the seats, but they're still stiff as hell. I do not enjoy driving in my car at all.

The good:

1) The rear cargo room (with the seats down) is HUGE. Whoever designed the rear seats is a genius. When you fold down the seatbacks, they don't just "sit" on top of the seat bottoms, the whole assembly actually pivots down onto the floor, so you gain another 6-8 inches of height. And they fold down FLAT, so that the whole cargo space is at the same level. Pure genius.

2) There is a sweet spot for mileage efficiency around 40 MPH. If you can cruise flat roads at 40 MPH, you'll probably get 38 MPG or so. But outside of that narrow sweet spot, the MPGs drop.

3) The car handles like a go-cart. The stiff suspension and ultra-responsive steering ratio makes it a very sporty car to drive. Hardly any body roll on tight turns. Of course, some people may not like the "twitchy" steering. But it IS responsive and fun to drive.

4) The automatic transmission shifts like butter and it's quiet. The whole car is very quiet during the drive -- 70 MPH is around 2600 RPM.


Anyway, those are just some of my thoughts. I do NOT plan on keeping the car, because there are many cars out there with the same (or better) gas mileage with a much more powerful engine and more comfortable seats. If cargo capacity is high on your list, then the Fit is a nice choice. But outside of that, there are just so many other options out there.

I personally don't need the cargo space all that much, and if I'm going to get only 28 MPG anyway, then I might as well get a Civic Si and get 200+ horsepower with super-comfy seats that I would really ENJOY driving.

Don't let the pro-Fit crowd sway your decision. Look at everything objectively. I wish I had. For me, the combination of stiff seats, not-so-great gas mileage, and lackluster acceleration were deal-breakers.

 

All fair comments, but still subjective...

I get 36mpg tank in tank out driving metro atlanta. About 75% freeway and 25% city streets.

I think the seats are comfy.

It is pokey above 40mph. It gets the job done though.

I'd add cheap materials to the negative list on Fits. These contribute to a lot of buzzing and rattling (not enough to drive me to distraction but enough to be annoying).

Choices today are more competitive than they were 3 years ago when I bought. I'd be looking at Hyundais, Chevys, and Fords. I suspect I'd still make the same choice today compromising power for reliability and the great cargo and people room of the Fit.

 

Yeah, but talk about a ho-hum yawn of a boring car. I'm old enough to not to need cool, but I'm young enough to want sporty. Mid fifties, maybe I'll settle on boring for the sake of a happy ass. Speaking of which, to each their own ass I guess- my 5-11 180lbs and ass are comfy in the Fit seats. Never really bothered me.

This I have noticed in my 2012. Now, it is winter gas blends in these parts for one. Also my Fit is only a few weeks old with little mileage on it, so it needs a LOT longer to break in to see better mpg's. My 09 didn't really hit it's stride until around 12k on it. But I do notice the avg mpg meter is VERY tight. I'm not getting anything over 28 mpg's and it's a struggle to keep that. My 09 normally gave me 30-32 on the same exact suburb route. Highway delivered upper 30's to 40, but I haven't done hwy in the 2012 yet. Could be that my 09 avg meter wasn't accurate- I never got a flash fix for that. I was also wondering if VSA/traction cut down on fuel economy at all. It's always on by default and I never turn it off. Just wondering if that plays a role. But getting good mpg numbers on the meter is tougher in my 2012, for sure. I'll have to see how that plays out over time. I'm still getting as much out of a tank as I did in the 09 it seems, so that avg meter was probably off. I fuel up every two weeks regardless. And I LOVE that currently.

Btw- on the 2012 Civic SI-

"and EPA fuel-economy forecasts are unchanged: 22 mpg city/31 highway, with a strict diet of premium fuel still required."

Not....a....chance....in....hell. Been there, done that!

 

VSA and traction control have no effect on MPG. They only activate when the car detects it's sliding or spinning the wheels, and then to cut the throttle and apply the brakes where needed.

The bug in the 09 data tables would account for the extra 10% mpg you saw on the display, if you didn't have it corrected or check manually.

 

I'm not following you. How do you label a 200+ Hp coupe a "yawn of a boring car"?? Especially when compared to a Fit. Gee whiz. And after having sat in one compared to a Fit, there is absolutely NO comparison in comfort: the Civic Si wins hands-down, at least for MY ass. Premium gas is a downer, for sure. But I have several friends with Si's and they are all getting legitimately 27-28 MPG on average, which is pretty much exactly what I'm getting in the Fit.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who gets 28 MPG. Seems that 99% of the people on this forum are magically getting 36+ MPG all the time. I just can't believe that.

Anyway, to each his own. All I'm saying is that there are some shortcomings to the Fit that people should be aware of before they buy.

 

Getting around the same MPG here and just about same driving conditions. You can even have fun driving the car and still get that sort of MPG.

I also find the seats to be comfy as well. Even if I hadn't added Clazzio's, the seats are just fine to me.

 

Unless you are driving in very extreme situations, there's no way VSA is going to affect your mpg. VSA works by activating the brakes on some of the wheels when the car detects slipping and by cutting engine power. Its very noticeable when it kicks in, in the same way that antilock brakes kicking in is very noticeable. So unless you are driving such that you are constantly skidding around corners, VSA isn't doing anything.

On the main subject, I've found that I've gotten used to the Fit seats. They were uncomfortable to get used to, but now I prefer them. It did take a few thousand miles, and trips of 3+ hours I'd rather do in the Accord. However, seats are a very personal thing. Either you like them or you don't.

If I were buying today, I'd probably be getting the Prius V (top trim with all the tech bells and whistles) for my wife and I'd take her 04 accord (her driving patterns match the hybrid really well). But that's due to our financial situation being much better now. That said, there's a lot of new and good stuff happening in the <$20k hatchback market right now.

 

Civic for me= yawn. It's like icicle lights hanging on the houses at chirstmas time. Every fricken body has 'em. And there isn't a car on this earth that I would buy into that needs premium gas- ever. I don't care if my ass sang hallelujha all the live long day! LOL! Actually, ass songs are never really a good sign anyway.



Thanks for the vsa/traction info. I figured as much but wasn't sure. I felt it kick in only once on an icey turn last week- and I was very happy to have it.

 

Well, again, not EVERYONE has an Si. And I wouldn't exactly call the Fit "rare". And you couldn't pay me to own a Chevy Aveo (for example), even though you don't see many on the road.

And the premium gas thing... well, an extra couple bucks per week won't kill me. I figure it's the price I pay for being able to do 0-60 in under 7 seconds if I want to, and to sneak through tight spaces in traffic using quick acceleration, or to pass a slower car on an uphill run (which you cannot do with the Fit unless you have a LOT of room). And besides, if you're extra-cheap, you can still put 87 octane in it without destroying the car -- I know people who have been doing it for years without any problems (not that I condone it).

Anyway, as I said, to each his own. Glad you enjoy your Fit. But it's clearly not for everyone and it's not without its shortcomings.

 

I agree with this statement. It's obvious it doesn't match your driving style and there are some issues you can't deal with, so you need something else that will better serve you. That's cool. The Fit isn't perfect, but it's definitely a solid car and all the positives outweigh it's few negatives.

As far as MPG, there are far more posts showing 34+ mpg on the forums than sub 30 mpg. Since I drive 70+ miles everyday, I must drive conservatively to get all the mpg I can. I still have fun with the car. I get on the gas at times and enjoy driving through curves, but I'm not running a heavy pedal the majority of time. I believe that's unrealistic if you want good mpg in just about any vehicle.

If you eventually do the Civic, it's a Honda so you can't go wrong.

 

Yeah, I don't mean to argue merits, and no, not everyone has the SI coupe. To each their own for sure. The Fit doesn't fit everyone. But the premium gas thing is a real tangable thing, for me anyway. I owned a caddy four years back and it needed premium. That killed me man. It's not a couple bucks more- it's a LOT of bucks more. Even when prices were down a bit back then, premium was still out of control. There's not a chance I would ever get a premium only car again. I look at premium prices right now and my eyeballs fall right out of my head. No way man. But, to each their own for sure.

 

The premium premium is crazy low right now. The higher gas prices go, the lower the cost of high octane differential is.

 

Around here, 87 octane is $3.95 and 93 octane is $4.15.

20 cents per gallon on a 13 gallon tank = $2.60. I fill up once per week, so that's about $135 per year in extra gas. I can live with that extra cost for a car with 70% more power. And I figure it'll force me to take better care of the car, so I'll probably save some money in repair costs in the long run anyway

 

We own 2 Fit's, both sport's. 2008 & 2012. Great little cars.

 

i guess my MT must make a LOT off difference (or i am just an awesome driver). i manually check my MPG and in the city/local highway, i get 36mpg easy, more if i grannydrive or go on a road-trip. my 10gallon tank can get me from dallas to austin and back without a fill up.

i am a whiz driving past other more expensive and typically "better-handling" cars on the road, i have never had a problem with acceleration or handling. i recently had it in the shop for a recall repair and drove a yaris for the day, YUCK! as soon as i had Black Dagger back my ass felt right at home and comfy.

all in all i LOVE my FiT and have never been happier with a car. except maybe my 1990 probe in high school LOL and that was more of a freedom thing. everyone is different and of course people will find anything to complain about. you should go check it out with an open mind and understand that no car is "PERFECT" but some are def better than others....

oh, and i am 6'3", 245# :-)

 

Thanks for all the input fit freak members. I really appreciate it!


.................................................. ...........


Sweet. his and hers huh? manual or auto ?


First off, the funny thing is I had a 90 probe when i was in highschool / early college. lol.

Glad you love your Fit. and its nice to hear from a good sized guy. Do you feel like you have plenty of head room and leg room during decent trips? I like black cars. Do you usually just keep the hub caps off your ride? have you thought of painting your caps flat black to see what that look would be like.

Thanks

 

Drew, I appreciate the "devils advocate" perspective and the honesty. You made some good points.

 

Sounds like you arent too far away from a fit also. What things do you feel like your escape can do that the fit can't (just curious your thought there). .... and yes, tell us about the almost Focus; story. lol



Thanks. I when it comes down to "Put my money were my mouth is" time, i will hit up every dealer. Good idea. .... though these local guys seem pretty cool.

 

I feel like countering some of those points. Firstly, sure, I'm pro-Fit. Secondly, I have a 2010 Sport Manual. And I would guess being a manual transmission Fit probably had a lot to do with my "counter points."

In his bad category:

1: I get "spirited" pick up, all the way to 80. As I routinely have to go from 25-30 to something like 70 on the highway ramps (these folks don't understand the idea of being "courteous" by leaving the merging lanes clear). But yes, acceleration does drop with passengers.

2: Range of MPG is actually quite wide. I can start a tank with the MPG indicator in TEENS, and I will usually, after a few days of work end at about 29 MPG. BUT, on my highway road trip, I managed to hit 42 MPG (for the tank).

3: probably has more to do with perception of when a car "should" downshift and more so in this case about the automatic. I won't think twice when downshifting. I consider it normal to downshift to speed up, or when on hills. I am generally less affected by winds. There have been a few rare occasions when driving an auto that I wished I had more control on the shifting when accelerating. With the Fit Sport Auto having paddles, my friend downshifts too... and he agrees with me... just do it.

4: I think is another sort "case by case" kind of deal. I've had my car since the end of June 2010 and I am comfortable in it @ 6' 180 lbs. But not all folks are the same. So this point, really applies only to him as being uncomfortable, to me as being comfortable. edit: thinking about it, maybe my "counter" isn't so valid. I have Neoprene seat covers (added a month after getting the Fit). bought it to keep my seats a little cleaner, but it adds layer of foam, which i would guess is making the seats more comfortable.

Even for some of the "good" points, I have an opinion about.

skipping #1.

2: I find the sweet spot for mileage efficiency to be at about 45 MPH (at least, for me), giving me 40+ MPG on long flat roads with no stops. But on the highway, 65 is quite acceptable, and it starts to drop off past 70 mph. So, if your goals are more MPG... just stick to the speed limit (maybe a little over if necessary) and use cruise as much as possible.

3: I know a LOT of people describe the Fit's handling as "like a go-kart." But it's not. It is definitely more immediate than (some) other cars, for sure. I, myself, definitely don't find it "twitchy," but more... "responsive." I guess I can't really say why I think it's different, only that I don't think it's twitchy. As for "hardly any body roll on tight turns," I found that, with stock parts, it was more than enough for me to make me "nervous" going down a 270 degree ramp at 30 mph. That with some aftermarket parts, I am now very comfortable taking that same ramp at the same speed (sometimes higher speeds).

4: well, he's got/had an auto, I have a manual... meh.

 

Crazy thing is I have more head room in my FiT than I did in my '99 Pathfinder. NO LIE!

When the dealer took me out to look at it I laughed at him, and then he made me get in. and it was <3 <3 <3 from then on....

Also, we usually take my car on road trips bc of the gas and the room. I regularly have 4 grown men on a ride to Austin or Houston (3-4hrs) with no prob. We are about to head to Memphis which will be about 6hrs... Again make your own choice but for the money spent my experience has been great!


__for those who want a sporty racing car but buy a FiT with an AT, please really look at your life and choices__