Apparently the correct answer of the best compact 4 door hatchback with decent driving characteristics and good cargo space is a midsize sedan.

(not to knock the sonata, its likely a better value than the accord at this point, its just weird that he insists that the sonata is a better fit for the criteria of a 5 door compact than the fit.)

 

Wrong. Everyone else on these forums is getting better gas mileage than me in their Fits, and so are very happy, as I would be if I was getting 35-38 or whatever. The argument started when people started attributing the problem to me, simply because its easier for them to defend Honda and say my fuel mileage is acceptable (though its not) simply because it falls within the (extremely low) bounds of what Honda says, and never mind or conveniently ignore the fact that lots of people are posting 35 and better on here. Its weird, the excuse seems to be either that I am getting reasonable fuel mileage, OR its that everyone else is getting WAAY better fuel mileage so it must be ME. You have two completely contradictory defenses going on in this thread! I can't be getting "acceptable" gas mileage AND I should be getting way better so it must be the way I'm driving! EITHER argument is ONLY meant to insult or degrade me, but they COMPLETELY CONTRADICT EACH OTHER! It makes you look like a bunch of well, HONDA LOYALISTS.
People seem to forget that mpg is one of the top 2 reasons people buy this car. Its the TOP SELLING POINT of this car! When it fails to deliver that, I have a right to be upset. Problem is, people on this forum have already written off my mileage or attributed it to something I am doing, after exhausting any real easy mechanical possibility, because that is your easy way out. It may be MY problem, since its MY car, but there wouldn't be much dissidence at all if everyone on here was experiencing the same issue, although that's not what you all would have people believe. Most of you wouldn't be very happy either.
Now, be productive or leave.

 

I don't know exactly what she gets on a weekly basis. I do know I just drove the car on a 2300 mile trip in very hot weather. The best we did on any tank was 41 MPG, AC on all the time and fully loaded, on flat FL interstate. The worst we did was 32MPG. The other 4 "tanks" were in the 38-40 range. That bad one counted driving down in Miami Beach late one Saturday night when traffic basically wasn't even crawling. All of the tanks came within 1.5 MPG of what the readout calculated for the tank. Some were better, some were worse. That MPG thing isn't perfect but it comes pretty close

 

To be clear, I was using my numbers to illustrate the mpg calculation. That is what I got on ONE tank only. Average, I am getting 34.

I know you calculate your own mileage. But the fact that you reference using the gas gauge to do it rather than the filling station pump readout means it's going to be extraordinarily inaccurate. By all means keep doing it that way, but realize that you may be continuously biasing the reading up or down by doing so.

Regarding the Sonata, I would fully expect that to get better mileage than the Fit. It has a direct injection engine; an extra gear in the transmission; and it's a FAR more slippery shape than the Fit (not only because it's a sedan, but also because it's shaped like a pumpkin seed). And it's about 5k$ more than a Fit, so you should get something for it ya? I like Hyundais a lot, I recommend them to family members; they don't really live up to my standards for fun to drive, myself. Let us know how you do over time

Hey here's a question, when you advertise the fit will you put "great on gas!" in the listing? Actually you might want to tell people here how much you are asking; even though you don't like the car yourself it's clear that many people think it could be a perfectly fine car, so they might take it off your hands if your price is reasonable. Especially given the number of "Fit shortage?" or "Used Fits not found?" threads.

 

Seb, do ya think we are all lying here? I mean really, if this thing was only giving me 31 MPG I would be right here bitchin' with ya. I am one of many here that think the AC system sucks and won't make any excuses for it.

 

Good handling, impressive cargo space for its class, reliability and build quality are all higher selling points of the car. Many cars in its class boast slightly higher milage numbers.

Like most fish stories, its the tall tales told by the loudest voices that you notice the most. Different driving situations with identical cars will result in different milages. You should expect around 31 mpg with mixed driving according to Honda. You get around 31 mpg (29-30 is around 31 regardless of if you like that or not) with mixed driving. I'm not sure what you reasonably expect random people on a board to do.

 

So in the unlikely event that you actually nut up and get the required logging equipment, send me the data and it turns out that I discover there is nothing wrong with the sensor inputs and ECU outputs.. what sort of response will you have then?

That I am clearly a "loyalist?"

Or will you begin to consider that the problem could be you? Not everyone is getting better mileage than you, not by a long shot. My tanks can be wildly variable. But I atleast understand and accept the whys and hows of the situation.

You have been so adamant that there is nothing wrong with your habits of operation, that in the event the data shows you are the problem I am afraid the density of cognitive dissonance required to keep it together would create a singularity that would implode the entire state of Arkansas...

If you haven't caught my drift, basically I don't feel like dealing with the fallout of your behaviour if you don't like what I find. You need to open your mind to the thought that what you feel and believe to understand could be entirely misguided.

 

And the headrests are just wrong. And the seats take some getting used to. And the headlights are underpowered. But we're still polishing Honda's knob.

 

Seriously.. f*ck the head rests. And the rubber around the crown of my shift knob is degrading/falling off and looks like a sloppy mooseknuckle after only 4 years.

 

.. the Fit has headlights?

I'll add that the ride is a little firm. The steering can sometimes come over all numb and darty (especially at speed). The brakes are only OK. The A/C is like having as asthmatic Italian blowing at you through a straw (thanks JC).

And yet overall this is quickly becoming one of my favorite cars ever.

 

Coming from a bunch of old lady cars (my grandmother loved Oldsmobiles, got a new one every 4 years and insisted that I take the used one; overall a good deal for me but oldsmobile as a car maker was pretty much crap by the end) I personally enjoy the stiff suspension and over responsive steering. But its certainly at the extreme edge of the spectrum.

 

Dude, sell it and get it over with. If I had this thing and it was giving me those numbers and getting worse, as you claim, and I had a qualified mechanic look at it and say it is performing correctly, I would shut my mouth and dump it ASAP. They do have good resale value. (If you don't sit there and badmouth the car in front of the prospective buyer.)

 

Going from a car with the best steering I have ever felt, the 2003 Accord LX, to this, was quite a shock. However, after driving it over 2300 miles I didn't even notice it. It's a bit different, but it's not bad.

 

I am not using the fuel gauge to calculate my fuel mileage. I only referenced the fuel gauge with respect to the mileage I showed after this last half-tank, and it looked promising. I always check my one-tank odometer readout at each fill-up, fill the tank back up to see what my fuel usage was for the last tank, and divide the mileage by the usage. I never rely on anything I see on the dash, except maybe the instant mpg meter, as a basis for trying to eek better fuel economy out of this car. Problem is it just doesn't seem to making any difference.
And absolutely, when I list this car for sale I will put "great on fuel mileage." I can't be held liable for other people buying into the Honda juggernaut.

 

You're probably right about that, since its unacceptable to have bought a car that totes its gas mileage so highly and can't get it, even though I have gotten it in both Hondas of the past and in a current larger more powerful car, no matter what your findings find. Let me ask you this-- if any data at all that you want me to scan, showed that something were off right now, would that trigger a light on the dash right now?

 

The headrests in the rear really are a problem, I'll try to remember to have to ask anyone sitting in the rear seat to push them back down every single time they get out of the car, since they have to ride with them up or else be VERY uncomfortable, but having them up blocks 3/4 of your rear view so they need to be pushed back down whenever possible.

Meh to the rest.

 

This perfectly illustrates my point.

I will trade Fits for a week with anyone on here who claims to have gotten 38-40 for a week or two. That's right, take it back to wherever you do your 38-40mpg driving, and drive it, the same exact way you did yours. At least then there's a control vehicle, like you really need in a true experiment, and not just some data from a computer that won't help me when it reads out that everything's A-OK. All I ask is that you photo the trip odometer and gallon usage every time you fill up.

Practically and logistically impossible right? Yet that's the only REAL way to prove to anyone on here that it really is MY car.

 

31 combined is not a guarantee. 28 city is not a guarantee.

A larger and more powerful car is a different discussion. I've seen 7 liter vettes achieve low 30s on a tank.

This is a very complex discussion and you getting 28mpg is entirely reasonable for this car and would not warrant any fixing. You disagree with this, and thats fine. But that doesn't make you correct. 28 is one of the listed average figures for a certain EPA cycle of use.

You are not guaranteed that mileage by any means, it is a suggestion of what you could expect. Whether or not you return that is dependent on many things. There is a reason the term "Your Mileage May Vary" came into being.

As for the last question, no you would not necessarily get a MIL/DTC/CEL depending on what the issue is.

Your best bet at this point is sell the car, frankly.

 

She bought the Sonata to replace the 2003 Impala I wrecked a while back.
Yeah, that's right, I wrecked it. SO I must be a horrible driver right? Never mind that I turned 40 this year, and never had a wreck in the last 24 years of driving.
Your point is fruitless, because you insinuated something.

 

I don't think you know how to employ the scientific method as the data from your car, which very well could implicate you, is going to tell us more than any subjective BS between switching cars.

I know, after how you've acted in this thread alone, that I would never lend you one of my vehicles.