Hi,

I figured I'd try to post this questions in 2nd Gen forum as well. I'm looking at a 2nd Gen Fit, possibly 2013, and wondered if anyone in the Phoenix area can comment on how the air conditioning performs in the Arizona heat?

Any insight would be helpful. Thanks-

 

I live in Phoenix, & have a 2013 Fit Base. No problems with A/C, even during the hottest months. The A/C does have that cycle deal, where it will blow hot air a bit, then back to cold. I usually start off with the setting on 4, then drop down to 2 as the interior cools down. My car is that gray color, & I use sun shades for the windows while it's parked. That seems to help when I get in the car to go home. The Fit is a good little car, hope you buy it.

 

Perhaps tinting the windows may help some... Don't know to what degree.
I live in NH, where it's mostly opposite, cold and snow.. But our summers can get 90's to 100's and living less than 1 hr from the ocean, we will often get 100% humidity, which is awful!

Having a 3.6 Chevy Malibu LTZ with Climate control, Mustang GT V8, I can say that The Fit's AC is like mini-AC compared to these other cars. Meaning, it's not impressive by comparison, but like others have said, it does work. Just takes longer and you have to have it on #4 most of the time.

It's actually one of my very few disappointments with the car, especially where it's our primary vehicle for our dogs. And comfort is very important for our dogs. :-)

 

Thanks siguy and Paul, your input is helpful. Siguy, I'm looking at a certified 2013 Fit base, gray as well! How do you guys feel about road noise at highway speeds? I'll be test driving it tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to check that myself. Just curious on your long-term observations...

 

Road noise can be loud, depending on type of tires on the car & the road surface. You do get used to it after awhile. It's worse on the open hiway than on surface streets. Someone said just turn up the radio. heh Oh, is the Fit you're looking at automatic or stick? Mine is the stick. Just curious. I bought the car in Jan 2014, with 4,000 miles on it. Got it thru USAA (I'm a Vet). The dealer told me that they had the car on the lot around 4 months, cuz no one wanted a stick. I had to get used to driving a stick again, and that took a bit. One thing I dislike is that short 1st gear. Basically get across the intersection & time to shift. Other than that, really like the car. You can put soooo much stuff in it with the back seats folded down. Oh, if you have problems with lumbar support (Fit seats are notorious for this), you can recline the seat back to a point where you're comfortable, and that usually does it. I have gotten 40 MPG with it & I did the math. The MPG rating on the speedo is optimistic, sometimes by 3 MPG. One other thing, even tho the engine has 117 HP, I have no problem going "up the hill" from Phoenix to Flagstaff, 1300 ft to 7,000 ft. Do have to downshift to 4th sometimes, but it keeps up with traffic. Please let us know how your test drive went. If you buy the car, you become a FitFreak.

 

Thanks for the info, siguy! I'm looking at the automatic. Yes, I have heard about the short first couple of gears. That's how my VW Fox was years ago as well, but I got used to it. And yes, the cargo space in the Fit is a major selling point for me. So, this is a certified 2013 base with 44K. I'll be comparing it to a 2014 Hyundai Accent GS Hatchback (Certified as well). I think I'll know as soon as I drive both of them. I'll keep you posted.... thanks again.

 

Interesting topic about AZ. My wife and I would love to go and eventually move there.
Anyway, I have automatic and like siguy said, road noise will vary. I use top of the line Micheline's on mine and in the winter I do the steel wheels with Yokahama snow tires. The snow's are loud...

Another thing is the wheel base is pretty short, and she has a tendency to be very responsive to the lightest touch of the wheel, especially on the highway. Some artificial play in the wheel would have been nice.

 

AC is ok. I've owned two Hondas living in AZ and the AC is never as good as other manufacturers. I went to Vegas last July and on the way back my AC cut out over an hour out of Phoenix, it was very uncomfortable to say the least. The car was 2 years old at that time.

 

So I took the Fit for a test drive, and it turns out it won't work for me. The only Fit I can afford is 2013 and below, and at that year, the driver's seat still has no height adjustment, and the lumbar is very uncomfortable. Also, I need the steering wheel at the lowest position which completely blocks the speedometer at 40-120mph. I also wasn't happy with the amount of engine/wind noise. Taking these things into consideration, personally, I don't think it will be good for road trips throughout the Southwest. Though I test drove a used Civic, and I enjoyed that. Might be better for my needs...

 

Hope you find a good car that you can live with. Lotsa good cars that won't cost you an arm & a leg. heh Honda, Subaru, Toyota are all good.

 

Thanks siguy, much appreciated!