A couple of years ago, someone smashed into my 2006 Vibe AWD, so I started kicking around the idea of a Fit. I ended up buying another 05 Matrix AWD, but am now am considering a Vibe. Looking an a 2018 Sport w/12K mi, sun roof, CTV, Shifters and fullly loaded. My Matrix has only 85K mi on it, New tires and is a a perfectly reliable car.

Sorry, I haven't much time to search and will be asking a number of redundant questions.

I know the Fit is much more nimble and quicker that my Matrix.

How is the A/C? On the Matrix it's anemic in Salt Summers.
How is the Road noise?
What are the trim differnces in the Sport vs EX/EX-L?

What should I look for while driving/ checking out the Fit.
Is the new 2020 model an incremental UG or is it revolutionary?

Thanks for any answers that you provide.

 

No one knows anything about the 2020 model because Honda has announced nothing yet. Anything you read is simply worthless speculation.

As for current model go for a test drive to answer many of your questions.

 

Mine is the 2017 with everything Made in Japan (Engine, Transmission, and assembly) per the window sticker. Anyway, there's only two minor things that bother me: 1) CVT can be noisy (when accelerating), and 2) Road noise (which can probably be expected on most small vehicles). Oh and the A/C is "okay" only because other cars/trucks I have freezes your balls off when needed.

Otherwise, enjoy the excellent gas mileage, roominess, and ability to park in just about any tiny spot.

 

i have 2018 fit sport MT .. odo hitting just past 30k.
here are some pros and cons that i felt;

pros-
GREAT MPG...i work 6 days week and do 90% city driving and 10% high way.. most of times i refuel my car every two weeks, sometimes three !
PLENTY OF ROOM.... i didn't realize that such a sub-compact car can have so much room ! especially when i am moving stuff ! work those magic seats !
FUN TO DRIVE .. i have MT, so experience may differ, but throwing this car in corner is so much fun ! but keep in mind that this car is NOT fast..
RELIABILITY .. my car has ONLY 30k so i shouldn't really say it, but so far, its been really great. i do all my maintenance myself and the car has been running great ! not a single hiccups
CHEAP TO OWN... cheap gas, cheap insurance, cheap car, cheap parts .... what more do you want?

cons-
road noise can be a little annoying in HIGHWAY. but i put music on which kinda get rid of it.
not a fast car... by no mean, this car does 0-60 in less then 3 seconds... this car is SLOW ! if you want fast car, this is not a car for you.


that's pretty much it so far =D

 

The road noise, frequently mentioned, is at least partially due to the OEM tires. Someday when they wear out better quality tires should provide some improvement.

 

yes. i forgot to mention about that part. in many vehicles, tires are the major road noise creating part.

changing tires to good quality ones and may be adding some sounding deadening on doors will definitely make the car more quiet. (i think there is a thread abt this.)

the only reason i am not doing those is becuase;

sound deadening will add some extra weight =( WEIGHT REDUCTION BRO !!
i actually dun mind road noise in FIT at all. i used to ride supersport motorcycles and ear-piercing wind noise you get when hitting 120mph+ was far worse.

 

Thanks to all those that offered advice addressing my questions.

 

In answer to your question about the AC: I live in Dallas, TX and the AC is great. I normally don't have to go much above on the fan speed 2/4 even when it is 100+ deg out. I will add my car is white and has dark tinted windows As far the road noise, it got much better when I replaced the OEM tires with Bridgestone Ecopias.

 

i have a 2018 Sport 6MT. it is a fun, economical and very useful car. As for it being "slow", while it is true that there is not much torque, if you learn to wind up the engine a bit (possible with the MT, impossible with CVT), it is plenty quick for normal driving. i just downshift whenever i need to pass, bring the rpms up, and it goes just fine.

 

Thank you, that is very useful info since we have had a very coll spring and summer here.

Coming off the Matrix, it seems quite peppy, even with the CTV.

 

CVT with paddle shifter can "wind up the engine", or throw it into Sport mode.

AC is adequate. Not the best, but works well. I typically try to park in a shaded area to keep the dash area out of the sun. Also tinted windows a windshield visor help.

Sport is between an LX and an EX. EX gets things like a sunroof and lane watch over the Sport. EX-L adds leather, heated seats, side mirror winkers, XM?

 

Coming off the Matrix, it seems quite peppy, even with the CTV.[/QUOTE]

Peppy is a good description. It doesn’t push you back in your seat, but it is fun.

 

sport model is purely cosmetic trim i think.

 

It is purely cosmetic, but I think it looks great. You do get a leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob

 

if you like road noise and dont mind the sound of the motor screaming then go for it! i have an 18 sport
this is my only gripe about this car. other than that i love it! we should not have to worry about insulation
on any car. this thing is not quiet by any means on the highway

 

Thanks, I test drove the Fit and it actually seems a fair bit quieter than my Matrix once it gets up to speed. Assuming I buy the Fit, I might do some rudimentary sound deadening if I make the purchase. Especially if I decide to move my stereo system across from my Matrix to the FIT.

 

If you're planning to swap in the head unit from your Matrix, you might want to take a look at the ICE subforum first.

You will lose some system integration the minute you remove the original head unit from the system - everything connected to the CANBUS system. Backup camera, LaneWatch, and steering wheel controls can be retained, but not without some modifications and additional cost.

How do I know? Because I replaced my '16 LX head unit with a Sony aftermarket and four Hybrid Audio Technology speakers in the doors. Sounds and performs way better than the OEM unit, but I did lose the backup camera and steering wheel controls (never had LaneWatch, so didn't lose it!). You can get the Axxess adapters to get around this, just understand it's not a seamless install like in decades past.

 

Thanks, I had figured that I better check the forum before I did any audio upgrades.


I was planning on losing my average MPG and trip odo history, but I'd be hesitant to lose the backup cam and steering controls. My deck supports all those things, but it sounds like Honda is purposely doing bull feces to undermine the aftermarket vendors. #$%@*!)&(^


How well does the deck handle a USB drive with lot's of mp3's?

 

You mean the original head unit playing audio files from a thumb drive? Seems to me there was a thread here about the OEM head unit not wanting to play songs that exceeded a certain character limit in the title. So the number of songs on the drive didn't matter, but the number of characters in the title did, that kind of thing. Not exactly the best software integration.

 

i would definitely go that route. ��������
i have a 750/1 with a 12w7. shit pounds!