Im a new owner of 2015 Honda Fit Ex 6 speed, I m curious to ask the rest of the owners of 2015 Fit with 6 mt, do you guys get a high rpm while driving like 75 mph and the rpm is about 4,000 ish, I cant recall to be exact, but it bother me, I know the rpm is too high for that mph, it reminded me of my old integra when I had b20vtec with b16 tranny.

 

that is normal. high revving car!

 

Not manual, but in my LX CVT the rpm is about 2500rpm @ 75mph. And this is with smaller 14" tires vs the 15" that it has stock. Almost as if the CVT compensated for the reduced diameter of the wheel.

Very nice indeed! It just cruises....

Congrats on your manual Fit purchase BTW.

 

I *really* would have preferred the 6mt, but after reading the gearing was so low (high rpm at speed), and simulating that in my CVT test drive, I decided "no thanks," since I do a lot of highway travel. Too buzzy. I'm sure it's great off the line and for hooning around , tho.

es

 

the intake noise on the fit is more then others in it's class, thus it is louder at speed. i personally like to hear the engine noise, so i find it pleasant.

i think this noise makes you "feel" like it is revving too much.

and yes, i can compare to a HUGE B series background, one of which was a 4.9 final'd 9500 rpm b18c5.

 

Hmm, does anyone know if you could put slightly larger tires to compensate for the low 6th gear? Try to get some extra distance for every revolution.

 

I did this with my Scion, going from 185-60/15 to 195-65/15 the largest diameter that will fit without touching. It lowered the cruise RPM by about 250 at 70MPH. It also lifted the car by about an inch. I was pleased by the results, but they are not very dramatic.

 

The gear ratio thing has been discussed since the first reviews came out for this car. I'm not sure simulating high RPMs in the CVT is a fair comparison as the CVT was widely reviewed as being buzzy in it's own right. I don't really know though.

I'm skewed because I used to drive a loud a Mustang, but honestly on the highway, I find the road noise from the tires and the 70mph+ wind noise to drown out the engine buzz. It is not a quiet ride, but I don't start really noticing the engine buzz until I push it over 80. I'm in Florida and generally the roads are in decent condition (until you drive south on 95 and hit construction zones). In my opinion, the loudness can't all be attributed to engine noise. I haven't driven a CVT Fit at highway speeds, but I can't imagine it is significantly quieter than the MT, even though it is spinning slower, just because the aero and tires are the same.

There have been people on the forum that mentioned adding sound deadening material to their cars. I haven't seen any threads reporting the results, but it's been done.

 

I wonder if the higher RPM puts excess wear on the engine?

 

Not so much as you'd notice. I mean, in practical terms, the Fit's engine will almost certainly outlast the service life of the car as a whole if it's given reasonable care and proper maintenance. You don't hear of past generations of Fits going to the crusher because their engines wore out, and they were geared equally as high for highway travel.

 

For the same amount of mileage consumed, in let's say, the CVT turning less than 3k rpm at highway speed, compared to the woefully messed up close ratios of the 6sp turning over 4k rpm, I would say yes!

It's so bad, I won't accept it, and I've been a Honda man since '98! It just defies logic why they didn't just add an overdrive gear to the previous 5 speed. OK, rant over.

 

Previous generation Fits have similar gear ratios and I don't hear of many of them suffering from premature wear.

Now, the taller ratios of the CVT might result in longer life if the car is driven in a manner that takes advantage of them like lots of flat road at 60MPH.

That's just speculation, though. Engine wear is increased both by revving and by lugging. Keep the engine in its happy range and it will last a long time.

 

I wonder this too...

That is the crux... higher revs must cause more wear right??? But, how much more wear is a key issue. If it is only a tiny difference then, maybe there is no need to be concerned. I always hear that little rice burners are specifically designed for high revs.

It does seem so illogical... I wish that the car designers were here to explain the gearing choices they made. I was annoyed with my Honda Element's 5th gear not being taller... I will say that, with the Element, I had to drop down to 4th to pass on the interstate. But, with my Fit I drop to 5th gear to pass and that gives me all the power I need without revving quite so high as 4th gear would... and 6th gear is just like 5th gear was on my Element... and, the automatic Element that my sister owned had much lower revs at highway speeds... just like with the CVT Fit.

Good point... I want my engine happy.

Now that I think about it... maybe the lower revs on the automatic versions of these cars is not needed for good gas mileage or improved engine life. Maybe instead, it is somehow easier on the automatic transmission to not have the engines input shaft running quite so fast. Maybe the purpose is to save wear on the tranny. Could that be true??? I'm gonna say this is my guess. Can any experts support or deny this hypothesis???

 

i purchased 185/65-15 snows for this winter. that should lengthen the gearing a smidge and give the car a little needed height to clear the impending snow storms...

 

Just raise the Fit and add some 20-22" dubs to it. Problem solved! :thumb ups: (If you can accelerate at all)

 

This is my biggest reservation against test driving so far as I travel 70 mph a lot.

 

Don't worry about wear. That's a non-issue.

If you don't like the engine noise at speed, that I could understand, it's not for everyone. Should get a Civic or Mazda 3, or if you want to stay in class and price range with an M/T get a Versa, the gears are longer.

People forget the Fit is designed as a city car, not a touring car, although I use mine as one

 

I had my CVT EX doing 70 on the interstate today and it's quiet. No "buzziness" at all. Was turning around 2300rpm or so.

When I did the test drive (no m/t available, unfortunately), I put the CVT in Sport mode and downshifted one "gear" so it was doing ~3100 @ 70, and you're definitely hearing the engine working at that speed.

When I was a younger lad, that would not have been an issue. These days, it is (now GET OFF MY LAWN!).

I still would much have preferred the m/t, but not with all the busyness…

es

 

I drive 70mph to work everyday. Engine noise is hardly an issue. The wind and tire noise are much louder and i can barly hear the engine. With the audio system on, i dont hear it at all.

That said, i prefer the higher rpm as the car is always in its powerband and feels more spirited. Domt meed to downshift for passing power either. Although a 7th cruising gear would be nice for long trips.

 

Its because this generation fit has the same final drive ratio as last years 5 speed. So the 6th gear really isn’t doing much at all lol. With an average of 33mpg so far i’m pretty content. My ep3 was the same way, 5th gear doing 75 on the highway at 4000rpm. The ep3 had a 4.7 final drive. I wonder what the fit is.