I have a 2011 Base model Fit & am overall very happy with it. My main gripes are the road noise & harsh ride.


I recently took a 2015 EX CVT for a short test spin. Obviously the feature content & interior is dramatically upgraded. But the overall comfort level not as much as I had hoped. The seats felt a little harder & the seating position felt lower even with the seat pumped (perhaps an illusion due to the higher dash), the road / tire noise & ride was a bit muted compared to my 2011, but overall I wasn't that impressed with the difference. I did read one professional review that said they didn't fell like the road noise & ride harshness was any different from earlier model.


I would love to hear comments on the difference in ride, noise, & seat comfort from posters that upgraded from a 2010, 2011, or 2013 to a 2015.


Thanks!

 

See and I was the opposite, I feel like overall it's a drastically different car. The 2015 doesn't feel like a cheap car like most typical hatchbacks. Everything from road noise to the nice solid sound of the door closing. I mean for crying out loud I inspected a 2012 the other day (I'm an insurance adjuster) and I could see the outer door skin shake when I shut the door! These are just my observations though

 

Being that I have owned all 3 gens of the USDM Fits I will offer this info: Road noise was about the same between a 2011 and 2015. The ride was slightly better improved handling, the harshness comes from the cars short wheel base, not necessarily from an inadequate suspension system. its a McPherson strut system, you cannot expect miracles with that system.Upgrading the suspension in the back for towing has drastically softened the ride. I put Monroe Air Shocks in.

If you can get a deal on a 2015 then certainly go for it. I liked all my FITS but when I upgraded from my 08 to the 11, I was very disappointed in the lack of technology in it. When I upgraded to the 2015 I was flooded with new tech to explore, though in the end I was disappointed in the limited functionality in the spirit of safety vs my assessment of Honda practicing revenue security for their inferior branded software being the only option for navigation.

To each his/her own. If its not broken dont fix it right? The only reason I upgraded is my best friend works for Honda, and got me a deal on my 2015 I could not refuse. If its not financially sensible for you to upgrade, if your 2011 is running well and taken care of, I'd say stick with what you got.

 

GK is more comfortable than GE.

I found the handling to be significantly inferior. No communication whatsoever between the front tires and my hands, which is unacceptable to me. Although the GE feels quite bad after driving my Miata.

 

I lost you. Which model has worse handling, etc...?

 

GK's handling is hugely inferior to GE.

GE is hugely inferior to a car designed with fun to drive in mind.

 

Bassguitarist:
Thanks for your detailed post. I found you excellent description on the shock install. I recall doing this for my 68 & 69 Volvo wagons - really helped with the butt sag when loaded but I never considered that they would improve the overall ride harshness.

Yes, I wondering if upgrading from my low mileage GE to a GK is worth it! The main upgrades I would be interested in are the rear view camera (getting old & the neck doesn't swivel so well any more) & supposedly NHV improvements. I could add a decent rear view Gentec mirror with a rear view camera & Homelink for about $700 & air shocks for probably $150 (would have a mechanic install them).

Did you put the air shocks on your GE or just the GK. I assume that the install would be same but perhaps different part numbers. What model / part # did you use? Also, how did they affect the overall cornering? ( I have an aftermarket rear sway bar on my base GE).


It also occurs to me that if I'm not worried about hauling extra weight, that perhaps an ordinary Cavalier rear shock would do the job just fine with your fiddling with the air hoses. It your GK ride height normal with no air in the air shocks?

 

The 2007 Fit I own is really fun to drive. The 2012 is fun to drive. The 2015 really gives no great driving pleasure.

I understand that the 2015 is more refined, but I find the 2012 to feel a lot more solid in handling and feel. The 2015 EX has the gizmos, and they are convenient and I think I may not appreciate them enough, but I loved my 2007 and 2012. The 2015 get me around, but our relationship is not special. I get around in the car. I don't get a kick out of the car.