Questions for those who have owned pre-2014 Fit Sports, and who now own 2015 EX+ models.

Haven't been on the forum for awhile... but may be interested in a 2015+ EX-L.

I used to have a 2012 Blue Sensation Sport. I traded it for a 2013 Ford Focus Titanium because the lack of power of the Fit, and the all-too cheap and utilitarian interior (and a few other low-quality features).

I loved the Fit for mileage, the gauges were rather cool looking at night, for the fun driving experience (minus the lack of power), and many other things... it WAS a cool little ride in many ways! In the end however, the lack of power, lack of features (dated and butt-ugly audio/navi system) and interior cheapness got to me.

I do like the Focus Titanium... it's overall a REALLY nice car. But there are things about it that are very irritating too.

I'm thinking of trading down to the fun and efficiency of another Fit.

Comparisons questions between pre-2015 (GE) and 2015 (GK) models:

- Power comparison between the GE and the GK? (w/auto trans - not manual)
- GK Auto CVT trans compared to the smoothness of the GE's auto trans?
- GK interior quality (materials) compared to that of the GE?
- Is the GK's AC as insufficient in HOT weather as my GE was?
- Front and passenger seat comfort of the GK compared to the GE? (will have leather if I purchase)
- Is the sheet metal (mainly cabin top) as thin on the GK as the paper thin
sheet metal on the GE? (If you looked at my top hard enough it would get small dings in it!

The main issues that would keep me from purchasing another Fit would be the power issue, the AC issue, and a potentially bad performing CVT transmission (not a sold fan of CVT transmissions, yet). Only curious about the rest. Yet, if I'm going to purchase another Fit then I want to do it before I get too many miles on my Focus Ti.

I realize the Fit isn't in the same class as the Focus Titanium... in any way, shape or form. But there are things I truly dislike about the Focus, and I really do miss quite a few things about the Honda Fit.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

Really?

All the people who've read this post and there is no one who can make the comparisons or answer ANY of my questions? Maybe no one "feels" like answering the questions comparing the GE and GK?

I've never known this forum to be short of anyone willing -- if not anxious -- to answer questions regarding anything Honda Fit!

Thanks just the same!

 

Patience... A lot of people are out of town having fun somewhere and not bored reading forums like me...

The A/C is not the coldest IMOH, but it does work and I'd rather have the fan lower speed than I'm able.

Power has been sufficient for going up hills at speed and the CVT is very smooth, especially when cruising at 70-80 with cruise control, no downshifts and the speed is kept within 1mph fully loaded.

I've read the sheet metal is thin, but have not tested it for any reason.

What is/was wrong with the 2013 Focus? Seems too new to have any issues.

 

I am unable to compare previous generation Fits to the GK. However, take it from someone who has owned and/or driven many many cars...the new EX-L won't disappoint.

 

I owned a '09 Fit Sport for six years and traded this March for a '15 EX, so I can answer some of your questions (I think).

- Power comparison between the GE and the GK? (w/auto trans - not manual)

I only buy manual transmissions, not automatics, so I can't really answer this one. For my needs, both versions had sufficient power to climb the many hills around here without breaking a sweat. Is the GK more powerful than the GE? It feels a bit snappier, but it may be due partly to lower first through fourth gear ratios in the manual gearbox. Still, not really a lot of difference between 117 HP and 130 HP. Remember, you are still working with only 92 cubic inches.

- GK Auto CVT trans compared to the smoothness of the GE's auto trans?

Again, most of my experience is with manual, so I can't answer this one.

- GK interior quality (materials) compared to that of the GE?

GK interior is much nicer IMO than the GE. Less "outer space" look and more "soft touch" materials on the dash. Carpets are, however, even worse quality in the GK than the GE (I didn't think this was possible, but Honda proved me wrong). I suppose Honda had to save money somewhere to make up for the extra equipment.

- Is the GK's AC as insufficient in HOT weather as my GE was?

Some will disagree, but I think the AC is much improved. It works fine in my car, even on hot days (as hot as it gets in the Great White North). More importantly, mine doesn't seem to be constantly cycling on/off, and the engine doesn't seem to "labor" under the strain of running the AC like my GE did. If the AC ISN'T up to par, most likely it's low on refrigerant.

- Front and passenger seat comfort of the GK compared to the GE? (will have leather if I purchase)

Comfort is fine to me, but since everybody is shaped different, I can't comment for everybody. I do notice that the left foot "dead pedal" is closer than the accelerator (or my left leg is longer than my right???). That's the only issue I have. I wouldn't get leather myself (no manual transmission and more upkeep, plus HOT in summer).

- Is the sheet metal (mainly cabin top) as thin on the GK as the paper thin
sheet metal on the GE? (If you looked at my top hard enough it would get small dings in it!

Probably no change here. All auto companies are trying to reduce weight to improve fuel economy. One way they do this is to make the metal and glass thinner. Stop looking at your roof so hard.

 

Yeah... I forgot about the July 4th issue. Guess I was trying to take everyone's independence away, huh?

My 2012 Sport was good as long as it wasn't too awfully hot. When the temps reached 90+ then I was always on the borderline of being semi-cool and sweating. Granted, I didn't have a tint or anything to inhibit the Fit's bad AC behavior, but still... a little larger compressor may serve Honda well for these cars. Lots of people have complained about this topic... not just me.

Just saying'!

That's nice to hear. Sometimes on hot days (my Fit seemed to like cooler days better than hot when it came to that added spark of power), when I was already moving and turning a corner in traffic or pulling out in faster traffic the power was inadequate at best. Not having a huge amount of power is one thing. Yet when you're actually sluggish to the point of holding up traffic behind you then a ride could use a bit more power.

I went to a local Honda dealership yesterday and checked out the top as well as more important issues. I didn't have time to test drive, unfortunately. I ran my finger along the top, pressing down a bit, and believe me, the sheet metal on the top is definitely thicker on the GK than the GE.

I could press down while applying or removing wax on my GE and I could actually see the metal mildly rippling under the pressure of my finger.

I had acorns from a tree in my yard fall on the top of my Avalanche and there was no visible signs it even happened. I had a few fall on my Fit and there were noticeable pings on each and every place one fell. I always dreaded being caught in a hail storm while driving the GE.


Nothing really wrong with the Focus, per se. The dual clutch auto transmission is questionable, for sure... otherwise nothing wrong, just personal preference.

Some points:

- The access into the car is so confining I am constantly slamming the side of my head into the top of the door frame when entering or leaving.

- Headroom in the vehicle is not great. I could counter that by lowering my seat most of the way to the floor, but then the dash would be much higher than I like. I do not like cars that feel as if you're having to crane your neck upward in order to see over the dash. I do not like the feeling of being incased in a car. For me, if the dash is high, the bottom of the side windows are around neck level, and the console is fairly high then I feel swallowed up by the interior of the vehicle. I like a feeling of security and comfort, but not claustrophobia!

The interior of the Focus makes me feel claustrophobic, and it's not interior width that's the problem.


-Leg room is not terrible, but it's not great either... even with the seat all the way back. I constantly feel as if I cannot stretch my legs out all of the way. Well, maybe that's because I actually can't!


- The transmission is irritating. Ford has had problems with this particular transmission. It doesn't shift very dependably... VERY erratic at times. Sometimes it continues to rev even after releasing the gas, and, when already moving and pulling out into a different flow of traffic I step on the gas and there is this irritating and potentially dangerous pause. When the transmission finally does cooperate it sometimes surges into a lower gear and revs ridiculously high as if you disengaged a manual clutch and tried to step on it at the same time.

None of the above happens all of the time, but it does happen. Transmission has a mind of it's own?

I don't like shift points either. They can happen way too fast, or not fast enough, depending on how one is driving.


- It has a "sport" mode similar to the Fit's paddle shift [S] mode (no paddles, just an up and down button on the shift lever). But it's rather useless at times... if you try to wind it out too long it will shift on it's own, like it or not. So much for the "sport" mode.

The Fit's "sport" mode is much better and more predictable... I LOVE the paddle shifters! Or, at least the "sport" mode on my GE was good. I obviously can't speak for the 2015 Fit's paddle shifting because I'm not familiar with it's CVT transmission.


- Gas mileage is great on the Focus, but not as great as the mileage I managed driving the GE.


The Focus is a GREAT car, with many features and comforts the Fit will probably never see. Some of the issues are only issues I have with it. Other people do not seem to be bothered by some of the things I'm irritated by.

The Fit is nowhere near the same class of car the Focus Titanium is, or at least the GE isn't... nor was it meant to be. Then again, the sticker price of the Focus Ti is almost $30,000.00. I didn't pay that for it -- nor would I ever -- because I managed to find a leftover 2013 model that was selling for around $21,000.00, out the door. I saved way over $8000.00 purchasing a new (5 miles on the odometer) 2013 Focus Titanium because it was almost near the end of 2014 when I purchased it and the 2015 models were near being released. I was extremely lucky to find it.

I have other issues with the Focus that I won't go into. Oh, yeah... the FIT has MORE interior room from behind the front seats to the hatch than the Focus. I miss the Fit's space and "magic" seats! I also like the way the GK's front seats recline level with the rear seats... with the headrests removed, of course. I think the GD's front seats did that also, right? It's like having a bed in your ride if necessary.


One thing I can say, power IS DEFINITELY NOT an issue with the Focus. If I had more power I would get tickets weekly! The power of this 2.0 liter engine is incredible. Like night and day compared to my GE. It also has the ST's performance suspension, 18" wheels, handles like a dream, and is as smooth, ride-wise, as a car twice it's size if driven in an eco type fashion.


Switching to the Fit would definitely be a downgrade, but I don't need the luxury in a run-around ride. I have a very nice SUV with active fuel management for luxury. Still, I want the AC to function adequately, I want enough power to not feel as if the car is sluggish when power is needed, and I don't want something so plastic and utilitarian there is little or no comfort associated with the car's interior experience.

There is something about the Honda Fit that is very attractive and fun. I don't feel so bad about modding it, throwing it around corners and actually having fun with it. Plus, I think Honda makes great engines. What they did to squeeze what they squeezed out of the GE's engine, in my opinion, is amazing. Also, the Fit's engine, as small as it is, is a great sounding engine. I always enjoyed listening to it revving up to speed. It has a nice "growl" to it. Some call it a "droning" sound... but I like it.

I miss a lot of things about my GE, and some I do not. But it would seem many of the issues I had with it may have been addressed with the GK. I'll see.


There's lots to like about my Focus Ti hatchback... but to be honest, these tranny issues concern me when I think about putting miles on it. Ford has already given owners a special extended warranty for the transmission in mine because of the very issues I seem to be having. Maybe I should dump it while it's still not having the slipping clutch and/or the grinding issues some have experienced?

I'm going to test drive a GK soon. That may be my deciding factor.

Thanks for your reply!

 

I liked my 2012 Sport auto more than my current Ex-2015 CVT.

Just felt more solid and just a tad more fun to drive (the first generation fit was the most fun to drive).

The current fit is a pleasant means of transportation that does exactly what I want it to do and it stows stuff well.

To me it feels cheaper, and less interesting, than the prior generations.

Sorry so general.

On a related note, we are due for another car, and this one is going to be my wife's. She likes the prior gen much more than me. And yet she will likely buy another Fit, just maybe an LX. Just so that she can have a knob on the radio.

Car is too practical to completely discount. And fun enough for me. But I don't give much of a shit about cars, I've discovered.

The Honda Fit -- If a Little Cleverness is Enough For You.

 

I completely fail to understand this obsession with a "knob" on the radio. The volume controls on the steering wheel are easier to use (at least for the driver), not to mention safer since you can use them without taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road. I grew to despise the "multi-function" knob on my '09 Fit radio. Steering wheel controls are so much better.

You know, my iPhone doesn't have a volume knob either. Somehow, I survive.

 

You should let a passenger into your Fit now and again. It might be fun. But they may want to change the station or music source or the volume.

Just lift you hands off the steering wheel until they are done.

 

I would buy manual also, but I get tired of shifting in heavy traffic situations. Besides, I LOVE the paddle shifters... makes me feel like I'm driving a Lamborghini Gallardo!


Engine, Exhaust, etc. sound to nearly die for!


My GE needed just enough increase in power to make me feel as if it wasn't simply "sufficient', going up hills or otherwise. As far as the bump from 117 to 130 HP, everything helps in anything under 200 HP!


Yeah, I looked at one the other day... definitely less utilitarian looking/feeling than the GE.

I was in a hurry so I didn't notice the carpet, nor did I have time to test drive. I learned to trust your opinion on this forum when I used to frequent it, but still, I have to see for myself before I'll fully believe the carpet in the GK is even worse than that in the GE. Seriously?


I have read comments from a couple of the auto review sites that the AC is better, some say much better, than that of the GE. The cycling on/off issue made me crazy on the GE too. It's nice the engine no longer seems to labor using AC on the GK... that's a plus.

I'll take your word on the potential "low freon if it's not up to par" issue. Others have testified to the same issue.


I didn't have any problems with leg room in my GE (I do in my Focus Ti!). I'm not one to adjust my drivers seat so far back there's no room left even for the magic seat in the up position! My problem was with no angle on the seat, and the hard, nearly-void-of-any-reasonable-amount-of-padding issue.

No height adjustment was pretty high on my lame list too!


If you read my response above to another poster in this thread you probably read I checked out the top sheet metal and found it to either be thicker than that of the GE, or they braced the livin' crap out of the sheet metal under the top and above the headliner and it only "feels" thicker. It's much more stable on the GK. It feels thicker than the sheet metal on my Focus Ti top.

BTW, I DID stop looking at the sheet metal on the top of my GE... I was afraid there would be yet another ding or dent on it from something if I looked again after awhile!


Thanks for the reply, Unc!

 

Well, I guess I assumed that if a 63 year old curmudgeon like myself can figure out how to use a menu driven, touch screen interface, that a passenger could, as well. You may, however, be on to something here, since working the EX radio seems to be beyond the capability of the testers at Consumer Reports.

 

"I would buy manual also, but I get tired of shifting in heavy traffic situations. Besides, I LOVE the paddle shifters... makes me feel like I'm driving a Lamborghini Gallardo! "



To be fair, I test drove the CVT, and, if I lived where there was a lot of heavy traffic I might have chosen it. It worked fine. I'm just sort of old school.


Besides, I've never driven a Lamborghini Gallardo. Closest I'll ever come to that is watching reruns of "Top Gear".


"My GE needed just enough increase in power to make me feel as if it wasn't simply "sufficient', going up hills or otherwise. As far as the bump from 117 to 130 HP, everything helps in anything under 200 HP! "


I've never owned a car with over 200 HP, either.

"Yeah, I looked at one the other day... definitely less utilitarian looking/feeling than the GE.

I was in a hurry so I didn't notice the carpet, nor did I have time to test drive. I learned to trust your opinion on this forum when I used to frequent it, but still, I have to see for myself before I'll fully believe the carpet in the GK is even worse than that in the GE. Seriously? "


Well, both Dodge Neons I owned had better quality carpets than either Fit, IMO. I ended up buying Weathertech floorliners for the car. Problem solved.

"I have read comments from a couple of the auto review sites that the AC is better, some say much better, than that of the GE. The cycling on/off issue made me crazy on the GE too. It's nice the engine no longer seems to labor using AC on the GK... that's a plus.

I'll take your word on the potential "low freon if it's not up to par" issue. Others have testified to the same issue."


I'll admit that It hasn't been the hottest summer up here, but I've found the AC in the GK to be quite adequate. I have a five mile drive home from work. After the car sits in the sun all day, windows closed, I will head home, and halfway there, I have to cut the fan speed from 2 down to 1 or I get too cold.


I also notice there seems to be less mileage penalty from using the AC with the GK than the GE. Using the AC in the GE would cost me 2-3 MPG. With the GK, I can still get 41 MPG on the highway using the AC.


"I didn't have any problems with leg room in my GE (I do in my Focus Ti!). I'm not one to adjust my drivers seat so far back there's no room left even for the magic seat in the up position! My problem was with no angle on the seat, and the hard, nearly-void-of-any-reasonable-amount-of-padding issue.

No height adjustment was pretty high on my lame list too!"

The Driver's seat is height adjustable on the GK.


"If you read my response above to another poster in this thread you probably read I checked out the top sheet metal and found it to either be thicker than that of the GE, or they braced the livin' crap out of the sheet metal under the top and above the headliner and it only "feels" thicker. It's much more stable on the GK. It feels thicker than the sheet metal on my Focus Ti top.

BTW, I DID stop looking at the sheet metal on the top of my GE... I was afraid there would be yet another ding or dent on it from something if I looked again after awhile! "


The EX has the sunroof, and the consequential support structure for the sunroof probably helps here.

"Thanks for the reply, Unc!"


You're welcome.

 

I'm in Florida and today it was 95...The secert it to use a sunshield! On a hot day like today if you have it parked in the sun with no shield the dash gets so hot that on a short trip it never can overcome the added heat. Remember too it's a black interior that will soak up solar energy that the air conditioning has to overcome. I use the cheep 2 piece super jumbo wally shield now but I will be buying the $40.00 one that covers the side'vent' windows too.All that said is yes, the air is good enough in real hot weather if you use a sunshield. .

 

Well, that kind of thing is expected considering the Honda Fit's windshield makes it somewhat of a "fishbowl" anyway. Then add the fact it doesn't come with tinted glass and it's small size, and one cannot expect immediate cool within 2 blocks after sitting in hot summer sun... especially Florida sun. (I cannot be there now for business reasons, but the Tampa Bay area is my home. I know all about Florida's heat and humidity).

So that's great to know. Sounds reasonable, and sounds as if Honda may have in fact improved the Fit's AC performance.

Thanks for the info!