Hello all,

When my 2005 M/T EX Civic was totalled in Jan., I resolved to buy a new Fit. I had my Civic for 11.5 years w/out any issues until the end, when I replaced an oxygen sensor, got a new clutch (68K miles, but 42 were all city) due to "squish" in the uptake on pedal, and had an issue with the tumblers in the ignition, which was fixed by an auto locksmith. The only thing I did not like about my Civic was that it was not a hatch (no real option for that at the time). The gears did stick after year 9 or 10 in 1st, but it was solved by a slight clutch pump.

I have driven an m/t for 15+ years, & even though I live in traffic hell (Boston), I had no wish to go to auto. However, I have had intense trouble finding a 2016 EX M/T in a color I can stand (not black, white, silver...). I tried to order, but production is so low it could take 4-5 months.

So I'm not stuck between a red EX CVT (offering 195 OTD, including 6.25% tax, $135 license/inspection, $399 Mass dealer "fees", so 178K on the car itself), and a red LX M/T (163K for car so around $177K OTD). The only reason I am considering LX is because of the MT. I drove the CVT for 2 days on a "24 hour" and it was OK, much better than the Ford Fiesta I rented, which had no idea how to upshift 2 to 3 or downshift 3 to 2, which is pretty much all I do here. I hated that car. Also space was too small for my canines, forcing smedium dog into front while large dog took up the whole back seat.

I really wanted a sunroof (despite living here) and I like the alloys, fog lights, Lane Watch and larger screen. Am indifferent to "push start" and the key thing, and could live w/out Honda link. Actually, I'm a bit worried about all the new tech stuff - what happens if your "Lane Watch" mirror gets whizzed off (this is Boston)? Or the "push start" does not work? Is Honda Link any good? What I need- I would love to push phone nav to the screen but it seems like an exhaustive venture, even in EX. I don't do Pandora or any of that stuff. I want to listen to podcasts and I need the phone nav to be clear near the screen - this is Boston - and to take calls reliably through BT.

I am not an "enthusiast", as I know v. little about gear ratios and such (though of course I can tell between soft, hard clutch, and bite points, and I am v. used to engine breaking). I found the A/T BORING. Even though I paddle through city traffic, which sucks at times, I like the brain work that's required of me for the MT. I tried to like the paddle shifters, but they seemed to me like a waste of time. I doubt I'd ever use them, unless exceptionally bored (see above).

Any advice? Should I save 2K on the LX and poss. save myself the dreaded repairs of computers and such, and wait for a good in dash phone-connect system to emerge? Or should I sacrifice M/T and be bored but convenienced?

I was going to keep the Civic for another year, so as long I have no dreaded repairs, I'm a holder. But I reckon I might go a bit less on this car - maybe 8 or 9 instead of 11 or 12, if my prospects are good.

Thanks v. much for your advice.

Jennifer in Boston (PS. I have a small driveway but a garage is merely a fantasy here)

 

Oddly enough, the CVT has wider/taller gearing than the MT, so it gets better mileage.

Now that may or may not make a difference to you. If you like rowing through the gears, by all means get the MT.

My GD3 5MT was totaled recently and I needed a replacement. Long story short, I drove a boatload of GE8s and GK5s with both MT and AT/CVT before I settled on an LX CVT. I'm perfectly happy with the CVT even though my last automatic was purchased in 1979 (six cars with stick since then).

 

Sounds like you need to wait for an EX MT. You might find a EX MT with some travel. If you dive in with a less optimum choice now, you may come to regret your decision later because you didn't wait for what you really want. The keyless, btw, is very nice and once you use it, you don't want to go back.

The upside for the LX, you have your steelies for Boston winters. Good luck!

 

What I did was they only have yelow in a cash buy the same day So I grab google and serch for hondas dealer. I call a lot until one have grey in stock for purchase immediately. So i purchased right away without any test drive or anything. I think you cna do the same. Call different honda. one even offer to drive it into my city(one and a half hour distance). So far I like the manual but here it doesn't not have any security other than abs and only two air bags. No hill assist, no esp, no keyless entry. Total bare bones.

 

It looks like you are decidedly a manual shift guy. I can only comment on the some head unit differences between the lx and the ex.

The ex has the integrated 7" touch screen, and has no volume control knob. This is a negative for me. Also I found the touch screen to be not very touch sensitive. As this touch screen head unit is also integrated into lanewatch and the environmental controls, changing the head unit would be problematic. The ex radio has no aux input.

The lx has the older but less high tech 5" non-touch head unit. It comes with a volume control knob, which works well. Actually the unit overall works very well. I've not tested the cd, but bluetooth and the aux input work well. No connection to the environmental controls, no lanewatch, so easy to swap out in the future. It does have the backup camera, which also works well.

If you have an Android phone, connecting your navigation app to the ex display will not work. I'm not sure about with an iphone. Others will need to comment.

If you cannot get a manual shift Fit within 2 months, in the colour you want, then I'd be looking at another car, like a Mazda3. I, too, find the CVT boring to drive and would never buy a CVT car, but that's just stubborn me, and I've rented probably 15 CVTs over the last year.

 

I'm pretty sure she's a gal, judging from the "Jennifer in Boston" in Boston...

Also I don't think the 2016 EX in the USA does the electronic climate control like in Canada. It still uses the old trusty knobs.

 

if u like driving and dont mind shifting i would wait for the MT.

i am a MT driver myself and rarely use the paddles when i drive my wife's CVT.. its good to slow the car down as the brakes are kind of weak on the car, but besides tapping the downshift from time to time just to get the little umph to go forward i never use it.

bottom line is if want to drive with better precision, CVT and torque converters aint it. but not everyone needs that so CVT is good to have for those people like my wife who just wants to get from A to B without the fuss.

 

My personal preference is the MT, so I waited for six months until a dealer found one for me. I live in a snow belt and a MT gives me much better control in the winter. I also preferred the radio knobs and lower tech screen. The bluetooth works well and I easily paired my Android phone. I didn't need an in-car navigation system because I have a cellular iPad. As to MPG, have been getting 36-38 and that's with winter temps, four snow tires installed and 2,500 miles on the vehicle. I expect that will improve once I can get the original tires back on and the weather warms.

BTW, the Fit LX MT is the silkiest MT I've driven - and I've only driven MTs.

 

If you could shop around for another year, then take you time and look for the color and build you want. Go with the Fit ex manual, your going from a basic lx to an almost fully loaded ex for 2000, worth it. Also around next year the civic hatch manual should be out. Something to look forward to.

 

Buy what you want or ultimately you will wish you had.

 

There's the answer.

 

If you are indifferent about the higher-end electronics then that is an excellent reason to opt for the LX. Read all the threads here about problems with the head unit going blank, resetting, pushbutton start not working, etc. We've not seen similar problems with the LX electronics.

Alloy wheels = theft target in urban areas.

Sunroof is a personal choice. I view them as a future leak and a loss of headroom. Others see them as the next best thing to a convertible.

Stick versus CVT is a religious argument. I've driven sticks all my life including three-on-the-tree. I've derisively called automatics "slush boxes." After driving both stick and CVT Fits I ended up buying a CVT. The transmission does precisely what a transmission is supposed to do, keep the engine at either the best power or best economy RPM. 70MPH cruise is at a quiet 2300RPM instead of a frenetic 3500. It doesn't get off the line quite as quick, but gains that back as soon as that short first gear runs out on the stick. Honda fell for the "Gotta have a '6' on the knob" hype and produced a stick that requires more shifting without any real benefit. They are obviously not very invested in producing a stick any longer, and with the CVT they really don't have to.

In the end, it's your car to drive and you should buy what you want!

 

wow... quite an argument u made there. lol for you, stick with the CVT.

 

I've never considered ATs boring: it's supremely challenging to get one to behave properly, kind of like getting a politician to tell the truth. There's a car at work that I have to drive a few times a week, and I managed to get it to dive into and launch out of a corner properly once back in January. That was awesome! But in my Fit, it's just another enjoyable corner.

If the color is as important to you as the driving, get a therapist. Once you're sorted out, either buy the actual car you want or the nicest color you can find and ignore the mechanical underpinnings. If therapy can't fix your priorities either way, you either have to wait or travel. Go see what cars.com has to say:

Liberty Honda in Hartford CT has a red 16 LX MT.
Rensselaer Honda in Troy NY has a yellow 15 EX MT.
Honda City in Levittown NY has a blue 15 EX MT.
There are several black, white and silver ones out there as well.

And phones are phones, they don't have to be seamlessly integrated through your stereo to work fine- a bluetooth set clipped on your visor will let you do what you want to do without worrying what color car you have to buy.

 

^Color is critical to me.

I'd not have gotten a Fit in anything other than Orange Burst w/ 5MT.

Mrs. 410b only wanted Tidewater, milano red or taffeta white.

I only wanted New Formula Red, Spa Yellow or Berlina Black for my S2000.

My Miata could only be Laguna Blue or Montego Blue.

Colors are important mate.

 

They are,, don't want any color that gets dirty fast, don't want colors you can't wash in a car wash. Its all about the utility to me.. I'd drive Barbie Pink if I never had to wash it.. And it didn't chip
easy.

 

Well, MT obviously, we're talking about a car here. But if Orange Burst just weren't happening, what car would you have bought in the Fit's place, and what color would you have gone with?

Everything's a trade off, and form follows function. I "need" a four door hatchback. Since I have to drive it I'm not compromising on driveability, which for the time being means MT or walking. But just about every other option is on the table, and the color isn't something I can use.

I really like the Vortex Blue (the other one on the lot was black), but I can write color off completely: I drove a yellow Xterra for a while.

 

If I'm buying a new car certainly I want it to be the color I specify. For me, it has to be visible for safety, cool in the sun, and easy to keep clean, so it has to be white.

However, it doesn't make much difference to the driving experience of the Fit, as you can't see the color of your car while driving unless you look at the outside mirrors!

 

I'd have stuck with my POS Fiesta EcoBoost in red, b/c red.

 

Ooh, Fiesta. I figured I wouldn't be able to behave well in one, so I stayed away from them.