Attached are pictures. It is easily removable - just sits on top of existing arm rest with pillar resting in little square pocket where the seat heat switches would be if it was an EX-L. I thought we would only use it on long trips but is so comfortable we may leave it in full time. Plenty of room for the shift lever. It makes using the parking brake a little awkward but is doable (we don't use it much anyway - we are on flat land)

 

Very interesting. It looks like a seat pan. What did you make the base out of? Just chipboard? Is the covering leather?

 

It is made from 1/2" OSB plus the 2x2 pillar. The top is 3 boards stacked to get the height I wanted (the middle one is hollowed out to save weight). The length of the pillar allows the front to be higher than the back to provide clearance for the parking brake. It is basically a box that fits snuggly over the existing armrest with side cutouts to clear the cords coming from the connections in the console compartment. It is covered with foam, polyester fill and black cloth stapled to the underside edges of the "box" so no staples are rubbing against the existing arm rest. There are 2 staples in the front edge and 3 in the back that are visible but I painted them black so they really don't show much.

 

Looks comfy. Can you still access the center console with it in place?

 

Love DIY mods.

 

No, but we are going to store things there like manuals that don't need ready access. Ready access will be the glove compartment although it takes no time at all to just lift it off and set it back on.

 

Good lord man, how tall are you?

I like the armrest the way it is. Also, I drive my Fit more like a Porsche, than a Honda. That thing would seriously impede my ability to wheel it through traffic.

 

I'm 5'8" and my wife is 5'2". If you don't swing your arm over to the rest it is not in the way. For long drives the arm goes on the rest and the hand at the 5 o'clock position on the wheel.

 

IMO as really nice as the dash and interior is on the 2016 Fit, it's shameful that Honda would fail so thoroughly with the center console.
It's just too low, and too small.

On the "positive" side, it doesn't get in the way. So there's the feeling of room. But I would rather a larger storage area, and a higher resting point.

I hate to keep making comparisons to my 2010, but I bought a Honda OEM accessory center console with that vehicle. I had to pay extra, BUT....it was a decent piece of equipment. Nice resting height, good storage room, the top even slid forward to adjust.

I know automakers put a lot of time and energy into testing the ergonomics of their interiors, it's very surprising to me that Honda would let such a poorly designed center console go out as a final design.

Owners shouldn't have to jury rig, home spun solutions for something so basic.

 

At minimal they should have had an accessory center armrest that had a much higher resting point. I would have gladly paid extra for it.

 

It is very odd that no OEM arm rest is available, unlike in Japan, where you can order one. I wonder if Honda believes North Americans are confused with extra options for their cars, that simple is the only way.

No matter, we cannot buy an OEM arm rest so we make do.

 

Me too.

If I remember right, in 2010, if you did NOT buy the accessory center console/arm rest, the seats themselves had an attached but removable arm rest. Which was pretty skimpy BUT even that was better than the center console Honda now provides with The Fit.

As usual, I think the interior of The Fit very well designed and layed out. BUT, I'm really surprised Honda dropped the ball as severely as they did with the center console.

I'll be in line at the Parts department if Honda figures it out and offers an upgrade.