I hate the LaneWatch feature! Why did they put it on the wrong side?! Everyone knows there's a bigger blind spot on your left than on your right. Better yet, why don't they put LaneWatch on BOTH sides?!

I was seriously considering buying a 2017 Fit EX, but LaneWatch is ridiculous. Is there any way to deactivate it? Can I pull out a fuse, or unscrew the camera, or something?

(I don't want to get an LX, because the power moon roof is a must-have. Also, I heard the EX has extra insulation to reduce road noise.)

Thanks!

 

To answer your question, yes.

In its home market, lane watch isn't on the wrong side, but that indicates how much thought Honda gave to left hand drive conversions for the US market.

Even on the left side, I would not consider this a valuable or desirable feature.

 

It's great for keeping an eye on the bike lane in the city. Otherwise? Meh ...

 

You can disable it via the infotainment. The screen will stop displaying the right side when you use your right blinker. You can still manually use it by pushing the button on the turn signal/light switch.

 

I like it.

Going to tackle many comments.

Why 'Right' side only: When put on the right side, it's tackling two possible issues. Blindspot AND Bike lane. If you are a city dweller, I could see that you may want to have a constant eye on any bikes coming up behind you, more so if you are in the right lane about to take a right turn.

Why not both sides?: They COULD do this, but why would they? If they did cameras on both sides, it would in-directly cause people to use the screen to check if they were good to change lanes.

And think bout this for a moment. Why would you want it on the left side for changing lanes. If you are only using this feature to check your blind spots, think of the steps involved in the aspect of turning your head.... Your going to turn your head left to check the side mirror, then your going to turn your head basically 90 degrees right to check the info screen? I'll stick to the traditional look in left mirror and then slightly more left to check the blind spot.

Now think of how your head is turning when checking the right side lanes. The first thing your eyes will view is the headunit. Blindspot checked. You check the right side mirror. Then your head naturally turns back, eyes glazing over the lanewatch view again for someone in that blind spot.

Having lane watch on the Right side is the best in aspects of checking blindspots. There would just be to much more head turning if you used it check blind spots on the left side.

Food for thought.

 

I love it, and it's saved my bacon on several occasions. I find it hard to consider a car without it.

 

usually when i pass on my left side, i dont turn my head towards the right.. just angle ur driver side mirror outward more on ur GK, its not nearly as bad as some other cars ive owned.

 

^I would also like to add that Honda was nice enough to add another type/piece of mirror on that left side mirror, that is supposed to help determine if you have someone in your blind spot.

 

I have an LX, and would have paid more if I could get Lanewatch. sadly it was not an option. The Toyotas have cameras all 'round.

 

For me that feature is useless. I've covered it up with a convex mirror which does a better job.

 

I have been driving for 53 years without an accident. I think the backup camera is confusing. I have no use for it. A set of eagle eyes is best.

 

I cant wait for the lawsuits over:
1. Failed lane watch.
2. failed brake actuation systems
3. the next suit over bad gps directions.
4. Self driving car malfunction.
5. Failed parallel park system.

Never mind that every one is preventable.

 

I'm glad you like it, but I have a different take.

There is no significant blind spot on the right side of a left hand drive car. The driver is far enough away from the pillars that he can see the lane to the right.

The left lane is a different matter. Remember when a lot of cars only had one side mirror? It was on the driver's side because that's where the visability issue was and is.

It is unlikely that Honda withheld this feature from the driver's side because it feared that people would use it. That reasoning would also delete it from the passenger side.

Remember old UK and japanese cars with a wing mirror well forward? Those were a very effective blind spot eliminator, but a properly adjusted side mirror does nearly as well.

 

At first I thought lane watch was pretty silly and useless. I've come to like it. It's nice to occasionally activate to verify the curb when parking (forward). I've used it to check for bicycles, pedestrians when turning, etc.

 

wat.

I feel like you completely ignored the logic of "We don't turn our head to the right if you want to change to the left lane".

Of course they fear people would use it, it's a safety issue in many aspects. Head turning wise, and the aspect of people relying on the cameras to check the lane and not with their own eyes.

Lanewatch has more uses on the right side vs left side.

Accidents happen in a blink of an eye because someone is not focusing. I don't want someone to rear end me because they were to busy turning there head from side to side, refocusing their eyes, and glazing over whats in front of them, trying to determine if their left blind spot is clear. When they could have simply turned their head slightly more left when checking the left mirror. It really is not that hard to check that left blindspot yourself when your changing lanes.

 

I found it distracting when I test drove an EX. I don't use the backup cam much on my LX for the same reason. Too old for new tricks I guess.

 

I agree that checking to either side is not difficult with a properly adjusted mirror.

That's why many see it as a solution for a problem that was already solved by a better solution, mirrors that always work and aren't located in the middle of your dash.

Fits have pretty decent rearward visibility for a modern car. In some cars that visibilty is grossly compromised by thick roof pillars.

 

I think we can all agree they could/should have added sensors.

 

Backing out of a parking space between 2 Suburbans (in other words, almost always), the wide angle view has been brilliant. Parallel parking with the close up view is great for tight spaces. I love the backup camera. My passengers feel like it's a party trick. These are extra tools, not replacements IMO.

 

Here are a couple of situations where it can be useful:
Tall, fat-headed passengers in your car.
Idiot driving at night without lights- you're maybe more likely to notice the car in the display vs. turning your head for a quick glance.


It also tells you how far back the car is because it displays lines.