im not sure about da current ones but for certain my GK EX has a rubber steering wheel.. lol

 

The steering wheel in my 2010 Honda Fit Sport...I believe was the trim designation....had cloth seats and one of the nicest leather steering wheels I have ever had. Really loved the steering wheel.
Was disappointed to find that the 2016 Honda EX just came with a plastic steering wheel. But I have just bought a collection of covers, leather and others...and I actually kind of enjoy switching them out from time to time for a different look and feel.

Right now in the hottest part of summer, I'm enjoying the incongruent look but heat resistant touch, of the Baja Blanket steering wheel cover. Yeah, it's cloth, and would look more at home in a Jeep, but...it's also one of the nicest feeling covers I own, and I do have leather ones. Once I reach September, I'll switch out for a better looking leather one.

 

Well you could always get thin leather driving gloves

 

The 2018 Sport has the leather steering wheel with cloth seats.

 

There was changes in trim names and features between the GE-2nd Generation and the 3rd Gen.
If I remember right the GE-2nd Generation didn't even have a EX designation. The step up to paddle shifters, keyless entry, etc was part of the sports package, but it was more like the EX designation today. It did however have a leather steering wheel.
The 3rd Gen has the EX designation, which but has no leather steering wheel. There is a 3rd gen, "Sports" trim which evidently does.

It all get's very confusing.

 

I rarely believe a dealer, but when I was looking at and buying my 2018 EX, I was actually trying to get the dealership to give me a smoking price on a 2017 EX-L that had been gathering tons of dust and even needed jump start. The salesman knew I took care of cars because he had seen my 2015, but he also knew I loaded the car up to travel most weekends. He looked at me with the most honest look and spoke with such an honest tone, telling me how I would be disappointed with the leather. He really did not feel it was holding up well no matter what the owner lifestyle. I am anxious to hear some 3-4-5 year reviews.

 

Honda doesn't offer the leather seats with a six-speed manual, so leather is not happening with me.

I really miss the leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob of my '09 Fit Sport. I don't like the ideal of adding a leather wrap to the EX wheel, as I don't want the extra bulk a wrap adds.

 

My previous vehicle, I bought a "Wheelskins" cover. The installation takes some time, work and skill, as you are basically stitching it on. But the quality of the leather is excellent and IMO I found once installed, you just kind of adjust to the thickness being the baseline for the steering wheel. Plus the thickness is pretty much only the thickness of the leather itself. Not really too much bulk.

With the Honda Fit I have slowly over time I have amassed a collection of different "slip on" wheel covers. I would say some of those add significant bulk and thickness. For me personally, it's not an issue, I adjust to the feel, and as posted, I kind of like being able to change the look from time to time. Since the steering wheel is what you see every time you sit behind the wheel, it's kind of amazing how different the look and the feel can be, just from changing out the steering wheel cover.

I have found some are better quality than others, some can smell...odor...and I've had to throw out some cheaper ones that slipped, which can be dangerous.
So if anyone is going "slip on" steering wheel cover route? I would recommend making sure it fits tightly, does not slip, and perhaps paying more for higher quality covers.

Someday, I may order a "Wheelskins" cover for my Honda Fit. But it's been so long since I've installed, and I remember it literally being a pain. You almost have to do it twice, once to really learn how to do it, a second time to really do it right. But Wheelskins become a "Leather Wrapped" steering wheel, of high quality leather, with about as minimal added bulk as one could expect.
I liked mine, but of course it becomes pretty permanent as well. You are not going to be changing it out monthly for a change of pace. What I liked about my wheelskins cover was as good quality leather, I actually think it looked better and felt better as it broke in and wore. And being tightly stitched on? And made to fit, there was no slippage.

 

Personally I like the little extra girth the leather added to the EX's steering wheel. I don't want to say carpal tunnel, but gripping such a narrow radius wasn't as comfortable as it was compared to my Wheelskin covered steering wheel. Plus I thought the plastic steering wheel felt slippery. I got the perforated wheelskin and I wouldn't hesitate putting it on again.

It does take time and skill to do it where it looks good so don't rush it if you go that route.

 

I always go cloth
Personally, I find them more comfortable, both when it's hot/cold, and when on long road trips, because they're softer

And they're cheaper
And they're more practical / lower maintenance
And something about the fact that it's skin sorta wierds me out, covering the inside of a car with stitched together skin, eh

The only upside to leather is status, and if I was chasing that, I'd go lease a Mercedes

 

fitchet, yes, the GE only had two trim levels, LX and Sport. (And one "plus Navi" model which is self-explanatory and had no other differences that I know of).

Sport model, you're not wrong it was basically just the higher of two trims, and it had an emphasis on making the car "look" more sporty with some extra bits to make you feel good as you cast your eye around the car. Such as the awesome leather wheel, a black interior with chrome accents, bigger wheels etc. The only performance-oriented changes were paddle shifters and a rear anti-roll bar.

The EX today mostly includes features that simply weren't available on the GE Sport, like a sunroof or leather or auto-braking. It was a little hard to figure what was changing when they launched the GE without LX and EX. It would have been easier to digest if they had launched with the three trim levels which are now available.

 

I owned the cloth seats on my former GK and now have leather on my current one. IMHO cloth is better. The leather steering wheel feels harder to the touch but looks better. I got used to the leather seats now but honestly would switch to cloth anytime. I had my shift knob wrapped in rubber for that extra grip and it liked it. And for the former GK steering wheel I wrapped it in that cheap DIY kit perforated fake leather and absolutely loved it.

 

Shocking results!
So far it's nearly unanimous.
Everyone who has cloth interior likes cloth best.
Everyone who has leather interior likes leather best.

 

well, except for a couple of us. I had leather in my Honda Ridgeline and learned that the quality was not made for the long haul, and went with cloth for the Fit. And it looks like CommanderSlug prefers cloth as well.

 

​​​​​​Aliexpress has dealers selling leather covers for the auto shift knob and brake lever. Mine have held up well.

 

 

Leather is the only way to go for me. Easily wipes clean with a damp cloth. And if you get the leather, you get heated seats and mirrors. With that said, if you don't have kids and are not clumsy, there's nothing wrong with the cloth. I have kids. Cleanup is important.