Hi!
I'm looking to buy a Fit this summer and was wondering what people thought about highway cruising with the 5spd manual trans. My Volvo screams at highway speeds, to the point where I really don't want to push it past 75/80 mph. Let me know what you guys think, or if the same is true of the GEs. I know these cars are insanely reliable so I'm not too concerned on that front... unless I should be
Mainly asking because I'm currently at school and the car might see a lot of highway miles. Thanks!

 

I may be in the minority here (I certainly am in 'Murica based on what I see on the highways), but why do you need to push any car past 75 mph on public roads?

A 5-spd (or newer 6-spd) Fit will be spinning pretty fast at those speeds. Is it bad for the car? Not really, but it will be harder on the engine/drivetrain/suspension than driving at more reasonable speeds. You will certainly get reduced fuel efficiency and it will be noticeably louder inside the car.

Will that added wear-and-tear make any difference on long-term reliability? Yeah, but probably not in a dramatic way if you are diligent with your maintenance.

 

 

Here the limit is 130km/h or 80mph and people drive faster too, so being too slow is annoying since you're constantly being passed and it's more difficult to pass trucks or busses due to the speed differences.

Seems like the GE isn't any different and also spins at 4k at these speends. My Miata does too. Which is fine.

The issue with my GD at least is that it has a lot of engine and road noise at those speed, it's really pretty unpleasant if driving longer distances. Hopefully the GE is better in this area, otherwise I wouldn't consider it as a great choice for long highway trips.

 

My GE struggles over 80. I also heard that the final ratio is the same on both the 5 and 6 speeds.

 

Mechanically speaking, no need to worry. I've roadtripped long distances in my Fit and it takes it like a champ for 6+ hours of constant driving. Usually the sweet spot is about 70-75mph which equates to 3200-3500rpm. Make sure to check your oil before you set off. Power-wise, the Fit has no juice after 60mph, and it struggles hard to get up to 90mph for passing.

Personally my concerns about the highway manners of the GE Fit come down to NVH (it is loud at highway speeds), gas mileage not great, and you have to babysit the darty steering at highway speeds, especially with crosswinds, etc.

My other 2600lbs 5-spd hatchback is a 1.0L 3-cyl EcoBoost Ford Fiesta. It is a much better highway cruiser -- quiet & stable at speed, suspension better damped, 40+ mpg, pulls to 90mph effortlessly, strong HVAC. Just less practical than my GE Fit for roadtrips.

 

FWIW,, several states in the west have 75-85 MPH freeway speed limits...
Montana has 85 and if your doign 85 you better be in teh righ lane cause
the farmers in their F-450 Trucks pulling horse trailers are doing 90-95..

My original 2007 fit got 30 mpg at 75 from oregon to Eastern Montana..
no issues. and thats with a Automatic in a Sport.

 

I spent about a decade living/working in CO, MT, ND, and WY so I'm familiar with the high speed limits and the many folks who feel the need for (more) speed regardless of the posted limit.

If you spend much time around the farm stores, diners, and churches of the region, you'll quickly realize that the fastest drivers are also the loudest complainers about the price of fuel, and many of the same folks will drive their giant trucks 50 or 100 miles for a couple bags of groceries...

I've never been important enough to need to get anywhere that fast, so I'm strictly a right lane driver. I stick to the speed limit, whether it's 25-45 mph (the immediate semi-rural area where we live), 55 mph (state highways), or 65 mph (closest interstate). Yep, that means that I'm always moving slower than almost every other car on the road.

 

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Personally, I have never had any problems with my five speed Fit (sport 2012) on the highway. The only time I get slightly nervous is when it's very windy since the car is pretty light; but, even then there's never been an issue with it. It's not the quietest vehicle you'll ever drive but if you're anything like me, I almost always have my music on and any other noise doesn't affect my drive. I can easily find myself going 90 without even realizing I'm going that fast & no shakiness at all. I recommend this vehicle, as long as you do your research on the car itself as well as that specific year. Fits are EXTREMELY fun to drive (in my opinion) particularly the manual!! Best of luck to you.