the bumper on this fit has some peeling paint on it from a minor ding...is that something I can repair? I'm fairly handy at that sort of thing. Or would a new bumper make more sense?

Also, I noticed the back rear bumper is not solidly connected...that is to say if I pull on it it can move away from the fender. Is this common?

My other question is about tires. As much as I love the fit and I love the sport rims, I'm not totally sold on overly sporty tires. I'd like quieter forgiving tires. Does this mean I'm a hypocrite? Any others agree with me here? Or am I out to lunch? Do the larger rims and likely smaller rise tires make the ride more stiff and less smooth?

Any other 2 cent messages for me about the 08 FIT? I have driven second gen fits and I like them...and I love the look of them, but the first gen FIT is flat out more fun to drive, especially in a manual transmission. If I were to go with a second gen, I think I'd opt for an auto...when I drive them with manuals, they give me a big car or minivan feel...

 

Why is that? You do know all fits are almost the same size right? Only the bumpers are different on 1/2 gen JDM vs USDM because JDM cars have to fit the parking deck elevators.

 

I know they're a similar size...but they don't "feel" the same. The 1st gen is a more classic small car honda feel...the second gen has more of a refined feel...but less "feel" in general. And the third gen has a terrible feel...this is of course my personal opinion. Others may differ.

 

My GD3 / 5MT with 147K was totaled by a red light runner at high speed back in January. I shopped for a replacement Fit in all gens - GD3, GE8 and GK5.

Here's my take. GD3's with 5MT not that easy to find, esp. in low mileage; most were rebuilders, and I wanted to stay away from those. GE8's with 5MT a little easier to find, but resale values were still kinda high.

I wound up getting a GK5 / CVT. This is my first non-manual transmission vehicle since my '71 Buick Skylark GS that I sold in '79.

As far as ride quality, I did a least a dozen cross-country trips with my GD3. Ride was fairly punishing, although handling was very good. I had the Sport model with the larger tires and alloy rims. That didn't help ride quality at all compared to the base model with steelies and smaller tires.

Ride quality in the GE8 was better than the GD3, perhaps at the expense of handling. Again, Sport model ride was a little more harsh than the base model, again the difference between alloys/larger tires and steelies/smaller tires. I preferred the ride of the steelies/smaller tires, tho I liked the look of the alloys.

Now on to the GK5. I test drove a EX-L and absolutely hated the leather seats - they felt like sitting on a brick. Same difference between the LX and EX; the LX has steelies and smaller tires, the EX has alloys and larger tires. I preferred the ride quality of the LX, tho again I liked the look of the alloys more.

If you're really looking for ride quality, go with the base model that has the steelies and smaller tires, and then careful tire selection once you need to replace. I was on my third set of tires when my GD3 got totaled and all had a slightly different ride quality. Can't remember what the original tires were - Dunlops? - but they were more harsh than the Michelin Hydroedge second pair, and those were a little more harsh than the Michelin Defenders last pair.

 

isn't it more an effect of the smaller rims allowing a taller tire? Is just the fact that the rims are an inch bigger mean that the ride isn't as smooth?

How are you liking the cvt? Doesn't it just become totally boring to drive an auto? I would still consider one too...but when I drove an 08 sport last week (mind you, with winter tires) it was just a heck of a lot of fun for whatever reason.

 

I'm probably going against the grain of almost everyone here in that I love the CVT. Seriously. I test drove a bunch of GE8s with AT and thought they were harsh in comparison, kinda buzzy and frenetic especially from a dead stop.

The CVT maintains a fairly low RPM unless you really trounce it. The 130hp direct injection doesn't hurt either, more power on tap. And to top things off, I keep the GK5 in ECON mode all the time. Blunts the throttle response to the point that if I let off the brake at a stop, the car inches forward very slowly. Nice in heavy traffic. I lived in Sacramento for awhile with the GD3/5MT and I hated dealing with stop and go traffic with a stick. Now it wouldn't bother me nearly as much.

In the past, I would typically get a manual tranny to do two things: give my left leg a workout, and to save gas. But with the GK5, the gearing is much wider than the 6MT, especially at freeway speeds: about 2300rpm at 70mph for the CVT vs 3500rpm at the same speed for the 6MT. These days, I average 43mpg for city driving, and over 50mph for the highway. Never got close to that with my GD3 5MT, which averaged around 37mpg city and just a skooch more on the highway.

 

i miss my gd3 ....