I currently have an '09 Sport AT with 120K miles and am thinking of buying a 2020 Fit while they're still available. But I sometimes carry loads that probably exceed the Fit's max load specification, and I also sometimes tow a small trailer. My trailer is a light kayak trailer with a utility box and the weight never exceeds 500 lbs total (trailer plus contents). My '09 has handled this just fine and has taken numerous 800 mile highway drives as a load-hauler. FYI, I have air bag helper springs in the rear to help with the ~ 50 lb max tongue weight, and use the paddle shifters to keep the engine revs up a little, especially on hills. The car really doesn't seam to struggle at all with the sort of hauling I do.

Does anyone have any experience putting the CVT in the 3rd Gen Fit through similar duty? Worldwide, the Jazz with CVT has a towing limit of 450 kg (~1000 lbs) when matched with the 1.3L engine, so towing does seem feasible. Of course, for the US Fit there would be concerns about the warrantee. I am stuck looking at the CVT due to spousal requirements. MT is not an option.

Alternately, does anyone know of a hatchback or maybe small SUV currently available that's suitable for some light towing?

 

CVTs are prone to overheating due to friction losses. Your towing needs are light duty. I would simply add a sizable transmission intercooler to keep the temps stable. You are right any warranty with the transmission if they find it blown up due to towing, they wont cover it. Thats with any car, stay within the limits and tow smart, you will be okay.

 

Not having a ton of CVT experience - I would say you can tow up to the limit. I've towed over the limit on a sports car - RX-8 with a manual and RWD (no diff cooler).

Dana towing a boat

 

On my '09 AT, when hauling loads in hilly country, I like to use the paddle shifters to shift manually. If I just let the AT do its own thing, it seems a little slow to downshift, and spends a lot of time reving with the torque converter unlocked. For example, it would rather run up the whole hill in 4th gear with the converter spinning, rather than drop down to third gear and let the converter lock back up at a little higher RPM. It seems more efficient, and less heat generating for the transmission, to keep the engine revs higher with the toque converter locked up. Do you know if using paddle shifters on the CVT would have any benefit, or is the control logic smart enough to determine the torque that's needed? Does the CVT have a torque converter?

Thanks again...

 

Honda recommends not towing at all with the Fit. So there is no stated or recommended "tow limit".

 

I think I was able to answer my own question. A dealer let me take an extended drive in a used '18 Sport with CVT. I played with the transmission in auto and manual mode, accelerating up a short hill. In manual mode, with the transmission "locked" in either 3rd or 4th gear, if I accelerated on the hill there was no sudden increase in RPM. That's unlike my AT '09 Sport where the toque converter will unlock with a corresponding jump in RPM. On the CVT, the RPM only increased as the car's speed increased. So I think there's less benefit to using paddle shifters on the CVT as a means to keep a gear "locked in". Our hills here are so small that I couldn't determine what RMP/gear the CVT would end up running at on a long climb. So the paddles might still be useful for choosing a lower gear ratio for climbing a hill than the transmission chooses through its own logic.

 

I love the paddle shifters in my wifes WRX Limited, yes its a CVT auto. Its how its programmed really that makes the difference in driving it.I can see occasional light duty towing with a CVT long as you go easy, No sudden acceleration events. Less stress on the belt inside.

 

Thanks all. I just noticed that the mods moved this to Fit modifications>General fit modifications so it probably hasn't had that much visibility. But I think I answered my own question and got some reassurance. As an update, I did just make a deal on new Fit LX with CVT. I left out some details in my original post: My wife also has an '09 Fit, a Base AT. The new Fit will technically be hers and replace her '09 Base Fit and I'll continue to use my '09 Sport AT as the car for light towing. The '09 Sport may be replaced with a new, small, tow-capable car in 3-4 years. The new '20 LX could get a trailer hitch when the warrantee runs out. And we'll keep the '09 Base for now as a winter driver to keep miles and wear and tear of both the new LX and the old '09 Sport. So we'll be a three-Fit family.