Out of all the posts I've read the two minor & 1 major issues I have are:
Minor
- No 6th gear M/T ~ 3400RPM at 120KM - WTH is that!
- Paint - All highway driving so it's I guess expected.
Major
- The RADIO Sound Quality Blow - Installed an after market Kenwood basic radio with a Metra Faceplate and BIG difference ( upgraded the entire sound system since )


~Gas Mileage is as advertised - great on Highway - Average in City
~Blind Spots are next to none as long as both rear head rests are removed
and the side mirrors are flared out completely for lane changes.
~Dead pedal is not an issue for me since I've made custom speaker panels down there! I just keep my left foot under the clutch most of the time!
~No armrest was a pain but thanks to EBAY that issue is solved.

Everyday I drive my 50 minute highway excursion to work and I absolutely enjoy driving this Car. When I get to work I don't even want to get out, I love it so much! When I was looking for my first brand new car I looked at the Yaris(POS), Versa(Storage sucked and the black side skirt -WTH is that - paint it for Gods sake) and the AVEO(not a GM fan)
The storage space is by far the closest thing to an SUV. The appearance of the FIT sports was completely appealing and blaze orange Metallic color was just right!

My wife doesn't like driving M/T so when the Civic goes we plan to purchase another FIT(Hopefully Honda doesn't drop the line)

Honda FIT is a Top Shelf vehicle for my needs and budget!

Cheers
J

 

The Mazda 3 is NOT the same class of car as the Fit. It's direct competitor is the Honda Civic. If you're referring to the base Mazda 3 sedan which is almost the same price as the Fit Sport, you don't get power locks, remote keyless entry, fog lights, remote power mirrors, A/C, cruise, power windows, security system, MP3 player, aluminum wheels. To get all these missing features, you have to go up one model and pay $1600 more and you're still missing a security system, MP3 player, aluminum wheels. The Mazda 3 hatchback includes most of the features of the Fit Sport, but it costs $18,275. So stop comparing apples to oranges.

 

I just picked my car up last night, but there are some niggling things I don't care for.

- No dead pedal. I didn't know how much I used it in my old car when I didn't have it available.

- Shifting into 5th is an "adventure". All of the other gears snick into gear wonderfully. 5th requires me to backhand the shiftknob and do some interesting arm movements.

- No rear visibility using rearview mirror. The very large rear head restraints, third stop light, windsheild wiper, and smallish rear window all conspire against you.

- No rear right visibility. This is from the head restraints and C pillar being so large.

- Gas mileage. 109hp and I am barely getting more gas mileage than my 7yo Mazda with 130hp and 131K miles in a car that is 400lbs lighter.

- Wind resistance. Crosswinds, especially while travelling on the highway, get very disconcerting.

- Liftoff at 75mph. Anything faster than about 70 the car feels like it is ready to take off. Above 75 the car is very squirmy because of aero lift.

- Very high revs at 65 and above. I was very shocked to see an economy car going 3600 rpm at 70.

- No center arm rest.

- No room under front seats.

- Smallish gas tank.

- Side mirrors positioned too far back on the doors. You have to take your eyes off the road to use them, similar to 80's buicks and oldsmobiles.

- Can't see the front end of the car at all, no matter the seat angle.

- Rear seat misshaped and not very comfortable.

- Rear door cup holders state they are not for liquids. This is very confusing to me.

- Anemic AC ability.


Don't get me wrong. There are ton more things I love about the car. I just don't feel like I made the right choice with this car after I have been in it for 100miles so far.

 

I'll agree with the fifth gear statement, it doesn't feel natural when shifting into fifth, I always have to be careful when I do it, I really don't want to worry about slipping into third.

The car 'taking off' is mainly due to the light weight of the car, which you should realize is going to happen if you get a subcompact. As for going at 70 mph, you're already in VTEC at 3400 rpm, so in a sense, it's a good way of keeping you honest if you want to get good fuel economy, since 65 mph is just under the VTEC threshold.

The lack of space beneath the front seats is due to the Magic Seat configuration in the back, they've moved the tank from under the back seat to under the front to allow for the many different seat configurations, mainly the Tall config. I actually like the way the back seat feels, so I don't really have any problem with that.

It's almost impossible to see the front end of the car due to the angle of the hood, that's something that you'll just have to get used to, unfortunately.

 

The door lock tab thingies rattle. Other than that, everything it good to go! :-P

 

Dude.. you should have test driven the car.

"Niggling details"??? I believe you've just written a "laundry list".

WHY did you buy it???

 

I did go for a test drive, and more than half of these things I found out with it. Well all except for the surprisingly bad gas mileage.

And the reason I got it was it was the best option for me and what I needed in a car. My Mazda Protege was dying and if I didn't invest $1K or more to keep it running well, I couldn't really drive it. So I looked for a new car. Nothing on the market matched my requirements for long distance travelling at 80mph with storage for 4 people and their luggage with 30+mpg in a car with German-style control and handling like the Mazda3 and Honda Fit.

The Focus didn't have the fit and finish I was looking for. The Koreans (Hyundai and Kia) aren't cheap anymore in the economy car market and they were even worse fit and finish. The Mazda3 wasn't worth the $2500 premium over the Fit and didn't have the cargo space or feeling of openness; I felt claustrophobic in the Mazda3. The Yaris was too small, the Nissan not engaging enough and terrible fit and finish for both of those models.

I hope and feel that the car will grow on me. I love the utilitarianism of the car already. I feel comfortable just throwing my laptop bag in the backseat, filling the back up with boxes and such, going for commutes for picking up supplies and such, and just using it as an appliance.

I don't feel like it is something special, like "OMG I have to wash it every week and do Mobil 1 oil changes every 1000 miles!!" like I did with my Protege.

:shrug:

 

youre right about the price and category, my friend's hatch mazda 3 was over 19k...the car kinda grew on me now, im just kinda pissed i had to pay $1,000 in premium and another $1000 in accessories i didnt want...the sales guy did a good job of hustling me, i shouldve shopped around more, but this was the only place that had a fit at the time

 

If u want the arm rest just go 2 jdmland.com they have great stuff 4 the fit

 

The brake light turn on before the click sound occurs. Try it by pressing the pedal softly...

It was my first guess also..

 

thats the shift interlock, when you hit the brake, it lets go of the shifter

 

Even though I have a Manual Transmission?

 

-Dents or scratches easily (well compared to my 92 caravan heh)
-no dead pedal
-missing 6th gear
-no turbo

Been in the shop for a week finally getting the hail damage fixed.. I miss it.. driving the old van is like driving a boat.. just sort of floats along rocking back and forth and side to side.. perhaps it needs new shocks :P

 

no deadpedal
no armrest
no 6th gear
no navi
no leather seats
not boosted (stupid honda and that rdx)
man paint chips like its paper

 

Well, yes no dead pedal but thats not really an issue for me. What is really starting to bug me is the wind noise! Two weeks ago i was cruising on the highway at about 140k/h and i noticed this whining noise coming from the front of the car. So i took it to Honda and we realised it was actually wind noise hitting something on the front of the car. So they tightened everything and sent me on my way. Guess what?? Its doing it again, and its not only the whining noise, its just the general whooshing, wind noise which sounds like its coming in through my windscreen. Very annoying. Otherwise the only other thing is the gearbox which can be a bit temperamental, when you change gears you gotta mean it otherwise it grinds.
Other than that i love my little car to death!!!! It couldnt be more perfect.

 

Pretty much the same as many of the others:
I also do not like going into 5th gear (shifting wise, it doesnt flow as well as the other gears)
No dead pedal
No armrest
No 6th gear
Low visibility on the stereo display during the daylight
No floor mats. They should come standard (will be purchasing the allweather mats)

Ive owned my fit for 4, going on 5 days now. I love it. Bought it for my daily driver as my integra is getting a complete makeover.

 

I think the reason people don't like fifth is cus it the one gear you have to push agaist the spring while pushing away from your body. The tranny is set up so while in nuetrul it is held in the 3rd and 4th leg of the three legged "H" (the mmiddle leg). So what happens is we pull the stick towards us and agaist the spring to get into first, then it's pretty natural to pull down and towards yourself for second,,,,the when you go up for third the spring pops the stick over into the middle leg for us (very easy and natural),then it takes no effort to pull strait down for fourth , THEN YOU GO FOR 5th gear and you find yourself pushing agaist that spring AND up and away from yourself. I think that's when most of us feel the difference and unatural shift.

 

I had my heart set on a Mazda 3 hatch, even though it was more expensive and didn't get as good MPG as the Fit. After the test drive I eliminated the Mazda 3 from consideration, for 2 reasons:

1. No matter how I adjusted the front seat, the center console intruded uncomfortably against my right calf.
2. The arc of the speedometer gauge was too small, making it difficult for me to see 5 MPH increments.

Those were two things I just couldn't live with. I bought a Fit MT Sport 7 months ago, paid MSRP with no add-ons, and I don't regret it.

 

I LOVE MY FIT BUT I DO WISH I HAD A FEW THINGS, LIKE A DEAD PEDAL (NOT A BIG DEAL THOUGH) I WISH I HAD A 6TH GEAR FOR TRIPS (AGAIN NOT A BIG DEAL CUZ I'VE GOT 10,000 ON IT AND I'VE ONLY HAD A FEW TRIPS OVER 500 MILES LONG, LIKE VEGAS (1100 RT)
CARPET IS LAME BUT I LIKE MY MATS , GLASS FOGLIGHT LENSES (WHAT THE HELL HONDA ) WARR THEM ONCE (HONDA PAID) NO MOON ROOF OPTION, DONT GET ME WRONG I LOVE MY FIT AND I'M GLAD THEY DON'T OFFER IT IN WHITE IN 08 (USDM) MINE IS WHITE AND I LOVE IT

 

So, I tried. Yes, you're right.

Anyways, life goes on.