What you DONT like about your Fit
New Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 8
From: Wyoming
i'm driving on whatever tires that came on the car..i'm guessing this next winter i'll need to either get some snow tires or maybe just pile extra ballast on those snowy days..
as for the grooved pavement......this is particularly annoying & i suppose there's no real solution. in my pre-buying research i'd read a review that actually mentioned this, but it (obviously) wasn't a deal breaker. i guess the solution is to sorta "brace yourself" for it, like when an 18-wheeler blasts past you on the highway & you're left being buffeted by the wake....
as for the gas cap, i was a bit surprised to find it to be non-locking, like something on some 1970s car. i've seen where honda actually sells locking caps, but who wants to have to pay extra AND then carry the key around? it just seems so primitive in this day & age, like my 2002 VW that came standard with......a cassette player.
oh well.
New Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 8
From: Wyoming
The New Beetle is a dog. Just check Consumer Report's reliability ratings on it.
We owned a '98 Beetle, and all of the following components failed on it => A/C compressor, tape player, P/W(driver and passenger sides twice each), P/W switches, P/M switches, headlight and tail light bulbs(multiple times), fuses(multiple times), driver's seat rear access release, flywheel sensor, MAF sensor, vacuum hoses, distributor cap, and radio antenna. No more VW vehicles for me.
We owned a '98 Beetle, and all of the following components failed on it => A/C compressor, tape player, P/W(driver and passenger sides twice each), P/W switches, P/M switches, headlight and tail light bulbs(multiple times), fuses(multiple times), driver's seat rear access release, flywheel sensor, MAF sensor, vacuum hoses, distributor cap, and radio antenna. No more VW vehicles for me.
i agree that most of the new beetles ARE dogs----but those are the gas ones. the TDIs (like my 02) were consistently trouble-free compared to the gas guzzlers..
New Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 8
From: Wyoming
i'm not sure if any honda has floor mats as standard; my wife has an 03 civic & she had to buy them extra..
New Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 8
From: Wyoming
While I don't own a Fit, what really disappoints me the most about the car (and what stops me from getting one frankly) is its lousy emissions score relative to what it SHOULD be able to get.
For a 2009 model car, given its size, weight, and engine displacement (and the entire point of the FIT IMO), the fact that it scores a 0.37 SMOG score with a 2009 average score being 0.39....is...frankly pathetic.
A GTI with a 2L turbo engine and grossing more than 500lbs more than a Fit gets a 0.09 score. Granted, the greenhouse gas score is slightly above average...with it scoring a 6/10, even that is nothing to write home about.
I'm not sure why Honda would not choose to put in a cleaner engine in such a "clean" car, but overall that's what disappoints mostly. And they should have hybridized this car before they coming out with that hideous Insight. The Fit looks so much better.
For a 2009 model car, given its size, weight, and engine displacement (and the entire point of the FIT IMO), the fact that it scores a 0.37 SMOG score with a 2009 average score being 0.39....is...frankly pathetic.
A GTI with a 2L turbo engine and grossing more than 500lbs more than a Fit gets a 0.09 score. Granted, the greenhouse gas score is slightly above average...with it scoring a 6/10, even that is nothing to write home about.
I'm not sure why Honda would not choose to put in a cleaner engine in such a "clean" car, but overall that's what disappoints mostly. And they should have hybridized this car before they coming out with that hideous Insight. The Fit looks so much better.
if i may quote The Fonz, in answer to all of your comments: "Exactamundo!"
Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 71
From: New Berlin,WI
Some things
It seems some people are getting ticked that so many people are complaining about the Fit, so I'd like to separate my list into major things and minor things so it doesn't seem like I'm completely unhappy with the car. I love the car 
Major:
* Locks on the front doors are in a terrible location. If you like to have your arm out the window you will either lock yourself in or stab yourself in the arm. GE owners cash in on a superior interior design.
* Windshield is huge making visibility great, but the GD design makes it terribly vulnerable to road debris. I've been through one windshield already, and got a speeding ticket passing a convoy of dump trucks to ironically avoid replacing it again.
* No sixth gear. Honestly, this thing sucks on the highway, I feel like it's no better than city mileage as unless you're babying it at 55 mph, you're going to be over 3,000 rpms after that...and stepping into VTEC realm.
* No telescoping wheel on the GD
* Carpet material is awful and cheap AND no stock floormats
* No steering wheel controls for stereo (which almost seems designed to make it a pain to go aftermarket)
* No dead pedal (where the cheap carpet material comes in....I had to glue it back down because it started curling up near my clutch.
Minor:
* No moonroof in the USA
* The rubber shift boot on the M/T was trendy at first, but collects dirt way to much
* No map lights in front or sunglasses storage (seems like extra storage options have improved on the GE)
* No auto up buttons for the front door windows. Pain to sit there and roll them up all the time, apparently the Jazz had auto up/down...but since this is a circuit board issue there can't be too much done.
* Seats collect lint way too much and are surprisingly hard to vacuum
* No Variable Intermittent wipers
Other than that it would have been nice to see a real sport trim line with an upgraded engine. But that's too dreaming I guess.
I might have missed something, but I'm happy with the Fit for what I paid.
Major:
* Locks on the front doors are in a terrible location. If you like to have your arm out the window you will either lock yourself in or stab yourself in the arm. GE owners cash in on a superior interior design.
* Windshield is huge making visibility great, but the GD design makes it terribly vulnerable to road debris. I've been through one windshield already, and got a speeding ticket passing a convoy of dump trucks to ironically avoid replacing it again.
* No sixth gear. Honestly, this thing sucks on the highway, I feel like it's no better than city mileage as unless you're babying it at 55 mph, you're going to be over 3,000 rpms after that...and stepping into VTEC realm.
* No telescoping wheel on the GD
* Carpet material is awful and cheap AND no stock floormats
* No steering wheel controls for stereo (which almost seems designed to make it a pain to go aftermarket)
* No dead pedal (where the cheap carpet material comes in....I had to glue it back down because it started curling up near my clutch.
Minor:
* No moonroof in the USA
* The rubber shift boot on the M/T was trendy at first, but collects dirt way to much
* No map lights in front or sunglasses storage (seems like extra storage options have improved on the GE)
* No auto up buttons for the front door windows. Pain to sit there and roll them up all the time, apparently the Jazz had auto up/down...but since this is a circuit board issue there can't be too much done.
* Seats collect lint way too much and are surprisingly hard to vacuum
* No Variable Intermittent wipers
Other than that it would have been nice to see a real sport trim line with an upgraded engine. But that's too dreaming I guess.
I might have missed something, but I'm happy with the Fit for what I paid.
Last edited by CombatBaby; Aug 31, 2009 at 05:38 PM.
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 22
From: Syracuse, NY
Minor quibbles
We all love our Fit but hope Honda will read this thread to make it even better for the next buyers. Changing cars will make nit picky things jump out at you at first but these first impressions are still valid for discussion of possible improvements.
1. The accelerator pedal counter force is way to soft. It makes the car feel jumpy and wastes gas. I have had to learn to wedge my foot against the tunnel while highway driving to help keep it steady on the gas and avoid fatigue in the muscles of my shin from actually holding some of the weight of my foot off of the gas pedal.
2. the sun visors don't swing over to cover any of the side window. They swing at an upward angle right up to the headliner. Morning sun on a commute to the south comes right in behind your sun glasses and makes it hard to see. The designer should have noticed this. I hope to mod the angle of the attachment slightly to get the visor to rotate across to the side glass where it belongs and will add tint.
3. The lock knobs don't poke your arm any more on the 09 but are little, round barrels located at the hinge point of the inside handle and are nearly impossible for first time passengers to find. Good thing for the standard programmable power locks. The simple addition of a tab would be much better.
4. The radio in the 09 looks cool but only sounds so so on cd. Luckily the aux in and the radio sound pretty acceptable for now. What do you do when it comes time to up grade or when the drive fails? At least they haven't completely followed the new Prius with a center arm rest that blends all the way up to the dash at the center mounted speedo. That arrangement would be enough to prevent me from buying the car. Don't continue further with the sloped center console controls!
5. The seat height is a little high but I may get out voted on this. Starting to get a bit van like. I doubled up on the mats with carpet and rubber to raise the floor slightly but this may be contributing to my problem with the gas pedal. I prefer the sportier, lower seating in the Civic as more comfortable and supportive but I needed the better fuel economy and the hatch of the Fit for my friend's dog. The tilt/ scope steering wheel saves the day and is one of the most cost effective ways for a designer to improve a car. Marketing is a compromise and many people rate the easier exit and higher sight line as priorities but for longer commutes, I am way more comfortable in my 01 Insight and wish the seat in the Fit was a bit lower.
6. The electric power steering turns down the assist too much at highway speeds which makes the car feel as if there is a slight bit of "sticktion" in the steering, making it a little more difficult to fight the corrections for cross winds and grooved pavement. Around town the steering is a breeze but it feels a bit stiff on the highway. A simple reprogramming of the control map could improve this in future models for no cost. It can't waste much gas to turn up the electric power steering can it?
1. The accelerator pedal counter force is way to soft. It makes the car feel jumpy and wastes gas. I have had to learn to wedge my foot against the tunnel while highway driving to help keep it steady on the gas and avoid fatigue in the muscles of my shin from actually holding some of the weight of my foot off of the gas pedal.
2. the sun visors don't swing over to cover any of the side window. They swing at an upward angle right up to the headliner. Morning sun on a commute to the south comes right in behind your sun glasses and makes it hard to see. The designer should have noticed this. I hope to mod the angle of the attachment slightly to get the visor to rotate across to the side glass where it belongs and will add tint.
3. The lock knobs don't poke your arm any more on the 09 but are little, round barrels located at the hinge point of the inside handle and are nearly impossible for first time passengers to find. Good thing for the standard programmable power locks. The simple addition of a tab would be much better.
4. The radio in the 09 looks cool but only sounds so so on cd. Luckily the aux in and the radio sound pretty acceptable for now. What do you do when it comes time to up grade or when the drive fails? At least they haven't completely followed the new Prius with a center arm rest that blends all the way up to the dash at the center mounted speedo. That arrangement would be enough to prevent me from buying the car. Don't continue further with the sloped center console controls!
5. The seat height is a little high but I may get out voted on this. Starting to get a bit van like. I doubled up on the mats with carpet and rubber to raise the floor slightly but this may be contributing to my problem with the gas pedal. I prefer the sportier, lower seating in the Civic as more comfortable and supportive but I needed the better fuel economy and the hatch of the Fit for my friend's dog. The tilt/ scope steering wheel saves the day and is one of the most cost effective ways for a designer to improve a car. Marketing is a compromise and many people rate the easier exit and higher sight line as priorities but for longer commutes, I am way more comfortable in my 01 Insight and wish the seat in the Fit was a bit lower.
6. The electric power steering turns down the assist too much at highway speeds which makes the car feel as if there is a slight bit of "sticktion" in the steering, making it a little more difficult to fight the corrections for cross winds and grooved pavement. Around town the steering is a breeze but it feels a bit stiff on the highway. A simple reprogramming of the control map could improve this in future models for no cost. It can't waste much gas to turn up the electric power steering can it?
Last edited by sendler; Sep 1, 2009 at 10:45 AM.
New Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 19
From: Oswego, NY
1. The front seat is uncomfortable on long trips. (no height or angle adjustment of the seat base) I'm 6'2"
2. My front seat passangers seem to consistantly lock themselves in the car by resting their arms on the door lock. I balme them, but they insist it is a poor design.
3. Awful sound (low freq fluttering hurts the ears) when driving at speeds over 30mph with the windows down.
The long list of positives out-weighes the above.
2. My front seat passangers seem to consistantly lock themselves in the car by resting their arms on the door lock. I balme them, but they insist it is a poor design.
3. Awful sound (low freq fluttering hurts the ears) when driving at speeds over 30mph with the windows down.
The long list of positives out-weighes the above.
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 154
From: brooklyn,ny
Today I was driving my car on a three lane road, in the left most lane. The guy in front of me a 15 passenger van, does not signal and moves to the middle lane. A few seconds later the guy proceeds to make a left hand turn from the middle lane (again no turn signal)!! I was doing about 30-35mph and then slammed on the brakes and slammed on my (upgraded Accord) horn. This brings me to my complaint about the Fit...it takes a long scary while to bring it to a stop , i almost thought i was gonna hit the Van. I wish the car had 4 wheel disc brakes!!
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 22
From: Syracuse, NY
Antilock Braking?
I am sorry to hear of your harrowing incident. Why are new cars such a magnet for accidents?! I have had more close calls in the first three weeks with the Fit than all of my driving in the last three years. I haven't tried a panic stop in mine yet but I wonder if you were into the antilock braking during which stopping distance is limited by tire traction. Was it raining? High mileage tires make a compromise with wet braking. Having rear disc brakes doesn't allow a car to stop faster the first time. So little of the weight of the vehicle is on the rear during braking unless carrying a load. The only advantage of discs is when racing or descending a mountain where they can dissipate heat better and keep from fading after prolonged use.
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 154
From: brooklyn,ny
I am sorry to hear of your harrowing incident. Why are new cars such a magnet for accidents?! I have had more close calls in the first three weeks with the Fit than all of my driving in the last three years. I haven't tried a panic stop in mine yet but I wonder if you were into the antilock braking during which stopping distance is limited by tire traction. Was it raining? High mileage tires make a compromise with wet braking. Having rear disc brakes doesn't allow a car to stop faster the first time. So little of the weight of the vehicle is on the rear during braking unless carrying a load. The only advantage of discs is when racing or descending a mountain where they can dissipate heat better and keep from fading after prolonged use.
I do agree that new cars are a magnet for accidents, scratches and dents. My last 2 cars where used and other than a ding in one I didn't add any scratches. But the last 2 new cars I had people seemed to want to hit those cars.
Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 32
From: Mexico
so bad man, the brakes are a thing that I can´t complain about, my fit (mexican, brazilian made) has 4 disc brakes and stops very well, I´ve tested a couple of times and believe me that are good, I can´t understand why the us model doesn´t have 4 disc brakes, a friend of mine works at honda here in Mexico and he told me that the us version is safer than the brazilian, brazilian model only has front air bags, and if you compare the two versions the us model has the front part longer than the brazilian because some safety things, but imo the brakes are important too, a lot.
New Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 6
From: USA
I have an 09 fit S and I dont like that there is only one switch for the power locks on the drivers side door only and the MPG computer is not correct its always 3-7 MPG over what I actually get. It will say 36 MPG but when I do the math at fill up time its never more than 30 MPG.
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 120
From: Duncansville, PA
Base owners, don't feel neglected due to the lack of an armrest because the one on the sport blows!
I work for a company that has a fleet of cars we share and if it does not have an armrest, I will not use it..........just one of my analism's.
The one on the sport model is so useless that I don't know why Honda even bothered. It's too small, too low and too narrow, plus it covered in Honda's patented "epidermis removal" fabric that leaves everything looking like you spilled a bottle of baby powder in the car.
I just ordered the drop-in one from zetaproducts.net, so I'll see how that goes. They have good feedbacks on ebay and I was not into paying double for the OEM, removing center console and drilling holes.
I work for a company that has a fleet of cars we share and if it does not have an armrest, I will not use it..........just one of my analism's.
The one on the sport model is so useless that I don't know why Honda even bothered. It's too small, too low and too narrow, plus it covered in Honda's patented "epidermis removal" fabric that leaves everything looking like you spilled a bottle of baby powder in the car.
I just ordered the drop-in one from zetaproducts.net, so I'll see how that goes. They have good feedbacks on ebay and I was not into paying double for the OEM, removing center console and drilling holes.
New Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1
From: New Orleans
Carpet, Bluetooth and the interior fabric seems to pick-up lint easily. I've been driving Toyota's for the last 20 years and was a little concerned about changing to the 2009 Honda Fit Sport w/Nav , happy I did.
Last edited by joye313; Sep 7, 2009 at 10:42 AM.
New Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 5
From: San Diego, CA
I have an 09 fit S and I dont like that there is only one switch for the power locks on the drivers side door only and the MPG computer is not correct its always 3-7 MPG over what I actually get. It will say 36 MPG but when I do the math at fill up time its never more than 30 MPG.
In regards to "MPG"; I too am getting 30 mpg, and the readout Avg is incorrect as stated.
I found a link that provides a real mpg and comparison:
True Cost to Own ratings at Edmunds
Avg Mpg: FIT=30, Carolla=28, etc...
