LOL 10 char

 

Weird that not too many people mentioned this, but long braking distance is my number one complaint about this car. It takes almost the same amount of distance to slow this thing down from 60-0 as medium pickup truck (think about the weight difference). I think Honda really dropped the ball on braking.

I also really wish Fit had more options. I would have paid extra for climate control and bluetooth.

I think all the other inconveniences are pretty minor and are expected from a car in this price range.

 

well bluetooth is an option that can be had from the factory/dealer. as for climate control, good luck finding it on anything in this category. i think civics dont have climate control either.

as for the brakes, upgraded pads and better tires (oem dunlops suck for braking) should remedy this.

 

What brake pads and tires do you recommend?

 

since you live in nj, i would recommend a set of high performance all seasons. I have the continental etremecontact dws which are supposed to work well in snow too so, thats one viable option.

as for brakes, Hawk sports pads would provide enough bite to increase braking power and decrease braking distance.

to be honest, you can just upgrade tires to obtain shorter braking distance.

 

Hmmm... Maybe because the majority of us think the brakes are a non-issue and adequate? Pretty strong claim to say Honda dropped the ball on this one. Considering it passed reviews with flying colors.

Don't know your driving habits but maybe you're still not used to the car yet. With the weight/power ratio, this car really doesn't need monster brakes unless you're tracking/auto-x with it. Just my take. Give it some time. Enjoy your ride!!!

BTW, yes, Hawk pads are good upgrades...

 

Hawk HPS Pads - $80
Brembo cross-drilled OE replacement rotors - $145
Fuzion VRi HP All-season rubber - $75/each
Motul RBF600 DOT4 brake fluid - $12/bottle

 

Japan and Europe have options for climate control... Specifically, Germany has LHD versions of the Jazz (aka Fit) with climate control that we can use.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/honda-jazz-2009-full-test/

 

I've already discussed this digital climate control diy about a year ago or so. It would be too expensive of a conversion due to the digital climate controls use of servos to control open/close vents. Also, mexican domestic market jazzs use the same lhd auto climate. Due to the non cost efectiveness of the converion the idea was tossed out.

 

I didn't say anything about it being cost effective. Just that the Fit/Jazz does have it... "being in the category" and all.

 

Road dirt seems to collect in the wheels just inboard of the middle edge of the wheel barrel and sometimes causes them to go out of balance.

Road noise in the cabin.

Seats take a while to break in.

 

This thread is depressing.

Someone mentioned unstable at highway speeds earlier. Heck plenty of vehicles can be unstable at highway speeds.

I have yet to experience instability at any speed.

 

The paint chips very easily as I already have 2 chips in my hood and bumper on my 3.5 week old fit. My subie (4 years) and Nissan (10 years) had MAYBE three or four chips combined.

Seems like the stopping distances are longer than I'm used to, though I have no way of quantifying this. More of a 'feel' thing.

Angle of the front seat headrests. Damn things require that my seat is more reclined than I normally like. I am getting used to them however.

While I thought about mentioning the jittery feel on the highway, I believe I just need time to get used to the car. It is a light, short-wheelbase, quick-ratio-steering vehicle afterall, so it will need more attention as the speeds go up. Now, I look at it as being more nimble than anything I have had before.

 

Needs more power on 3rd gear. I feel as though i'm crawling when i'm driving on 3rd gear >.>
Needs a 6th gear for anything over 80-90km/h

still yet to discover more annoyances.

Edit: Blind spot. I had a minor accident the other day coz i totally could not see for some crazy reason :S

 

the seats.. suck. How are you gonna have a turning beast of a car and not have some decent seats that keep you in. Oh and long distance travel too. My back starts to give after a long ass drive. Gonna upgrade sometime in the future. But everything else I like Mmmmm

 

How do you have your mirrors adjusted? I learned a while ago that you can adjust the mirrors of your car specifically for seeing your blind spot. That is how I have mine at least, but you have to get used to it.

 

Just get those convex circle things that simply stick onto the mirror. Works like a charm and I never have to turn around

 

This is more something Honda could improve on the Fit rather than something I have a passionate dislike for...

...the paddle shifters on the steering wheel should remain stationary when the wheel is rotated so we know where they are regardless of the position of the steering wheel.

 

Adjust your side mirrors all the way OUT, so you are not looking at the side of your car, but the cars coming up on you. You have no blind spot that way. By the time the car gets out of your mirror, he is in your peripheral vision next to you. It works! My son learned this in driver training, this is what side mirrors are supposed to do, we all learned to use them WRONG!



If you use the mirrors correctly, you never have to look over your shoulder b/c you can see anyone next to you in the mirror. Try it!

 

The Fit is a great car, I really love it. But I agree, the seats do not really hold the drivers in it and most importantly, the CVT transmission is a catastrophe. The car suffers from a really bad acceleration in comparison to the manual one. And even in manual mode, the performance doesn't improve, either. Nonetheless, still a very nice car but not for sporty driving. Quite a shame, because the handling is a beast.