more fender room, the offset makes it so hard to find wheels...

 

And in that room there would be a Holodeck, like the one on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Then we could get virtual sandwiches made by virtual Megans and Adrianas, and there would be no crumbs to vacuum up, thereby leaving extra time for recreational activities. By "recreational activities," of course I mean swimming and hiking.

 

better gas mileage than a civic.

 

Round cupholders.

 

Hi, At this point ,or my Fit is diferent or there is a lot of persons that are driving only on Fwy. After 2400.Miles , I NEVER get more than 25 m/pgalon. I'm a fast driver but not crazy.
Most of the times I got 21 to 22. Is true that 95 % of my drive is in the city. Also in California I use A/C frecuently. I still love my car,but I think that the city milage some Fit owners claim is not real! (I did not buy my Fit for the gas economy ) . I'm sure my wife's CRV Honda gets same or better mileage in city driving. With a 2400 cc engine !
Buy the way I plan buy an arm rest.

 

Rear discs.

 

I've got disc both in front and in rear...
It is standard on the cars over here

 

20 extra horsepower and 15lbs or added torque would be nice and provide that extra bit of "oomph" that is sorely missing from this otherwise kick-ass car. i understand its an economy car and the way it handles gives me confidence...but its lack of power and the fact that on the way to work i have to mirge into traffic in several places scares the bejesus out of me at times...people dont like slowing down for us "small car owners"...pricks. "you got small car. me got big car. me big winner...till i hit the gas pump."

 

Heated mirrors, telescoping wheel (GD3) projector beam HID headlights, Megan Fox vacuuming sandwich crumbs out of my lap.

 

I wish my GE8 had 4WD so I could drift like Ken Block.

 

-Passenger side visor mirror.
-Better fuel economy.
-Locking gas cap.
-Projector headlights.

 

They are not lying i just moved from San Diego to FL. When i drive fast i get 36mpg. But i average 38-41.3mpg. Last tank i got 41.3 mpg just driving all city and normal. Ur not even geting what honda estamates it geting i would bring it to the dealer to have it cheked u should be geting better than that.

 

Lets see,

Rear disc brakes - got those on Thai built GE8
Locking fuel cap - got that (central locking locks fuel cap also)
Passenger vanity mirror - got one of them too.

6 Speed gearbox - yeah, one of those please. And stability control

 

pufferfit abilities!

 

I'm not sure an economy car with 109 horsepower needs VSA.

Rear disc brakes are over-rated. The Civic people like to whine about this too, but the fact is that your front brakes are going to be doing 60% of the braking, and since the Fit's front end is WAY heavier than the rear, I doubt discs are even needed. I'm not sure if anyone would feel the difference. Fun fact: drums have more stopping power. Those big 18 wheel highway trucks? Huge drums.

6th gear would be nice.

More power? Eh, not really. An Si version would be awesome though. LOL at people asking for more power AND better gas mileage. Really though, the problem is that the L15 is an ooold engine. An R15 or R14 would be perfect for the Fit.

 

Those trucks when driving down steep hills or winding mountain roads travel at walking pace.(I know, I've been stuck behind a few)

Plus their drivers are trained to respect the fact that brakes get hot and stop working with repeated or continuous use and drive accordingly.

I agree that drum brakes (if they are big enough) will stop just as well as, if not better than discs, the first time.

It's the build up of heat after repeated applications that causes them to stop working, and it increases the likelihood that the linings will suffer damage and the drums will go oval shaped.

I used to have a Mini, fitted with drum brakes all round that I later changed to Cooper S discs with power assistance.

Adjusting the drums was a monthly exercise (they weren't self adjusting), but when they were adjusted properly, they worked well enough in everyday driving. When I took it to the track, however...

first lap - brakes fine
second lap - OMG!!!!!
On returning to the pits, you could cook an egg on those poor little 10" wheels.

third problem is stopping on steep hills. The brakes worked great going forwards due to twin leading shoe on the front, but lousy going backwards.

After changing to discs, no real difference on the road. Never got a chance to try them on the track, but that's another rather sad story...

As for the rear brakes on a small FWD car, well yes, they are probably a waste of time in every day driving, especially if you have a manual, or use an automatic correctly down hills (few people do), which is what all those numbers below D are for.

Since most people with automatics just ride their brakes all the way down the hill, such people need discs.

On the back, perhaps not, because as you rightly pointed out, they do only about 30% of the work (and less in hard braking) but you do get more consistent pedal feel, and ABS probably works better because of linear brake force application (no servoing effect)

Also even though drums may work just as well (the first time) they do tend to go out of round which can cause lockups and play havoc in an ABS equipped car (or any car)

One possible reason for the Australian ones to have discs (apart from the cool factor) could be that they are rated by Honda to pull an unbraked trailer up to 450kg, with a 70kg towball load. The USDM ones are not approved for any type of trailer.

Now in a towing situation, the rear brakes do a bit more work, and discs now have an advantage.

In a situation where you drive through water (a big puddle perhaps) drum brakes trap the water inside and don't work until you dry them out. that means you only have 70% of your brakes unless you ride them a bit after going through the water.

You may think "It's a little economy car, when am I going to drive it through water?" If you'd been here travelling just north of Sydney 18 months ago in June, you'd have been driving through standing water on the motorway in the middle of a big storm. Wouldn't want to have wet brakes then...

Plus discs look better inside your expensive bling wheels than those little shoe polish tins.