anybody drive both to any great extent? you would think the wider tires on the sport would make a big difference but you never know.

 

I didn't notice any difference, I just wanted to be able to plug in my mp3 player.

 

I've driven both, back to back.

The sport does better because it has more agressive rubber, not much, but a bit better. Aside from that, they are the same.

 

 

Any noticable difference in handling would most likely come from the tires. Nothing affects handling more. The standard 15" Sport tire is wider by 20mm (195mm vs. 175mm) with a lower profile, thus providing a larger contact patch, more grip, and more repsonsive handling.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=10

The 15" wheels are probably heavier, which is a negative. Unsprung weight is generally considered "bad". Read this if you're really care:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_weight

The groovy spoiler on the Sport might make a difference if you're driving really, really fast... but I doubt it's a functional design. As for the extra 40 lbs of curb weight... well that could be offset by leaving Fido at home, or going on South Beach for a few weeks.

Nothing I read about Fit specs indicates there are any other differences in, say, the suspension that could affect handling between the two trim levels.

 

the sport handles a little better...i think

 

I think it all boils down to the wider tires/wheels on the sport, if it indeed does handle any better. That said, I'll be throwing some 15x7 lightweight wheels with 205/50-15 ultra high performance summer tires on my base 5 speed fit... we'll see which handles better at that point.