Let's face it, if there is no legal or liability reason for them to NOT offer or not be allowed to offer a specific feature in a given market or country, then they should offer it.

I believe there are two major locations for building of Fits, right? Japan and somewhere in Asia? The US's fits come from Japan, right? So, every feature that they offer for other vehicles in Japan should be able to be selected by US consumers (as well as in other markets that get Fits from those factories.)

Sure, it might take longer for me to get my fit if I want to select those options, but they should at least give me the opportunity! I've read several discussions where people have specifically said "they didn't have the _model year x_ in the color I wanted, so I didn't buy it.." and let's face it... just look at the beginning of the iMac line -- that proved that consumers will specifically buy and go after computers based on the simple appearance and color of the computer.. nevermind additional features.

Lets face it, plenty of people would add-on sunroofs, moonroofs, VSA, etc. etc. etc. if given the opportunity.

Give them what they want? Give them additional options to choose from? They will choose and they will buy; and they will pay more!

 

I have a GD3 and I love the look of them better than the revamped GE but I love the performance improvements made on the GE. Jealous that they can order Mugen from the dealership! Yes, Honda is not going to make any changes on a model that has already been revamped the previous year. It will be interesting to see how the Fit progresses.

Cat :x

 

this thread is ridiculous.

sure, they could have added all those features, but at what price?

oh wait...that would be SOMETHING ELSE to complain about.


take a look at the 2007 civic versus the 2006...you wont find much differences.

honda has NEVER made big changes on the second year cylce of any given car they make. c'mon people.

and not having all these options are not 'problems' honda needs to address.

 

I know I'm just trolling now, but can you please tell me other than satisfying your pretentious attitude, what need there is for EVERY person on the road to know how to drive a manual even if they don't own one? That's a retarded idea...

 

The conservative-libertarian-liberal-pragmatunist-from-MN in me agrees. Can't drive a manual, don't want to bother to learn? No sweat off my nuts. Curious enough to try, find you prefer it for various reasons? High five!

(Find you don't prefer it after learning how? Well, at least you know how just in case--nothing wrong with that.)

P.S. I like popcorn.

 

Yikes - relax . . . all my opinion, but based on the realities of the different transmissions.

From a safety standpoint, knowing how to drive a manual transmission makes you a better driver. It forces you to learn and pay attention to what's going on with your car, make the proper gear selection, etc. And good clutch modulation is invaluable in allowing you to launch on a slippery surface - snow, sand, whatever.

More automatics these days have features like the Fit's paddles, tiptronic, whatever the different companies call theirs. And newer automatics on the road also have more gear ratios than they used to . . . but the overwhelming majority of them on the road don't. And again, that makes them less versatile than a 5 speed gearbox. Having a wider variety of gears to choose from is better for many reasons.

And from an environmental standpoint, they're more efficent. Millions and millions of gasoline could be saved every year if even a tiny portion of the 90-92% of automatics in this country switched to a stick. Of course, in order for that to be possible, people would actually have to know how to drive them. And in my personal experience, out of the people I know who did learn how to drive a stickshift car, the majority of them switch and don't look back.

 

these types of threads make me doubt/dislike most GE owners

 

agreed...moonroofs, leather, and heated seats etc. are not NEEDED for the Fit. Most of them are luxury items that would only drive the price up and add additional weight.....both of which defeat the main purpose of the fit!

My only complaint are the models here don't come with optional Navi and the dealerships here are not allowed to carry Mugen

 

US has an aging population, baby boomers. Empty nesters. Aging often brings along the gradual decline of ability. And the Fit isn't an age-specific vehicle. Nor is it a sex-specific vehicle.

Maybe the marketing shows that people who have NAV/Automatic travel a lot, need the directions, and do NOT want to be shifting. Traveling on unfamiliar roads could mean stability/traction challenges that are unfamiliar. So that the VSA helps a lot. Perhaps choosing the wrong gear in a manual in an unfamiliar area is problematic. Maybe there is too much going on???

But I gotta tell ya, after driving a stick for so long, I'm not used to the car doing whatever it wants without my input. LOL! The automatic up or downshifting when I wouldn't have done it at that moment myself in a stick. It's weird.

Anyway, lots of folks have pointed out that there are many aftermarket navigation systems. Those can go in any car.

As far as the VSA, well, another old person comment coming...people have been getting along just fine for the entire history of automobiles without VSA. It has to do with DRIVING SKILLS. As in not exceeding what is safe to do.

VSA isn't going to help here:
YouTube - Winter Car Slide Multiple Car Collision in Black Ice & snow - Car Crashes in Ice

People haven't quite mastered ice (or dogs):
YouTube - Slipping on badly designed sidewalk at first little snow!

VSA might have helped here though:
YouTube - Icy corner cars sliding

HOLY CRAP! "I have everything under control..." -famous last words...
YouTube - Ice driving pinball

 

In my part of the world (North Idaho) no kids taking School sponsered Driver's Ed have done so in a manual transmission car for ten years.. NO experience or knowledge about shifting gears in ten years worth of new drivers = no demand when they get around to buying a car. Before I decided on my Fit I looked at another Nissan, but a rude assed salesman told me that NOBODY wants a manual anymore, yet on the showroomo floor was a 370Z ..with 6 speed and 3 pedals. He was a tool indeed. Even the hotrod Covic Si has a 6 speed. Seriously, I expect in the very close future, we wont be able to buy a manual in a Fit class car, and I bet the dealers will be happy as hell to take one more choice away from us. To be fair, I wanted a MT but now I like the auto better.

 

Uhm, isn't that why they're called OPTIONS?!

People can choose them IF _they_ WANT them. And they can pay more for them, and they can suffer the consequences of a heavier (or lighter) car, and a more expensive car.

As far as the "main purpose of the fit" goes. Many if not all of these options are available in different countries. So if they are available elsewhere, why not everywhere that there is someone who wants to buy them?

I always thought the main purpose of the fit was to drive around.

Driving around in comfort, style, or safety does not defeat the purpose of driving around.