Hi,

I'm trying to decide between a 2010 Fit and a new Kia Soul. I read a review of the 09 Fit (I understand that the 2010 is pretty much the same) that said that the brakes on the Fit are really bad and it takes 196 feet to stop at 70 mph. Wondering if owners can weigh in on their feelings/thoughts/experiences on the Fit's brakes as I will be doing a fair amount of interstate driving. thanks-

 

It's not a performance car but I've never felt they were terrible or even inadequate. I've been driving it for a year in metro Atlanta 50 miles daily (rt). It's a comfortable commuter. The auto-transmission is geared more friendly for highway speeds it seems. I don't think I would choose it for frequent long distance travel.

 

Here's a few 60-0 numbers for comparison, all from Edmund's full tests:

2009 Honda Fit - 134 ft (2009 Honda Fit Sport Full Test on Inside Line)
2007 Nissan Versa - 136 ft (Full Test: 2007 Nissan Versa review)
2011 Honda CR-Z - 126 ft (2011 Honda CR-Z Full Test and Video)
2010 Kia Soul - 128 ft (2010 Kia Soul Full Test and Video on Inside Line)
2011 Mazda 2 - 129 ft (2011 Mazda 2 Full Test and Video)
2011 Ford Fiesta - 119 ft (2011 Ford Fiesta SES Full Test)
2011 Hyundai Sonata - 131 ft (2011 Hyundai Sonata Full Test)

The Fit doesn't have the shortest braking distance, but it's not horrible. Of course it could always be better, but better tires would probably help a lot. As a footnote, when I hit a deer, I slammed on the brakes hard and ABS activated on dry pavement, which seems to suggest the tires were the limiting factor.

 

clicq you running stock tires?

 

Yep, I'm running the stock Dunlops -- I only had about 7500 miles on the car... at the time, the car seemed to stop plenty quick, though I guess an extra 20 feet would have saved me.

 

20' makes little to no difference. You did what you could, the car systems took over after that. Did what they are supposed to.

I was not a big fan of the stock Dunlops at first. 7K on them an they seem to have broken in. Will up grade, but they are not turning out to be so bad.

 

Here's some more 60-0 numbers from motortrend.


PORSCHE 911 TURBO 111 ft
FERRARI F355 114 ft
TOYOTA SUPRA TURBO 115 ft
CHEVROLET CORVETTE 116 ft
MITSUBISHI 3000GT VR-4 116 ft
ACURA NSX-T 120 ft
DODGE VIPER GTS 129 ft

60-0-MPH Braking - Motor Trend Magazine

 

my fit brakes fine *shrugs*

 

WOW nice!! I would love to have spoon brakes

 

in three weeks of ownership i have had to get on the brakes twice to avoid accidents and both times it did fine. i wouldnt consider them bad at all.

 

2007 Honda Fit 60-0 mph (ft.)123.61
http://www.insideline.com/honda/fit/...fit-sport.html


Sounds like they reduced braking performance significantly from 07-08 to 09-10

 

The tires are definitely a limiting factor. Upgraded rubber works wonders on braking as well as handling.

 

+1, unless you make over ten 80-0 in a row, the tires won't be an issue.

 

I think the only thing that Honda coulda done to make the fit a better car woulda been to have upgraded breaks they r ok better then some cars but I don't like the way they feel everyone else who drives my cars thinks it breaks good ohh the other thing woulda been to add a sixth gear lol

 

can you start using punctuation from now on? thanks.

 

whatdoumeanitissomucheasier2readasentencewhenitflo wslikethislolololololol
Nah, poor guy probably has a low tiered internet plan that charges per ASCII character. Periods, commas, and whole words can really run up the bill.

 

Close it takes forever to add a period or comma also my phone try to correct my spelling so it makes it worse I use spelling and grammar when I'm on a computer.

 

thats actually backwards

for repeated applications of the brakes, the system (fluid, pads, rotors) are the issue, not the tires.


all new cars have the braking strength to lock the front wheels. so it could be said that the tires are the always the limiting factor.

i digress from stopping distance (which it has been noted that the fit is not among the best) and make a comment on braking performance and feel. i like the linearity of the brakes. (previously i test drove GTIs which are mega touchy, then quickly grippy w/o any feedback). but i feel like there isnt enough power for immediate-pressure stops. i have the perception that if i needed to make emergency stops, i might hit something.

i try to not put myself in that situation.

 

That's funny, I actually thought more people would complain about how non-linear the Fit brake pedal is. My GD1 has never had ABS since day 1, and depending on tire compound it can get quite easy to induce a full lockup.

Different strokes I guess. It took me a bit of getting used to but now I have no problems with the pedal modulation - although wheel lockup literally is a misjudged spasm of the foot away. I can definitely say ABS helps a lot, and you guys in the Americas are lucky.

 

Brakes are fine on the Fit. Upgrade the tires on them and there better. But you want good brakes be a good driver. Stay back from cars infront of you and keep ur mind on driving that would help a ton. I think most accedents happen when drivers minds are on other things than driving there car. Than they always blame the brakes. I would not even consider a Soul after i looked at one at the dealer. They are small inside and way oever priced for what they are. But thats just my 02 cents