I am actually surprised you have an A/T because from some of your previous posts I would have taken you as a M/T or die kind of guy.

So why DID you choose an A/T?

 

My Fit is an auto mostly because that was all that was available when I purchased, my wife can't drive a manual and refuses to learn, and I just thought I would get tired of rowing through the gears in traffic. But, I still think your list is hilarious!

 

It was just as simple as I was happy with the performance in this little car.
It had nothing to do with being able to drive a manual or anything else

My dealer had several manual 2012 Fit's on the lot when I got my car but I did not even need or want to test drive them.

If I planned to build this car like my Mustangs I would have gone manual but I have no such plans.

 

Got dirty looks from a co worker after reading this!

I regularly drive my GD manual and the GF's GE auto. I have driven everything from 19teens classics to modern flappy DSG's. My final opinion is simple:

 

Sorry OP I got dragged into this mess now back on topic lol

 

Ah, see I knew already you were a "car guy" from other posts, so I was just curious. Interesting. No attack intended.

All personal preference this is of course. My wife's car is an automatic and I still enjoy driving it, but would enjoy it even more if it was an SRT8

 

It's all good and +1 on the SRT8

 

+2! got a friend who has gone through 3 challengers, 2 V6 and FINALLY a RT V8. Every time I see him tough, I still shake my head... Shoulda gone with the SRT8 to start!

 

I personally like a manual transmission because I do a lot of driving between 30 and 70 km/h (20 and 50 mph). I find that I can drive in the city in a very relaxed way and achieve and maintain specific speeds with more ease. When I'm by a park or a school zone, I just leave it in second (or 3rd with no gas) and when I'm cruising at the speed limit (35 mph in the city) I just drive 3rd with moderate gas or 4th with little to no gas.

When I have to drive an automatic, I find myself needing to glance occasionally at the tachometer, something I almost never do in a manual car. Since 0 to 150 is all one pedal with an automatic, I find that it is more challenging to maintain sub 60 MPH speeds without glancing at the tachometer. Also, by fault of having testosterone running through my veins, I frequently enjoy a brisk acceleration. I don't drive recklessly or dangerously and I don't speed (much) but I find an occasional quick acceleration in second gear pretty satisfying.

I have a great many european friends in Montreal and they complain that it is difficult to find manual rental cars. Many frenchmen that I know are used to driving in very dangerous country roads, along side mountainous terrain. Compression breaking is a real plus when negotiating a steep hill with dangerous and sharp turns. They claim that manual transmission is quite simply a necessity in their country (France) and that automatic transmissions are very, very rare.

I find that automatic transmissions are okay for buick or cadillac type cars and I find they give a good driving experience with higher HP engines (V6 or V8 is great in automatic too). For a small four banger, to me it's gotta be manual. If you do a lot of highway driving I'd say it's a push since cruise control is the way to go in either AT OR MT but then again, if you drive mainly highway, the Fit is not the ideal car, IMO. Good but not ideal.

 

You find yourself having to glance at the tach to maintain speed in a car with an automatic? That's a new one...

The tachometer is about the most useless instrument in any car, unless it's used for track/racing and the engine is built to an extent where over revving is a possibility. It annoys me to have a tachometer in an auto Fit, but the masses demand it. It's unnecessary in a manual Fit (the sound and power delivery should tell you when to shift).

Having lived in Les Alpes Maritimes for 4 years and owning both a MT Citroen BX and VW Jetta, when I came back to the states I did not look at MT cars. I was so sick of shifting that it was a non-starter. This was in 1989-1994. Since then I haven't owned a manual. Prior to 89 it was 90% manuals here in the states ranging from a couple VWs, to a couple Jeeps, to a couple Isuzus, to a couple Toyotas...

Euros don't drive autos, much like they don't believe in A/C and deodorant. They also don't believe in driving! Most will take the train, plane when it's more than a couple hour drive. It's a culture thing (might've changed in the last 15 years). It's also an economic thing. With gasoline @ $10/gal autos (until recently) could not compete with MT for efficiency. Add the cost of an automatic (adding thousands USD to the cost of a typical car in Europe) and it's a no-brainer. Although in Spain where it gets ungodly hot they'd started buying cars with A/C even back in the early 90s. Try finding a rental car in Europe, England with A/C!

 

Excuse me, i meant to write Tachymeter/speedometer. Like I said, I like to drive in a lively way (but not speeding) and with a MT I am more confident after a short burst of acceleration that I'm driving at the correct speed than with an automatic. Usually, when I let off the gas on a MT, I maintain speed whilst completely letting off on a AT I start to decelerate considerably. Basically, you need to depress the accelerator considerably more on a AT to maintain speed and this requires MORE effort to me than on a MT. It's all a matter of personal preference but I prefer MT for that reason; it has a higher original learning curve for a new vehicle but once you get accustomed, I find I control a car with more ease with MT

I can tell you really know Europe! I'd counter your statement with the following: "try find the sun in the horizon in England"! My father is British and he did have some trouble getting reaccustomed to driving with the stick in his left hand and driving on the left, even though he lived about half of his life there! I remember when I was a little child (in the 80s), my dad rented an econobox that had a manual choke! For those that don't know, a manual choke is a lever that allows the driver to manually control the oxygen/gas mixture to ease in the starting of a vehicle...

I can't imagine why someone in England would want A/C. If the sun comes out, I'd roll down my window and take it in before it disappears for the next 364 days of the year Fog lights on the other hand, that's a real plus over there

 

Saved this photo!!! Save the stick!!!!!!!

The Fit with an auto is a great car, with a stick it is AMAZING.

The auto is sluggish, there are no two ways about it. With an engine this small and with so little horsepower the difference between the auto and stick is huge.

With a manual the car is VERY peppy, it feels much faster than it is and will leave most cars in the dust in regular driving. I usually merge onto the freeway when the car behind me is only half way down the ramp =]

The auto Fit is what you'd expect, slow but adequate. Like most economy cars.

The manual Fit is way beyond what I expected. If I had known how sporty and fun this car is I would have bought one years ago. It's really like the auto is the Fit and the manual is the Fit Si

 

Have you ever driven a Fit 5MT?

The clutch and shifter feel of a Honda is so radically different from the cars you owned 20 years ago...

I have a 2013 Mustang GT and if that was the only stick I had I would get sick of shifting too. It's such a chore to drive in daily traffic. My Fit, however, is a dream to drive.

 

Yes (drove a Fit 5MT). I agree, it is radically different than other cars. I thought it would be an enjoyable experience. The shift linkage was springy (as is normal in a FWD car), the clutch delay was annoying, and the throttle hang (part of current emissions controls) was exasperating. I hated it (ok hate is too strong a word, but it was far from what a MT should feel like).

I convinced my son to buy a Miata instead of a FWD pocket rocket. The 5spd Miata is a great drive. I steal it whenever I feel the need for a drive in the twisties in north GA. He gets razzed sometimes for driving a gay car, but when his friends actually go for a ride they're convinced. The thing is a proper sports car.

 

My experience living there was the Cote d'Azure (French Mediterranean). It gets nasty hot there in the summer. A/C cars are (were) hard to find. We rented an Espace (expensive Renault mini-van) to tour around relatives one summer. The agencies could not provide an A/C'd 6 passenger car. Try running the Autostradas at 160klicks with 90degree weather and the windows down with a car full of complaining in-laws and an infant.

London can get toasty in the summer.

Just a nit on the tachymeter; it's a scale on a watch or other timing device to calculate speed when distance and time are known. Useful for pilots.

 

I dont like bouncing off my redline and I usually cant hear my engine over my music sooooo....tachometer required.

 

I had an 09 MX-5 Grand Touring in 2010 and 2011. I probably should have bought the 5MT instead of the 6MT as the trans had some issues but yes, that is a proper sports car. I would buy another but with the power hard top next time. I ended up trading that in on a 2011 Camry SE that was only available in auto, for the added practicality and comfort. It was a great car but eventually owning an auto got the better of me and I traded if in on the 2013 Mustang GT. It got to a point where I started hating the Camry- every shift that I felt was misplaced was like nails on a chalkboard, but the car had no idea there was a gap opening up and I was about to accelerate.

Funny with the Miata, even my "friends" and coworkers constantly used that as a source of ridicule. Like I cared...hardly any of them can even drive a proper manual and none would know a good car if it ran them over.

I love the Fit 5MT, it feels very old school Honda to me as most reviewers agree. Yes, that throttle hang is incredibly annoying but I got used to it in about a week. I try not to ever judge a car based on things like when the clutch engages or how easy the controls are to figure out (unlike most car reviewers). Those are things that you get used to if you own the car and they don't bother you when that's what you're used to.

 

LOL. Wow.

I chose automatic due to the amount of commuting I do. I'm coming from an s2000 and before that an 11sec civic hatch (fully built integra motor). Pretty sure this is why a M/T Fit doesn't necessarily impress me. Either way, they are both slow hehe.

I don't doubt the M/T fit has more pep but auto is just fine for me. I wanted a new, reliable, comfortable car with great cargo room.

 

Perhaps you misinterpreted "regular driving". I wasn't saying the MT Fit beats most cars in a drag race...just that its peppy enough to get ahead of most cars in regular driving...not people trying to race you. This is in contrast to auto Fit where we drove it the same way just to keep up with traffic. I mean the darn thing goes 0-60 slower than a Prius.

My other car is a 2013 Mustang GT thats right around 450hp now and I also race supersport bikes. You have to drive the Fit with a manual to see what I'm talking about. It is very peppy compared to other similar cars like the Yaris and Aveo. It's like a different car than the Fit AT.

 

Time slip for 11sec civic hatch? I know a ton of honduh guys that says this stuff and its usually benchracing silliness to impress their JDMBros.