Today, I have have my Fit for 6 months. I'm about 13,700 miles. Oil is at 40% - I've done 1 oil change so far (Mobil-1 0W20 @ 7200 miles.)

Positives:
- room
- handling
- exterior size
- HVAC performance
- Magic seats
- Sequential-shift AT
- stereo in sport is great for a factory system in an inexpensive car
- quick steering ratio, great for handling and autocross.

Negatives:
- gas mileage (although it is getting better with time.)

Minor negatives:
- scrolling would be nice on the stereo display for ID3 tags
- another notch of rearward travel on the driver's seat would help, although this would/could compromise the utility mode of the rear seats.
- quick steering ratio. when getting into other vehicles, I have to adjust. When towing, make the trailer a little more sensitive.
- passenger-side visor mirror
- factory map lights/sunglasses holder

General comments:
I've towed with it (separate posts about that,) run the Tail of the Dragon, been in 5 states, run an off-road rally, run an autocross, have had the back full of boxes. I've added a Curt hitch, and JDM/RSX/Element map lights.

I find very little to complain about with my car. It has exceeded my expectations in every area except one. It runs better, handles great, and does what is needed of it.

With the AT, and therefore not having a clutch, I'm able to rest my left foot on the floor beside/behind the brake pedal on extended trips.

My only complaint is that I couldn't get it any sooner!!!!

There are little things that have caught my attention that I've yet to hear mentioned (or mentioned occasionally):
- the string to hold the spare tire cover up
- the large glovebox
- the cup holders in the rear doors
- the fading interior light
- the overall strength of the body structure

 

Nice. With mine expected within a few weeks, its encouraging to see praise like this. However, I don't think it is fair to mention the off road rally and not post pictures!!!

Bowling green - They are building a quite impressive skatepark there. Maybe I will have to make a roadtrip.

 

So you mention gas mileage as a negative, but "getting better". Have you done any mileage calcs recently? I've got 2500 miles on mine (Owned it less than 30 days) and am averaging 31 mpg... (80% highway)

Just wondering what you might be getting.

 

I'll post update gas mileage in the next few days.

 

Where do you hook the string on for the cover?

 

Center tether for car seat.

Open the hatch, look at the ceiling, in the center. There is a plastic cover that flips open. Take the string on the spare tire cover, and hook it over the hook that is inside of the tether attachment place in the ceiling. Holds the cover up so that you can fiddle around with your stuff under there!

 

My only complaint in the past six months (bought the car in April) and 14K is there is no cruise in the base model. I drive mine for work.

I am still surprised on the FE that many are reporting, in my 5 speed, my average is slightly above the EPA level. I have even had 41/42 MPG on long trips.

With the automatic, I would assume that highway would be better as the car is geared lower and has a lock-up converter?

In the 5 speed MPH approx = .02 RPM in top gear. 60 = 3000K, 80 = 4000K, etc.

Strange comment on being impressed with the cover string, all my hatch/wagons have had them excluding the '78 Chevette? Is this new for Honda?

Off to tell a "customer" that their 1993 Corolla needs an exhaust manifold....that should make their day.

 

Garrett,

On my 5AT, it turns 2900 rpm at 80 mph in 5th.
In 4th, it turns 4100 rpm.

With my ScanGauge, you can see the instantaneous gas mileage. In 4th, it is significantly less. For example, if I'm getting 36 mpg in 5th, then shift into 4th (paddle shifters), and give it a minute to stabelize, then it'll be getting about 32 mpg in 4th.

4th in the AT is about the same gearing as 5th in the MT. Go figure.

I looked at the ratios and the lockup prior to purchasing, assuming that it would net better mileage.

Oh well - I've been wrong before, and probably will again!

I still love this car!!

 

Spule,

How fast are you driving when getting 41/42? With a fairly short top gear, like wyy I'd expect mpg to really fall off at higher speeds.

I drive a Mazda Protege5, which has similar ratio differences manual to automatic. My manual has trouble breaking 30 on the highway because the engine is turning too fast. I've read that the automatic, with a much taller top gear, does better.

My site has a fuel economy survey. Just started about a month ago, results for the Fit so far here:

Honda Fit fuel economy

 

I believe that the best MPG area for the Sport AT is in the 55-60 mph range. When I have gone on trips where I wasn't on the interstate, but on a highway, the mpg has been near 38. Interstate only is around 33 to 35. Just an observation.

 

Just about any car should theoretically be more efficient at lower speeds, as air resistance increases at the cube of speed, i.e. it takes eight times as much energy to go twice as fast. I had many people claim this is not the case with their car, but I don't know if they base this on actual measurements or on their desire to believe that driving faster does not use more gas.

When they cut the speed limit to 55 back in the early 1970s, the reason was to cut gas consumption, not safety.

 

what do you know about the body structure strength. I was recently involved in a accident which the insurence declared my fit a total loss. The Post is fit wrecked in tumwater today.

 

My Fit is my 10th Honda automobile in the past 29 years. My total mileage is around 900K miles total. I've ran every one of them (except one) in autocross events, which tax the structure.

There is chassis flex with every vehicle as it moves. How much depends on the strength of the body structure.

I'm sorry for your loss. However, if you go back and search the posts here, you can find where the Fit was tested head-on with a Ridgeline. The Fit lost, but the passenger section was fine.

Bottom line is that the Fit flexes less than any Honda that I have previously owned.

 

I would have thought so too for highway driving...something else is a-mis here I am afriad that we are not seeing....does the Fit not have a lock-up converter, this is the only thing I can think of.

 

Familiar with TrueData from Auotblog.....I started posting some stuff on the GasSavers site, but it is a pain in the....to enter (I have 15K of data to do), so I gave up. For 15K, overall MPG mixed is 37 mpg, 1 mpg better than the EPA mixed for me. Best was 42.0, worst was 32.1.

Anyhow, this happened on some 65-75 MPH trips.

 

According to: http://www.hondanews.com/CatID2153?m...55013&mime=asc

"Fit is one of the only vehicles in its class to offer a 5-speed automatic transmission. The transmission is designed to work in concert with the drive-by-wire throttle control to provide quick and smooth shifts. The compact transmission employs a Direct Control System that manages the oil flow in Fit's lockup clutch torque converter to minimize shift shock. The lockup clutch control improves Fit's fuel economy by operating in all gears, compared to conventional transmissions that operate torque converter lockup only in a few gears. This is most noticeable during braking from higher speeds when the Direct Control System activates the lockup clutch as the transmission downshifts, maximizing the effect of engine braking and the cut of fuel to the engine during this time."

 

The FIT downshifts noticeably, almost like engine braking with a manual.

I've averaged between 32-33 mpg, 50/50 hwy/cty (traffic in hwy in consideration), with 80 mph in the early morning commute to work.

With the first and heavy snow in Chicagoland, it did a great job with the stock rubber.

BTW, just over 14,000 miles on the odo.

 

David, thanks for the info above, never looked at AT info before.

So if every gear has lock-up, and the ratios are lower, then what is the difference in FE between Auto and MT then? I am wondering if the "taller" final drive is outside the optimum for the car in weight/HP balance?


...or is everyone having fun with the paddle shifters

 

I wouldn't expect the universal lockup to have much effect on fuel economy. It should make the car more fun to drive, though. Should fix the disconnected feel I dislike in automatics without this feature.

Spule,

Thanks for the tip on GasSavers. I don't think I've seen that site before. The gas log doesn't appear to ask about driving style and driving conditions aside from an optional comments box. Seems easy to use, though.

 

That was part of the "theory" of why I purchased my 5AT.

I looked at the ratios, played around in Excel with the numbers for a while, and saw the difference in rpm between the AT and MT on the highway.

My thinking was, lower rpm = better gas mileage.

I've played around with my ScanGauge, taking note of about everything there is to take note of. I've learned some new driving techniques with it. However, I'm still only getting low 30's on gas mileage.

Last weekend I drove a little over 600 miles, and only averaged about 31 mpg. Most of it was interstate; but, most of the time the temperature was around or below freezing. Most of this trip I had the cruise set on 75 mph.

The paddle shifters ARE fun!! The shifts are quick.

In my daily life, running back and forth to work and around town, I stick it in D and go. When I'm in the mood for more spirited action, I drop it in S and have fun.

My daily commute is 3.6 miles one way. I go home for lunch. There are 6 turns, 3 stop signs, and 5 traffic lights to deal with on this commute. Just what D was invented for - stop and go, stop and go...

I got the auto for the mileage, and the novelty of the paddle shift. I'm disappointed in the mileage - but that is the ONLY thing that I'm disappointed with on the car!

Getting ready to turn over 15,000 miles on mine. The maintenance minder thingy came on with my oil down to 15% again. I'll be doing my 2nd oil change this coming weekend. Tire rotation will happen, too.

Sounds like I'm going to have a car maintenance weekend. My daughter needs her tires rotated and oil changed in her CRX. My g/f need the oil changed in her <*gasp*> minivan. So, I'll be getting out the ramps, oil changing items, floor jack - and firing up the air compressor on Saturday morning.

Oh, and I have a "trick" for putting the Fit on standard car ramps. I built an extension for my CRX Si so that I could get it on ramps. It basically extends the ramp section longer so that you have less of a slope on the incline. I'll try to remember to take some pics this weekend so you can see how to do if - for those of you DIY'ers out there.