Any Honda Fit owners here?

[Bignate603]

Hmm this actually would make a lot of sense. I'm looking at Toyota's website right now and it says curb weight for the 2011 LE model is 2800 pounds and the GVWR is only 3840, so that's like 1000 pounds for people. I tend to have a lot of transmission problems when I'm driving around with 4 or 5 people in the car and about 200 pounds of random stuff in the trunk. My city has quite a few hills, especially by the river that I need to cross almost every day. :hmm:

That makes sense. You're probably giving it a decent amount of gas trying to maintain speed up a hill and the car realizes it can't provide the power you're asking for in its current gear so it does a shift while the engine is under quite a bit of load. I would expect that Toyota set up the car to work best under the conditions it sees most often, which would be one or two adults in the front and maybe a kid or two (who weigh the fraction of an adult) in back. While the corolla can drive around right up to its GVWR there will be some things that don't do as well because it was set up to work best at the more typical condition.

Conversely, I had a van that we used to haul stuff around in. When you took all of the seats out the rear suspension felt almost bouncy because it was so light. They had assumed that at the very least you'd have a few hundred pounds of seats sitting back there when they set up the suspension so when I operated outside of that the way the car felt was impacted.

There's no way to make a car that works best in all conditions, there always has to be a compromise.

 

[LTC8K6]

Originally Posted by Mide
The Bad
*If the AC is on, all the "pep" of the car goes right out the door. Its acceleration becomes non-existent. So if you live in a hot place like AZ, good luck.

All modern cars turn the A/C compressor off when you call for acceleration by pressing the gas pedal past about 3/4 or so.

So, it isn't the A/C slowing your Fit down.

By modern, I mean made in the last 30 years...

The latest cars with electronic throttles will turn the A/C compresor off if you just press the throttle rapidly, indicating that you want quick acceleration. Some will even turn off the alternator. You don't even have to go full throttle, just ask for some acceleration.

But even very old cars had a WOT switch that turned off the A/C compressor when you pressed the pedal far enough to trip it.

 

[ShawnD1]

All modern cars turn the A/C compressor off when you call for acceleration by pressing the gas pedal past about 3/4 or so.

It might only be automatics that do that. Earlier I said I would drive my Civic in top gear and floor it everywhere. I couldn't do that when the AC was on because it drained so much power. Instead of the usual fifth gear, I rolled around in fourth gear.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

It might only be automatics that do that. Earlier I said I would drive my Civic in top gear and floor it everywhere. I couldn't do that when the AC was on because it drained so much power. Instead of the usual fifth gear, I rolled around in fourth gear.

I have no idea how the hell you drive. My Jetta/GTI shifts smooth as butter no matter how many people I have in it or how much crap is in it.

 

[ShawnD1]

I have no idea how the hell you drive. My Jetta/GTI shifts smooth as butter no matter how many people I have in it or how much crap is in it.

Probably because a GTI has 200 horsepower while a toyola has 132

 

[Arkaign]

Ditto, I have the exact same car and echo all these points including the love it more than when I got it. In terms of fit and finish the Ford Fiesta isn't even in the same league as the Fit IMHO; if you want a compact city car there really is nothing better for the job and you couldn't make a better commuter car if you tried. The interior space is used very intelligently so the car seems far bigger inside than it really is and with the "magic seats" you can actually do a pretty good job of hauling items when need be. The ergonomics of everything is pretty much perfect with the exception of the door lock button is awkwardly placed. Road noise is not as good as as a luxury car or SUV but still is not terrible; I've taken it on a couple of 1000 mile trips before and done fine.

Hmm. I quite like the Fit, it's pretty awesome for what it is.

I do think you'd have to be high to think the fit and finish is better on the Fit than the Fiesta though. Both are quite good and very above average in the segment. I've checked out several Fiestas and haven't found anything about the fit and finish that wasn't extremely well done.

 

[LTC8K6]

It might only be automatics that do that. Earlier I said I would drive my Civic in top gear and floor it everywhere. I couldn't do that when the AC was on because it drained so much power. Instead of the usual fifth gear, I rolled around in fourth gear.

You and your cars and your driving, aren't a good example...

It isn't only automatics that would do it.

 

[ShawnD1]

You and your cars and your driving, aren't a good example...

It isn't only automatics that would do it.

Hey I'm just driving the way the car should be driven. Ask anyone who owns a manual transmission car how they drive and they will say exactly what I said. They go the speed limit, put it in the highest gear, and leave it there until they either need to slow down a lot or get ready to do something crazy.

 

[Demo24]

Hey I'm just driving the way the car should be driven. Ask anyone who owns a manual transmission car how they drive and they will say exactly what I said. They go the speed limit, put it in the highest gear, and leave it there until they either need to slow down a lot or get ready to do something crazy.

Uh, no. I don't stick it in top gear and floor it everywhere. I use the appropriate gear for the appropriate speed. Around town, probably not out of 3rd maybe 4th (talking 30-35mph), 40-50 range its in 4th unless flat, above that 5th unless there's any kind of serious incline or need to accelerate. And yes, all modern cars will disable the a/c and sometimes other items under hard acceleration circumstances. The compressor isn't on constantly anyway, it kicks in and out so you can feel that when driving but it's not going to be a completely constant drain.

 

[LTC8K6]

Hey I'm just driving the way the car should be driven. Ask anyone who owns a manual transmission car how they drive and they will say exactly what I said. They go the speed limit, put it in the highest gear, and leave it there until they either need to slow down a lot or get ready to do something crazy.

NASCAR is not the real world.

How do you pass someone on a 2 lane? I hope you downshift, because otherwise you'll need a couple miles clear...or an air ambulance...

 

[sdifox]

NASCAR is not the real world.

How do you pass someone on a 2 lane? I hope you downshift, because otherwise you'll need a couple miles clear...or an air ambulance...

Or have available power.

 

[SparkyJJO]

The fit looks like a buck-toothed, bug-eyed, rabid squirrel.

That's all I have to say.

 

[LTC8K6]

Or have available power.

What has any passing power in 6th gear? Nothing that I know of. As I cited earlier, a Corvette Z06 can take a hell of a long time to accelerate from 50-70 in 6th. We are talking about accelerating with a manual in it's highest gear.

 

[Bignate603]

Hey I'm just driving the way the car should be driven. Ask anyone who owns a manual transmission car how they drive and they will say exactly what I said. They go the speed limit, put it in the highest gear, and leave it there until they either need to slow down a lot or get ready to do something crazy.

The only vehicle that I leave in top gear all the time on highway is my old jeep, but the gearing on that is so low you're going to over rev the engine if you try to go much more than 60. They actually sell over drive units to bolt into the transfer case to allow you to get higher gearing.

Everything else that I've driven with normal (aka not insanely low) gearing would have trouble passing or maintaining speed going up hills in top gear without a downshift.

 

[Kaido]

Plan to get a new car later this year, likely a 011 or 012. wanting that car/suv hybrid thing going for light hauling, easier rear access. Plus i love Honda's reliability, my Civic's been great to me over the years. And the price range for the Sport model is priced in my target area. I've been googling, from the ugly Nissan Juke to the Prius, Scion Xd, Matrix..etc and their just not strking my fancy or are more pricey. Read a lot at this site too http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com

Wanted to learn some thoughts, opinions about the Fit in particular. Everything, from your thoughts of it as a daily driver to how good the 6 speaker audio system sounds. I'll test drive one when i'm ready, but for now i'm just looking for some insider opinions.

We have a silver 2010 Fit Sport automatic on lease, my wife's car (daily driver). We've had it for about 8 months now and we really like it. My initial review is here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2092488

To summarize:

Pros:
Small outside, big inside (easy to fit into any parking space, but room for your friends, too)
Magic seats = awesome (flat for trunk extension, vertical for 4' of room)
Good gas mileage
Really peppy driving
Honda reliability

Cons:
Needs a bit of babysitting on the highway (subject to windy conditions)

I don't even know if that con is really a con...it's a small car, so you get what you get at high speeds. My Kia Soul is kind of a mini-SUV and doesn't need as much hands-on on the highway due to the larger size. Not a real big deal though. The V-Tec (yo!) or whatever it has is pretty fun on the highway, has a nice little boost if you need to pass somebody. If you live in a snowy area, I would look into the higher-end model that has Traction Control. My wife grew up in snow country and it doesn't bother her, but I really like the Traction Control feature in my Kia Soul. I believe only the higher-end model has the Bluetooth as well, which is something I've really grown used to in my Soul.

If you do computers on the side, it really is a great little car for toting around desktops. The rear seats fold perfectly flat and give you a great, big trunk to work with. My Soul's rear seats go down, but at an angle - there's more room, but not as easily usable since it isn't completely flat. The rear seats in the Fit also go straight up, so you can fit 4 feet of whatever vertically. They flip up or flat in an instant too, no hassles setting it up. I'm 6'1" and I can fit in the backseat just fine. I checked out the Fiesta and I don't even think a kid could fit in those back seats, lol.

The Fiesta's front seats were also kind of curved on the door side, which made it feel cramped. The Fit feels surprisingly roomy inside, I think because of the dome design. We had a New Beetle for awhile and it had the same effect - small outside but huge inside! Personally I really like the Fit Sport design with the rims and the spoiler, makes it look like a pretty cool little car. We got a silver one like this:

http://webiol.homenetinc.com/dealers/7830/23767/AC015927T.jpg

I also really liked the Blue Sensation Pearl color:

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad195/Sommany/2-1.png

I almost picked up a second one, but they didn't have the blue that I wanted in stick shift, so I went with the Kia Soul instead. I wouldn't mind doing a Fit again though - lots of visibility, the stick is fun to drive if you're into manual transmissions, you can "fit" anyway, good gas mileage...it's a great little car. If you like it, I'd definitely recommend one!

 

[EightySix Four]

What has any passing power in 6th gear? Nothing that I know of. As I cited earlier, a Corvette Z06 can take a hell of a long time to accelerate from 50-70 in 6th. We are talking about accelerating with a manual in it's highest gear.

That's a negative. I can easily pass in 5th.

 

[LTC8K6]

That's a negative. I can easily pass in 5th.

Anyone can probably pass in high gear. That's not the question. The question is how long it takes vs with a downshift.

 

[ShawnD1]

Anyone can probably pass in high gear. That's not the question. The question is how long it takes vs with a downshift.

Doesn't take too long in a Civic since it has a reasonably good engine. Even in fifth gear, my Civic LX (now called the Civic Sport) had enough power to run the car at 125mph (it electronically governs at 125mph). Don't try that in a Corolla. Holy shit. There's no power in any of the gears and the maximum speed of the Corolla is below 110mph.

 

[Sinanju]

Hey I'm just driving the way the car should be driven.

O...M...G lol

 

[exar333]

Truth. The drivetrain and component design has already been proven for a while in the UK for the Mark VI, which we just got over here (Fiesta).

Honda will probably make the Civic competitive again with the forthcoming new Civic, the current one came out in 05 as an 06 model, and the competition in compacts has increased spectacularly.

The Fusion is just a better deal than the Accord, and the nav, sync, sound system, etc, are all solidly superior to anything Honda currently offers. Fuel economy and power with the 2.5L is also quite impressive. The previous gen Fusion was good, but I don't think it was quite Accord level yet, the 2010+ though is almost a no brainer in the segment.

Sadly no. The 'new' Civic the essentially the same car as the old Civic. Boring style, over-priced, and under-powered compared to it's competitors. I love Honda, but they have sat on their hands for 10 years now and had zero innovation. Sure, they are reliable as heck, but other competitors are almost as reliable now and come with so much more.

 

[exar333]

Doesn't take too long in a Civic since it has a reasonably good engine. Even in fifth gear, my Civic LX (now called the Civic Sport) had enough power to run the car at 125mph (it electronically governs at 125mph). Don't try that in a Corolla. Holy shit. There's no power in any of the gears and the maximum speed of the Corolla is below 110mph.

No one really cares if an econobox tops at 110 or 125 for max speed, it's an econobox. Neither car is probably very safe above 110mph anyway without appropriate tires and somewhere legal to drive this fast. OEM tires for these kinds of cars are generally H-rated, so 130mph is maximum safe speed anyway.

 

[ShawnD1]

No one really cares if an econobox tops at 110 or 125 for max speed, it's an econobox. Neither car is probably very safe above 110mph anyway without appropriate tires and somewhere legal to drive this fast. OEM tires for these kinds of cars are generally H-rated, so 130mph is maximum safe speed anyway.

First you guys say the Civic is too slow and now you're saying it's too fast. Make up your minds! Am I the only person in ATG who isn't bipolar and schizophrenic at the same time?

 

[Zivic]

What has any passing power in 6th gear? Nothing that I know of. As I cited earlier, a Corvette Z06 can take a hell of a long time to accelerate from 50-70 in 6th. We are talking about accelerating with a manual in it's highest gear.

I had my Z break the tires loose at 60 in 6th gear before ...

I mean it's no Z06, but it goes pretty good

 

[Throckmorton]

I like how the Fit looks like a shuttlecraft

 

[Kroze]

Plan to get a new car later this year, likely a 011 or 012. wanting that car/suv hybrid thing going for light hauling, easier rear access. Plus i love Honda's reliability, my Civic's been great to me over the years. And the price range for the Sport model is priced in my target area. I've been googling, from the ugly Nissan Juke to the Prius, Scion Xd, Matrix..etc and their just not strking my fancy or are more pricey. Read a lot at this site too http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com

Wanted to learn some thoughts, opinions about the Fit in particular. Everything, from your thoughts of it as a daily driver to how good the 6 speaker audio system sounds. I'll test drive one when i'm ready, but for now i'm just looking for some insider opinions.

I had an 09 Fit Sport. It is one awesome car in term of utility. I can tell you of all the cars you've looked at, it none of them can carry as much stuff as the honda fit.

The cargo room in this car is incredible. It came in handy numerous times when I have to haul stuff. My GF loved the car as well because she took it on a road trip with her friend and amazed at the cargo room the car have to haul their stuff.

I get about 32 mpg with it and that's pretty good, None of the SUV could come close to the FIT in term of mileage + cargo room. It's either get an suv with terrible gas mileage and get great cargo room or get a SUV with OK gas mileage and get OK cargo room. The fit does both.

The car is very cheap to maintain and ride.

The only thing I don't like about the car is the Weak A/C, the interior is too large for such a small A/C unit and it doesn't cool the car down enough to my liking. Also the car is pretty slow & was an automatic

Those reasons alone caused me to get rid of it and bought a 2011 Honda Civic Si which I am extremely satisfied with. Other than refueling it with Premium gasoline, there's nothing I hate about this Civic.

I do miss not having the honda fit though cause of the cargo room.