A couple of our editors have commented previously about the relative lack of seat comfort in our Honda Fit. And it's true that without a telescoping steering wheel, the Fit can make one feel like he's driving a car originally meant for the Japanese market. (Erm, which it is...) Still, on a recent four-hour drive, I found the Fit pretty agreeable. Actual seat comfort for my body size (5'-10" and skinny) is quite good in my opinion...
To compensate for the lack of a telescoping wheel, I've come up with two slightly different driving positions. There's one for long-distance driving that has me a bit further away from the wheel than I'd like to maximize leg comfort, and another one for urban commuting that puts me closer in for a better arm positioning. I'm not defending the lack of a telescoping wheel â it'd be nice â but prospective buyers shouldn't see it as a deal-breaker, either.
As an aside, I've noticed some minor pulsation/variation in the brakes when coming to stop. Looking back at previous posts, Erin also observed the pulsation in her drive to Oregon. It's not yet enough to warrant replacement/repair, but given Honda's less than stellar reputation for brake durability, the rise of a potentially warped rotor(s) is discouraging.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor, Edmunds.com, 15,136 miles
SubyTrojan says:
03:10 PM, 06/25/07
Hi, Brent. Thanks for mentioning the brakes again. I was wondering what their latest status was since the last time anyone said anything about them.
bennetpullen says:
03:26 PM, 06/25/07
I found with my Fit I have to keep the seat in a more upright position than I otherwise would. This moves my arms closer to the dash relative to my legs and actually is a very nice driving position.
I actually purchased my Fit in Philadelphia and drove it home to Seattle over 3 days. My Driving partner and I were amazed by how well we held up over 3200 miles of driving. The seats are very supportive and do quite well over long distances.
I was having vibration with my breaks as well but I now think it was just excessive road feel through the break pedal not warped rotors. One clue is that the steering did not appear to be effected and it would only happen sometimes (which always appeared to be when stopping on a rough surface). I posted a comment about that in one of the other blog entries.
SubyTrojan says:
04:53 PM, 06/25/07
bennetpullen, thanks for always chiming in with useful, on-topic comments (unlike this one commending you for them)!
bennetpullen says:
11:34 PM, 06/25/07
WORD....
(How's this one for useful? HA!)
Actually, I always keep up with the post about the long-term Fit because it is part of the reason I own mine. I had been looking at cars including the Fit, but since I couldn't find one with a manual, and my local dealer was asking 3k over MSRP I had almost settled on a Matrix or something. Then the long-term introduction for the Fit appeared and I though "hey, if Edmunds can get a Fit Sport with a stick for MSRP so can I!" and there you have it. I had to cross the country to do it but I did, and mine is even the same color :)
hondacura4 says:
05:14 AM, 06/26/07
As with most Honda brake "issues", swap the pads wait 500 or so miles then the vibration should dissappear. Honda uses this yucky pad material for low dust and quietness.
desmolicious says:
01:31 PM, 06/26/07
Does that also help the Honda's amazingly long (compared to its rivals) stopping distances?
kevlang says:
04:51 PM, 06/26/07
edmunds numbers for 60 to 0 braking (in feet)
fit: 123.61
versa: 136.4
yaris (sedan): 121.64
aveo: 127.1
yeah, look at that amazingly long stopping distance.
do some research next time.
desmolicious says:
10:33 PM, 06/26/07
I meant Hondas in general. e.g from Edmunds:
Mini Cooper S 60-0 109ft
Honda Civic Si 60-0 128.7ft
I'll give you the Fit is better than expected. Kinda funny it's better than their Civic Si..
edit: in hindsight the previous poster changed my mind. Guess all the reports of shuddering brakes warped my perceptions....
;)
kevlang says:
04:30 PM, 06/27/07
that was an awful pun.
and the numbers for the mini are really, really impressive - the new Porsche 911 GT3 does 60-0 in 102 feet with carbon ceramic brakes!!! the 335i is 114 feet. as for hot hatchbacks, the mazdaspeed3 is 116 feet. these are all edmunds numbers.
i don't think the civic SI is really that bad, I think the mini is really just that good.
thomasbetz says:
01:38 PM, 09/ 7/07
Are you certain that the brake rumble isn't just the ABS kicking in? It's easy to trigger, even on dry pavement.