2009 Honda Fit: The Weakest Link

Well, if you guys had bought the automatic like 80% of America, you'd be running a good 500-1000 rpm lower at highway speeds.

I concur with Brent. I have an 09 Fit Sport MT, and the road noise at highway speed can be pretty loud. While the engine is working hard, the greatest factor is tire noise, which is greatly affected by the quality of the road surface. I drive a 575-mile 1-way road trip about once a month, and get to experience about 5 levels of surface quality. As expected, the smoother the road, the quieter the car. I only have 10,000 miles on the car, so I haven't changed the tires yet.

One thing that does really bother me is the Fit's lack of composure during highway speed heavy braking... combine the rear drum brakes, light weight, narrow track and lack of stability control (unless you have Navi), and I think the Fit could get someone in trouble real quick if they overreacted during high-speed emergency braking.

Honda needs to put discs on all four wheels and make stability control standard on all models ASAP.

Actually, the 58" track measurement on this car isn't narrow, relatively, especially for its width. But yes, when panic braking at high speeds while twitching the wheel there's a threat of oversteer. Front weight bias, light weight with high-ish center of gravity is to blame, nothing to do with what brakes are on the car.

What is a burrito editor?

I agree with your assessment--the Fit is noisy at prolonged interstate speeds (75 mph +).

So this weekend, I took an 800-mile round trip. Rather than subject myself to hours of freeway noise, I took lots of back roads, ran mostly 60-65, and had a great time. This approach was more in keeping with the purpose of the trip (a bluegrass festival) anyway.

The seats are reasonable for all-day duty, and with the tach below 3500, the noise level was acceptable. Plus, I managed 37-38 mpg (41.5 on the optimistic mpg gauge) for the trip.

A customer I sold a fit to said that she was managing to get almost 50 mpg with her manual transmission. She did comment on the road noise, which I've noticed seems to be a traditional Honda trait, excluding the monumental Odyssey.

One thing I've read is that Honda doesn't spend extra money on Dynamat-style insulation to prevent the road noise because it would add unnecessary weight to the cars, thus decreasing their gas mileage. Whether that's a poor excuse or not, I still believe that Hondas are genuinely great products that are built to drive many, many miles. They may not be built to be aesthetic masterpieces, but they still manage to get people from point A to point B time and time (and time) again.

the car is definitely loud from lack of insulation. i remember the first time the tires kicked up a stone... it sounded like the stone was bouncing around inside the cabin.

you're definitely in touch with the great outdoors when driving your fit. lol.

This car is great at what it is designed as--a commuter/city car. I really like mine a lot, but if I'd known I was going to be doing 1100 mile road trips 1-2 times per month, I would've gotten something better for the highway.

That said, I had an 89 Civic Si back in the day, never gave one thought to road noise as I drove the snot out of it on highways & back roads! The Fit reminds me of that car.

I think I'm in the minority but I have no problem with the Fit noise level. As a matter of fact I find it to be very quiet for this type of car. My 70 year old mother was in town a couple of weeks ago and we could talk to each other with no raised voices at 75 mph. Either I got a Fit with more sound proofing or I'm less bothered by the noise than others.

What I will agree with 100% is the Fit Sport does need a 6th gear, badly. The loudest aspect of the car on the highway is the engine racket. There is no reason to have a car revving at constant 4K rpm at 75 mph. An overdrive 6th gear to drop that to 2,500 rpm would be so welcome.

dgs4 - I'd agree that the Fit isn't that loud, others may be irritated with the noise though. As for the 6th gear, I am unsure if the engine is strong enough to hold the car at speed with another cog. This may be the cost of great gas mileage.

@yellowmiata: the automatic already does fine on the highway at the same rpm that a six-speed manual would hold in sixth gear. Need more power? Just downshift. I, for one, would welcome the option.

If Honda cant get road noise out of the Accord than this is no surprise considering the fit's price point.

I'm all in favor of an additional 6th gear, but that said, I don't find the noise level on the highway to be really that bad at all, and I have taken a number of 2-3hr highway drives in my wife's Fit. I find the seats very comfortable and supportive, which for me is a more important factor on a long highway stint than road noise.

"If Honda cant get road noise out of the Accord"

1487, its not that Honda cant, its that they wont.

"I am unsure if the engine is strong enough to hold the car at speed with another cog. This may be the cost of great gas mileage."

But wouldn't a Fit revving at 2,500 rpms rather than 4,000 rpms get better gas mileage?

"I am unsure if the engine is strong enough to hold the car at speed with another cog. This may be the cost of great gas mileage"

A 6MT could be offered, of course with the required reconfiguring of the gear ratios. You cant just add another gear. Im hoping Honda will replace all current 5MT's with 6MT's.

"But wouldn't a Fit revving at 2,500 rpms rather than 4,000 rpms get better gas mileage?"

Yes, but it doesn't produce enough power at that engine speed for comfortable effortless highway cruising. The fact is even though it may be humming away at 4000rpm its still very efficient and the numbers back it up.

To be honest, Id like to see the R18 (1.8L) out of the Civic in the Fit as it can effortlessly cruise at highway speeds with lower RPM yet return 40+mpg. In the lighter Fit it should do even better.