Next Car: Honda Fit?

[SVOboy]

How long are you going to wait? The scion iq/ford fiest will be here for 2011 I should think.

[stevet47]

Originally Posted by some_other_dave

If you can keep the revs down, the manual will be the clear MPG winner. If you are driving on the freeway, that means driving slower. If you do long freeway commutes, that time can add up.

People are still definitely pulling good numbers out of AT Fits, but the MT will allow you to actually excercise hypermiling techniques to the fullest.

-soD

Most of my driving is what I consider high-speed backroads... Hilly/twisty backroads with 45mph speed limits. I don't drive on sustained flat highways more than once a week. I suppose the manual would be better for that type of driving... and that is what I want anyway.

[stevet47]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

How long are you going to wait? The scion iq/ford fiest will be here for 2011 I should think.

I'm looking to buy in the next month or two. I actually really like both of those choices, especially the Iq, but they are both 2doors, and my wife is going to say we need a 4door so that we can get carseats in the back (although we don't have kids, nor do we want kids, lol), plus I need more storage space than the Iq would allow.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by stevet47

I am here sitting in class (teaching) and when I read that I literally laughed out loud.

That was pretty good.

I am (was) very active on clubfrontier.org and my wife often thinks it strange that I consider people I have never met my friends!

Heck, I started this forum with a guy I'd only ever known online. (Wouldn't call him a friend though! )

---

Glad you're leaning towards the manual. Anyone with a genuine interest in better fuel economy will be able to vastly outperform an automatic version of the same car even if the EPA favours the autobox.

[SVOboy]

Aww, Darin isn't my friend and I have to find out on a Honda Fit thread

[botsapper]

Take your pick of any of the car reviews for best 'green' subcompacts. The list is consistent and long.

Here's just one: Honda Fit dominates Consumer Reports subcompact test

[1337]

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

Take a manual Fit for a test ride, run it in top gear at about 1800 rpm. How fast does it go? Are you willing to drive it at that speed quite a bit?

Also, get on the highway, how many rpm does it run at 70mph, 60 mph, 50 mph, 40 mph?

Now compare to the automatic version.

Generally lower rpm at speed is going to be better for hypermiling.

I'm a huge fan of manual transmissions because they're (usually) more efficient, easier to fix, and cheaper to replace.

Even so, the EPA highway rating for the automatic Fit is 35 MPG, while the manual is 33. The manual must be geared very low, and the Fit might be one of the few cars that is _more_ efficient with the automatic.

I know it's hypermiling is often easier and more effective with a manual, but if you do sustained highway speeds, the automatic might deserve a look too.

[stevet47]

Originally Posted by 1337

I'm a huge fan of manual transmissions because they're (usually) more efficient, easier to fix, and cheaper to replace.

Even so, the EPA highway rating for the automatic Fit is 35 MPG, while the manual is 33. The manual must be geared very low, and the Fit might be one of the few cars that is _more_ efficient with the automatic.

I know it's hypermiling is often easier and more effective with a manual, but if you do sustained highway speeds, the automatic might deserve a look too.

Yeah, I have read that the manual fit is geared real low to make it more sporty/fun to drive, at the sacrifice of gas mileage. However, I was doing some reading on fitfreak.net and it looks like even with this low gearing people are getting higher MPG with the manual.
I don't drive on the highway often, and my area is very hilly, so I've decided on the manual. I wish 5th was geared higher, but even with that downfall the fit wins hands-down over the competition in my mind, and for what I want.

Also, I was reading on fitfreak.net that the fit has a sweet spot at 2000-2500rpm where it gets its best FE. People with scangauges reported that MPG improved downshifting from 5th to 4th in order to get the RPM to that range. So it sounds like the low gearing isn't a real problem until you hit the highway.... I'm not sure what speed I'd be going at 2000-25000rpm in 5th though, hopefully it is close to highway speeds.

[1337]

Originally Posted by stevet47

Yeah, I have read that the manual fit is geared real low to make it more sporty/fun to drive, at the sacrifice of gas mileage. However, I was doing some reading on fitfreak.net and it looks like even with this low gearing people are getting higher MPG with the manual.
I don't drive on the highway often, and my area is very hilly, so I've decided on the manual. I wish 5th was geared higher, but even with that downfall the fit wins hands-down over the competition in my mind, and for what I want.

Also, I was reading on fitfreak.net that the fit has a sweet spot at 2000-2500rpm where it gets its best FE. People with scangauges reported that MPG improved downshifting from 5th to 4th in order to get the RPM to that range. So it sounds like the low gearing isn't a real problem until you hit the highway.... I'm not sure what speed I'd be going at 2000-25000rpm in 5th though, hopefully it is close to highway speeds.

Sounds good. Does anyone know what transmission uses? Could a taller 5th gear be swapped from something else?

[cfg83]

1337 -

Originally Posted by 1337

Sounds good. Does anyone know what transmission uses? Could a taller 5th gear be swapped from something else?

I was thinking the same thing. Didn't Honda do a taller gear mod in Canada to make it qualify for a "good MPG" rebate? Or was that just a tuning-mod? I can't remember.

I am guessing that there are taller geared trannies in Europe and/or Japan.

CarloSW2