burm
New Member
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Post by burm on Jan 27, 2006 23:49:21 GMT 10
Can anyone tell me how smooth a ride the Fit/Jazz gives? I am all excited about buying a Fit when they come to North America this spring but don't want one if it gives me a headache to drive ;D:)
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Post by bnefit on Jan 28, 2006 0:47:03 GMT 10
not sure what smoothness you are referring to but i reckon my jazz can handle the australia roads pretty well except for some very steep slopes which the car seems to lack of certain power but will still pull through on 1st gear. other than that, it cruises very smoothly at 110km/hr and has the power to go more than that. i also find the car stable.
my 2 cents
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Post by jonniedee on Jan 28, 2006 1:09:15 GMT 10
I think what burn is asking is wether or not it rides smoothly over bumps - here stateside we keep seeing various reviews from around the world that claim the fit has overly tight suspension and really jars passengers going over large road imperfections.
The U.S. market is supposed to get a slightly different tuned version, but how would you guys compare the ride to say a small holden or nissan of simular size?
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Post by z3n on Jan 28, 2006 2:03:40 GMT 10
going over speed bumps? just slow down for them, that is their purpose.
i supose the ride is reasobably firmer than other family vehicles, but to me, it handles great!
there's heaps of pot holes/ road imperfections here.
i read in the newspaper that if the government spent more funding on fixing up the roads here, it will save about 40% of all car related injuries/crashes.
i'm sure road quality in the states is much better than here.
even if the ride quality isn't super duper smooth, don't forget you are driving an economic car.
besides, u'll realise the benifits of the Fit, which will over-rule all. else u'll get use to it ;D
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Post by SmellyTofu on Jan 28, 2006 5:22:04 GMT 10
The Jazz's suspensions are fairly soft but the rebound seems to be quite stiff in them. That's what gives it its smoothness so going over speed bumps, you can possibly bottom out and do some serious damage if you're going hard over bumps. Australia also more often than not gets the European spec suspensions whereas the US spec usually are even softer and it's already a tad too soft.
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ahcash
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Posts: 1,463
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Post by ahcash on Jan 28, 2006 9:19:20 GMT 10
IMO, it's really hard to say without actually test driving the US spec Honda Fit.. The Jazz (aka Fit) here are build to suit Australian road (and weather) condition.. So, we might have a softer suspension setup that those in US or vice versa.
To me, the Jazz suspension is just nice... although it might not be perfect on those wave-alike road condition... it can be a bit wobbly in high speed...
Also, there are lots of after market coilovers for Jazz and very affordable if you think the stock suspension is not up to your standard..
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Post by SmellyTofu on Jan 28, 2006 9:26:11 GMT 10
I can tell you we'll always take the Euro spec suspensions well before we even consider the US spec. North American taste dictates the suspension setup rather than the road conditions and this has been the practice in all global cars. But yes, there's plenty of coilovers to choose from but for me it's a relief to drive an comfy automatic car.... that's the way it'd stay.
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Post by bnefit on Jan 28, 2006 11:08:40 GMT 10
it can be a bit wobbly in high speed... yes meh? what speed are you talking about? |
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Post by vividjazz on Jan 28, 2006 14:52:23 GMT 10
Australians will always take handling over armchair ride the same as Europe. Some US and JDM cars are set so soft you get sea sick. All good if your roads are billard table smooth but just don't cut it on poorly maintained roads.
You have to wonder with some of these car reviews what they compare things against. These guys say some factory sound system with a label like Bose attached to it sounds great when they obviously have never experienced aftermarket sound or a decent home stereo in their life. Yet in the next breath they complain about the harshness of the ride in a $20,000 small car compared to $300,000 Merc limo or a top of the range Lexus. I'm sorry no small car weighing 1,000kg rides like a 3,000kg car on a longer wider wheel base and suspension that costs several times more than the entire small car.
Compared to a lot of other small cars the suspension is hard but when I take a corner I prefer 4 wheels on the road to 2. Guess thats why they call the Mazda small car a Mazda 2.
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burm
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by burm on Jan 29, 2006 4:43:42 GMT 10
I guess Ahcash is right - It is really hard to say. I will have to wait and see. I just want a car that won't give me a headache after driving over all those pot-holes in our northern roads after our long, snowy, icy winters. I test drove a Smart car and couldn't live with it. A really rough ride. Years ago I drove a Civic and loved it. Sorry Vividjazz, but since I can't afford that $300,000 car I do expect my Fit to ride like one  (Anyone who says that money can't buy happiness obviously has enough!) Thanks to all who took the time to respond |
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ahcash
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Post by ahcash on Jan 30, 2006 8:28:02 GMT 10
burm, yeah... I will definately go for a test drive first before ordering one.. Jazz/Fit is not everyone's cuppa tea.
Don't get put off if the ride isn't your taste.. there are a lot of aftermarket parts available to overcome the problem..
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