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The Fit consumes 6.5 litres of fuel every 100 km, which is the cutoff point for the new federal incentive to buy fuel-efficient cars. The Yaris consumes 6.3 l/km and qualifies for the money. (http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/business/story.html?id=7357cc76-8db8-46d2-9b79-1659f938e8bb&k=23671)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Toyota_Yaris_-_Black.jpgChris Vander Doelen - Windsor Star - April 5, 2007

Yaris qualifies yet the “Fit” doesn’t.

Honda of Canada Inc. is "seriously considering" stripping some life-saving safety equipment out of the smallest car it sells in Canada to meet new federal fuel efficiency ratings.

The Honda Fit does not qualify for a $1,000 rebate under the new rules, announced in the federal budget two weeks ago, while the Yaris, produced by arch rival Toyota, does.

The difference can be explained by the extra air bags, side curtains, antilock brakes and other equipment that the Fit has but the Yaris does not, says Jim Miller, executive vice-president of Honda Canada.

"If we stripped all that out it would qualify," Miller told a University of Windsor marketing class. "But $1,000 for a human life?" The Fit consumes 6.5 litres of fuel every 100 km, which is the cutoff point for the new federal incentive to buy fuel-efficient cars. The Yaris consumes 6.3 l/km and qualifies for the money.

Most of the subcompact cars on the Canadian market -- which account for more than half of all sales in this country -- achieve mileage similar to the Fit.

Price of competition Honda, which prides itself on the tiny Fit's five-star U.S. crash safety rating, doesn't want to trade safety for sales, Miller told about 80 students and area automotive business people.

[Read More (http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/business/story.html?id=7357cc76-8db8-46d2-9b79-1659f938e8bb&k=23671)] …

___See Paying the Price for an SUV. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4158&page=3) for previous discussion.

its pretty lame that yaris owners can buy a yaris and then simply add safety features to rival that of honda's. IF honda was any smart they would tune the gear ratios a little more differently and make it not as peppy, but enough for eco hatch standards.

But what a mess honda has gotten itself into

Honda is starting to sound like GM. This comment is right in line with "We shouldn't sell more efficient cars because if cars are efficient people will drive more, and if people drive more they'll get inro more accidents!" Kind of disappointing coming from them IMO. Especially considering that the real reason the Fit doesn't qualify is because they stupidly won't sell the iDSI engine in North America. Instead they whine and try to make it sound like efficiency means compromising on safety.

Apparently I'm still steamed about this so I went looking for more info. Second hit on a google search on "honda fit iDSI" yielded a Honda press release from their very own web site:

http://corporate.honda.com/press/article.aspx?id=2006033155013

I'd like to draw your attention to the very last paragraph:


Not used on the U.S. market Fit, Honda's "intelligent" Dual and Sequential Ignition (i-DSI) system uses two spark plugs per cylinder and can fire the spark plugs separately or at the same time to influence combustion characteristics inside the engine (i-DSI is used on the U.S. Civic Hybrid, however). Three transmissions are available in global markets, and those are a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), a 5-speed manual transmission and 5-speed automatic transmission. Honda engineers examined localized market preferences when developing the Fit for the U.S., and chose the most powerful engine in the global lineup - the 1.5-liter 16-valve SOHC VTEC (L15A) - and the most appropriate transmissions - the 5-speed manual and the 5-speed automatic.


They made a conscious decision to place power above fuel economy. 'Nuff said.

Hi Tim:

___It is not just the 1.3 available only in Europe and the Far East but also the insane US gear ratios chosen. You should look back into the spring/summer of 06 posts in the TOV - Fit forum under user name “xcel”. That SOB was almost out of control wrt to the Fit’s low FE given the poor design choices IIRC ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I remember reading that a certain model 09 Fit in Canada did not have a spare. I think it was the Automatic ones. They came with a flat fix kit and air pump. That was also a weight reduction effort.

IMHO If I read this right anyone is thinking of removing decent safety equip so they can save a little cash. Even worse if it the OEM doing it.

Looks like that catchy sales propaganda "safety for ever-one" is about out of steam

JDM Fits don't have spares either

Holy thread from the past.


Honda doesn't do "safety propaganda." They do safety.

They met fuel economy requirements for the ecoAUTO rebate offer in 2008 with the 5 speed manual.

They continued to offer *standard* front seat mounted side airbags and side curtain airbags, *standard* anti-lock brakes and *standard* EBD.

In 2009, the new Fit added ACE body structure.
And they added VSC, but here they can be criticized, only in the Fit Sport Navi.

Toyota in the US offers standard front seat mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags, and anti-lock brakes and EBD on the Yaris.

But not in Canada. *STILL*. *Optional* front seat mounted side airbags and side curtain airbags, *optional* anti-lock brakes and *optional* EBD.

*TOYOTA* of Canada traded off safety for fuel economy. Not Honda of Canada.

Finally, the 2009 Honda Fit does *not* qualify for the ecoAUTO rebate. But neither does the 2009 Toyota Yaris. The ecoAUTO rebate program n'est plus!

-mr. bill

Hi Mr. Bill:

___Along similar lines for an older article, the upcoming 2010 Insight-II lacks VSA other than in the EX, no BA, no TC, I believe it has a Hill Assist Control but it was not stated clearly and lacks a knee airbag compared to the upcoming 2010 Prius-III. The HCH-II finally includes VSA and TC for 2009 but no BA.

___Everyone is trying to figure out a way to up-charge for everything but fortunately the fed regs are going to force VSA/VSC by 2011.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

They did Qualify the fit for the rebate without comprovising safety in the end by modifiying the fuel system. H

Hi Mr. Bill:

___I believe it has a Hill Assist Control but it was not stated clearly and lacks a knee airbag compared to the upcoming 2010 Prius-III.

Creep Aid (aka Hill Assist Control) is part of the VSA system, thus only on the EX models.

From my understanding other than luxury brands knee bags have only been used when preliminary testing shows that they will be required to pass all the crash tests in the vehicle's market. In the US, the government and the Insurance institute. You'd see a knee bag where either tearing up the driver's knee would cause a fail or if they wanted to get the top score and the bruising or impact of the knee would loose enough points to drop to the lower rating. If things have changed then I'll take one in my next car please.

I drove an old Volvo with no airbags, no ABS, no traction control, no stability control, and an average (at best) driver behind the wheel. And I survived right through the accident that maimed it, having narrowly escaped several others by a combination of good training and sheer dumb luck. Sure, I'm going to accept the best tech if I can get it. But even the car I drive now isn't perfect, given the worst head restraints I have had in any car. So I have a hard time deriding Honda or any other brand provided that we all have the information to make an informed buying decision.

Another idea that would have done the job for them...

Change the Tire Pressure placard to read 40 (or more) psi.

Unfortunately this program is dead now, but it did cost Honda a lot of sales. A comparable Fit was $3000 more than our Yaris at the time of our purchase, due in part to Honda not meeting the FE requirements for the $1000 rebate. No matter how much better the Fit is/was then, it wasn't even worth consideration when you're talking that kind of premium.

There was talk that the Feds ended up getting rid of the rebate primarily because of Hondas whining about not qualifying for it initially. This is just conjecture, but humourous is true because the program was only scrapped after Honda invested more money into getting the Fit to meet the programs requirements.