I’m looking at getting an Xd to replace my Xa. One question I have is at what RPM is the Xd running at 70 MPH? One of my dislike about the Xa is that at 70 MPH I’m pulling about 3500 RPM and it is loud on the highway. Also any former Xa owners want to share your thought about the Xd?
FWIW I did drive a Honda Fit I think it looks good and the interior is sweet. However, on the test drive it really felt underpowered and its handling was not that impressive. To be fair it was an automatic driven on a very rough road. Thanks for you help.

 

it's about 3,000 RPM at 70-75 MPH...

 

Thanks for the reply, how is the cabin noise?

 

good set of tires and a stock exhaust will leave u comfortable.

 

although i personally wish there was a 6th gear. Just test drive it on the highway, if the dealer has a problem with it go to another dealership

 

I was surprised that the dealer I went to did not even have one on the lot. The dealer that I purchased my Xa from had one but it was buried behind 5 or six other cars. So I only sat in one for a minute plus it was an automatic. The salesmen looked at me funny when I told him I was only interested in the manual transmission. Guess the stick is not so popular these days.

In the end I think it is going to come down to the Xd and the Ford Fiesta.

 

well, to be honest, the xD is a 5 speed, in both manual and automatic.

i know because when i'm cruising, and i slightly push the gas, there is a slight downshift. but then if i push the stick into "3" it downshifts again. so that's telling me there's 2 more gears above 3rd, in an automatic.

good luck finding a stick, but if you have to, get a little pushy with them. tell them you'll take the business elsewhere. if they really want the sale, they'll find you one.

 

Too bad that the Yaris was part of this comparison and not the xD. I think the xD would have been a more realistic choice. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/index.html

One way or another I'll get behind the wheel of an xD.

 

Get the xD!! it's one hell of a car and people are somewhat surprised when they see that car and the spacious interior!

 

i dunno about you folks but here in hawaii having a fixed up xd is a rare find so we always stand out.

 

Hi there,
Well I have a 2009 Xd and my wife has the 2009 Honda Fit Sport package so I can give you a good comparison between the two. The Fit was around $2000 more than what I paid for the Xd+ the 100,000 miles/7 year bumper to bumper warranty. For the extra money she got alloy wheels and paddle shifters. Both cars are automatics. We live in upstate NY and I've used both cars for my daily round trip to work (60 miles). The Xd is considerably more comfortable and has less engine noise then the Honda and also has a much better heater(warmer faster) and air conditioner(alot colder output then the Honda's). I have one section where the elevation goes from 700ft to over 1800ft in about a 2 mile section, the Xd pulls the hill all the way in high gear at 55-60MPH, the Honda will shift down at least two gears to maintain that speed. My average MPG over a weeks worth of driving the Xd is around 37-38MPG, the Honda tops out at 33-34MPG probably because of the changes in elevation and the need to shift down and run at higher RPMs. As you know the first two warranty maintenances are included, my wife had to pay for her's (they did the same identical work). My 15,000 mile service was $69.95 at the dealer, her's was quoted at $218, again identical service, although they did inspect the air conditioning(warranty work) to see if they could get it to blow a little colder. In my opinion the stereo in the Xd sounds alot better than the Honda's. Both my wife and I agree that the stereo, ride, lower noise level and gas mileage (at least where we live) is better in the Xd. The Honda has a bit more room behind the rear seats but when they are both folded flat they are pretty much even. At the time she bought the Fit there were no Xd's on the dealer's lot and when I bought mine they had three total. She bought the Fit before I purchased the Xd and she has said more than once she wished she had test driven one before she bought the Honda as she would have much perferd the Xd especially for the extra $'s she spent on the Honda to get pretty much what comes standard on the Xd. As a point of reference we are both in our 50's and usually keep our cars for a number of years.

 

The XD has an incredibly loud engine, terrible road noise problems and the suspension is horrific. It's a cheap new car that gets decent mpg. If you want something better for the same money then buy used.

 

Wa2vla – Thanks for taking the time for such an informative post. The Fit’s performance and handling did not blow me away. My manual xA with a rear sway bar drives as well if not better than the Fit.
Right now on paper the I’m looking at the xD and the Ford Fiesta. The Ford is about $1,650 more than the xD. The xD I configured is heavy on options such as TRD sway bar, Quick Shifter, a spoiler, cargo cover, floor mats, and paint protection. Either car I get I’ll most likely get and extended warranty because I have a 70mi round trip commute. The Ford is also a bit of a stretch for me, I have not purchased an American car in about 20 years.
Hobojon I agree with you on the used car part but my situation right now dictates a new car is the way to go.

 

get a prius then

 

yea, get the Prius....50mpg average. actually, I have seen 55 recently. we got a Prius for 23K. about 380 a month. remember that the Fit has a smaller engine. so it will struggle more on those uphills. I saw a Fit at the local honda dealer for $17k fully loaded. Nav and all. so i think it depends on what features you want on your car. I got my xD for $17k with the TRD sportivo suspension. the Fiesta has my interest. more power from a smaller engine and smart key too!

 

Well, out of the Prius, the Fit and the Scion, guess which one has not been in the recall?? The xD. I remember driving the Fiesta (Euro-Spec) version back in October at the SFL Auto Show, and I liked it! Better than my xD?? Not really. The back seats were as thin as paper and the cheap.

 

Can’t argue about the Prius and its great gas mileage. It just does not do much for me in the styling department. The more I look at the xD the more I like it. Funny because when it came out I was not that impressed other than it had a more powerful engine. However, as hard is it for me to say I’m very interested in the Fiesta as well. I think that Ford is going to sell a lot of those. I do think all this car talk has made my xA jealous the CEL came on this morning on my way to work!

 

yea, cars know when we are talking about them. I agree with your feeling on the handling. I feel i am ALWAYS correcting the cars straight line driving. i can't stand that. and the car likes to pegleg in turns bad. the steering can't keep up with quick turns either. but i feel thats how alot of new cars are. as far as Prius design. it's love or hate. i guess what intrigues me the most is the amount of aftermarket that can be had with it. just look up ZVW30 on google. tons of ish for that car. look up ZSP110 and i bet you won't find a 1/4 of whats for the Prius.



of course, this comes from a guy that sourced almost all his parts for his xB from Japan.

 

Hmmmm my mother in law is on a plane right now on her way to Japan. I wonder if she can pick up some JDM goodness for me.

 

No you are wrong, the lockup torque converter is what you are mistaking for a 5th gear.