Anybody know when the next gen Fit is due? Is it for '08 by any chance?

You would think that would make it easier/cheaper to spec the new vehicle for better fuel economy, rather than tweaking the current model (paying for a second set of emission tests for the changes, etc.)

I'd think that they will try to guess how much Toyota is going to improve over the next couple of years, and make sure that whatever new model they put out can exceed that. Maybe they'll revive the HF or VX model designation.

That would be quite something, but I'm more skeptical that they'll only offer an incremental improvement. They can't have their cheapest car cannibalizing sales of their more expensive hybrids.

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Reeeeallly. Interesting....

Current speculation is that it will be announced in Japan late this year, perhaps at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. It has been assumed we here won't get that version as an '08; I think the letter confirms that.

The 5MT in the rest of the world has different gear ratios. The final drive is slightly taller (4.111 vs 4.294), but 5th actually ends up a fraction shorter....

      Rest-of-the-world          North America
      --------------------       --------------------
R     3.230  ?4.111= 13.278      3.231  ?4.294= 13.873
1     3.142  ?4.111= 12.916      3.462  ?4.294= 14.865
2     1.750  ?4.111= 07.194      1.870  ?4.294= 08.029
3     1.241  ?4.111= 05.101      1.321  ?4.294= 05.672
4     0.969  ?4.111= 03.983      0.970  ?4.294= 04.165
5     0.805  ?4.111= 03.309      0.757  ?4.294= 03.250

i bet the rest of the world has a better 0-60 time since there would be only one shift before 60 or 62... all being longer but 5th is very weird though... i really wish just the 5th gear was longer or they had a 6th that was spaced like gears 2-5. shifting every 20mph while winding it out is pretty sweet.

Given 5 speeds, I'd like to see 5th around 2.75 for highway driving and 4th near where 5th is now for city driving.

I am massively impressed that you received the somewhat personal reply letter. Seems like someone read your letter!!!

Honda knows they are gambling with the public's perception of the company's "green" image on this issue (coming out swinging against the ecoAuto program).

Miller effectively admits this in the first paragraph of his letter to me.

I'm sure they decided in advance that (personal and fast) responses to individuals would be a priority, as a way to try to mitigate potential backlash from the segment of their customer base that is concerned about environmental/efficiency issues.

I have to admit that his letter has me considering more seriously some of Honda's points about the program.

I just wish they had made those points publicly, rather than throwing a hissy fit and basing the PR campaign around the safety smokescreen rather than the rational arguments they can make.