The Fit is a small car with an ingenuous interior that makes it seem bigger than it looks on the outside.
It takes its name from this spaciousness, and an innovative and easy-to-use seating system that lets the rear seats fold up or down. With the bottom part of the rear seats folded up, there is a tall vertical area behind the front seats that is perfect for a bike, houseplant, or miniature pony. With the seats folded down, the area behind the front seats turns into a surprisingly large and low-set cargo area.
With the back seat folded down the front passenger seat can be folded back flat making room for those extra long loads, like surfboards or 2x4s for a basement renovation.
The 2007-2008 Fit had a fourth seating configuration where the front seat could fold back almost completely flat making a nifty bed, but this configuration was dropped to make room for more leg room in the back seat.
And room it has. I packed the car with my wife and three tallish friends in the back and everyone reported ample leg and head room; not bad for a sub compact.
Everyone that rode in the car with me commented on the space-ship like interior and the large windows. The Fit has excellent visibility overall, and a uniquely deep dashboard that adds to the car’s spacious interior. In ahead of the front doors are two small triangular windows that intersect with the dashboad, and add both to the spacey design of the Fit and its bright visage.
The driver-centric layout of the dash puts controls for the stereo and climate within easy reach. The two cup holders for both the passenger and driver (eight in total counting the ones in the back) come as an unexpected but surprisingly useful feature. The 160-watt four-speaker stereo gives a decent full sound that is more than adequate. On the down side, the design of the dash makes installing an after market stereo look like it could be a difficult and messy job. The stereo has an easily accessible aux jack for an iPod on the dash and the Sport model has a USB jack in the top glove box (there are two) that lets the stereo read music tags from your USB stick or mp3 player.
While the Fit is an economy car it was pleasantly well-powered by its 1.5L, iVTEC® 4-cylinder engine. The 117HP it puts out at 6600 rpm isn’t a lot but services this small car well. I was frequently compelled to zip around a little quicker than I should have. It’s the Fit’s responsive electronically-assisted and pinion steering, coupled with its great visibility that lends confidence in otherwise tricky driving situations.
The 5-speed manual transmission was crisp and clean, with a noticeably light clutch.
While the power and handling were both good, the trade-off was that the Fit lets you feel every bump on the road. For drivers used to the more cushy drive of an American automobile, the Fit’s relative closeness to the road, both in height and feel, may come as an unwelcome experience.
Honda says the fit sips 28 mpg in town, 35 mpg on the highway. On this fast-start and fast-stop test drive (the worst way to drive a car if you want to get good fuel economy) the Fit gave us 31 mpg. However, other test drivers have found the fit can score its advertised fuel economy if driven more conservatively.
At $18,760 before freight and taxes, the Fit Sport stacks up well against the competition. The DX comes in at $14,550, about $1800 more than Toyota’s entry-level Yaris, but the extra cost seems reasonable for the slightly better feel and interior quality of the Fit.
Overall, the Fit was a great little car and a solid choice for anyone looking for a practice car that is fun to drive and good on gas.
It takes its name from this spaciousness, and an innovative and easy-to-use seating system that lets the rear seats fold up or down. With the bottom part of the rear seats folded up, there is a tall vertical area behind the front seats that is perfect for a bike, houseplant, or miniature pony. With the seats folded down, the area behind the front seats turns into a surprisingly large and low-set cargo area.
With the back seat folded down the front passenger seat can be folded back flat making room for those extra long loads, like surfboards or 2x4s for a basement renovation.
The 2007-2008 Fit had a fourth seating configuration where the front seat could fold back almost completely flat making a nifty bed, but this configuration was dropped to make room for more leg room in the back seat.
And room it has. I packed the car with my wife and three tallish friends in the back and everyone reported ample leg and head room; not bad for a sub compact.
Everyone that rode in the car with me commented on the space-ship like interior and the large windows. The Fit has excellent visibility overall, and a uniquely deep dashboard that adds to the car’s spacious interior. In ahead of the front doors are two small triangular windows that intersect with the dashboad, and add both to the spacey design of the Fit and its bright visage.
The driver-centric layout of the dash puts controls for the stereo and climate within easy reach. The two cup holders for both the passenger and driver (eight in total counting the ones in the back) come as an unexpected but surprisingly useful feature. The 160-watt four-speaker stereo gives a decent full sound that is more than adequate. On the down side, the design of the dash makes installing an after market stereo look like it could be a difficult and messy job. The stereo has an easily accessible aux jack for an iPod on the dash and the Sport model has a USB jack in the top glove box (there are two) that lets the stereo read music tags from your USB stick or mp3 player.
While the Fit is an economy car it was pleasantly well-powered by its 1.5L, iVTEC® 4-cylinder engine. The 117HP it puts out at 6600 rpm isn’t a lot but services this small car well. I was frequently compelled to zip around a little quicker than I should have. It’s the Fit’s responsive electronically-assisted and pinion steering, coupled with its great visibility that lends confidence in otherwise tricky driving situations.
The 5-speed manual transmission was crisp and clean, with a noticeably light clutch.
While the power and handling were both good, the trade-off was that the Fit lets you feel every bump on the road. For drivers used to the more cushy drive of an American automobile, the Fit’s relative closeness to the road, both in height and feel, may come as an unwelcome experience.
Honda says the fit sips 28 mpg in town, 35 mpg on the highway. On this fast-start and fast-stop test drive (the worst way to drive a car if you want to get good fuel economy) the Fit gave us 31 mpg. However, other test drivers have found the fit can score its advertised fuel economy if driven more conservatively.
At $18,760 before freight and taxes, the Fit Sport stacks up well against the competition. The DX comes in at $14,550, about $1800 more than Toyota’s entry-level Yaris, but the extra cost seems reasonable for the slightly better feel and interior quality of the Fit.
Overall, the Fit was a great little car and a solid choice for anyone looking for a practice car that is fun to drive and good on gas.
