Overview & Reviews

Introduced in the mid 2000s just as gas prices were beginning to race skyward, the Honda Fit immediately became a hit with frugal car shoppers. A subcompact four-door hatchback, the Honda Fit has earned praise for its world-class engineering and design, and it has definitely found its niche with consumers, particularly with the second-generation model. With either generation, you'll find crisp handling, an adaptable interior, high-quality fit and finish and a relatively low price. An all-new third-generation Fit is also on its way. For small-car shoppers, the Honda Fit represents an almost ideal package.

Current Honda Fit
The Honda Fit is available in two main trim levels: base and Sport. Both come with a fuel-efficient 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 117 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, with a five-speed automatic transmission being optional. Paddle shifters are included with the automatic for the Sport version. Fuel economy is respectably good with either transmission.

On the base Fit, air-conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry a tilt-and-telescoping steering column and a four-speaker audio system with a CD player, auxiliary audio jack and iPod/USB audio interface are standard. The Honda Fit Sport gains bigger wheels, sportier exterior trim details and a six-speaker audio system. Fit Sports can also be optioned with a touchscreen navigation system that includes Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and voice controls.

The Fit is Honda's smallest automotive product, but it nearly matches the total passenger space of the larger Civic sedan. To help achieve this, Honda has installed a compact rear suspension design and placed the fuel tank underneath the passenger seat. Another key advantage for the Fit is its innovative, highly versatile rear seating arrangement. The "Magic Seat" has seatbacks that fold flat and seat cushions that can be flipped upward, creating a tall load area right behind the front seats -- sort of like a crew cab pickup's rear seats. Maximum cargo capacity is an impressive 57 cubic feet.

In reviews, we've found the Honda Fit to be a pleasure to drive for a frugal subcompact. The car has a solid feel to it, countering the perception of vehicles in this class as tinny econoboxes. Generally speaking, the Honda Fit continues the model's tradition of providing serious bang for the buck, and its combination of driving dynamics, polish and big-time practicality distinguish it from the competition.

Used Honda Fit Models
The current second-generation Honda Fit debuted for the 2009 model year. No notable changes occurred until 2012, when it received minor styling updates, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, added sound insulation and an upgraded Bluetooth system with streaming audio capabilities.

The first-generation Honda Fit was available for just two years: 2007 and 2008. It came in two trim levels with no factory options available. The base version adhered to a minimalist philosophy, though it still came standard with air-conditioning and a CD player. The uplevel Sport trim was snazzier and, predictably, we favored it. It featured larger, 15-inch alloy wheels, stickier tires, exterior styling pieces, keyless entry, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a premium MP3-compatible audio system with an auxiliary audio jack.

The Fit stuck to the Honda playbook when it came to interior controls, which were intelligently designed and utilized high-quality materials. For a subcompact, the first-generation Honda Fit was surprisingly roomy and versatile. Chalk much of that up to the car's specialized second-row, 60/40-split seat design. The rear seats could be placed into four different configurations, depending on passenger or cargo needs. Folding the rear seat flat provided a surprising 41.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

Both trim levels were front-wheel drive and were equipped with a 1.5-liter, 109-hp four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, and a five-speed automatic was optional. Fit Sports with the automatic also had steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles.

We found the first-generation Honda Fit to possess an enviable driving-fun-to-thrift ratio. Cornering and acceleration were crisp. The subcompact could achieve 0-60-mph sprints in fewer than 10 seconds with either transmission. Fuel economy was commendable, and safety was good. The whole thing was almost perfect. Almost. The main downside was that although the car seemed less tinny than other cars in its class, at highway speeds the engine made its presence known. The lack of a telescoping steering wheel could also be an annoyance for taller drivers. But on balance the first-generation Honda Fit provided about as much fun, satisfaction and value as you could find in a small economy car.

User Reviews:

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  Gutless Wonder - 2009 Honda Fit
  By diehard080 - August 13 - 8:50 pm

  I have to be honest . Its a car that I give 5 stars to from the standpoint of reliability ,which is the only similarity to my Honda motorcycles . Other than that its so slow it can get out of its own way . I am not being mean I just think that on my numerous trips to Japan thats where this cars belongs . It dosent handle in any inspiring way and have had the front assembly pop out on small curbs that I thought I barley creased? But I hung this pup into a turn that I was following others through and it felt like it was about to roll over . And it looks like a Mini-van lacking steriods . I sold it because I need to redline it thru every gear when going 2 work getting on the fwy. too embarrasi

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  Disappointing - 2012 Honda Fit
  By azdriver3 - July 26 - 1:58 pm

  Ive had my Fit for about 6 months, 6,000 miles. Im not impressed. I drive this car like an old grandma, slow acceleration, early deceleration, maximizing coasting and momentum.. and I dont even come close to the advertised mileage in town. I get maybe 22-24 in town, compared to the 27 its supposed to get. I got better city mileage in my last car, which was 600 lbs heavier with a much bigger engine and almost 300hp, and I drove that car like I stole it. And on that note, this car is slow. Anemically slow. It gets me from A to B, but I have to make sure I have looots of room before I pull out into traffic.

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  Not one does econobox better - 2011 Honda Fit
  By 204meca - July 23 - 1:56 am

  Im bias, this is the 8th Honda I have owned. While not as fun as the Del Sol or as economical as the late 80s models, it does everything well. It hauls almost as much as our 2010 Outback, using 1/3rd less gas. Consistently gets 37-38 mpg in mixed driving, tops 40 with consistent driving under 70 mph. The Fit is just plain easy & fun to drive. I opted for the Base to for the better gas mileage & ride. Outfitted with better tires & aftermarket rear sway it never lost its composure driven as when driven as hard as possible in performance driving school. My only complaints are road noise & the fact that my thighs get a little sore after 90 minutes behind the wheel - not good for distances

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  Fun to drive and economical - 2012 Honda Fit
  By oldautoman - July 22 - 4:31 pm

  This is the first small car Ive owned in many years. I would describe almost all of my driving as suburban and seldom on the highways. The Fit does fit my needs almost perfictly. Its OK on the highway and it does get its best mpg on the highway but around town its just a delight to drive. I have 2300 miles on the car. My calculated mpg for this distance is 30.6. I feel that is fine for a car that is mostly in town. It is higher when on the road.

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  FALSE ADVERTISING! MPG SCAM - 2012 Honda Fit
  By 808fit - July 2 - 11:51 pm

  I bought this car in hawaii. I got it for 20,500 otd price. It is a sport auto. I drove it on full tank from the dealership and as of now only averaging 19mpg. I drive only in the city to work which is about a mile from where i live. I understand it is a lot of stop and go to work, but i dont even use air con, and I should be getting at least close to the mpg that it state in the fact sheet. I havent called honda yet cuz i already know they will say it is still new and blah blah blah, you need to break it in or what not, but still this is horrible. Another problem is the transmission always feels it is down shifting too fast when I am coming to a stop.

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  2009 Honda Fit Sport - 2009 Honda Fit
  By zbomb - June 3 - 12:19 pm

  Ive had my Fit for about 4-5 months now and love it. I bought it with about 30k miles on it and have put about 10k on it since. I love the roominess of the fit compared to other compact cars, in both the front and back seats. I love the hatchback and the way the rear seats can fold both down or up. I drive mostly highway miles and have been averaging 38+ mpg. My car had a remote car starter installed which has also worked great.

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  Small car that lives large - 2012 Honda Fit
  By cantgetaname - May 15 - 10:02 am

  The Honda Fit is truly a great city car being small on the outside but large on the inside. Unless youre a moving company the Fit should be able to handle your day to day hauling needs. Ive had the Fit for a month averaging about 31mpg. If your commute is on the freeway you can easily do better. Where the Fit lacks in acceleration it makes up for with handling. You can have a lot of fun with this car in the curves. I also considered the Mazda 3 and Chevy Sonic. Both offered more features than the Fit. I thought the Mazda had more road noise and the Sonics I looked at already had rattles. If it werent for those rattles Id be in a Sonic.

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  Fun to drive and soo cute ! Awesome Gas mileage - 2007 Honda Fit
  By mickmarion - April 24 - 10:21 am

  I just wished she was taller. I get tired of hitting the dips, cars should not be made so low at 4 inches taller or more. But she is so roomy, we have 3 dogs and all fit back there perfectly. The seats never sit upright. She doesnt look roomy from the outside until you look inside. That is why she is a Fit, can fit everything !!

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  Great Car,A Few Minor Complaints - 2012 Honda Fit
  By giantravis - April 22 - 12:04 pm

  Ive had my Fit for about 2 months now. I spent a lot of time on here and consumer reports before choosing the Fit. I was sold on the reliability history,cargo room, and mpg. The mpg is just ok for a car its size in the city. However, if your commuting and driving between 55 and 65 mph, you can probably get 40 mpg during those stretches. Ive averaged 30 mpg with about 60% hwy/40% city. A few small things bother me. No miles till empty reading, no outside temperature reading,and the cupholders are awkward underneath the console. Also, the body is soft like most Hondas and may ding easy. Other than that, good mpg,great handling(fun to drive) and most importantly has great reliablity record.

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  Love it! - 2007 Honda Fit
  By m_n_mcandy - April 17 - 10:53 am

  I didnt make the decision to purchase this car. It was the only car on the lot that fit my budget, I didnt even like the color (red) but I had no choice. However, I have not been disappointed, other than the low front bumper that I had to get repaired twice. (at no cost). I just recently took my littel red car to PA from VA. She did great!!! I filled up my tank once going and once leaving, without stopping for gas I made it to my destinations leaving 1/4 tank of gas. She drove smoothly, kept up with the flow of traffic, and I was comfortable because of the space in the car.