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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  Fits Me Perfectly - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Tricia - March 4 - 10:32 pm

  This is my first Honda. I bought it to replace a Ford Explorer because of the gas prices. I still wanted a vehicle I could throw a bale or two of hay in the back and this fit the bill. I fell in love with it immediately. Its a blast to drive and the stereo system is great! I think its comfortable and peppy although I have to admit I havent even used the paddles yet. I only drive about 7 miles in it a day and have to say the gas mileage hasnt been what was expected. As for the armrest, yes that stunk but I had a custom one made for about $100 and its not one of those plastic ones from Hong Kong. It looks custom. I highly recommend it all my friends and my stepmom is even considering one

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  Back to basics - 2007 Honda Fit
  By cKr - February 23 - 1:50 am

  Nice little car. It gets back to basics. There are no map lights, no dimming of the dome light. In fact there is no dome light control on the dash. You have to reach up and flip the switch. No heated side-view mirrors. Very basic. Less stuff to break or wear out. For 16k, its a good buy. I dont regret my purchase after 1.5 years. This is a quality car you dont need to pay $500 a month for the next 7 years.

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  Very good, but has its flaws - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Matt - February 20 - 12:53 pm

  The concept of this car is perfect. Hatch, small, efficient, stability control. My main complaint is that the suspension is way too harsh. Not firm, which is OK, but harsh. You feel EVERY road flaw. The MPG is averaging 30, mediocre for a car with this modest level of power and performance. The transmission constantly shifts on even small grades, annoying. Handling is excellent. Very roomy and versatile. Excellent interior. My VW pickup rides better. Dont buy one until you put on 50 continuous miles on a concrete highway and broken city streets. If you can live with the incessant jittery ride and average MPG, very strong in other areas. Ill be trading on a Civic or Mazda 3 soon.

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  Value - 2007 Honda Fit
  By chrississon22 - January 17 - 5:40 am

  I purchased this car in Feb. 2007 and have already put over 31,000 miles on it. I often drive rather quickly (on interstates, highways, and back roads) and have never gotten below 36 mpg. The Fits suspension is pretty stiff which may turn off some drivers, but I think it makes little little car really fun to drive on twisty roads. As someone who often gets buyers remorse with large purchases, if I had it to do all over again, I would still buy the Fit.

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  Get what you pay for - 2007 Honda Fit
  By louie - January 2 - 8:08 am

  After owning this car for 7000+ miles. Heres my review. Gas mileage is great. However ive owned alot of other hondas. The interior is functional, however made of cheap componets (all plastic) and its easily dammaged. Road noise is excessive above 70mph (due to no sound reducing materials to save weight). The car is functional as a daily driver. I love it. The 2 biggest gripes i have, are the paint is cheap! And auto car washes will destroy your car. And the wipers, well used them before you buy. Not as functional as they planned, smearing and passanger wiper arm is huge and flutters in the rain. I give the car a 7 outta 10, after owning 5+ Hondas.

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  Overall good buy - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Robert - December 26 - 11:23 am

  I bought my Fit to replace my pickup truck as a commuter vehicle. So far, it rides smooth for a small car, and its a fun drive. My lowest gas mileage was about 30, and the highest was 45. Ive avereged 35 on mixed city and interstate driving. The sound system is good for CDs, but FM reception is relatively poor. Seats are more comfortable that I expected for a small car. Visibility is excellent it feels like youre sitting higher than you really are. I love the large, flat front window, but the back window gets dirty a lot from slush blowing upward from the back tires. When on low-beam, the front lights are set too low, so it is hard to anticipate road hazards or read signs

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  Fit is Go! - 2008 Honda Fit
  By FitIsGo - December 21 - 3:33 pm

  Bought at 08 Fit Sport 5AT in blaze orange in Dec 07 for my 20 yr old son. Was so impressed bought same car for myself 3 weeks ago in Milano red. MPG reading on first 200 miles of driving was 33.3 in mix of city/interstate driving on 12-mile commute. I got my Fit for $50 over invoice which was hard to believe, if stories of $4/gallon gas this summer come true. There are a lot of people driving big trucks and SUVs that get 10-12 MPG in real world driving that are going to be severely impacted. Supply and demand drives the prices for goods and services and if Americans would start driving high-MPG vehicles and cut our national consumption, we would see gas prices fall by $1/gallon.

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  2007 Honda Fit Sport - 2007 Honda Fit
  By RockyF3 - December 18 - 9:40 pm

  I like the car. Best mileage going to Vegas on cruise at 70 was 40.6. Real world 30. Great deal on car and warranty. Car was Honda Fit Sport 5peed.

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  The Good: The Room, The Bad: The Tranny - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Rolland - November 30 - 5:13 pm

  After 10,000 miles in 4 months, I was expecting the car to settle in and drive more smoothly, plus improve gas mileage. But, it didnt! There is something in the automatic transmission called "Engine Braking System." This is a horrid piece of engineering. On deceleration to an intersection, it grinds the car down to a stop by itself without touching the brake. Dont know what this feature is for, but it has been a little dangerous in city driving. I hope there is a "fix" soon from Honda. I think it may be contributing to my less-than-expected gas mileage of 26-30. That said, I am very happy with the rest of the car! Decent power, great cargo capacity! But should have waited for a 5sp manual.

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  Good little car, but miss my SUV - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Tina B - November 18 - 9:16 pm

  The Fit is definitely a good car, but I am suffering a serious case of buyers remorse. I had an SUV before getting the Fit. Do your homework for sure. I did not get a good deal on it, which is part of my regrets. I think you can get a lot more car for the same price if you went with a Mazda 3 for example. I really wish I would have gotten that instead. Gas mileage is good, but the on-board gauge is off. When it says Im getting 37 mpg, it really is around 32. Still good, but instrument is unreliable. You have to pay extra for many features that are standard for other models. Insurance higher than on previous SUV. Check w/ your agent first.