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:

• 

  Outstanding - 2010 Honda Fit
  By Mike B - March 13 - 9:56 pm

  There is a reason this car is ranked #1 in the world in the compact division. This car is what all others aspire to be. The engine, ride, sporty feel, the interior design and the quality are second to none.

• 

  Cheap materials spell disaster - 2008 Honda Fit
  By dmbcyg - March 12 - 5:29 pm

  Last week in spite of my asking all the questions and doing all my homework, I ended up with a used, certified fit I thought was in excellent condition. I saw the Carfax and all. Now I have both front doors molding coming loose, my front drivers door inside is falling apart and the front driver and passenger side windows fog up for no apparent reason. My brakes are grabbing and it shakes, rattles and shimmers at 75 mph. The dealer I purchased it from where slow answering my calls so we had to stay up on it. Finally, someone called to check up on how we liked it ( no one acknowledged my first call). My husband took it back and we have a nice loaner. If I had the money I would go with corolla

• 

  Steering is painful on Expressways - 2010 Honda Fit
  By Paul - March 12 - 10:53 am

  I bought my Fit as a commuter car since I drive on expressways 70 miles per day. Had I known how heavily the FIT steers at any speed over 50 mph, I would have bought another vehicle. When driving in any lane that slopes from left to right or right to left, the car needs constant touches on the wheel to keep it in a straight line. At the same time, the wheel feels as if it is stuck in molasses. The car has 2,000 miles on it at this point. I have owned Fords, Dodges, Toyotas, Cadillacs, Lincolns subcompacts, pickups, vans, sedans and Town Cars and have never driven a vehicle that handled so poorly on the expressway. Driving it is a chore and I doubt I will keep it until it is paid off.

• 

  Expectations Met - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Catawba - March 12 - 8:41 am

  Bought this car during Cash For Clunkers, but waited to write a review until I saw how it performed during a Vermont winter. I put studded snow tires on and its been fine. Everything else is what I hoped for--fun to drive, trouble fee and consistently gets 40 mpg. I keep the back seats folded flat to accommodate golf clubs, dogs, etc. To keep wear and tear to a minimum, I bought an Elemmat from Murdock Industrial. Its a rubber mat designed for this model and it protects the cloth upholstery. I got the base model, since the only feature on the sport model I cared about was cruise control, but decided it wasnt worth the extra money. Not a luxury car, but great basic transportation.

• 

  Still loving it - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Tonya - March 12 - 3:46 am

  Bought this car over 9 months ago. Still super cute and fun to drive. Had a fender bender a few months back and drove a Mazda 3 rental for a couple days could definitely tell that the Honda Fit doesnt have as much horsepower when compared to the Mazda 3 but I never purchased the Fit with the delusion it was a high performance sports car No mechanical problems to report yet and I get lots of compliments on the vehicle I use the vehicle for mainly commuting around town for work so cant say Ive ever thought it was overly uncomfortable It was a good purchase for the money paid when compared with similar models of Toyota and Nissan

• 

  A tank in snow - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Fit for Anything - March 10 - 7:47 am

  We live in northern NY and for the last couple of winters have put some very aggressive snow tires on. Its a tank. Easily beats big SUVs off the line at snowy/icy stop lights. (Yeah, cheap thrill, I know.) Interior room is amazing. Only complaint is the seats are painful to sit in for much more than a couple hours at a time.

• 

  Honda Fit - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Eric Hoover - March 7 - 8:32 pm

  I have owned my Fit for approximately 6 months and the auto has proved to be very reliable. Overall the Fit is well constructed, but a little bit on the cheap side for features. One example is the front wiper blades - I cannot remember a recent car or truck that did not have true intermittent wiper blades! The Fit rides sporty, but a "little" on the bouncy side. The noise level inside the cabin can become fairly loud at times, such as during acceleration. The front seats are also on the uncomfortable side - the seats could be better designed and have at least an adequate armrest for the driver and passenger. The gas economy computer is also a joke - even GM can do this right.

• 

  Fun But Wouldnt Choose it Again - 2009 Honda Fit
  By zippy - February 27 - 4:30 pm

  Bought this car in Jan 2009 as a commuter vehicle (60mi round trip to work each day on back roads). Car looks great, has tons of interior room - 4 good sized adults fit comfortable in this vehicle - and has fun, peppy handling. 34mpg on average. Some freakishly bad luck-1 huge ice chunk and 2 low-speed fender benders (1 front, 1 back at less than 13 mph) resulted in over $7000 damage each time. We kid that if you look at the Fit mean, the doors fall off. The impact energy may be dissipated, but youre left with rubble after what should be a minor incident. I wouldnt put a young driver in this car and Im selling as soon as its paid off.

• 

  love it! - 2010 Honda Fit
  By celticwolf122 - February 17 - 1:23 pm

  I love the interior design of the cargo space. even after folg the rear seats I can fit......lol get it......things under the seats. This car corners like a bat out of hell. The acceleration is a little lagging but it is compensated but a sense of control in every corner. I love the stereo system and the fuel econom is great. The best car under $15000 (that is of course the base model) I hope to see future base models come with cruise control. Way to go honda. btw this is my first honda and I think I may be hooked on the brand.

• 

  Left wanting more - 2009 Honda Fit
  By harmony - February 15 - 2:16 pm

  I bought my Fit almost a year ago so have had plenty of time to think about it and reflect on my purchase. At first sight I liked the color and enjoyed the interior features such as the magic seats and navigation system. After having driven it over 6000 miles now I regret to say that if I could go back I would pick a different vehicle. Driver is uncomfortable on long drive with very little back support and small arm rests. front passenger has no arm rest at all. Over all the car was worth the small price, but next time spend a little more and get something better. Sorry Honda, not one of your best models over all. Oh and p.s. honda, teach your sales reps more about the fit. misleading.