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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  Right Car At The Right Time - Part 3 - 2009 Honda Fit
  By David - February 18 - 10:56 am

  Wrote my first review about 6 months ago & then wrote another a month later after being extremely impressed with the fuel economy. Well, Im still very impressed, as this car has managed to deliver 37.5 mpg consistently since my purchase. Bottom line, something is jacked with the EPA figures, because most Fit owners get much better mileage than the reported 27 city/33 hwy. I also think the car desperately needs a 6th gear, as the gear ratios are way too short. I can only imagine how much better the hwy mileage would be if there was a tall 6th gear. Plus if the ratios were more spaced it would quiet down the engine noise, as the engine spins at 4,000 rpms at 80 mph which gets annoying fast!

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  Purchased sight unseen - 2007 Honda Fit
  By LaurenceB - February 17 - 6:53 am

  The Honda Fit is getting hard to find in the Michigan area and I was so sure from the reviews that I wanted one that I purchased one without having seen one. When it arrived the next day from a dealer in the next state I was even more impressed than I had expected. I tend to judge a car in part at least by the sound of the door closing. A cheap car usually goes clunk but the Honda Fit sounds more like my Audi A6 and has a very satisfying sound that, to me at least, signifies good engineering. Im just a little miffed about the lack of an iPod connection since it would have added about $0.50 to the price of the car and they gave one to the Canadian models. Ill find a way to add one.

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  Love my Fit! - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Gil - February 9 - 12:35 pm

  Great fun car to drive. Handles well for a small car. Very roomy inside and lots of cargo space with rear seats folded. Averaging 40-42 mpg highway. Looks are deceiving from the outside, handles like a mid size from the inside. Lots of head room.

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  Fit is Fantastic - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Fit Fan - February 7 - 8:25 pm

  Absolutely love my 2008 Fit Sport. Such a fun car to drive. Gas mileage is close to 40 MPG. Cant beat that with high gas prices. Love the seat configurations. Work out really great bringing husband home from hospital with knee replacement surgery. Folded front seat back and made the chaise-longue position. He was totally comfortable for the 3 hour drive home. Heating and AC systems work great. Love the sound system. Plenty of drink holders. Purchased the cargo mat and it works great when hauling plants. I could go on and on about this car. Totally fun and makes you feel good driving it. Love my Fit! Honda ... this is a wonderful product.

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  Sporty and fun, with a few glitches - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Cathy - February 5 - 11:20 am

  The stiff sport suspension lets you feel every nuance of the road, making this little car seem fast and responsive. It gets in and out of tight spots easily, making parking a breeze. The interior is bigger than it looks from the outside, and the flexible seat arrangements are genius.

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  Not impressed - 2013 Honda Fit
  By Megan M - February 4 - 5:12 pm

  We bought this car because of the advertised gas mileage and we wanted a reliable family vehicle. We chose Honda because they are a reliable company and Honda resale value holds up really well. Overall the car is a great point A to point B car. We bought our car brand new with 15 miles on it. It drives smooth and has a surprising get up and go. Its also idles incredibly quiet. When I first got the car the only way I knew it was on, was by looking at the ignition! The most Ive ever spent on a full tank of gas has been $25. Its usually only about $10 for 3/4 tank. My husband is a mechanic and does the oil changes at his shop so Im not sure exactly how expensive maintenance fees are. We have not had to make any mechanical repairs at all. The car has 30k miles on it and it still runs really well. However there are some major flaws in the design. Just 1 year after our purchase we realized there were chips all over the hood and front side of the paint. So we repainted it. But again there are more chinks. It doesnt matter how closely I follow someone, the paint is just poor quality. Also, you cant hit even the smallest pothole or you will have to replace a rim. My rims are dented all the way around. The stock tires were so poor that they only lasted 6 months before being replaced. And even our replacement tires are horrible on any form of precipitation including rain. I also have a young son so I have a car seat in the backseat. I have to move the front passenger seat all the way up to allow him in and out of the car. So it makes having extra passengers almost impossible because whoever sits up front has to have an up close and personal relationship with the dash board. Also, the backseat has headrests that fold all the way down over the seat. Its incredibly uncomfortable for anyone sitting in the back seat without pulling it all the way up. And if they leave the headrest up it causes a major blind spot for the driver out of the back window. In the winter dont even try to use just the heat setting. Your windows will fog in 2 minutes. You have to use the defrost setting only for cold weather. Which is fine except when youre behind a stinky truck or you want to recycle your air instead of inhaling fumes. The cup holders up front are impossible if you have a cup bigger than a 12 oz. You have to pull your cup carefully out at an angle to avoid crushing or spilling your drink. The option of using your ipod through the second glove box is wonderful but if you have more than 100 artists on your ipod youre going to spend 10 min scrolling through artists until you find the one you want. It doesnt allow for playing by genre and it doesnt read all of your playlists. Even the max volume is comparatively low. We also had to replace our wiper blades within the first year because they were so poor. Overall this is a good car. But I dont recommend it as a family car. This is perfect for someone to drive to and from work only. Its great for long distance drives. Maintenance oil changes dont happen as frequently as they do with other cars. Gas cost is incredibly low. But if youre looking for comfort look elsewhere.

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  A Nice Fit - 2007 Honda Fit
  By LoveTexas - February 4 - 1:17 pm

  I use my Fit to run around town, drive to work, get groceries, take short road trips (2 hrs), etc. Typically its just me in the car but at least a few times a week Im hauling two or three other tall adults along with me. Im 6 1" and the rest range between 5 10" and 6. Handling is responsive, engine is reliable, and fuel economy is great. The Fit usually gets between 30 and 32 mpg with a mixture of city and highway. However, I drive pretty aggressive so Im very impressed considering my 03 Montero Sport averaged 16 to 17 mpg. Stereo works great but Im not an audiophile. I wish the AC had a bit more cooling capacity but after getting darker window tinting this is not as big of an issue.

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  Better than I had hoped for... - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Matt - February 3 - 8:23 pm

  I am in the military and I use this little car for every bit of versatility you could imagine. I can easily haul 4 (yes 4) 200lb co-workers around with me and have no noticable drag on the engine. It is an energetic car that that reminds you it can be fun to just go for a drive. I have used 2 tanks of fuel with a real world combined Hwy/city driving mileage of 35mpg. The stereo sound superb; deep roomy glove compartment; every control easily reached from the drivers sitting position; friends compliment of how much leg room is in the back seats and one of my taller friends even was amazed to get in the back seat and have plenty of head and leg room. More than the front seat of his car :-)

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  Winter or Summer - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Pleatia - January 16 - 3:29 pm

  I have found the Fit to be quite adaptable to the nasty weather. Some reviews are a bit harsh as far winter ready. The Fit has a very decent heating system. If you leave the vents open, just as in any vehicle the defrost will clear the entire car easily. Here in Colorado I have been in many situations where the best heating system in the world cannot keep up with the conditions that the mountains can throw at it. From Audi to Subaru. I do not find an issue with the Fits heat and defrost. If the vent blows in your face, good lord move it! My Fit averages 32 MPG and is a great vehicle. Between the Subaru and the Honda I own the top two vehicles in the world for quality.

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  Highly overrated - 2009 Honda Fit
  By steve - January 13 - 2:20 pm

  Do not believe the hype. The engine is buzzy and the transmission hunts for the right gear. The ride is extremely bumpy, you feel everything. The seats are uncomfortable, and cant be height adjusted. You would never take this on a trip longer than 25 miles. It has beautiful styling, but thats all. A huge disappointment that I bought into because of all of the raves from the so-called car experts. Im trading this in on a larger and more comfortable car.