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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  2nd review Honda FIT - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Joan - July 11 - 2:38 pm

  2nd review now that owned a year. 40+ hwy mileage, 26-29 city. Previous mileage problems now blamed on gas pumps. Car is stylish, very comfortable-great seats but dont clean easily with very nice interior design. Car has much more storage room than one thinks with very versatile interior. Front of car is very very low and often hits. Front of car is not visible so cannot judge distance and will hit parking blocks. Car has no pick up but then gets the mileage. The ride is comfortable for such a small car and handles nicely and zips right along on long trips. Load maximum is 850 which isnt much and wasnt discussed. Paint seems to mark easily and is necessary to wash with care.

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  Dans fun car - 2008 Honda Fit
  By dan129 - July 11 - 2:15 pm

  Im 60 years old and have owned a lot of different cars, including a corvette a 240z and various full size cars. My Honda fit is fun fun to drive and Im getting without it totally broken in 32 to 37 mpg. it only has 900 hundred miles on it. mine is storm silver and looks great. you cant go wrong with the fit.

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  My first Fit - 2008 Honda Fit
  By fetyka - July 10 - 11:50 pm

  Well, I really like this car. Runs smooth, very easy to get use to it. Even though, this is a small compact car, I still have the feeling of driving a very well built, very good quality vehicle. Before I purchased it I had visited other competitors in the same class and this car had definitely won the interior design contest for me. Gas mileage in the city is around 29/30, its not bad, but not very impressive either. I recommend this car to anyone who wants to save money on the long run, prefers good quality, not looking for something fancy and doesnt have a big family.

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  Fabulous Fit - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Andy - July 10 - 12:53 pm

  Were thrilled with our Fit sport. It has delivered great gas mileage, 30MPG around town, 33-38 MPG highway. Its interior is well thought out and comfortable. For an entry level car, the interior materials and quality are superb. The exterior design is excellent. The Sport trim gives the car a better look versus the standard model. While its not a rocket, the engine has some pep and good torque. The hills in our area are no problem for motor. When the A/C is on, the small displacement of the engine robs some of the power. The handling is great for this little car. Its a firm ride, the lower profile tires dont help, but the trade off is you get crisp handling and grip. I like the steering too

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  Fun, Practical, Great Value - 2008 Honda Fit
  By swift - July 9 - 4:29 pm

  We bought our Fit last September. Had to order because they were in short supply. It is a manual transmission, the only way to go in my opinion as it is very peppy and fun to drive. Have been getting up to 44 mpg in ideal conditions, but usually in the mid to upper 30s with a mix. Strictly town it has been under 30mpg at times. So, mpg varies widely depending on how you drive and what kind of traffic. The manual transmission is so fun to drive that mpg can suffer from that. (The best mpg is conservative driving.) It has an amazing amount of cargo space and that is what really sold us on this car. We keep the back seats folded down almost all of the time. We love this car!

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  You cant go wrong with the fit - 2008 Honda Fit
  By dabell - July 8 - 5:28 pm

  This car amazes me with all the space this car has to offer, I was looking for a wagon but I cant afford the price of VW Jetta, Passat, Audi and some other wagons on the market, the Honda fit is very useful, affordable & very well made, excellent handling, nice ride

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  Unbelievable Value - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Connecticut Man - July 8 - 7:20 am

  Just got the car a month ago. Originally read that it would be too small for me. Im over 6 feet tall. This car is big enough for me and people taller than me with no problems. It has huge interior and cargo area. It performs like a sports car. Unlike other people reviewing this car, I have no problems with road noise at 80 mph, and can hear the radio just fine. It has a stiff suspension so on bumpy roads, these will transmit into the cockpit, but on most good roads the ride is quiet.

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  Love it - 2008 Honda Fit
  By mec - July 7 - 6:00 pm

  Ive had my 2008 Sport Fit for 6 weeks. I purchased it for two reasons: fuel economy and the ability to park in those tiny San Francisco street spots. I recently took a road trip of about 500 miles. I was amazed that even with 2 teenagers, loaded with camping gear and driving w/ the A/C on I still managed 40 mpg. Amazing.

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  Fit - Great Decision - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Linda - July 7 - 12:00 am

  My 2008 Fit handles smooth and swift yet sturdy and quiet. Very pleased at the quick acceleration for a small car. Surprised at the great amount of space inside for both front and rear passengers plus storage/hauling space. Great versatility and unique options for folding down the seat backs and magic rear seats. Great mileage: City 29-30 mpg, Highway 39-40 mpg.

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  2008 Honda Fit - 2008 Honda Fit
  By CCurtis - July 6 - 9:08 pm

  This car has exceeded my expectations. It is fun to drive and great on gas mileage. (36 MPG on mainly rural and city driving.) It can fit four people comfortably and has lots of room for storage. It corners and hugs the road like a champ and I just took it on the freeway and it did great. It was actually hard to not go over the 70 MPH speed limit. The noise level was normal for this size of car and not much different then the Accord that I just had.