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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  Love it! - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Jennna - October 3 - 3:51 pm

  Love this car. Great gas mileage, great handling, and just great looking (I might be one of the three people on Earth who actually likes the aesthetics of the Fit). I have always preferred smaller cars, and now I have a small car that can actually carry cargo. No more borrowing a truck from a friend! Very convenient for city driving- I can fit into any parking space, and have no problems executing U-turns on narrow roads.

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  On a smaller side of things - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Igor - September 30 - 2:00 pm

  I ordered this car in light blue color as my wife wanted and in about 2 months we got call to get it. As we looked for her new car and decided to go with subcompact for her relatively long daily commute our options were Nissan Versa or Sentra, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit. We test drove all of them and overall impression was that Fit was better. It came with the higher price but we went for it anyway, never were sorry. Plenty of space (drove a really tall friend with his bike inside), baby in car seat has all the view, nice touch and feel. We did go to dealership recently to fix loose panel under dashboard to stop the rattle. Seems fuel gauge is not accurate.

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  Handy Runabout - 2016 Honda Fit
  By M Woods - September 29 - 4:06 am

  Some positives: It has a right side blind spot camera! It has excellent visibility. This particular trim level has keyless entry and push button start which we find quite desirable. It has a rear view camera. Negatives: Although the braking is very good, the rear brakes are not disk type. (It does have some sort of ABS.) It has small car ride and typical Honda road noise, but they are not bad, better than some earlier versions of various Honda models.

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  Great Car - 2008 Honda Fit
  By perseverance8 - September 29 - 12:20 am

  I have had my little fit for about three weeks now and am lovin it, it is a great little car for a small family, the comfort is very good as I am 6 2" and I fit quite comfortably, the power from the 1.5L VTEC is quite adiquite, and the maual shift is silky smooth, I would have liked to have seen more durable carpeting but the quailty is still superb (remember this is a Honda), the first time I filled up I calculated right at 37 MPG 50/50 city/hwy driving which im very happy about. I think honda has put together a winning package that will put a smile on your face whenever you take it for a spin.

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  I would buy it again - 2007 Honda Fit
  By kellogs - September 23 - 1:39 pm

  First of all, I think the fit is an excellent car. After living with it for a year here are the lacking features: no locking gas cap, no dead pedal, no centre arm rest, thin carpet, the front of car is too low (may hit curb), hard to see front of car, blown easily in crosswinds, slightly noisy, seats get slightly uncomfortable after 1-2 hours. When I bought the Fit, I had a budget in which I could have purchased any car. I bought the Fit because: excellent reliability, great versatility WRT interior space, looks nice, fun to drive, good value, good fuel economy, has ABS and 6 airbags. I can easily live with all the minor deficiencies of this car because of the cars good points.

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  Poor mileage, but good handling - 2007 Honda Fit
  By David - September 19 - 10:01 pm

  Cute car, good throttle response. Very weak engine on just rolling hills - always downshifting. Car would be hell to drive in mountainous terrain. Have no idea why Honda did not and does not swap this 1.5L for the Civic 1.8L. Increase HP from 109 to 140 with better gas mileage, engine would still fit. No brainer from my perspective. Have 3000 miles over the first month, and have been getting 28- 30 in 50/50 city/highway driving. Terrible, should be getting at least 34 and on straight highway at least 37 MPG. Message boards do seem to vary a lot on the mileage reports. Honda, why cant a 2600 pound car get 35+ for mileage when my 2003 Civic averages 33mpg city and 36mpg highway.

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  Love it! Best of all worlds! - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Rob M - September 3 - 1:23 am

  My decision to purchase the Fit seems smarter everyday. It gets an overall average 33 mpg, it fits all my music gear and its fun to drive. Ive had 4 adults in it comfortably and 5 adults in it for a (thankfully) short trip without complaint. It more than satisfies my needs and I get to have fun and be thrifty while I get to work, practices and errands. It handles fantastically and it feels like it feels faster than it is, which I like. Pretty decent stereo (6 speakers) and the dash is attractive and well laid out. My only complaint is the car came standard with window tinting, I guess it did because I cant see any tinting anywhere. Thats just a quibble. Overall, Id recommend it for anyone.

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  It definitely Fits - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Kerry Woelfel - August 30 - 9:36 am

  After driving vans for 17 years, I needed to buy a car for me. This little car is a blast to drive. I spend many hours driving my kids all over, and you cannot beat the gas mileage. It handles the road like a much heavier car, and is surprisingly roomy inside. I absolutely love it!

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  Extremely fun, with some flaws. - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Jon from Milwaukee - August 29 - 11:30 pm

  The Fit is a tremendously fun car to drive. Power is more than adequate and the fuel economy is good (at least with the manual). I am fairly tall (61") and the fit is very comfortable with the seat in the rear-most position. Anyone taller would have a problem. The ride is stiff, dont let anyone tell you otherwise. The drivers seat is a bit too hard as well. The only significant drawback is the very stiff ride. This has got the firmest suspension of any car Ive ever driven.

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  Great car, nice Fit! - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Steve - August 22 - 1:00 am

  Had the car since April, with two highway round trips of 400-600 miles. Mostly driven around town. Ive never gotten below 33 and never above 37 with regular unleaded gas. Hauled 20 bags of mulch with seats folded up, hauled 3 golfers and all golf gear also, with one seat folded down. Havent needed to fully fold down the front seat to get 6-8 feet of length. Good sound system. Everything has been easy to use. Good pick-up and consistency from engine, in any gear.