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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  Its a great Fit - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Ken & Adele Stewart - April 15 - 7:16 am

  We searched various brands and many styles of small cars. We were looking for something roomy inside yet small and very fuel efficient. The Honda Sports Fit fills and exceeds all our expectations. We have used three tanks of gas so far, 1st tank 28.9 mpg, 2nd tank 30.01 mpg, and 3rd tank 30.08 mpg in town, stop and go driving. The Fit is fun to drive. It corners great. The acceleration is faster than I expected from a small car. A perfect fit for my 62" size. We have received many compliments on the Fit from friends and strangers. I feel it is impossible to give too much praise for the Sport Fit. It is truly a perfect Fit for our needs.

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  A Perfect "FIT" - 2007 Honda Fit
  By nate77 - April 14 - 7:30 pm

  This car is great around town or on the highway. Very fun to drive, especially in manual mode with the paddle shifters. Good audio system. Great hybrid or small SUV alternative!Seats are attractive and comfortable. All controls are easy to find and have a certain panache to them-especially the gauge cluster with looks like it belongs in a much more expensive car. Love the leather wrapped steering wheel too! Great car for the money. Interior layout with the "magic seats" are just that-magic! The exterior looks, although a little funky, grows on you with time and the car is much better looking in person than in photographs. A very fun car! I look forward to many years of economical driving.

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  Good Value - 2007 Honda Fit
  By kinjitas - April 14 - 12:46 pm

  Read about how great the handling, space utilization and build quality in this car before I bought it. Was concerned about acceleration and design/features being dated. Car has met or exceeded my expectations in everything, is fun to drive, and I would recommend it to others looking for a good car in this price range. Also own a 2006 Civic which is a more recent design and wish some of the features (steering wheel radio controls, better road vibration isolation, sunroof, ULEV engine, better dash layout, and better soundproofing) were incorporated into the FIT. Overall, the Fit is a fine car and I have no regrets on my purchase.

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  Hard to beat! - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Fitting in NC - April 12 - 7:20 am

  I bought this car coming down from an 02 CR-V, and I must say I do not miss it. I have just as much space and functionality with MUCH better gas mileage and just as nice appointments. I love that I can fit (theres that word again...) my whole family in the car and still have space! I have taken my daughter (in a car seat), sister, her wheelchair, her service dog AND a cartload from Costco with two dog beds, and no one was cramped. I love having the MP3 jack and the sound is good. My one complaint is that the A/C just SUCKS the gas out of the car, as well as draining power. If you live in a hot climate, consider this carefully.

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  You Gals will Love This Car - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Jayne - April 9 - 6:33 am

  I have had this car for almost a week now and it is one of the best cars I have ever driven. With gas prices heading no where but up its a good choice for us ladies who care little about speed and performance. The safety devices include six air bags and although its a small car it feels so roomy on the inside. The ease of reconfiguring the seating is really nice. Dont even have to worry about breaking a nail when doing it. The controls are easy to understand and readilly accessable. Its the perfect Mom or Grandma car but I feel that the guys may not feel manly enough driving it. I chose the Sport Automatics since I like all the added features in the package. FIT is GO for us Gals!

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  Base Fit = Great value - 2009 Honda Fit
  By W - April 9 - 1:40 am

  Got the base Fit because the only feature I really wanted on the Sport was cruise control, and that wasnt worth the extra price. Keyless can be added by buying the transmitter keys online, and I negotiated with my dealer to do the key cutting and programming for free. If youre thinking Base versus Sport, the Base model rides a bit smoother and gets a bit better mileage, while the Sport is definitely "sportier" and it does have a lot of nice add-ons that you may or may not place a great value on. The Base also has a lighter color interior that you may or may not prefer over the Sport.

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  2007 Honda Fit Review - 2007 Honda Fit
  By Chatis2 - April 5 - 6:36 am

  Here is a great looking car that takes 87 Octaine gas, gets more than 30 MPG, is five star crash rated, costs less than the average "Yank Tank", and, has paddle shifters to boot. Add in Honda Technology and reliability, couple that with its European design and debugging (no its not a new car) and whats not to like!

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  No Regrets - 2009 Honda Fit
  By OC Honda - April 3 - 5:03 am

  I purchased my 2009 Fit about three weeks ago, coming from a 2003 Dodge Dakota 4x4. I thought I would regret getting rid of my truck, and now I wish I did it sooner. Not trying to be funny, but everything really does fit. I have had it full of people, cargo, and dogs without a problem. As for snow, there is about 4 inches on the ground here today and I didnt get stuck once during my 45 mile commute (I dont even have snow tires yet). This truly is an amazing engineering feat. Why buy a Mini at twice the price?

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  intial impressions are great - 2009 Honda Fit
  By lipomaman - March 31 - 11:06 am

  Having had the car for two days and 200 miles, this is an initial impression only. It took a bit of time to get the steering wheel and seat adjusted to me but now my only comfort complaint is lack of leather. The manual is VERY forgiving and took a bit of getting used to as the fit replaced a Porsche 944S2 Cab 5M. Handling is tight. Good visibility. GREAT use of space with the variable seat positions. The AVG MPG display has me pegged at 40.4 with 25%city and 75% hwy and was at 41.8 after the first 120 miles of 95% hwy driving. Cant argue with that. My wife and Au pair love it and think its easy to drive. Ill addend this if anything major evolves over time.

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  For a Honda it rides like a horse buggy - 2007 Honda Fit
  By rpcmrsz - March 31 - 9:16 am

  The looks are nice but comfort wise its awful. No middle arm rest, hits hard at bumps, turns are tough. For the money its expensive.