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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  Not totally impressed - 2007 Honda Fit
  By jet - June 6 - 8:13 pm

  Acceleration onto a highway or passing requires some thought. The Auto could end up being deadly slow. The paddle shifters cannot be used when there is any angle on the steering wheel. Because it is an economy car there are compromises. The carpeting is about 2 steps above roofing felt paper. With a little more HP and torque this car would be an absolute hoot.

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  Love The Fit! - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Pat M - May 26 - 12:13 am

  I just traded a 2003 Honda CRV for the the Fit. Love the gas mileage. I dont feel confined as I thought I might. Easy and fun to drive. The whole buying experience was great. Love Honda!

• 

  Very pleased with this car. - 2008 Honda Fit
  By Roland - May 24 - 9:00 pm

  This car is the Swiss Army Knife of cars. I have hauled more cargo than my truck has seen. The folding seats, great gas mileage, and the room inside makes this car a winner. My only complaint is that the windows need tint from the factory. Average mileage is 34 and I have gotten as high as 39. Handles great and rides good. Long trips are not uncomfortable. Would definitely buy another one. I use the car for commuting to work but now I use it for everything including the long trips. Large cargo space is very handy.

• 

  This car is Garbage - 2013 Honda Fit
  By Tom T - May 16 - 10:04 am

  Do not buy this car the battery is smaller than a lawn mower battery and does not hold up the dealer and maker give you the run around it has a poor design and the do not back the car it is a joke

• 

  Practical car - 2007 Honda Fit
  By ED Rader - April 22 - 1:33 pm

  The Fit can cary large amounts of stuff and still get good millage.

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  A lot of fun in a small package - 2009 Honda Fit
  By ReneeSarah - April 18 - 2:06 pm

  If you are looking for something fun to drive with great interior flexibility and very good gas mileage- please consider the Honda Fit. It has very good gas mileage, a lot of interior room with back seats that fold both up and down, wonderful visibility out the front windows, accessible and logically placed dials and controls, a decent stereo system and has that almost undefinable "fun to drive" factor seriously going for it.

• 

  just what we need - 2008 Honda Fit
  By about time - April 17 - 4:13 pm

  Love this car, fun, quick, great ride for a car this size. I looked at a number of small cars the fit was a hands down winner, you cant beat the amount of room in this car. The first two tanks of gas 35 mpg the next two 39 mpg cant wait to hit 40+, anyone who isnt geting 30+ needs to slow down.

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  The Fit Just Keeps Getting Better - 2016 Honda Fit
  By Kirk Tepper - April 15 - 8:43 am

  This 2016 Fit is the third Fit our family has purchased. It has improved in almost every way. Better power, better fuel economy, better interior design. The only glaring flaw is the low rent front seats, at least on our cloth model. The seats in our 2009 Fit were much more supportive and comfortable than these new ones. They are flat, yet somehow feel uneven to sit on and offer minimal support.

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  We named it Zippy - 2007 Honda Fit
  By tntprmtns - April 12 - 8:53 am

  I was really not even going to look at the fit but my mechanic encouraged me to. Well Im pleasantly suprised. Its got the fuel economy for my weekday commute and lots of space for my weekend dogwalks and camping trips. Its got more zip than you would think but its not the Civic and it does get chucked around a bit in high winds. Bad thing is there arent many of them so there are no real good "deals" to be hand. But at the price you really cant got wrong.

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  Its Purple! - 2008 Honda Fit
  By seeremlive - April 2 - 3:03 pm

  I traded a 2000 Dodge Dakota Quad cab 4.7L V-8 for a 2008 Honda Fit 1.5L I- 4? What was I thinking? Ill tell you what I was thinking. After 3 months of research and test drives, this is simply the best car, period. It may not be as large as a Hummer or as cushy as a Caddy, but this beats just about every other car on the market in the price you pay versus standard features and gas mileage. This results in much less engine noise. After 2000 miles. I commute 50 mi each way half interstate half stop and go. I have yet to get less than 33 MPG averaging 78 on the Interstate portion. And I can still pack in 8 2x6 8ft boards. FYI... At 70 MPH the AT runs the engine 1K RPM lower than the MT.