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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  Best car ever!!!! - 2007 Honda Fit
  By legalavin - March 19 - 10:13 am

  Ive owned infinity s and Lexus most of my driving life. Great cars. Then when my son was ready to go off to college we bought him a FIT. It was so much fun I stole it from him and gave him my old G20.

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  Does everything I ask with no problems - 2009 Honda Fit
  By ahull1 - March 18 - 12:12 pm

  I bought my 09 Fit Sport MT new and have put +110k miles on with no repairs beyond preventative maintenance. The car has delivered on all the reasons that I purchased it for: very low cost of ownership, fun to drive, TONS of cargo space (with rear seats flat), and great mileage (38-40mpg). The car has handled west MI winters well, even before I purchased snow tires. Build quality has been good, although some plastic interior panels are beginning to get loose. I recommend switching from the stock tires as soon as they wear out. Overall, no complaints. The car has been a champ, and I expect it will continue to well past 200k.

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  Great Little Car! - 2012 Honda Fit
  By frozentundram - February 28 - 6:26 pm

  Ive had my Fit for almost 2yrs and love. Get about 25mpg city and high 30s on the road. My wife is more of a lead foot, so she gets about 2-3 mpg less. I installed a K & N air filter to help it breathe a bit better, otherwise all stock. Make sure you use a Top Tier gas as Honda recommends and youll have no problems. Dont have to use anything but regular, but make sure it is Top Tier. Ive known some that have used really cheap quality gas, and have had problems. Yes, this vehicle wont ride like a Lexus or Cadillac, but suits my needs fine. I also use a synthetic oil (Mobil 1) since the first oil change.

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  Fantastic so far! - 2013 Honda Fit
  By flyersfan12 - February 3 - 11:19 pm

  I bought this car in August. I am 64" and about 260 lbs, and I have more than enough room in the car itself. There is even room behind me for a normal-sized, full-grown adult. There is so much space inside the car, I dont have any trouble putting everything I need for weeks. It has great acceleration, mainly because it is so small, and it is fantastic to drive. In the snow, it has been handling fantastically.

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  Bang for the buck - 2013 Honda Fit
  By bmckeeman - January 6 - 10:46 am

  When looking for a roomy, efficient, and compact vehicle a year ago, I ended up buying a Patriot over the Fit due to power/space/SUV benefits. Well, I ended up trading the Jeep in to gain MPG benefits and to save a few bucks on payments. I couldnt be happier! I have wanted a manual again since my first vehicle some years ago. Very glad I switched back to a 5spd. MPG is much better, and on par with my old Corolla. I was concerned about highway performance due to the lack of a 6th gear, and it being such a small car, but highway tracking and noise levels are great for the class. Build quality is great, the interior is functional, and exterior styling is nice with the Sport trim. Great value!

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  Honda doesnt get "tall" - 2009 Honda Fit
  By liza9 - November 5 - 11:23 am

  Bought 2009 fit in 2011, have put on 45K miles. Am 63", visibility is difficult, due to rear view mirror, door frame in field of vision when making turns, reflection of dashboard on window. I have a piece of black carpet on dashboard to compensate. Uncomfortable due to non-telescoping steering wheel, head rest too far forward, back rest concave in the wrong place--need to use back support. Have to tilt steering down in order to see upper part of speedometer. After 45 minutes, seat is very,very uncomfortable. Hard to steer, always over correcting on winding roads, especially at 45 mph+, maybe due to placement of engine on front axis? Needed steering wheel cover to ease grip.

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  Things I wish I had Known .. - 2011 Honda Fit
  By thankfulgal2 - September 24 - 8:28 am

  Ive been a Honda owner since 1985. Ive had 5 Hondas in that time. I bought the Fit based on past experience with Hondas. But there are things I wish Id known. Like how the blower motor for the heater/AC is too high an ampage and blows resistors (and isnt covered under any warranty), and how the fog lights on the sport model can be easily cracked by road debris and allow water in (requiring a replacement at $361 each to pass inspection), and the tires are an odd size that they cost a fortune to buy (thats if you can find them). There are some obvious design flaws that need to be addressed.

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  Keeps on going..... - 2007 Honda Fit
  By fitgator - September 9 - 8:14 pm

  I last posted a review in 2010. I still own this car and still love it. Knock on wood, I still have never taken it in for a repair (just routine maint), and it has 150k on it. I just calculated my mileage the other day, and, after driving some highway, some windy mtn roads, I was averaging 40.5 mpg!!!! That is amazing for a car of this age. Yes, the interior (like the floor "carpet") can be a little shoddy, but the seats have held up fine. When I wash it, it still looks like a new car. I have the 5-speed (wouldnt have an automatic with a 1.5L engine), and I have plenty of power for highway passing and climbing hills. When merging on the interstate, I can fly and blow past folks.

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  Honda replaced fiat - 2013 Honda Fit
  By fixitagaintony - August 16 - 9:05 am

  13000 klm so far, so good. Gas mileage is the same as the fiat 500 I traded and uses regular gas and has lots more room. Smooth ride and good handling.

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  Good experiment - 2009 Honda Fit
  By spudo - August 8 - 12:02 pm

  I purchased the 2009 Fit Sport in 2011 with 44k miles on it. We were coming out of the recession, so I thought I would try a fuel efficient small car for my job, which is a lot of highway driving. A couple thoughts: The MPG meter exaggerated the gas mileage a bit. the meter read 36.6 over 10,000 miles, the calculator said 32.35 for the same time period. I had a black exterior and interior. The combination of the big black dash along with all the glass allowed a lot of heat in the car. The air conditioning is set to cycle the compressor on and off during driving to save fuel, made it very hard to keep cool on hot days. Added an official Honda center console, very much worth the money.