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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  Reliability issues - 2011 Honda Fit
  By autonix - July 23 - 8:43 am

  Less than 3 years old and have already had to have valves adjusted and the heater blower motor replaced! Definitely reliability issues.

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  Gutless Wonder - 2008 Honda Fit
  By ronsbiz - May 29 - 10:30 pm

  I bought this Honda Fit in 2012 with 37,000 miles, and have since put 91,000 on it. Like some Hondas, this is a well built, functional car but not well engineered. I cant explain why Honda has a penchant for putting under-powered engines in their cars (like the 2.0L engine in early CR-Vs), but here they did it again. 109 horsepower and 106 pounds of torque may be fine for over-taxed and over-regulated Europeans, but when you are competing with V-8s for lane space on American highways, 109 horses relegates you to the slow lane. I understand the new Fits have 117 horses, but the vehicle has gotten bigger since 2008 as well,so youre back to square one. If Honda were to offer the 1.8L en

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  Honda Fit Sport the only car for me - 2013 Honda Fit
  By isyngaming - May 21 - 3:01 pm

  This car is amazing and I love it.

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  My last Honda product - 2013 Honda Fit
  By retiredjoe - May 21 - 9:39 am

  There is a difference between a cheap car and an inexpensive car. This Honda is just plain cheap! And what is worse, the Honda service groups at the dealer have a take no prisoner approach to dealing with the customers. You sell these cheap cars and then treat the customers like they are wealthy people and money is of no concern. The dealer tried to do things like $100.00 to change a cabin air filter (I found one on the internet for $9.80 and it was easy to change)... and I can give a dozen other examples. The air conditioner has a design flaw with the condenser being easily damaged, and the list goes on and on.

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  Great Little Car - 2013 Honda Fit
  By co3945 - May 12 - 7:16 pm

  I have had my Fit Sport 5MT for over 3 months and I am very pleased with the car. I purchased it to take over daily driver duties from my BMW 330Ci. I wanted a car that is fun to drive, inexpensive to operate, and high on practicality, and so far the Fit delivers on all counts. The cargo area is very capacious, and the Fit was able to carry 4 new boxed 16" aftermarket wheels behind the back seats. I am also able to fit my road bike in the back using a fork-mount rack. I only need to fold one seat and I do not need to drop the seat on my bike to load it back there (I am 510" and ride a 56cm frame). Seating in the back is fine with ample head and leg room considering the size of the car.

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  Best small car you can buy. - 2013 Honda Fit
  By dqdave - April 13 - 8:51 pm

  1) High quality. 2) Comfortable ride. 3) Fun to drive. 4) Practical. 5) Good gas mileage. 6) Excelent road feel.

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  Great little car - 2013 Honda Fit
  By seamonster1 - April 6 - 12:48 pm

  We love our little fit. Feels and drives like a Honda. Takes off and stops quick. With both backseats laid flat, plenty of room in the back. Our golden retriever does laps in the back. we test drove the Fiesta and the Fit was so much more car for the money.

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  Wagon space with good mileage - 2013 Honda Fit
  By goldgato - February 8 - 11:33 pm

  This is a good car for anyone wanting a wagon-type car with better-than-wagon mpg. This is my commute car, so it does a good job of handling both freeway and city streets quite well. I also did test drives on the Kia Rio5, the Kia Soul, the Ford Fiesta, the Hyundai Accent, and the Nissan Cube, but the Honda Fit was a better overall experience.

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  Over 4 years later, still love it and no problems! - 2008 Honda Fit
  By cyanosissaur - January 30 - 10:38 am

  I bought this car new in June 2008 for the price, style, space, and gas mileage. They were hard to get a hold of in my area because of popularity at the time, so I got lucky when mine arrived on a truck that the dealer wasnt expecting. I still love it. Aside from routine maintenance, Ive had no problems with the car. Thats even after being hit by another driver two separate times, so most of the body has been repaired. I drive from Ohio to Connecticut a lot and dont have a problem on long trips or in the city. Sure, theres road noise, but what do you expect from a compact car for the price? The road noise gets worse as tires wear, so new and well kept tires make a big difference!

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  Wow, the engine - 2012 Honda Fit
  By lateshift32 - January 25 - 3:26 am

  I went from a 2010 Scion XD with a 1.8 to this 1.5. I hate the engine. I seems that it is in 2.5 to 3 rpms most of the time. The engine is very loud. I didnt realize that I would miss an engine or that it would even be a big deal. The combined mpg of my Scion ended up being 36.5 on a regular basis. I get 30.1 in the Fit and terribly upset. Furthermore, I just went to go try to trade it in, only having it for two months and they said I am already upside down and never have any hope of overturning my situation but they could offer me a 30,000 car. PS dont buy a bunch of warranties, it makes it hard to get your next loan! Lessen learned, horrible!