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 fit for you! - 2015 Honda Fit
  By brian - August 18 - 4:26 pm

  this is a great car if youre a young teenager and this is your first car. however - cons: 1. slow engine, loud engine really sounds like its trying to hard at higher speeds (60+) 2. front seat REALLY is uncomfortable for an hour drive 3. the side view camera is not needed in a small car and the video quality for the side view is blurry and not a clear picture. 4. the push start is not needed (for a manual) as you have to press the clutch at the same time 5. the volume control for the touchscreen is not efficient nor is there a mute button 6. resale value IS NOT good. i tried to get a comparable trade one week after i bought this car and was offered $5K LESS! 7. the fuel tank is small and i have to refill twice in a week for going over 315 miles 8. the wipers only have hi, lo, and one setting for intermittent wiping?! pros: 1. best looking wedge shaped car in the industry 2. its a honda (but really shouldnt be carrying the honda name) well see how long this lasts 3. i like the tire rims and that the rear seats fold up creating a unique way to store things

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  FALSE ADVERTISING! MPG SCAM - 2012 Honda Fit
  By 808fit - July 2 - 11:51 pm

  I bought this car in hawaii. I got it for 20,500 otd price. It is a sport auto. I drove it on full tank from the dealership and as of now only averaging 19mpg. I drive only in the city to work which is about a mile from where i live. I understand it is a lot of stop and go to work, but i dont even use air con, and I should be getting at least close to the mpg that it state in the fact sheet. I havent called honda yet cuz i already know they will say it is still new and blah blah blah, you need to break it in or what not, but still this is horrible. Another problem is the transmission always feels it is down shifting too fast when I am coming to a stop.

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  Junk - 2008 Honda Fit
  By bbb15 - December 12 - 10:19 pm

  Nothing about this car lives up to the hype. It shakes over 60mph, the clutch is horrible, and everything in the interior rattles while I drive. It feels cheap and is incredibly uncomfortable to drive. Ive owned $500 cars that were far better. I very much regret buying this car.

• 

  Second review for my Labrador Retrievers car - 2013 Honda Fit
  By My Labrador Retrievers Car - September 24 - 10:11 pm

  I took a huge loss on this car in order to get rid of it because Honda currently has no means to fix it. Honda sent the recall letter in March stating the drivers air-bag inflator could fail and kill the driver. They refused timely rental for me at the dealer and at Honda Corp. because I transport dogs and the rental will get messy. By August, I had an unnamed Honda Corp case manager in the works but no real action taken. It was my choice, but enough is enough and I gave up waiting for Honda to act and disposed of the 2013 Honda Fit at about 6 month into this quandary. I was open and honest with both the local dealer and the Honda recall hotline. I let them know in mid-August that I was done waiting and a close call with a yellow Cadillac is why I am tired of the unsafe situation and lack of action to resolve my car issue. In general, it appears they are flooded with calls and lack manpower to deal with people with unique situations like me. To wrap things up, yes, it was a good affordable dog hauler but it is gone now because Honda failed to provide any sort of accommodation until it can be made safe to drive again. If Honda thought that I was going to park my only insured dog hauler vehicle for what has already been almost 6 months and just wait until some day when they might have a way to fix it and make it safe once again, they were mistaken. It is very wrong that Honda would send me a letter stating that the car is unsafe to drive, yet have no remedy for me after already almost 6 months. Ill never own another Honda.

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  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

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  Seats do not "Fit" - they cause back pain! - 2016 Honda Fit
  By AT - October 31 - 12:04 am

  Bad seats - too soft, flat backs without any lumbar support. The seats are like sitting on a memory foam marshmallow without support. The side bolsters are squishy and do not provide support. Be very, very certain that your back is comfortable in the seats of this car before you buy or lease! I would suggest a 30-60 minute test drive to be certain. I am not tall - I am only 5’4” and 130 pounds, but these seats are not capable of providing support to my small body. I took three test drives of the 2016 Honda Fit. Each was the typical 10-15 minute test drive. I thought I liked the car - it seemed comfortable and like a peppy little fuel efficient car. Except that it is noisy - but I thought I could live with the noise. One test drive was one day, the other two test drives were about a month later on the day I leased the car. Then the worst thing possible happened. The next day after signing my lease papers my back started to hurt. The following day it hurt even more. I only have a 20-minute driving commute, but that is enough for the soft, squishy Honda Fit seats to do their damage. I tried various aftermarket lumbar cushions without success. They either did not work or pushed me too far forward over the edge of the seat. So I could not use any of them. Honda’s customer service department was unwilling to help - since it is not something under warranty. It is just a design defect. An acceptable design flaw. One that your back will suffer with as long as you own the car! My only solution - my wonderful wife is able to drive the car without back pain. So we have swapped cars, and now we are both unhappy with that situation but at least neither of us has back pain. This is our fourth and final Honda. When this lease ends, no more Hondas for us! Just say “NO” to Honda. Friends don’t let friends drive a Honda Fit.

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  Junk! - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Steve domanski - August 6 - 10:53 pm

  Had it in the shop six time already for problems with transmission, squeaks, and rattles. Nav wont work when it rains. Water leaks. Terrible build quality.