High gas prices have many people longing to get back to basics, and Honda has responded with the new-for-2007 Fit. Small in size, cheap in price, and easy on fuel consumption, the Fit is an easy-to-own Honda that gets back to basics, in a surprisingly sophisticated kind of way. I drove the $14,445 Honda Fit Base; EPA fuel economy estimates with the 5-speed manual transmission are 33 city, 38 highway.
First glance: A return to Honda's roots
Honda made their name in this country with small cars; most people know the Civic, and a few will remember Honda's diminutive N600 with its motorcycle-sourced engine. From the beginning, these small Hondas were cheap to buy, cheap to run, and seemingly allergic to repair shops.As the years went by, Hondas grew with their customers. The Civic grew big enough to haul college-age friends, and has since matured into a quiet, comfortable, grown-up car. The Accord has become a respectable sign of the establishment, and for many families the Odyssey minivan is the mommymobile of choice. Now, with the Fit, Honda is getting back into small -- in a big way.
When you're trying to get as much interior space as possible into as little exterior space as possible, styling can't be your first priority. The Fit isn't a particularly good-looking car, though the body-colored details behind the big clear headlight covers (link goes to photo) stand out nicely. The top-of-the-line Sport model gets alloy wheels, but the Base model I drove had steel wheels with plastic hubcaps that looked just fine to me -- especially when you consider that its slightly narrower tires contribute to fuel economy.
Continued below…
In the Driver's Seat: Remarkable space efficiency
At 5'6" I fit in most cars, but SUVs guide Jason Fogelson, 6'2", marveled at the Fit's headroom. What most impressed me is the proportioning of space between front seats, back seats and trunk. Most minicars, like the Scion xA, offer generous back seats at the cost of cargo space. Serious hauling requires folding the back seats down. The Fit is only 3" longer than the xA, yet offers nearly twice as much cargo room with the seats up. On paper the Fit shows less legroom for rear passengers, yet the rear seat is a surprisingly hospitable place. Honda relocated the fuel tank from the traditional spot under the rear seats to the middle of the car, so the rear seats fold down flat into the floor and turn the Fit into the subcompact answer to the moving van.
Honda did a beautiful job with the Fit's interior. I especially like the stereo controls -- innovative and unique-looking, yet easy to use without diverting attention from the road ahead. Same for the A/C. One of my complaints about older, cheaper Hondas was the interior materials; they tended to use cheap plastics that scratched and scarred too easily. Fit materials are top-notch in the passenger areas, though the plastic that lines the cargo bay is, sadly, old-school Honda.
On the Road: Great fuel economy, even under adverse circumstances
Honda's been building bigger and bigger engines to suit the American market, so it's easy to forget that they are the masters of small-engine power. The Fit's engine is a tiny 1.5 liter 4-cylinder unit. Its horsepower output is 109, but more important is the torque rating: 105 lb-ft. Torque is pulling power. It's what pushes you back in your seat and makes the car feel fast. Torque is generally a function of displacement; bigger engines usually produce more torque, which is why so many small cars have 2.0 liter or larger engines. Honda uses VTEC, their variable valve timing system, to boost the 1.5 liter engine's torque, particularly at lower RPMs. In the real world, that means that the Fit doesn't feel totally gutless with an automatic transmission. I drove a stick-shift and thought it was quite peppy, though my wife Robin thought it needed more power on the freeway.Of course, the upside to small engines is economy. With the help of my wife and SUVs guide Jason Fogelson, I put 191 not-so-gentle miles on the Fit and consumed all of 6.1 gallons -- that translates to 31.3 MPG, quite remarkable considering nearly all those miles were on local streets or sitting in LA traffic.
Journey's End: Small for small's sake
The Fit Base's only factory-installed option is an automatic transmission ($800). For $1,320 more the Fit Sport gives you alloy wheels, fancier body trim, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote keyless entry, alarm, and -- for automatics -- steering-wheel-mounted paddles to shift the transmission in manual mode.
If you're shopping for a Fit, bear in mind that the Civic's EPA ratings are close or better -- 30 city/38 highway for the stick shift, 30/40 for the automatic, compared to the Fit's 33/38 manual and 31/38 automatic. Good as the Fit is, the Civic offers more space and sophistication, but lacks the Fit's ability to squeeze into small parking spots and nip through tiny holes in traffic. If you're looking for a fuel-saving car, the Civic's refinement and comfort might please you more. But if you like small for small's sake, then the Fit is the way to go. -- Aaron Gold
