With fuel conservation becoming an increasing priority amongst American drivers, it's not surprising that most car manufacturers have either redesigned or introduced entirely new vehicles to compete for the business of the economy minded. The 2007 Fit fills the new spot as Honda's entry-level economy car, a spot that was previously filled by the ever-growing Civic.
Styling:
Once upon a time sub-compacts simply provided point A-B transport and their exteriors reflected that by being as plain and invisible as possible. Fast forward to the 21st century and it seems as though making a sub-compact as funky looking as possible is the new rule, even if it means creating a design that makes as little sense aesthetically as Angelina Jolie with a beard. Unfortunately the new Fit is not much of an exception. Looking much like the funky offerings from Chevy(Aveo)and Suzuki(Aerio), the Fit is more of an eye sore than Honda's usual pleasantly styled cars. The Honda Fit I drove came with the Sport package, which added a spoiler, larger 15-inch alloy wheels (14" wheels come on the base model and 16" wheels are optional), and side skirts. Though the Fit Sport's exterior accessories add a bit more pizzazz to this mess, it fails miserably at making this car look "sporty" as its trim level suggests.
Driving Impressions: 5-speed Sport:
There are only a few companies that I know of that can pull off equipping a vehicle with a tiny 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and have it still provide enough power for strong off-the-line acceleration; Honda is one of those companies. The Fit's SOHC VTEC 1.5-liter 4 generates a scant 109 horsepower (3 more ponies than the Toyota Yaris), however acceleration is better than average with the 5-speed (an all-new pedal shift automatic is optional for $800) and is quite impressive considering this vehicle weighs nearly as much as last year's bigger Civic EX. The new FIT, though it won't break your neck if you stab the throttle, moves eagerly and does so with less engine buzz than the Yaris, the Scion xA, or the Hyundai Accent.
Finding a good manual shifter in this class is comparable to finding a needle in a haystack. The Toyota Yaris' shifter was adequate as was the Scion's, but the Chevy Aveo, the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, etc. all felt like their shift linkage was made of rubber bands. In the shifter category, the Honda Fit wins by a long shot with its precise and easy shifting manual transmission. The throws of the shifter are reasonably short and overall this 5-speed gearbox is a breeze to operate and is geared well for the Fit's tiny engine. If you have ever driven a 7th generation non-Si Civic, you'll find the new Fit's 5-speed transmission to be quite similar.
Despite looking like a clumsy econo-wagon, the Honda Fit handles well, especially when compared to other vehicles in the sub-compact category. With a relatively firm suspension, body roll is kept under control and the S' upgraded 195/55HR do a good job keeping this tall wagon glued to the road. The only gripes I have in the handling department would be the Fit's steering; feedback is vague and offers too much assist (again, the 7th generation Civic's steering feels similar).
Although the Fit's engine is a bit buzzy when tooling around town, it quiets down to a whisper when cruising along on smooth highway surfaces. Thanks in part to tall gearing, the engine feels just as smooth at high speeds as cars equipped with larger engines, i.e. the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. The cabin also doesn't suffer from as much wind and road noise as cars like the Suzuki Aerio or the Hyundai Accent. Other than encounters with large potholes, the 2007 Honda Fit feels sturdy at freeway speeds; rarely does a high speed encounter with a bump in the road cause this wagon to do the jitterbug.
As I have already mentioned, the new Fit has a relatively tall 5th gear, which makes cruising speeds substantially quitter than many cars in this class. However, there are some common downfalls with tall gearing, especially when its applied to a peaky engine and a hefty curb weight. The biggest downfall is that the Fit’s tiny engine struggles hard to tackle steep terrain in top gear. Simply flooring the throttle on steep inclines in 5th gear isn't enough on most grades, requiring downshifts into 4th and sometimes even 3rd gears just to accomplish 5-7% grades at legal cruising speeds. Thankfully Honda hasn't made either 4th or 3rd gear too low for this engine, so you can easily shift from 5th to 3rd at 65 MPH and still not push the engine to its 6,300 RPM redline. Would I recommend the Fit for those who travel frequently over mountainous terrain? More so than the Yaris, the Accent, and the Aveo, however I still recommend checking out the slightly more expensive Honda Civic first, as it offers much more torque and horsepower for steeper terrain.
Though the EPA numbers for the Fit are not class leading, they do come very close. The Fit receives a gas sipping 33/38-MPG, which beats just about every car in this class except for the Toyota Yaris that bests the Fit's highway fuel economy by 3 MPG.
Note: Similar to what Scion offered for the xA and xB, if you are looking to upgrade your Fit with performance parts, Honda does offer a host of after market accessories.
Interior:
In sharp contrast to the Fit's homely exterior design, the interior is pleasantly styled, offering just enough silver accents around the 3-ring instrument cluster, the steering wheel, and HVAC vents to keep the interior theme from being too bling or too utilitarian. The fit is also well constructed. Though the plastics are not on par with what VW use in their econo-wagons, the Fit offers some of the best materials in a car retailing for less than 14K.
Ergonomically, the Fit is a mixed bag. I don't particularly like the position of the HVAC controls or the stereo controls, however I am happy to report that Honda didn't use the same annoying digital gauges found in the 2006 Civic.
The base Fit already comes with all the basic necessities, including power windows/door locks, tilt steering, AC, cup holders, coin holder, 6 air bags, and a 4-speaker sound system. Opt for the S trim and you get upgraded with slightly more convenience features, including an excellent sounding 200 watt 6-speaker CD player with mp3 capabilities, an extra valet key, cruise control, and remote keyless entry.
You can usually count on Honda providing comfy seating; the Fit is no exception. The Fit's seats offer an attractive two-tone design and plenty of thigh and upper body support, especially for a car in this class. The rear bench seats are comfy as well, made of soft velour type cloth. Though the Fit's front seats only offer 4-way manual seat adjustments and no height adjustments, they do a good job providing a good driving position.
The new Fit sits nearly 60" tall: over an inch taller than the Aveo and Yaris sedan and 2" taller than the Accent. Tall occupants will definitely appreciate this minivan-like height. The driver and passengers (the Fit seats a total of 5 occupants) shouldn't have any problems with head or legroom. At 5'6" I had no gripes at all with interior space and I imagine the same would go for those upwards of 6'. Stowage space is great so long as the 4-way adjustable rear seats are folded flat. With the rear seats in their occupant ready position, stowage space is reduced to adequate status (21 cubic ft) enabling storage for small items. This isn't a gripe by any means, as it's bigger than most car's storage areas in this class i.e. the Aveo. If you are searching out more cargo area, you may want to check out the Nissan Versa, which boasts 50 cubic ft of storage.
Price/Warranty:
The price for the Fit starts out just south of $14,000 for the base model and nearly $16,000 for the Sport trim (about $3,000 more than the base Chevy Aveo and Kia Rio, and about $1500 more than a comparably equipped Yaris Sedan Sport). The Fit I drove, with no optional equipment, came to came to a whopping $15,700. While there are a lot of features that help justify the Fit Sport's high MSRP, there are plenty of more competent cars out there for just as much money, i.e. the base Model Civic, the Corolla, Dodge Caliber, etc. Honda's Warranty continues to be below average. Unlike the Korean built Kia and Hyundai line of vehicles that offer a 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, the Honda Fit comes with a measly 3year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty.
Final Verdict:
Despite the Fit's odd/ugly exterior design and its relatively high MSRP, it is one of the best offerings in the sub-compact class. The Fit provides good acceleration, great storage space, excellent gas mileage, good handling, and some of the most refinement found in a small vehicle with a base MSRP of less than 14K. If a small economical wagon is a must on your shopping list, I highly suggest checking out the 2007 Honda Fit.
Note: Looking for a larger hatchback? Check out
my review on the 2008 Scion xB
-Thanks for reading!
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