2007 Honda Fit
| TEST COMPLETE |
Compact cars aren't what they used to be. Honda's redesigned, eighth-generation Civic, introduced for 2006, is roughly the same size as its flagship Accord was a decade ago. Other evergreen import compacts, such as the Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla, also have expanded in size, equipment, price, and power. This creates a new entry-level slot for these automakers. Nissan fills it with the Versa, Toyota with the Yaris, and Honda with the 2007 Fit.
While Fit is new to the U.S., it's been on sale in Japan for several years. Sized for the Asian market, it contains, in its tidy 96.5-inch wheelbase and 157.4-inch overall length, an unexpectedly voluminous interior.
The tall wagon body style allows chair-like passenger positioning for plenty of leg and head room. Its cleverly designed rear seat folds into a minivan-like load floor, and it flips to create a car-wide space that is ideal for tall objects.
Fit doesn't isolate very well from bumps or road noise. But we like its nimble handling and the 31.8 mpg our manual transmission test car is averaging. Automatic-transmission Fits are slower to accelerate, and our test example averaged "just" 29 mpg.
Not all of our testers find the driving position comfortable, and some say the grade of Fit's interior plastics, fabrics, and carpeting is cheap, especially when the as-tested price of our extended-use example pushes it well into the range of the more-refined-feeling Civic. Fit's base price does include front side airbags, curtain side airbags, ABS, and power windows and door locks. Still, it is among the most expensive of this new flock of subcompacts. We appreciate Fit's efficient design. Will the American market?
Editors' Comments
Chuck Giametta: Given the tiny footprint it places upon the road, Fit is likely the most space-efficient vehicle on sale in the U.S. It's also a vision of things to come, given the painful price of gas. Yes, you can buy less-expensive subcompacts, but you'll be hard pressed to match Fit's blend of standard safety features, confident road manners, quality assembly, clever packaging, and Honda pedigree.
Kirk Bell: I can't, in good conscience, recommend this vehicle at $16,500. Spend the extra $1000-$2000 and get a much more grown up, more powerful, better built Civic, Mazda 3, Focus, Vibe, Matrix, PT Cruiser, Cobalt, Elantra, etc.
Rick Cotta: Fit costs more than other B-class cars, such as the Toyota Yaris and Scion xA, but might well be the class of the class. Interior materials best those of most rivals, and Fit's conventional instrument layout (located ahead of the driver) might appeal to folks who dislike the center-mounted gauges of many competitors.
| 2007 Honda Fit | ||
 | ||
| Bodystyle: | 4-door hatchback | |
| Model: | Sport | |
| Engine: | 109-hp 1.5-liter 4-cylinder | |
| Transmission: | 5-speed man. | |
| Total Miles: | 9,023 | |
| CG® Observed Fuel Economy: | 31.8 mpg | |
| Problems During Test: | None | |
| Base Price: | $15,170 | |
| Price as Tested: | $15,720 | |
| Major Options: |
None | |
