Driving Impressions

The Fit is fun to drive. For everyday driving it's an obedient and comfortable conveyance, thanks to new seats and suspension changes that smoothed out the previous model's ride. While the Fit's power supply is modest, we found driving a model with either the manual transmission or automatic with paddle shifters upped the fun meter by allowing drivers to dip down into the vehicle's torque band when needed. Fit delivers an EPA-estimated 27/30 miles per gallon City/Highway, so it's a nice fit between fun-to-drive and frugality. Case in point: on twisty corners, the Fit is much more fun, and almost as efficient as the Scion xD or Nissan Versa. Most of the time, the rear of the car nicely follows the front, even under aggressive duress, and with a new electric steering set up that's improved, but still lacks touch, the Fit communicates its intent clearly, if not with authority. We found the Fit to be quite tossable, the kind of car that's easy and predictable under spirited driving, without much wallow or ungainly lean in the corners. We found that the clutch and throw play on the manual transmission was easy to manipulate and quite fun to operate. Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of driving the Fit is the noise: the engine squeals when you hammer the throttle, whining and moaning its displeasure even during normal driving situations, like accelerating from a stop light. You get a more muted response from the competition.

Final Word

The Honda Fit offers a compelling balance of economy, fun, interior convenience and comfort. It offers engineering excellence and value. From a healthy list of standard safety equipment to multiple seat configurations and ample storage room, the Fit simplifies your life. Drawbacks include a noisy and thrashy ride, slightly numb steering and a small (split) glovebox. Brian Chee filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com after his test drive of the Honda Fit models in Southern California.