Today, a Honda Civic sedan is larger in size than the biggest car Honda sold in the U.S. in 1989, the Accord sedan. With the exciting versatility of a hatchback, the 2010 Honda Fit (MSRP $16,000) is a great ride. This five-door hatchback reminds buyers of Honda’s roots in frugal and fun vehicles.
The Fit also shows that small does not equal barren. This vehicle offers a touchscreen navigation system, a sporty manual five-speed gearbox or an automatic with five gears and paddle switches on the steering wheel to upshift or downshift manually.
Last year, the company downplayed the “Sport” designation of the fully equipped Fit model and renamed it VSA, the nomenclature of the company’s vehicle stability assist system. This system is a brake-operated traction control and stability system.
Other improvements came last year, too, including a smoother body that has been widened and lengthened a bit and a more powerful 117-hp 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is equipped with Honda’s special variable valve timing, known as i-VTEC. The VSA gained larger wheels, too. This model is clearly tuned for sport. The handling is as crisp as a sportscar’s, and the ride is firmer than many subcompact-size cars.
The Fit behaves well on challenging roads and in traffic with smooth, quick steering that feels secure and makes the driver feel confident. The suspension is well controlled over bumps, which is a Honda hallmark. Using the automatic’s shift paddles is as easy as remembering which side is for upshifting and which is for downshifting, and electronic controls prevent the driver from inadvertently over-revving the engine. The paddles work only after the driver selects “Manual” mode, one of three settings for the automatic. The other two are “Normal” and “Sport” in which the transmission functions like any other automatic. In Sport mode, the engine revs higher and doesn’t upshift the moment you let up pressure on the accelerator pedal. Engine noise is delightfully sporty, but it’s muted enough that you’ll never worry driving through a hospital zone.
Inside, the Fit is roomier than the MINI and also more spacious than Nissan’s Versa or Kia’s Rio5 hatchback. Three adults will fit in the rear seat, but what impresses is the way the rear seats fold flat in an instant, moving their headrests out of the way by themselves. Peer in through the open rear hatch, and the space behind the driver and passengers’ seats looks larger than the outside dimensions that the car suggest. Headroom is generous, even for tall adults in the rear seats, and visibility outward is very good from front or rear seats.
As with the larger Civic compacts, the subcompact Fit has simple and clearly legible instruments and controls that are easy to find and use. The soft-touch upholstery feels higher in quality than you’d expect in a subcompact. What is expected from a subcompact is economy, and the Fit delivers an EPA-estimated 35 mpg highway equipped with the five-speed automatic transmission.
One test drive will give you the chance to see if there’s a fit for the Honda Fit in your life!
