Fit: one syllable, two meanings.
On one hand you've got a connotation indicating a good heart rate, a lack of love handles, and a BMI that doesn't make your family doc furrow her brow while flicking through your chart. On the other hand, it also means being the right size.
As a moniker to slap on the back of a subcompact, a company could hardly do better, and with previous Fits, you could say much the same thing about Honda. Particularly in the first generation to arrive in North America, the Fit was quick, cute, capable, and fun to fling around. It was the most Honda-ish car in Honda's lineup.
However, here's the third generation and both width and power are up.
The demands of safety ratings and comfort levels are ever-present and this car is no longer the little flighty Fit that we once knew and loved. It's all growed up.
So, has the littlest Honda gone from Fit to Fat, Or is it still survival of the Fittest?
Design
Like almost every other modern Honda, there's a lot going on here design-wise. You've got your multi-layered grille, you've got your faux air-vents out back - it's less cutesy than the first-gen Fit, and a tad more aggressive than the previous model.
I quite like it. It's very Japanese-looking, full of angular creases and a scrunched-up profile, but the new Fit manages to look fresh without overdoing it. The rear nonfunctional bumper vents are a bit much, but other than that, it's a sharplooking little pod. Hey little Honda, do you work out?
Base cars come with 15-inch steel wheels and the top-level EX-L trim comes with 16-inch alloys. For those who are buying a subcompact to keep the costs down, that means your next set of winter tires isn't going to break the bank even if you jump up to the all-the-bells-andwhistles model. There's more good news inside too.
Environment
The Fit's clever interior has been around long enough that you have to wonder why more manufacturers don't copy it. Is it because Honda calls their tech "Magic Seat" and Toyota et al. can't find their Harry Potter wands? Whatever the case, the Fit is fabulous on the inside.
The easiest way to demonstrate how great the Fit is at holding cargo is to unload another car into it, as I did. The supplies for a week-long road trip (including toddler, and accompanying accessories) were ferried from a packed-to-the-gills Subaru Impreza hatchback into the Fit, and when the transfer was completed, the Honda still had space aplenty. The seats fold flat, the loading height is low, you can flip the rear seat bottoms up for more clearance, or the whole thing turns into a sort of couch when you're in line at the ferry.
Up front, Honda's futurism is slightly more of a mixed bag. At the top end of the scale, the centre console is devoid of knobs. Actually, when powered down, it's completely blanked out.
Fire it up and there's quite a lot of tech on display and the satellite navigation responds to pinch-and-swipe commands. It's all fairly straightforward to use, but it sure would be handy to have an old-fashioned volume knob. Happily, you get one on the base model. You also have to wonder why there's an HDMI input but no auxiliary jack.
Still, with dual USB ports so that everyone's got enough to charge all their devices, and a number of interior cubbies, it's a useful, comfortable, wellfitting place to be.
Performance
Even though this year's Fit is slightly smaller than last year's model, Honda's managed to cram more power under hood. The engine is now a 1.5-litre four-cylinder making 130 horsepower at 6,600 r.p.m. and 114 foot-pounds of torque at 4,600 r.p.m. If you look at the torque figure, you'll note that it's a little on the light side, so winding up that little fourpot is required for passing or merging.
With the CVT automatic, doing so might be simply noisy. With the six-speed manual, it's just like driving a Honda of old. Rev it right up into the stratosphere and the Fit scurries down the on-ramp with aplomb. It's not exactly fast, but it's as quick as you could want, even when loaded down with a small family and their luggage.
Pitch it into a corner, and some of that old Honda charm is not quite what it used to be. This car is tuned for a smoother ride, and isn't quite as nimble as the first-gen Fit, or the old Civic hatchbacks were. Still, it's no slouch, and if you keep the revs up it can still be an entertaining drive.
On longer roads at higher speeds, the Fit's subcompact roots do show through. At highway speeds the tachometer reads more than 3,000 r.p.m., so there's plenty of engine noise to go with the wind noise. I suppose it's more a comment on the sheer amount of space and the nicely appointed interior that you forget you're driving in a very small car: for its class, it's perfectly acceptable.
Features
All Fits come with a standard backup camera and touchscreen, power door locks, a tilt-andtelescoping steering wheel, and a whole host of other features. Stepping up a level gets you those USB connectors and heated front seats, and the topspec ($21,295) EX-L comes with some pretty unique stuff.
Take Honda's camerabased lane-watch system: put on your indicator and it shows you your rightside blind-spot displayed in the centre console. It's not the only thing to look at, but an extra check that might help you spot a cyclist or pedestrian.
Fuel economy ratings are decent, as you'd expect for a subcompact, rated at 7.3 litres/100 kilometres city and 6.1 l/100 km highway for the CVT, and 8.1 city and 6.4 highway for the manual. Observed consumption in the manual on the highway was slightly higher than rated.
Green light
Clever interior use; good feature availability; strong fuel economy; willing performance.
Stop sign
Loud on the highway; lack of tactile controls; manual geared on the low side. The checkered flag The best interior in the segment and still solid in every other category. Would Fit right in to your family.
Competition
Ford Fiesta ($12,499): For fun-to-drive factor, it's hard to beat Ford's Fiesta. While it starts out more bare bones than the Honda (and cheaper too), the littlest Ford packs plenty of glee into its diminutive dimensions, no matter what the engine. The three-cylinder turbo is an interesting and efficient engine for highway commuters, and the 1.6-litre turbo ST is an absolute riot, but the standard 1.6-litre car is just fine the way it is.
However, it's an older interior design and not nearly as cleverly capable as the Honda. If you plan on stowing a bike or other large gear regularly, then the Fit is the way to go. If you stick with the Fiesta, some sort of cargo rack is going to be in order.
