SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Honda's original Fit was unlike any subcompact in the class. Here was a sprightly little hatchback with moves so deft it made every drive to work an adventure. The steering was quick and accurate, the shifter was sublimely precise, and the suspension rode as if an engineer who spends his weekends at the racetrack had tuned it. What's more, smart packaging on the inside gave this tyke mini minivan hauling status. Oh yeah, the Fit had darn good fuel economy, too.
Indeed, the Fit had few faults. And that's why it won our comparison test of B-car subcompacts two years ago and went on to earn a PM Automotive Excellence Award for Value and become one of our favorite long-term test cars.
So after three short model years with the original, Honda has a brand-new one for 2009. This one is bigger and heavier—yes, that means it delivers slightly less fuel economy than the original. So did Honda push the design too far into the mainstream for Fit fanatics? We recently drove a 2009 Fit Sport on our favorite roads above the surf in Malibu, Calif., to find out. It was on these very same roads that we fell for the first Fit, so let's see how old stacks up against new. —Ben Stewart
read more.... The Specs, The Drive, The Bottom Line
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The Specs
Lift the hood and you'll find a 1.5-liter four-cylinder just like before. But Honda is an engineering company first. So now it's got stronger internals, larger intake valves, improved coolant flow and a redesigned intake manifold as well as a more advanced version of Honda's i-VTEC system to vary intake valve timing and lift. All this tinkering results in 117 hp at 6600 rpm and 106 lb.-ft. of torque at 4800 rpm. That's a slight bump of 8 hp and 1 lb.-ft. of torque over the previous model.
There's more good news as you move further along the drivetrain. The brilliant five-speed manual transmission returns with revised gear ratios and modifications to improve shift feel—as if it needed any. But the majority of buyers will likely opt for the new five-speed automatic. Fit Sports even get paddle shifters on the steering wheel too with two shift logics, one for normal driving and one for port. The automatic Fit delivers 28 mpg city and 35 mpg on the highway. Manual cars and automatic Sport models are rated at 27 mpg city and 33 on the highway.
The new Fit is clearly designed to haul more stuff. It's 1/2 in. wider, 4.2 inches longer and though Honda says no, it appears taller, too. Yet weight only goes up by about 44 pounds. The heaviest Fit in the lineup checks in at a still-feathery 2615 pounds.
The body structure itself is an amazing 164 percent stiffer thanks to increased use of high-strength steel. This structure as a whole now uses Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) to better disperse loads during a crash.
The basic McPherson strut front and beam axle rear suspension remain similar to that of the original car. However the front-end geometry has been refined with altered bushing locations and calibrations. The rear suspension gets longer "H"-shaped trailing arms and a lower spring perch height, which creates more room inside the cargo hold. The improvements, Honda says, are designed to smooth out the ride and increase handling response, too. Opt for the Fit Sport and you'll get a rear anti-roll bar and larger 185/55R16 tires, replacing the stock 15-inchers. And you can get stability control as an option.
Inside, the big news is the availability of a navigation system. But Honda has taken care to improve the small stuff too. The "Magic Seat" now folds down quicker at the flip of a lever. And they've added a secure storage drawer beneath that seat. Measuring from floor to ceiling, Honda has carved out an extra 1/2 in. So when that "Magic Seat" is folded up, you can haul an even taller houseplant back from The Home Depot.
Front passengers get a big new view because Honda has pushed the base of the windshield forward by almost 5 in. There's now a tilt and telescoping steering column and even a cool new fuel economy meter in the instrument cluster.
The Drive
From behind the wheel, the new Fit seems like a much larger car than before. The interior is spacious and airy for front and rear seat passengers alike, compared to the original. There's more room for stuff, too, with an extra drink holder in every door pocket and large twin glove boxes.
Once under way, the most noticeable characteristic of the new Fit is the improved ride quality. As much as we enjoyed the moves of the old Fit, that firm suspension could get tedious over rough pavement and freeway expansion joints. No more. The new one feels much more refined and isolated from the world around it. In other words, you won't tire from driving the Fit on longer trips. But the flip side to a smoother ride is usually a handling compromise. And that's partially true here as well.
The new Fit still has quick steering and corners flat. It's balanced and capable, especially with the larger 16-in. tires. However a bit of the fun has disappeared. As isolated and smooth as it is over rough roads, the new Fit isn't quite the go-kart it once was. A back-to-back drive of old versus new confirmed our impressions. We suspect most drivers looking for a car in this class will be willing to trade some of that spunky fun attitude for the more refined package—especially if long freeway commutes are the norm rather than the exception.
The new Fit accelerates just as briskly as the old one. And the improved manual transmission is a joy to use, as it was before, with only quick, light flicks of the wrist needed to change gears. The five-speed automatic is the transmission most will select, and you lose little in terms of acceleration, at least from our unscientific seat-of-the-pants drive.
The Bottom Line
So the Fit's fun factor may have been dialed back to seven from a perfect 10. That's probably okay for the mainstream crowd that's been migrating from larger cars to smaller ones to save fuel. The Fit is still, by far, the most engaging drive in the class. And all of Honda's careful engineering comes at a bargain price starting at $14,550.
But the elephant in the room is fuel economy: The Fit delivers less of it than before. So why compromise such a key stat at a time when it seems to be one of the most important factors for car buyers? Honda is planning a small, bargain-priced hybrid about the same size as the Fit. And Honda planners told us that those looking for big mpg numbers at a low price will be pleased when this new hybrid hits the road next spring.
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