• HOME
• 
• AUTO LISTINGS
• 
• FINANCE
• 
• NEWS
• 
• DIRECTORY
• 
• REVIEWS
• 
• FORUM
• 
• BLOG
• 

2007 Honda Fit Long Term Update No.1

Small Wonder

If Christmas came last week, with Santa delivering a new Yaris three-door, then, this latest automobile must be the work of the Easter Bunny. As luck might have it, after his rounds on dropping colorful foil-wrapped chocolate eggs, and other egg-shaped confectionaries, the big, fluffy long-eared one brought us a brand new Honda Fit for a long term evaluation, which we received on Easter Monday.

OK, truth be told, the story doesnt go exactly like that - we did receive the car on Easter Monday - nevertheless, the prospect of having another long term car added to our fleet makes us deeply pleased. After all, around these parts, its a known fact that we much prefer cleverly engineered automobiles to sweets.

The newest member of our long-term family is a Milano Red Honda Fit LX, and like our Yaris, we will be running it for approximately three months. In laymans, rather than product developers terms,

Cheeky, and cheerful, the Fit is a very happy looking automobile, thanks to these large headlamps. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

our car is smack in the middle of the Fit portfolio, residing above the minimalist DX, but below the top of the line, and delicious-looking Sport. While it may look the same as the DX, with the plastic-clad fourteen-inch wheels, and simple, unadorned body, it comes jam-packed with features like power windows, power door locks (but not keyless entry), air conditioning with filtration, four speakers for the 160-watt AM/FM/CD MP3-aux compatible stereo system, and an adjustable steering column. Compared to our other subcompact long-termer, the very basic Yaris, the mid-range Fit looks like a Rolls Royce.

With power windows, power locks, and air conditioning, the Fits got all the goodies were used to having. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

Mind you, the amazingly clever Magic Seat (of which were already using),
is the best of all its standard goodies, opening up a ton of interior and cargo space; another class-exclusive feature.

The most basic Fits abide by Hondas "Safety for Everybody" policy, which means that all vehicles to leave the factory come jam-packed with standard ABS brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution, not to mention the standard front, side and side curtain airbags.

All Fits come with a single, compact, 1.5-liter inline-four wedged between gigantic headlamps, and with a horsepower rating of 109, and a torque figure of 106 lb-ft, the Fits

Optional five-speed auto is a class first. It provides smooth shifts and improves performance. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

four-cylinder mill nudges up against the 110 hp, 107 lb-ft of torque duo from Korea (Hyundai Accent/Kia Rio), putting it in close contention for most powerful engine in class status. Our tester came equipped with a five-speed automatic, an $800 option that replaces the slick five-speed manual, that former of which, interestingly enough, is a class exclusive, and an industry first to boot.

In total, prior to taxes, our Fit had a price tag of $14,650, although, beginners entry to the wonderful world of Fit starts at just $13,850. Thats a whole lot of car, for a surprisingly small amount of money.

To us, the Honda Fit is an atypical subcompact vehicle. While on the outside it may look like a typical, cutesy, gasoline-miser, it takes

Even the Fits badge looks well engineered, and perfectly thought out. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

just a fraction of a second inside, or on the road, to appreciate how much more it has to offer. The Fit is proof that not all subcompacts are created equal, and is a solid message to other automobile manufacturers that when products in this end of the market are designed with thought processes that are truly outside of the box, wonderful things can happen.

And now, to the logbook:
Odometer: 778 miles

Justin: From the moment I heard that Hondas Fit would be going on sale in North America, I knew that at some point in time, Id just have to drive it. Ive followed the design from its initial stages and launch in the Japanese market. Ive read reviews, comparison tests and done a fair bit of research on its model genus and

Plenty of character and cargo space can be found inside every Fit. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

family tree. You might very well be justified in calling me a Fit-a-holic. It should be noted that this isnt the first time Ive been behind the wheel of a Fit; a few weeks prior, I drove it at a Ride & Drive event for half a day, on urban roads and an autocross circuit and I was hooked. Hooked on the quality of the interior, hooked on the versatility, hooked on the drive, and hooked on the driving dynamics.

At point of pickup, it must be said that the Fit is exactly how I recall it, and deep inside, Im very, very pleased.    

Odometer: 821 miles

Justin: Its a psychological fact that when youre out driving around in a car, you tend to become a little more wary of what else is on the road; suddenly, more people seem to be driving whatever vehicle youre in. This works in the case of subtly styled vehicles,

Styling is... how shall I say... different. Fit attracts plenty of attention. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

and to an extent, rarities, as demonstrated by Jon (Yarkony). If theres an Audi S4 on the road, be it sedan, Avant or cabriolet, believe me, I hear about it. It works the same way with most new cars too; Ive seen tons of new Toyota Camrys and FJ Cruisers, but so far, this phenomenon hasnt happened with the Fit. Ive failed to spot any on the roads yet, which is a bit strange as its been on sale since early- to mid-April. I figure, however, that itll only be a matter of a few weeks before theyll be everywhere.

Odometer: 876 miles

Justin: So, I might not be seeing a great number of Fits, but a great many people are seeing - and ogling at -  ours. So, it might not be a Ferrari in terms of its looks or performance, but sure enough, its attracting attention, almost to an unwanted degree. Im not keeping track for scientific purposes, however, a good proportion of attention seems to be

Rear seats wanted to be gymnasts when they were growing up. The Fits recline, tumble, and fold. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

coming from SUV drivers, while the other half comes from drivers of subcompact cars. There are a couple of good reasons for it; aside from the fact that its brand spankin new, its shape is completely new to the segment. Sure, we have hatchbacks, but the Fit is more of a monobox (1-box) than anything else. I can only imagine how much more attention our Fit would be getting with skirts, alloy wheels and a spoiler, as with the Sport model. 

Odometer: 981 miles

Justin: Its crunch time at school - the last weeks of April, and the first week of May are officially the weeks of Armageddon for most university students. So, what does any of this have to do with the Honda Fit? Well, would you be surprised that Im actually using it as a temporary office? Thats right, on my breaks and between classes, I head to the back seat of the Fit to catch up on reading and practice on previous years exams. Previously, I never thought that working in a car, aside from

Wheel cover isnt carbon fiber... or even carbon-fiber look. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

a full-size limo could be comfortable, but the Fits really changed my mind. This of course all comes down to the Magic Seats, in Refresh Mode.

Page:  1  2

AUTOMOBILE REVIEWS BY MAKE

Acura  Audi   Bentley   BMW   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Chrysler   Daewoo   Dodge   Eagle   Ferrari   Ford   Geo   GMC   Honda   Hummer   Hyundai   Infiniti   Isuzu   Jaguar   Jeep   Kia   Lamborghini   Lexus   Lincoln   Lotus   Maserati   Mazda   Mercedes-Benz   Mercury   MINI   Mitsubishi   Nissan   Oldsmobile   Plymouth   Pontiac   Porsche   Saab   Saturn   Scion   Subaru   Suzuki   Toyota   Volkswagen   Volvo