2007 Honda Fit Long-Term Update No.3

All-In-One Swiss Army Automobile

If you wanted a word to describe whats been going on in our offices, and in the Fit for the past couple of weeks or so, it would have to be busy. Either that, or active. You see, as of late, every member of the office - including a special guest appearance from the West Coast - has been up to something, or going somewhere. While it is no surprise that the Fit has been put in duty for any urban runs that are needed, its also been out to the country side transporting people and equipment. This is all aside from the normal things weve been doing with the Fit: a photography gear car, a trail and lead automobile for comparison tests, and efficient transportation when going to meetings and local events.

So, just where have we all been going? Well, since the last update, Justin went to drive Audis brand-new Q7, their first-ever sport utility vehicle, Trevor came across the continent to experience the sheer awesomeness of two of Fords finest performance vehicles, the new Shelby GT500 and mid-engine GT supercar, and Jon immersed himself in GMs Powertrain Facility in Wixom, Michigan. Though we didnt take the Fit out of the country, it played an important role in helping

So far, Fit keeps on fitting, no matter what the scenario is. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

us get to where we were going.

With so much activity in and about, were cutting the usual intro down a bit and fast-forwarding to the logbook:

Odometer: 2,051 miles

Justin: Decided to take the day off today - Im just yearning to get out of being enclosed by four walls, a window and a door, and into something a little bit more automotive. Besides, I havent seen a Friday as warm, and as beautiful as this in, well, almost a year. So, the big question - where does the car enthusiast go when he or she wants to let loose a little? A car show? Perhaps, but theres nothing happening today. A nice relaxing drive? Nah, not up for that. The correct answer, is the safe, but fun sport of go-karting! Earlier this year, I picked up a certificate for a thirty-lap session of go-karting in a neighboring town, so, in

An on-road go-kart? Not quite, but the Fit is a great deal of fun to drive. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

hopes of having a bit of fun before the certificate expired, this became my target destination.

Admittedly, the first choice in vehicles to take up was a California-esque lump of all-American metal called the Ford Mustang GT Convertible, but, with such high gas prices and, ultimately the deciding factor, a lack of SPF-type protection, I drove the Fit instead. The drive up wasnt particularly eventful. With A/C on and stereo playing tunes, the hour-long drive ticked by rather quickly as the Fit and I moseyed along various highways to get to go-kart land. As usual the Fit impressed, but there is one notable thing: at speed, while the extra gear in the automatic kept the engines voice subdued, there is some notable wind noise, particularly from the tops of the pillars.

Unfortunately, I failed to realize that thirty laps didnt exactly equate to an entire days worth of entertainment. It was a technical circuit with a plenty of gnarly hairpins

Ah, the legendary Ford GT... Thats a pretty fun car to drive too. It resides on the fun meter above the Fit as well as the Go-Kart. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

and a few decreasing radius corners, and, combined with go-karts that peaked at nearly 45 mph, the whole ordeal lasted a very short eleven minutes. Two hours of driving for eleven minutes of thrill? While I would go farther to spend less time in a car in a mere weeks time (four hours for similar amounts of time behind the wheel of a Ford GT) the thrill of the moment was well worth the journey. Driving go-karts may seem a bit juvenile, particularly for someone whos been behind the wheel of many different high-performance cars, but its a great reminder of what the true basics are: manual steering, crude brakes and that sheer exhilaration of rounding corners at the very limit.
Of course, driving the two vehicles back to back, its almost worth doing a bit of a comparison (lacking all seriousness). About the only things that the Fit had in common with the go-kart was that theyre both powered by Honda (although, not the same engine, thankfully), they both have four wheels, and, er,

Doors, windshield wiper, stereo and a heater. Standard on the Fit... but not on the go-kart. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

theyve both got seats and a steering wheel. The Fit might not be quicker in the 0-20 mph dash, but, it trumps the kart in top speed, not to mention everywhere else except taking sharp corners. Parking the kart was a bit of a pain too, with no reverse gear and manual steering. The Fit also wins hands down in practicality, features and safety, although the Kart did have strong brakes and a three-point seatbelt. A near unanimous victory goes to the Fit. Im glad that its the one Im driving home.

Odometer: 2,124 miles

Justin: Picked up the big boss (Trevor) from the airport today. The Fit might not be a stretch Lincoln Town Car, but it was more than suited to the occasion. His luggage, the contents of which included two medium-sized carry-on bags, a Dell desktop and computer monitor (now mine), plus enough computing and photography gear to please a swarm of graphic artists and a camera crew, all fit perfectly inside the Fits trunk; all without needing to fold the

Even with light luggage load, Fit is capable of accommodating. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

rear seat down, or impinging on the view out of the back windscreen. This miracle of spaciousness is due to the extra-low floor, made possible by having the fuel tank located underneath the front occupant areas. Maneuverability through light steering and a delicate throttle pedal is another Fit positive, especially helpful amid the crowd of taxis, limos and well-wishers at the airport. A switch over to a Dodge Caliber R/T found that my gear - a laptop bag and a soft, squishy computer bag - along with the Dell Computer gear, couldnt be crammed inside the hatch without reworking the seats. Not so good.

And while I dont think Ill be moving much by the way of heavy-duty gear, I wonder what Im going to be doing for the next few days without the Fit; the keys will pass out of my hands into Trevors.

Odometer: 2,278 miles

Trevor: MapQuest directions in hand Im now on my way out of Belleville, Ontario after getting to know what was probably once a thriving little Canadian town but is now, unfortunately, mostly boarded up along Front Street in the downtown core.

The Ford GT and a very happy Editor-in-Chief (Trevor Hofmann) behind the wheel. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

What a shame. It seems that the only construction in the 10 block radius I wandered through last night when I needed to stop working and get some air was via government money, a new library. Such is life in small town Canada, and I suppose small town anywhere south of the border too. I was there to run a 500 horsepower muscle car and 550 horsepower supercar through its paces on Shannonville Motorsport Park, two cars that are the antitheses to the low priced, environmentally friendly, ultimately practical Fit.

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