Editor's note: This review was written in November 2010 about the 2010 Honda Fit. Little of substance has changed with this year's model.
Honda's Fit does something not a lot of small cars can do: It acts like a larger car than its subcompact exterior suggests.
The enviable cargo and passenger space makes this hatchback a replacement for bigger sedans. Compared with its subcompact competitors, the Fit has a healthy dose of personality; on top of being able to haul a lot of goods, it's also fun to drive.
The fun factor may not appeal to everyone, as some of the characteristics that make the Fit sporty also mean it's not always pleasant to deal with. Its fuel economy rating, though — as high as 28/35 mpg city/highway — should appeal to anyone.
The Fit is available in two trim levels, base and Sport. I tested an uplevel Fit Sport with the optional navigation system and electronic stability control.
Interior & Cargo Space
One of the reasons the Fit is so versatile and spacious is its hatchback body style. It offers the same passenger volume as a Civic sedan — 91 cubic feet — but with significantly more maximum cargo room once the rear seat is folded down.
With 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, we easily fit a tall suitcase inside, standing up with room to spare. That's a lot of space with the backseat in place compared with the Scion xD's 10.5 cubic feet, the Nissan Cube's 11.4 cubic feet and the Fit's newest competitor, the Ford Fiesta and its 15.4 cubic feet. We also stashed two golf bags in the cargo area without folding any seats down and still had room for two more to stack on top.
Not only does the rear seat fold down, creating a flat load floor, but also the cushions actually fold up, too. When the cushions are in their upright position, there's room from the lowest section of the floor to the top of the ceiling, allowing you to stash tall objects.
Utility is great, but that's not all the Fit offers on the inside. Its interior is built with high-quality materials that have the fit and finish of a more expensive car. Nissan's Versa has generous room like the Fit, but it lacks the quality feeling. I didn't find the Fit's quality flawless, though: The flimsy climate controls didn't feel up to par with the rest of the interior.
Ride & Handling
The Fit is one of the sportier options in the segment. Throw it into a corner, and the Fit stays planted and level. It seems to ask to be thrown into the next corner even more aggressively. Conversely, the ride can be harsh over rough roads, producing jarring hits on potholes and highway expansion joints. I tried my best to avoid anything that would unsettle the car at highway speeds, which basically included anything larger than a quarter.
Also at highway speeds, the Fit felt uneasy in the high winds of a storm I drove through. It wandered back and forth on the road, thrown around by the wind.
Off the highway, the Fit handled suburbia and city driving well thanks to its maneuverability and how easy it is to park.
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