Honda’s 2009 hatchback should Fit right in

• By STEVE WHEELER
• Advocate WHEELS editor
• Published: Jul 24, 2009

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Honda has a new offering for 2009 that should Fit right in to the plans of people who want good mileage and function from a fun daily driver.

Styling, however, is not the reason I think the 2009 Fit is becoming a big hit for Honda Motor Co.

But there’s a long list of other reasons: the Fit gets great mileage, it has one of the roomiest cabins available in a sub-compact car, it has phenomenal visibility on all four sides and you can get the top-of-the-line Fit Sport with navigation and an automatic transmission for less than $19,000.

An automotive writer would have to be crazy to report that a sub-compact car is roomy and has great visibility. Call me crazy, but the Fit is roomy and has great visibility. With its surround-view glass and tall interior, the driver can see everything around the car. Visibility is improved even more thanks to the triangular-shaped windows on both front doors. The small windows don’t crack open like the old vent windows — we called them poor man’s air-conditioners back in the

day — but they still allow the driver to see more in the front corners.

Honda magicians — err, designers — repositioned the Fit’s windshield and roof, making the interior seem even bigger, with only marginal increases in width and length. The Fit still slips easily into parking spots with two feet to spare on each side.

As a result, the car handles like the small car it is, yet gives occupants the feeling of a much larger car. In fact, the Fit has so much window glass that Honda had to improve air conditioner performance to meet the additional cooling demands.

The 2009 Fit is available in regular and Sport versions. There’s a choice of 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmissions, with or without navigation. My test vehicle was the Sport model with nav.

The Sport model adds fog lights, a rear spoiler, a leather steering wheel and paddle shifters on the automatic model. Cruise control, map lights, cargo tie-downs, and a 6-speaker sound system with USB interface are also standard. The voice activated navigation system adds $1,850. 

The Fit powertrain consists of a 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine that cranks out 117 horsepower at 6,600 rpm. That’s an increase of 8 hp over the current model. The standard transmission is the 5-speed manual. The Fit is peppy if not powerful. It doesn’t seem to force its way down the road, but rather scoots along at a brisk pace.

The car is rated by the EPA at 27 miles per gallon in city driving and 33 mpg on the highway, but my test car did even better, getting a little more than 34 mpg in combined driving.

Front MacPherson struts and a rear torsion beam suspension provide excellent handling and ride quality in the Fit. And even with all the glass, I found the ride surprisingly quiet.

The interior is where the Fit excels. Firm, supportive cloth seats were terrific, and the 60/40 split second row folds down very easily. Controls are easy to find and use without taking your eyes off the road, although the navigation system could use an upgrade. Two of the four drink holders for front seat passengers block the air-conditioning vents, but I guess at least your drinks will stay cold.