By Derek Price
Automotive Writer
How can a car get bigger and smaller at the same time?
The new-for-2015 Honda Fit tries to pull it off.
While its outside dimensions remain trim and compact, with a length that’s actually 1.6 inches shorter than before, the inside is considerably roomier than last year’s model. It gets 4.9 cubic feet in additional passenger volume and nearly five extra inches of legroom in the back seat, making it much more usable for adults now.
In fact, I spent several hours driving with four adults in the Fit and didn’t hear a single complaint. That wouldn’t have happened in last year’s clown-car Fit interior.
From the driver’s seat, though, it’s really more about fun than comfort. It’s noisier and bumpier riding than many of its competitors, but it also gives you more driving feedback. If you like to sense the road with a kind of zippy, fun, small-car feeling, this one’s got it in spades. If you like a softer, squishier ride, you’d probably be happier with something like the Hyundai Accent.
The Fit, Honda’s smallest and most affordable car starting at $15,650, gets an all-new design for 2015. It’s efficient, fun to drive and intelligently engineered.
Personally, I like the driving feel of this car. The brakes, suspension and steering all give you the instant response that Hondas are known for, and acceleration isn’t too bad from the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It makes 130 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque, both of which are nice improvements over the 2014 car.
The only thing I didn’t like on my Fit test car was the continuously variable transmission (CVT). Nissan is doing a better job developing CVTs that offer a more traditional sense of acceleration right now, plus I’d much rather drive a little car like this with a stick shift. The rubber-band feeling of the CVT automatic saps too much of the fun out of it.
The CVT does offer one huge advantage, though: good gas mileage. The Fit LX is now rated for 33 mpg in the city and 41 on the highway when fitted with the CVT. Choosing the manual transmission gives you a 4-mpg penalty on both those numbers.
I’m also a little old-fashioned when it comes to sound systems. I like having plain ol’ knobs to easily adjust the volume and change the radio station, but my Fit test car made me use the touch-screen display for virtually everything. It seemed a little slower and more cumbersome than other digital systems, but I do like some things about it — especially the Honda LaneWatch camera.
LaneWatch shows a live video of your blind spot on the screen when you use the right turn signal. That’s a fantastically cool feature, and as far as I know, Honda is the only company offering it right now.
The cabin feels miraculously roomier in the new-for-2015 Honda Fit. Its smart packaging creates dramatically more passenger volume and rear-seat legroom than the 2014 car had.
Overall, this new Fit is a brilliant upgrade over the outgoing model, mainly thanks to its interior packaging. It’s one of the freakiest cars I’ve driven lately, looking tiny on the outside but feeling oddly spacious once you climb into the cabin.
Pricing starts at $15,525 and ranges up to $20,800 for the EX-L with leather seats and a navigation system.
At a Glance
What was tested?
2015 Honda Fit Five-Door EX-L with Navigation ($20,800). Options: None. Price as tested (including $790 destination charge): $21,590
Wheelbase: 99.6 in.
Length: 160 in.
Width: 67 in.
Height: 60 in.
Engine: 1.5-liter four-cylinder (130 horsepower, 114 lbs.-ft.)
Transmission: CVT Automatic
Estimated Mileage: 33 city, 41 highway
RATINGS
Style: 6
Performance: 7
Price: 9
Handling: 9
Ride: 6
Comfort: 9
Quality: 9
Overall: 8
Video Review:
2015 Honda Fit
bit.ly/2015fit
Why buy it?
It’s a compact car that doesn’t feel so compact on the inside. Its zippy driving feel and generous back-seat legroom make it stand out in this class.