Cargazing
By Derek Price
The most surprising thing about driving the Honda Fit is just how easy it is to live with.
It’s lumped into the most diminutive class of cars, the subcompacts, and is priced accordingly with a $15,890 entry price. It’s designed so brilliantly on the inside, though, that it acts more like a mid-size car in everyday use.
The seats are reasonably spacious, both front and back. The cargo area is actually usable, with a warehouse-like 52.7 cubic feet of space when the seats are folded down. And the driving manners are engaging enough to let you wring some fun out of its 130-horsepower engine.
All of that is more than you can say about some of its lackluster competitors.
A lot of the Fit’s functionality boils down to one thing: the appropriately named Magic Seat that gives you lots of options for how you configure the second row.
Not only can it be easily folded flat for loading big items through the hatchback door, but it also can flip up to allow for more space on the floorboard. That means it can hold the tall, upright cargo that other subcompacts — and bigger cars, for that matter — simply can’t squeeze in.
Aside from that, the Fit delivers the predictable mixture of solidity and spunkiness that small Hondas have long been known for.
After a total redesign for 2015, the Honda Fit got a sportier look and feel, including a more athletically sculpted body and sleeker roofline. It’s essentially unchanged for 2016.
Its suspension feels firmer than the average subcompact but not so harsh that it’s jarring or uncomfortable. Steering is tight and responsive, adding to the car’s nimble, brisk feel. And the brakes, while not the strongest in this category, have good feedback to give you confidence.
Most people will choose Honda’s continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), but fortunately, there’s still a six-speed manual available for misers and driving purists.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, my one complaint about the Fit is its entertainment system. With tiny buttons and a touchscreen interface that’s frustratingly confusing at times, it’s a drawback shared with several other recent Hondas — although, admittedly, not a deal-breaker for most buyers.
Fuel economy is most impressive on the LX model, which gets a 41-mpg highway rating with the CVT. That drops down to 38 on EX and EX-L models, or 37 with the manual. Not bad, all in all.
The Honda Fit has a class-leading 52.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded down, a tremendous amount for a subcompact car.
Even its styling is impressively eye-catching for this cost-conscious class. Sharp creases on the sides, a tapered roofline and slimmer headlights were all part of a total redesign for 2015 that made the Fit a bit sportier overall, both in its look and its driving sensations.
For drivers who want a snazzier, more luxurious interior, the new-generation Fit added an EX-L line last year, which is the version Honda sent me to test. Its 7-inch navigation screen, heated leather seats, moonroof and push-button start were all upscale touches for a car that still rang up under $22 grand in total.
2016 Honda Fit EX-L with Navigation ($21,065). Options: None. Price as tested (including $820 destination charge): $21,885
Wheelbase: 99.6 in.
Length: 160 in.
Width: 67 in.
Height: 60 in.
Engine: 1.5-liter four cylinder (130 hp, 114 lb.-ft.)
Transmission: CVT with sport mode
Mileage: 32 city, 38 highwayRATINGS
Style: 8
Performance: 7
Price: 8
Handling: 6
Ride: 6
Comfort: 7
Quality: 7
Overall: 7Video Review:
2016 Honda Fit
bit.ly/2016hondafit
Why buy it?
It’s the most thoughtfully designed subcompact car for sale today. It offers roomy seating and flexible cargo space for a reasonable price, all with Honda’s reputation for quality.