Autoblog

This new Fit is destined to be a big hit. I love it. This is Honda at its best. I love the new exterior styling, the extended wheelbase, and the panoramic sky roof. However, the interior styling is a failure, especially compared to the previous model. The old dashboard design was clean and neat, artful and elegant. This one is a chaotic mess. The steering wheel is still cool, but the rest of it is much too busy and ugly. Also, I haven't driven it, but from the report I think the overly light steering feel at low speeds would be annoying also. Overall though, I still think it's great.

I was disappointed with the gage colors compared to last years. You spend all that time behind the wheel looking at the road or those gages. I liked the blue and subtlety of 2008 dash. I may buy a 2008, but not the 2009. It seems to copy the atrocious silvering around the gages and putting red, a color that the eyes like least, into the gage design. I don't like the silvering everywhere either, too much like the Matrix and Vibe. Either would have done better to keep it tasteful and subtle. Great car, but Fit sales will be hurt by these not so "minor" faults.