AOL Autos Test Drive: 2015 Honda Fit
Apr 24, 2014
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- Image Credit: Honda
In the depths of the recession, it was the crutch of every middle manager who laid off employees, then attempted to motivate those who remained to up their workload. At its best, it's an uninspired rallying cry. Do more with less? A sure sign you're about to be asked to do the impossible.
Given that backdrop, some skepticism is understandable when we say Honda has taken the Fit, perhaps already its most thrifty vehicle, and done more with less. Relax that raised eyebrow. In this case, that's a very good thing.
The automaker unveiled the latest generation of this subcompact stalwart last month, and its overall length shrank by 1.6 inches compared to the previous generation. At the same time, Honda has increased the available legroom by a whopping 4.8 inches. Many subcompact cars feel like sardine cans, so this is a remarkable exception and a tremendous feat of more-with-less engineering.
Spaciousness is just one of several reasons why we really like the '15 Honda Fit. This car has a starting price of less than $16,000, offers tons of versatility in a small package and sips fuel as well as many hybrids. For car shoppers looking for a bargain, this is hands-down one of the best values on the market.
It's not without its blemishes, but read on and you'll find out why we like this car so much.
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- Image Credit: Honda
The Basics
Sticker Price: $15,525 - $20,800.
Invoice Price: $15,120 - $19,262
Engine: 1.5 liter I-4
Performance: 115 horsepower, 114 pound-feet of torque.
Transmission: CVT in base trim level. Six-speed manual available in LX and EX trim levels.
Fuel Economy: 33 mpg city, 41 mpg highway with models equipped with the CVT; 29 mpg city, 37 mpg highway on models equipped with six-speed manual transmission.
Seating: Five people
Cargo Capacity: 52.7 cubic feet
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- Image Credit: Honda
Exterior Design
The Fit was never going to win any beauty contests. But designers have removed some of the awkwardness from the previous generation and given the car a more rounded, modern and inoffensive appearance.
Rear taillights jut from the body of the car, giving it just a smidgen of aggressiveness. But mostly, Honda has brought the exterior design along far enough that it keeps pace with some of the other cars in the subcompact segment, namely the Ford Fiesta.
If the exterior is nothing special, the real treat comes on the inside.
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- Image Credit: Honda
Interior
Honda has doubled down on what was already its strength, and made a strong interior even better, a spacious interior even larger.
For starters, the Fit offers copious amounts of rear legroom: 4.8 inches more than the previous version. Thirty-nine-point-three inches overall. To put this in perspective, this is more room than any poor soul stuck in coach would get on any airline. Believe it or not, the Fit offers more room than what's available in the Honda Accord.
On our test drive, I took some time to sit in the rear seats. Even with the driver's seat pushed to its rear limit, my 6-foot-1 frame had a terrific amount of room to spare. Rear-seated passengers would be very comfortable in the Fit on a long road trip.
Not carrying passengers? With the rear seats folded down, the Fit offers 52.7 cubic feet of storage. By comparison, the Ford Fiesta offers 25.4 cubic feet. Bottom line: No subcompact car packs more versatility than the Honda Fit.
If there's further improvement needed, it's comes in the decibel level – compared to its peers, the Fit's cabin is noisy. We'd also like to see an armrest added to the right side of the driver's seat.
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- Image Credit: Honda
Driving Dynamics
While the aforementioned CVT may diminish the performance from previous generations of the Fit, this isn't a problem if you're not comparing the past to the present. The '15 Fit produces 115 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. It still feels punchy enough to get the job done, though there was some audible groaning on uphill slogs.
We tested the car on the roads in and around Ann Arbor, Michigan, which, following a bruising winter, are in worse condition than the infrastructures in many third-world countries. An improved suspension in the Fit made the best of a bumpy ride.
That should, in turn, help Honda make the case that the Fit has become a more capable all-around family hauler.
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- Image Credit: Honda
Tech And Infotainment
By and large, Honda has improved the infotainment system in the Fit from its dated predecessor. It works the way it is intended, it's generally easy to figure out and we experienced no glitches during our time behind the wheel. This is more than we can say for many of its competitors.
Yet, like many competitors, Honda has gone overboard in choosing flash over function.
All the controls for changing the volume and changing the radio station are on the dashboard touchscreen. This may seem nice in theory, but in practice, it's difficult to press the buttons with any degree of precision while driving. So a simple task like changing the volume becomes a frustrating and awkward experience, not to mention a distraction from driving.
It'd be nice to see Honda and other automakers bring back the simple, unappreciated knob.
One new technology we do enjoy in the Fit is Honda's Lane Watch. From a video camera mounted in the right-side mirror, drivers can see a real-time feed of right-lane traffic, which is helpful in steering clear of other cars, pedestrians and bicyclists. The live feed appears on a dash-mounted screen, and is activated when the right-turn blinker is activated.
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- Image Credit: Honda
Fuel Economy
Equipping the new Fit with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) will undoubtedly rankle some automotive purists who lament the way the CVT dulls some of the sportier aspects of this ride. They're right – the CVT does slightly detract from its performance.
But for the vast majority of car buyers, this isn't a development to fret over. If it's even noticed, we're willing to bet that most target Fit buyers would be more pleased with the fuel economy the CVT helps deliver.
The Fit should give drivers 33 miles per gallon in city driving and 41 mpg on the highway, hybrid-like numbers that come without the hybrid-like price tag. From the previous-generation Fit, those are 6 mpg and 8 mpg improvements, respectively.
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Honda Fit Overview
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- Image Credit: Honda
Bottom Line
In designing the latest generation of the Fit, Honda has built upon its strengths.
It was known as a subcompact car that provided large amounts of space. Engineers have made it even roomier. It was known as a car that provided good gas mileage. Honda has made it even more fuel efficient. It was known as a good value. And now it looks like one of the best bargains across the auto industry.
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the previous-generation Fit received a "poor" ranking on the small-front overlap crash test administered by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The '15 has yet to be tested. Subcompact cars as a whole have not fared well on that particular crash test, so the Fit is not necessarily behind its peers, and it has performed better on other crash tests.
Overall, the Fit has clearly been at the front of the subcompact class. All of the changes have made a good car better, and if anything, put more distance between the Fit and its competitors.
Research the Honda Fit
Honda Fit Overview
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