Behind the Wheel | 2009 Honda Fit
Sized for the Times
By LAWRENCE ULRICH
Published: October 17, 2008
HONDA could be forgiven if it resorted to some trash talk right about now. While Detroit — and even Toyota and Nissan — went whole hog for big pickups and S.U.V.’s, Honda stuck with its long-term game plan: no Texas-size trucks, no V-8 engines.
SMALL WONDER Roomy inside, the Fit even offers a navigation system.
Now the American and Japanese automakers that hitched their stars to big trucks have been humbled. While they’re suffering a protracted sales slump, buyers have beaten a path to Honda, lifting the brand’s sales this year despite a full-blown recession in the broader auto industry.
Cars like the Fit deserve much of the credit. This stubby hatchback arrived to general acclaim in 2006. The Fit defied the image of small economy cars — honed over decades of flaming Pintos, rusting Renaults and D.O.A. Dodge Omnis — as cramped, chintzy or unreliable. In contrast, the Fit was roomy and ship-shape, even a little bit sporty.
A second-generation Fit steps in for 2009, slightly larger but still barely 13 feet long — and just 4 inches longer than a Mini Cooper Clubman. Already sold in 115 countries and so popular that Honda dealers can barely keep them in stock, the Fit is all about driving cheaply without feeling cheap.
From its tight construction and smooth powertrain to upscale options like a voice-activated navigation system, the more refined new Fit gives off a quality vibe that penny-pinching rivals like the Chevrolet Aveo and Toyota Yaris cannot match.
I drove the latest Fit around New York and through the Hudson Valley, as part of a press convoy that included the outgoing model, making comparisons easy. Side-by-side parking helped to highlight the Fit’s modestly sportier styling, with a more angular nose, a V-shaped bulge in the hood and two enlarged slashes for headlamps.
The upgraded Fit Sport model adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a front fascia with larger air inlets, rocker panel moldings, a perky spoiler on the hatch and a chrome exhaust tip. (The base model’s bargain-basement touches include plastic covers on 15-inch steel wheels).
The Fit’s thorough safety checklist includes antilock brakes, six air bags and new front head restraints that help to prevent whiplash injuries. A vastly more rigid body structure helps to reduce noise and vibration. That structure is engineered to line up better in collisions with S.U.V.’s and other large vehicles, and the Fit’s front end is designed to minimize injuries to pedestrians. Sport models also have electronic stability control, which is not available, unfortunately, on the base model.
A larger windshield and front-quarter windows, together with slim front-roof pillars and rear headrests that retract into the seats, give the Fit outstanding visibility. A telescoping steering wheel is a welcome addition. The attractive cloth seats feature bolsters that are surprisingly thick for an economy car.
The climate controls are arranged higher on the dash for an easier reach. Once again, the Sport model goes one better with a leather-wrapped steering wheel with illuminated audio and cruise controls; two extra speakers for the 160-watt audio system and a USB port to connect MP3 players.
There are also 10 cup holders; don’t ask why a car this small needs so many.
Consumers who’ve never poked their head into a modern hatchback may be amazed at how much space is packed into the petite body. Two large adults fit quite comfortably in back, thanks in part to reclining second-row seatbacks. Three adults will even fit in a pinch.
Honda’s so-called Magic Seats dive flat into the floor in a slick one-hand operation, with no need to remove the headrests — even when the front seats are all the way back. The load floor becomes perfectly flat, unlike those in many rivals, creating a class-leading 57 cubic feet of storage. For comparison, the Ford Escape, a compact S.U.V. that’s 13 inches longer, 8 inches taller and 4 inches wider, holds 65 cubic feet.
Dorm-bound college students will rejoice. Even with passengers in back, the Fit’s hatch exceeds the trunk space of nearly every full-size luxury sedan, at least if you stuff it to the roof. And the front passenger seat folds forward to let you carry ladders or other long items.
The rear hatch opens at a higher angle, making it easier to lean deep inside. There are tie-down hooks, a storage box and a cargo light.
The new 4-cylinder engine displaces 1.5 liters and turns out 117 horsepower, up 8 from the previous Fit. The Honda takes a modest 9 seconds to reach 60 miles an hour and works hard to climb especially steep hills. But once at cruising speed, the Fit hums along smoothly at 80 m.p.h., and the cabin is notably quieter than it was before.
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The Sport’s 5-speed automatic adds a pair of paddle shifters; the transmission isn’t the fastest, but a sport setting lets it hold gears right up to the 6,800-r.p.m. red line on the tachometer. Yet it’s the 5-speed manual, despite fairly long throws, that coaxes the most fun from the engine.
As I headed north from Peekskill on a section of Route 6 that locals call the Goat Trail — a vertiginous, scenic switchback climb up to the Bear Mountain Bridge across the Hudson — my back-to-back drives in the new and old Fits were especially telling.
The new Fit Sport, with its suspension tweaks and fatter tires, delivered more grip and less body lean when pressed. But the new car’s electrically assisted steering, despite having the quickest ratio in its class, felt a bit lifeless compared with the older version.
While noticeably buzzier and harsher-riding, last year’s Fit was more fun to drive, with more of the flingy, devilish attitude that are the hallmarks of a cheap, entertaining hatchback.
That said, I always found the Fit’s fun-to-drive reputation a bit overstated. Sure, the previous car was agile by the standards of budget subcompacts. But its mileage, practicality and class-leading refinement were what grabbed me, not its performance. And I suspect that for the typical buyer, sharp handling isn’t a top priority.
The basic automatic-transmission model gets the best economy rating: 28 m.p.g. in town, 35 on the highway. The Sport drops to 27/33 m.p.g. — a head-scratching deficit for a car with the same engine and transmission ratios, wheels that are only slightly larger and a mere 30 to 40 pounds of extra weight.
The 2009 Fit is priced roughly $600 more than the ’08. The base price is $15,220 with a 5-speed manual transmission. That rises to $17,580 for the better-equipped Sport with an automatic and tops out at $19,430 if you add the navigation system and stability control.
Playing catch-up, Ford, General Motors and others are racing to develop more sophisticated subcompacts. But the Detroit contingent won’t have their new models here until 2010. For now, only the Nissan Versa and Scion xD are really playing in the same league.
While fuel prices are making subcompacts the hottest class of cars the world over, the Fit is not for everyone. The idea that most suburban families are eager to drop two or three sizes to embrace subcompacts — long associated with drivers who are in school, single-and-struggling or suspiciously frugal — is wishful thinking. This isn’t Europe or Japan, and even when gas hit its recent peak it was selling for less than half what it costs in many countries.
But many Americans may consider adding a sprite like the Fit to their family fleet to handle commuting and around-town chores. Honda’s research shows some wealthier and better educated buyers migrating to small cars, beyond the usual bargain shoppers.
In times of economic peril, that receptivity will only grow. Between the usual subcompact buyers and these storm-tossed recruits, Honda should have no problem convincing people that its tiny car is just the right size for the times.
