Compact Honda Fit is a fun gas miser
- 8/19/10
- Categorized in: Car Reviews
When my eye caught the 33 miles per hour highway mileage for the 2010 Honda Fit, it almost swayed me to cancel a weekend flight to Biloxi, Miss., in favor of a weekend drive. I still flew but imagine that had I taken to the open road, it would have been interesting to see how far I could gone on a tank of gas.
The estimated 33 mpg highway/27 mpg city is just one of the pluses of this vehicle.
Without question, the Fit is a fun-to-drive car. It’s zippy, has a lot of punch and is super easy to maneuver. (I made U-turns in a flash–with room to spare–one afternoon while literally chasing down a story in Decatur.) Those wanting more control (or who want to ratchet up the fun factor) can switch from automatic to five-speed manual transmission through use of the vehicle’s paddle shifters that are on the steering column. Thanks to its compact size and agile handling, I parallel parked in downtown Decatur without breaking a sweat.
And don’t be put off by its diminutive size, the five-door Sport Fit that I test drove can comfortably seat four. A rear hatch and rear seats (in a 60/40 configuration) that fold completely flat mean there’s versatility when one has to carry cargo that’s odd-sized or cumbersome. And the front passenger seat can also be folded down so that long objects can be accommodated from the rear hatch to the front of the vehicle cabin. In all, the Fit offers 57.3 cubic feet of cargo space.
The Fit has received five stars in front crash for both driver and passengers and four stars in side crash for rear seat passengers. It comes with six (front, front side and side curtain) airbags.
Even though the Fit I drove wasn’t loaded with an abundance of interior features, it did have what I consider the right extras as standard equipment: a USB port in one of two glove boxes, MP3 auxiliary jack, a hidden storage box under the rear seat, 10 cup holders, a 12-volt power outlet and a tire pressure monitoring system.
One can add a navigation system for a little less than $3,000 more.
I must say that despite its size, the Fit isn’t lacking in exterior design elements. It comes with a rear roof line spoiler, fog lights, exhaust finisher and sleek but edgy exterior lines top to bottom, side to side.
The Honda Fit proves it’s possible to not sacrifice style, fun and performance when keeping the cost of a new car under $18,000.
Stats: 117 horsepower 1.5liter 4 cylinder engine, drive by wire throttle, antilock brakes, 16-inch allow wheels, 160-wat AM/FM/CD audio system
Price: $17, 970 with no optional equipment.