A new Honda Fit has arrived, and, following our brainstorming session for the title of this story, already we’ve run out of “fit” puns. (Just kidding, we’re confident we can fit some more in here.) So we’ll instead turn our attention to which Fit we’d want to have, since for many C/D staffers, buying a Fit would be a no-brainer. Need space for four—or five, in a pinch—plus their stuff, but, say only have a $20,000 budget and access to a 13-foot, 4-in by 5-foot, 7-in parking space? Bam, this little follow-up to the multi-10Best-winning first- and second-generation Fits fits your needs from an F to a T.
MODEL:
Honda Fit EX manual (base price: $18,225)
After driving the redesigned 2015 model, there’s no question the manual-equipped Fit is the one to get. The alternative is a continuously variable transmission, and Honda’s CVT admittedly has less of the disconnected feel found in other manufacturer’s transmissions of this type. But back to the stick, which gains a speed for a total of six; it’s available only on base LX and mid-level EX trim levels.
Although well-equipped, the $16,315 LX isn’t as spicy as the $1910-richer EX, which gets standard 16-inch aluminum wheels, a sunroof, fog lamps, a 160-watt 6-speaker audio system, a seven-inch high-res touch-screen, a proximity key, Honda’s signature LaneWatch blind-spot camera, and a backup camera. The EX is trumped by the EX-L for luxury—with leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, plus available navigation—but that trim cannot be paired with the manual.
OPTIONS:
Milano Red Paint ($0)
Here is the beauty—and the curse—of Honda’s trim-level structure: There really aren’t any options. Sure, Honda has a bevy of accessories it’ll sell you through dealers, but trim-for-trim, its cars come one way. The only choice facing customers is which of the eight colors to get—we think Milano Red is quite natty, and we’re happy to see the long-running, Fit-exclusive Passion Berry Pearl remains available. Relative to the last-gen Fit, most of the available hues carry over, albeit with new names, although Mystic Yellow Pearl is fresh.
- 2015 Honda Fit Driven: More Mainstream, Still Good
- 2014 Honda Civic Coupe CVT Automatic Tested: A Whiff of Sportiness?
- Honda Fit Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
We don’t mind the ordering simplicity, especially when a car’s basic package is so comprehensively fleshed-out. Every Fit gets Honda’s magic Magic Seats, which flip and fold to accommodate a variety of cargo shapes. There’s more rear legroom than before, and the interior is well-assembled. While Honda stripped a smidge of fun-to-drive zeal out of the 2015 Fit—so long, rear anti-roll bar and talkative steering—the new car is much quieter on the road and rides better. And the four-cylinder engine, which still displaces 1.5 liters, gains direct injection and VTEC variable valve timing and lift. These enhancements fit an additional 13 horsepower and 8 lb-ft of torque into the Fit’s powertrain equation for totals of 130 and 114.
With its fit-anywhere size, brilliant interior, snappy looks—it no longer resembles a miniature minivan!—and 29 mpg city, 37 mpg highway fuel-economy, the Fit is one of the best sub-$20,000 rides on sale today. And chances are, if you get a manual version, it’ll look just like ours.
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