2008 Honda Fit Review

The subcompact car image of yesteryear has certainly evolved from the

bland econo-box with little to no bells and whistles to the feature rich and, dare I say, almost elegant vehicle of today. Take the Honda Fit for example, which is quite literally a tiny pocket rocket packed with loads of goodies.

OK, it’s not quite a rocket, but let’s take a look at the exterior of our 2008 test car in Sport trim. This top of the line model includes a full body kit (incorporating a front bumper lip, side skirts, a rear bumper and skirt), fog lights, hatch deck spoiler and athletic 15-inch alloys. From the front, the prominent body color housing for the headlight cluster is encased in clear plastic. These lights anchor the short sloping hood that meets the recognizable trapezoidal grille. The integrated oval fog lights and front lip really add to the car’s athletic appearance. From the side, it’s easy to see the high level of headroom thanks to a tall roofline, just one of the practical aspects of this unique car. The belt line is also quite high, giving the vehicle a substantial, beefy look. The rear design is highlighted by attractive taillights in a red and clear combination, a classic Honda design cue. The hatch lid spoiler is reminiscent of the current Civic Si’s “combat wing” spoiler, thus keeping the Fit in line with the Honda’s sporty heritage.


Measuring 157.4 inches long by 66.2 inches wide and 60.0 inches high, the Fit also stretches 96.5 inches from axle to axle, offering occupants ample legroom and cargo area. The smallest Honda, weighing in at 2,514 pounds, is paired to a 1.5-liter aluminum-alloy, 16-valve, SOHC, 4-cylinder featuring VTEC that loves to rev up to 6,500 rpm. The engine produces 109 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 105 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, which translates into plenty of zip around town. It’s mated to either a 5-speed manual or an impressive 5-speed automatic (most rivals only have 4-speed automatics) that successfully captures the power of this engine and is a real joy to flick through the gears thanks to available paddle shifters. When the little engine revs up to its power band the sound is music to a sports enthusiast’s ears, although I could see how it might be annoying to others. I’d like to think of it as the engine doing its work to create the very enjoyable driving experience.

Speaking of the driving experience, I must applaud Honda designers for creating another winner when it comes to the Fit’s interior, especially regarding ergonomics and comfort. The Fit’s name is rather suitable for the high quality fit and finish of the interior components. The seats are very supportive and weaved in a mixture of fabrics. The insert are fitted with an athletic mesh material while the headrests and side bolsters feature a velor type fabric material. Even the door panels are covered with the same mesh fabric as the inserts. The perforated leather wrapped tilt steering wheel matches the paddle shifters in its upscale feel, and adding to this is a dash lit in blue ambient lighting… very nice. The aluminum ring gauges include a tachometer, speedometer and gear display when the paddles are included, plus a fuel supply meter. An oddity is the missing temperature gauge, made up for by a warning light. Rotary HVAC knobs combine with big radio control buttons to allow easy actuation, and therefore let the driver focus on driving. All items are also within easy reach. No creaks or sounds were heard despite the rather firm suspension setup, aided by the high quality of plastics used for the dash and console. These have varying textures too, adding to the attractive layout. Critical for the younger crowd Honda is aiming the Fit at, the Sport model comes equipped with a 200-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers and an auxiliary jack for an MP3 player.

Another home run for the Fit is the multi-functional use of its interior seat and cargo layout. Aside from the typical 60/40 split fold down rear seats that free up a rather expansive 41.9 cubic feet of cargo space, the Fit’s Magic Seats can be folded in several unique configurations depending on storage needs. Say, for example, you want to load your mountain bike inside. Rather than taking off the bike’s wheel and stashing it in the hatch, you can fold up the rear seat bench’s lower cushions to make space behind the front seats, picnic chair style. Or if you want to load in your single kayak you can fold down the rear seats and then recline the front passenger seatback to an almost horizontal position, making room for extra long cargo. Another cute configuration allows the right-side rear passenger to fold down the front passenger seatback and enjoy extra long legroom and an ottoman. Think of it as a built-in Lazyboy. Unfortunately, all of the above mentioned configurations require the removal of each seat’s headrest before any folding is to take place.


Safety measures are taken to the max with this subcompact, as it comes standard with a plethora of airbags including dual-stage, dual-threshold front, front side torso, and side curtain airbags, all adding up to a 5-star rating for frontal crash impact from the NHTSA. Stopping power for the Fit is through a 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), with discs up front and drums in the rear.

During the few days that I’ve had the Fit, the two words that kept coming to mind is “tight” and “nimble”. Its steering is super responsive helping it to corner like a dream. If only I had time to take it through a slalom course. The alloys are wrapped in 195-55 R15 Bridgestone Turanza EL41s, and when paired to the Fit’s MacPherson strut front suspension with a 21 mm stabilizer bar and torsion beam rear suspension, I felt like I was inside a go-kart rather than a road car. All around visibility is great and the seats are supportive during spirited cornering.

And the icing on the cake? Well of course it’s the minuscule amount of gas the Fit sips while offering so much driving fun. Suggested fuel economy is 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. My test Fit’s consumption during the last few days of spirited urban travels was a respectable 25 mpg combined.

The Fit starts at $13,950 for the base Fit trim and scales up to a starting price of $15,270 for an entry-level Sport model. Add the 5-speed automatic and our test car came to $16,070. On paper this may seem a bit pricey, as the majority of subcompacts don’t break the $16K threshold, but the Fit is no ordinary subcompact, rest assured. After all, the little Honda can boast about its handful of awards, including Car and Driver’s 10 Best in 2007. No doubt its solid build quality, excellent projected reliability and overall efficiency, combined with a relatively high expected resale value and, lest we not forget, unparalleled functionality, have been wooing judges. These are good reasons for you to look into owning one for yourself, as there isn’t much wrong with Honda’s little Fit.