It’s still early in a new year, so what better car to test drive than the 2009 Fit? In this case, the Honda Fit five-door Sport model with navigation system. Gas prices may be down a bit, but are you buying that fool’s gold?
Fit is a subcompact go-getter that is sure to become every commuter’s friend. The EPA rates the Fit at 33 miles per gallon down the highway and 27 mpg around town, with an estimated yearly fuel cost of $993, based on 15,000 miles and gas priced at two bucks a gallon.
With my New Year’s resolution still intact, I figure I can get fit (physically), keep my wallet fit (not a bad concept in this dastardly recession) and maybe help keep the environment fit (slowing global warming one tailpipe at a time).
At first blush – as judged by viewing the car’s exterior from a distance – the Fit appears too small to provide comfortable transportation for four people. Au contraire mon frere.
Somehow defying the laws of physics, Honda engineers manage to provide head, leg and shoulder room for all four front and rear occupants.
Dimensionally compact on the outside with an overall length of 161 inches, the interior provides a surprisingly spacious passenger volume of 90.8 cubic feet and rear cargo volume of 20.6 feet. Multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations include tall object mode, long object mode, and utility mode – in addition to the standard five-passenger mode (not recommended).
On a recent early-morning weekend drive to Angel of the Winds casino to celebrate my brother’s 50th birthday and the new year, the Fit handled a couple of near six-footers and a 6-foot-4 giant without so much as a twinge in anyone’s middle-aged back.
The rear hatchback provides easy access to the cargo area, which can be easily increased. The rear “Magic Seat” folds flat into the floor in one simple motion without having to remove the rear seat headrests. In this configuration, Fit provides seating for two with 57.3 cubic feet of rear cargo volume.
Powered by a new, more powerful 117-horsepower, 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine coupled with a standard five-speed manual transmission, the Fit is a high-revving, fun-to-drive overachiever. “Zippy” would be a good adjective to describe the engine, with enough agility to handle heavy I-5 traffic and tight parking sports with equal aplomb.
This year’s Fit achieves a sportier, more athletic demeanor with the addition of an improved suspension, and steering and body rigidity enhancements, along with a higher level of standard safety equipment that includes electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes.
Other safety features include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, dual front-side airbags and side curtain airbags.
What really makes the Fit more than a mere serviceable commuter car is its lengthy list of standard equipment, which includes air conditioning, four-speaker audio system with CD player and MP3 playback capability, keyless entry, cruise control, fog lights, security system, and power windows, mirrors and door locks.
The Sport model adds alloy wheels, an underbody aero kit, and a rear roofline spoiler.
This is Fit’s first year for a satellite-linked navigation system, with a 6.5-inch screen that can display more than seven million points of interest.
Don’t pre-judge this small, slightly peculiar-looking car. The all-new Fit reconfirms that small can in fact be big.
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