Space for everyone, but at a price...
At last! The return of the subcompact is in full swing, and we now have more choice than ever. Honda's offering is the car that you see here, the Fit. Of course, you've probably seen loads of them on the road already...
Recent studies have shown that buyers are now ditching their mid-size cars for compacts, while compact owners are trading them in for subcompacts.
Why this change? Two reasons, I think. First is the price of gasoline, obviously. The second is that people are starting to realize the qualities of the new generation of small cars: they're practical, cost less than compacts, and are almost as spacious. Downsizing to a subcompact is almost no longer a sacrifice.
Space galore
An efficient design is maximizing interior space in a smaller body. Honda has succeeded (as did Nissan with its Versa). Headroom and legroom is impressive, and I don't feel cramped at all in the Fit. The materials used to assemble the cockpit are quality stuff.
The same praise applies to the back seat; the almost-flat floor allows three people to cuddle up and seat down. Or, the seat cushions can be lifted upwards to create an interesting vertical amount of space; those who regularly haul plants and shrubs, for example, will be pleased with this feature.
The trunk is obviously tight when the rear seatback is in place. However, when that's the case, the Fit offers more space than any other subcompact, and almost three times more than in the Yaris, notably. When the seatback is folded down, the Nissan Versa and Kia Rio5 offer a little more total space than the Fit.
Comfort-wise, there isn't much to complain about regarding the seats, but when we give ourselves a swing to get out of the car, we feel something hard under the seat cushion, like the padding was insufficient. But once we're sitting down, and even after an hour of driving, that hard part of the seat isn't felt. Oh well.
The car doesn't just deserve praise. It's pretty hot during the Fit's visit to our offices, and the air conditioning has a hard time keeping the cabin cool. Also, the A-pillars are rather large, which hampers visibility a bit.
At last! The return of the subcompact is in full swing, and we now have more choice than ever. Honda's offering is the car that you see here, the Fit. Of course, you've probably seen loads of them on the road already...
Recent studies have shown that buyers are now ditching their mid-size cars for compacts, while compact owners are trading them in for subcompacts.
 |
| The Fit offers one of the most spacious interior of the category. |
Why this change? Two reasons, I think. First is the price of gasoline, obviously. The second is that people are starting to realize the qualities of the new generation of small cars: they're practical, cost less than compacts, and are almost as spacious. Downsizing to a subcompact is almost no longer a sacrifice.
Space galore
An efficient design is maximizing interior space in a smaller body. Honda has succeeded (as did Nissan with its Versa). Headroom and legroom is impressive, and I don't feel cramped at all in the Fit. The materials used to assemble the cockpit are quality stuff.
The same praise applies to the back seat; the almost-flat floor allows three people to cuddle up and seat down. Or, the seat cushions can be lifted upwards to create an interesting vertical amount of space; those who regularly haul plants and shrubs, for example, will be pleased with this feature.
The trunk is obviously tight when the rear seatback is in place. However, when that's the case, the Fit offers more space than any other subcompact, and almost three times more than in the Yaris, notably. When the seatback is folded down, the Nissan Versa and Kia Rio5 offer a little more total space than the Fit.
Comfort-wise, there isn't much to complain about regarding the seats, but when we give ourselves a swing to get out of the car, we feel something hard under the seat cushion, like the padding was insufficient. But once we're sitting down, and even after an hour of driving, that hard part of the seat isn't felt. Oh well.
The car doesn't just deserve praise. It's pretty hot during the Fit's visit to our offices, and the air conditioning has a hard time keeping the cabin cool. Also, the A-pillars are rather large, which hampers visibility a bit.
 |
| The look and feel of the dashboard is surprising. |