CAR GAZING
Fit has the best of both worlds
Compact Honda offers nice space, low price, name-brand reputation
By Derek Price
When it comes to cars, a good value can overcome almost anything.
Take the subject of this week's review, the Honda Fit. I could have started by blasting it for how cheap it feels – how the interior isn't quite as nice as the last two Kias I drove, or how the doors close with the same thud as an empty tuna can – and all that would be true.
But my gosh, I can't do it. Not when the Fit is such a great value for the money.
Let me put it this way: Last week I drove a tiny, $50,000 BMW that didn't even have a navigation system. This week I drove an $18,000 Honda that had a bigger back seat, more cargo space, voice-activated controls and a great big navigation screen in the middle of the dash.
With that kind of value, how can I complain about the radio buttons?
Plus, this being a Honda, there's the unspoken assurance that it will last until the next ice age. Honda has developed such a good reputation through the years that its cars command better resale value than most of its competitors, so the Fit comes with a built-in advantage before it even leaves the factory.
As a package, then, the Fit makes perfect sense. You get a lot of car for the money, and it comes with the backing of a well-respected brand.
While it doesn't feel quite as refined as some of its competitors – the engine sounds like a bumble bee on cocaine, for example – it does offer several pleasant surprises.
Surprise No. 1: It's not too cramped. A lot of low-priced cars have tiny back seats that are torture to climb out of, but the Fit is actually quite pleasant for normal sized adults. It's shaped like a moving van, so the cabin has more shoulder, head and cargo room than you'd expect.
Surprise No. 2: It gets great gas mileage, even by economy car standards. It can get up to 35 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg in town, which is especially impressive given the Fit isn't the smallest small car around.
Surprise No. 3: It's dang cheap. Honda can usually demand premium prices for its products because of their reputation, but the Fit starts at just $14,550. That's about half as much as the last Accord I tested, and pretty much in line with what you'd see on the window of a Korean economy car.
Surprise No. 4: This is actually a high-tech car. Right out of the box, even on the cheapest versions of the Fit, it can play MP3 files and comes with an auxiliary input jack. More expensive packages can add things like a USB connection for music and Honda's excellent satellite-linked navigation system with voice control. That makes it feel more like a luxury car than a cheap commuter.
Overall, this is a car of contradictions. It has a tacky feeling interior on the one hand, but amazingly luxurious features on the other. It has a very low price tag, but a name-brand badge on the hood that garners respect. And while it's priced for economy-car buyers, it has the kind of practicality you would normally find in wagons and SUVs.
It's contradictory in a good way.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.)
The above article is provided for the interest and entertainment of our visitors. The views expressed in this article are only those of the author, who is solely responsible for the content. AutoGuide.net does not endorse any of these views, and is not to be held responsible for any of the content provided in the above article.
Click here to read Derek's past articles!
If you have any questions or comments for Derek or the AutoGuide.net, please fill out this form.
