Honda pitches the 2017 Honda Fit as "four-wheeled fashion and function." The fashion came to us in the form of a florescent yellow paint job. As for the function, it sports the level of practicality we've come to expect from Honda.
Is the Fit the spiritual successor to so many of our favorite Hondas from years gone by, specifically the CRX and Civic Si hatch? The Fit is the right size and doesn’t weigh a ton but, to be honest, it lacks the snap of its predecessors. Plus our test car didn’t have a manual transmission.
Yes, the Fit is a great daily. My friend, a musician, loves how his new Fit swallows his speaker cabinet. The Fit offers a great view of the road. You sit tall but not too tall. The way-back is a good, useful size. The controls are where they should be, although some felt a little low-buck. My wife’s 2014 Civic Si feels a bit more up-market, especially regarding things like switches and interior appointments. (And, of course, the Civic Si costs a few bucks more.)
So, my final thought on the Fit: great drive-around car, not my dream machine for autocross and track. The Civic Si totally wins there.
I see our test car as having one flaw: the CVT transmission. Yes, I understand the magical theory behind them and the purpose they serve. And frankly, this one is in the right place: an economy car built for utility. But the relatively low power and this CVT created a amazingly loud buzz whenever you wanted to pick up speed.
Other than that, I have no complaints. The interior is plenty spacious. If you need more room, but go borrow your friend's truck.
It gets decent mileage. They estimate 32 mpg for city driving and 37 on the highway.
The price point is great, considering the reputation Honda has for building bulletproof vehicles.
Would I buy one? Maybe if it wasn't laden with a CVT. In fact, in any other trim level this car comes with a manual transmission.
But this isn't an enthusiast's car. It's a utility. And it serves that purpose well.
My wife's Fit comes off lease in November, and I'll happy to see its taillights go down the road. It too has a CVT, and it moans so much we call it "Hotlips." On the highway, the things is a rolling penalty box. I agree with ed, its strictly utility.
I find my first gen Fit to be a wonderful get around car and de-facto spiritual successor to my 1989 Civic, but it's a manual and I cannot imagine the CVT being nearly as engaging. This is the first car I have driven with electric steering assist that felt "right".
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