The debut of the modern MINI earlier this decade clearly demonstrated that a small, fuel efficient car didn't have to be a cheap, plasticy, under-performing penalty box from which to suffer your commuting activities. The MINI's BMW origins, however, meant that it was a bit on the pricey side as well as having a minuscule back seat. The arrival of the Fit on our shores took those same driving qualities but added a more reasonable price and vastly more space for occupants. The Fit is taller and longer than the MINI, but smaller than cars like the Nissan Versa and Ford Focus.



The original Fit was designed well before Honda decided to bring the car to North America, so it didn't incorporate much in way of U.S. demands. Nonetheless, in its first two years on the market, American drivers took to the Fit and Honda sold as many as they could bring in from Japan. Besides its capabilities on the road and fuel efficiency, features like the rear Magic Seats and cargo space also contributed to its popularity. For the second generation Honda wanted to build on what made the original a hot seller without diluting any of those properties.

The design philosophy behind the Fit is described as "Man-Maximum, Machine-Minimum," shrinking the car around the biggest possible user space. The new Fit has grown a bit, but not by much. Its limbo capabilities are unchanged at 60 inches, but it's about 0.6 inches wider and 4.3 inches longer. Following its New York Auto Show debut last spring some observers complained about the longer nose compared to the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Fit that launched late last year. Honda explained that there were two reasons behind this. One was aesthetic as American consumers in clinics felt the Japanese Fit looked a little too mini-van like with its short nose. The other had to do with crash safety. U.S. standards required a certain level occupant safety, even for those still ignorant enough not to wear seat-belts. Both of those needs led to a slightly longer nose that Honda now claims adds to a sportier looking new Fit.



Personally, I like the snub nose look of the JDM Fit, but the U.S. version looks fine as well. The rest of the car is a clear evolution of the original with the increased length and the larger windows giving the appearance of a lower stance even though it is the same height. That vertical stature is one of the keys to the Fits interior volume. Rear seat passengers sit upright with plenty of head room and knee room. The extra half inch of width allows for the addition of a driver seat center arm-rest and the distinct feeling of more elbow room. In spite of the slightly increased size, the mass for a comparably equipped model only goes up by about 44 lbs. The emphasis on safety in the new Fit plays a big part here. Honda has used a lot of high-strength steels to improve the structural integrity without bulking the car. As with other recent introductions, Honda has also incorporated Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) which is intended to improve occupant protection in collisions between different sized vehicles.

For those unfamiliar with the rear Magic Seats, they provide immense flexibility. Like all hatchbacks, the rear seat backs fold down flat. The retracting rear head rests allow the flat fold even with the front seats all the way back. The front passenger seat back also folds for carrying larger items. The magic part comes in the rear where the lower seat cushions also fold up against the seat back which is ideal for carrying taller items since you have unobstructed space from the floor to the ceiling between the seats.



The drivers environment is well laid out with all controls close at hand. For those with a large thirst and bladder to match, the Fit's interior would be great for road trips. There are now 10 cup holders available. Two are located on the floor ahead of the shifter, one at either end of the dash board, one in each of the four doors and two more in the rear of the center console. A new top trim level has been added to the Sport that includes an in-dash navigation system with a touch screen. Visibility out of the Fit is excellent thanks to thinner A-pillars, larger quarter windows at the base of the more steeply raked pillars and a larger rear window. The steering wheel also adds fore-aft adjustment to its previous angle adjustment making it easier to get the right fit.

We hit the road in a brilliant blue Fit Sport with a 5-speed manual gearbox and a navigation system. Even for those not necessarily looking for a super-efficient car, the first generation Fit, especially in Sport form provided a remarkably nimble and stable platform for tackling twisty roads. In spite of its tall stance the original Fit never felt tippy and neither does this new one. Americans are generally averse to the idea of managing the gear ratio selection in their cars and predominantly opt for automatics. The new Fit carries over the five speed auto-box from the original and the Sport retains the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters for those who like to play pretend.



For those who don't mind manipulating three pedals with two feet, the shift-it-yourself version proved remarkably adept. The shift throws were short and very precise. There was no slop to speak of in the shifter and the engagement of the clutch also made it very easy to drive smoothly and quickly. Also rating high praise was the steering. Unlike the Acura TL and TSX which had inconsistent weighting and poor feedback from their electrically assisted systems, the Fit's system felt great. Honda increased the rigidity of the steering gear and changed the way way it is mounted to the front sub-frame. During hard cornering, the forces going on at the tire/road interface were transmitted back through the reasonably thick rimmed wheel and there were no noticeable dead spots or free play.

The only sore spot was the brakes and since I only had time to drive one example, it's not clear if this was a one-off problem or a common one. While the pedal feel was fine, during light applies typical of around town driving, it seemed to take more effort than expected to achieve the desired deceleration. It's possible that the pads were glazed from some over-enthusiastic use during a previous drive or perhaps they were green and needed braking in. Either way we'll be watching for this when we get a unit for a full review.

Other than that the Fit was very well behaved on curvy rural roads, highways and around town. The structure felt solid and the suspension was well damped while never feeling harsh. Wind and other ambient noise was remarkably low inside for an economy car. Probably the most remarkable aspect with regard to noise was when the car came to a stop. The Fit was so silent at idle that after recently driving other cars with auto start-stop systems, I thought the Honda was equipped with one. I had to glance at the tachometer to realize it was still running. Under hard acceleration the 1.5L four cylinder does make some noise but it remains vibration free throughout the rev range.



The updated engine picks up 9 hp compared to the previous generation and 1 lb-ft of torque. If there is one thing that smooth running Honda four cylinder engines can be criticized for it is relatively weak low end torque. What I'd love to see in the Fit is a 1.6L version of Honda's upcoming clean diesel. A torquey engine like what the MINI Cooper D has blended with this chassis would be a perfect combination. It's not that the Fit is slow, but having the extra torque just feels better and provides better acceleration capability at speed for passing or on-ramp merging. The 2009 Fit picks up one mpg across the board compared to the previous model, scoring 28 city/35 hwy for the automatic transmission base model. All Fits get anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution as standard and the new Sport/navi version also includes stability control. The interior of the Fit clearly isn't a luxury car but the shapes, color combinations and textures of the hard plastics keep it from feeling excessively cheap.

Honda scored big-time with the first generation Fit and expects to do even better this time. They expect capacity limited sales of about 85,000 for 2009. Honda has essentially run out of 2008 Fits over the past couple of months with supplies at most dealers in the single digits. Honda hasn't set a precise on sale date for the '09 model, instead it will allow dealers to start selling cars as they arrive in the next few weeks instead of waiting to fill the pipeline. All North American dealers should be selling them shortly after Labor Day. Prices are up about $600 starting at $14,550 and running up to $18,760 for a loaded Sport/Navi model. Honda explained the price increases as a combination of increased equipment levels, rising raw material prices and increased shipping costs. We're looking forward to a full road test soon.




Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.