A Sequel Better than the Original
It’s not often that I get psyched-up over getting my hands on a new economy car, but when I found out that I was getting a 2009 Honda Fit Sport (with a 5 speed manual!) I was rather eager. The original Fit was a masterstroke by Honda and from what I knew, the new one was even better. Not by a psychic suggestion from beyond or experience, it was written on every page of every automotive periodical – this new Honda Fit was something special.
When the new version of the Honda Fit came out a few years back, my wife was interested enough to venture with me to a dealership for a test drive. If you think husbands are obnoxious at car dealerships – try bringing an automotive journalist. She thoroughly enjoyed the Honda Fit and nearly bought one. I would have been all for it; although later on, she opted for something with more seating.
The new Honda Fit is about the same incredibly reasonable price as the original; even for a fully loaded Sport automatic with navigation. Some folks would point out that, compared to Hyundai, KIA and the Chevy Aveo, the Honda Fit may be a little pricey, but with the base model Honda Fit you get air conditioning, power windows/doors and a nice stereo with a MP3 jack – standard. If you look at the competition, some require extra dough for those amenities. After equipping these competitors, the prices are in the Honda Fit’s ballpark.
Here’s why I liked the original Fit. It had great mileage, fun driving experience, gobs of usable space, and it had a playful personality. Most hybrids are still rather expensive and not overtly exciting on the road. The original Honda Fit got overall mileage numbers close to a few hybrids while being cheaper to own and much more fun to drive.
Guess what? The 2009 Honda Fit is better in every way!
This is a sweet little car. The new styling is much more aggressive and handsome; still, you won’t confuse it with any other car. The interior is a tad larger in most dimensions and most of the controls are new. Despite the new components, the 2009 Honda Fit is familiar in design and few will have qualms with the new design language. As a matter of fact, I find the Honda Fit’s new external design to be one of the most handsome in Honda’s fleet (next to the S2000 and the Civic Si).