2009 Honda Fit Overview Change Vehicle

This 2009 Honda Fit review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2009 Fit, and includes Honda Fit safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

After just two years on the market, the Honda Fit is completely redesigned. There’s a good reason for this. The previous Fit arrived late in America, at the end of its global design cycle. The new 2009 Fit incorporates Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which is designed to deflect crash energy away from the passenger compartment in a crash. Honda also says the interior is more functional than before, thanks to a folding rear Magic Seat that collapses flat without removing the rear headrests and without sliding the front seats forward. There’s also a new hidden storage compartment under the rear seat on the driver’s side of the car. Additionally, the 2009 Fit has a new and more powerful 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, bigger wheels and tires, and redesigned steering and suspension systems for improved driving dynamics without sacrificing ride comfort. The standard equipment list includes new active head restraints, the Fit Sport adds a standard iPod/USB interface, and a touchscreen navigation system with voice recognition technology is available on the Fit Sport. Honda makes stability control standard on models with the navigation system.

The redesigned 2009 Honda Fit is available in standard and Sport trim levels. Every model is equipped with the Fit’s signature Magic Seat design, which is improved for 2009 in that it folds flat in a single motion without needing to remove the rear headrests or slide the front seats forward. In standard trim, the Fit comes with air conditioning, power windows, power side mirrors, power door locks, and 15-inch wheels with plastic wheel covers. The stereo includes four speakers, a CD player, MP3/WMA playback capability, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a radio data system. An automatic transmission is optional.

Upgrading to the 2009 Honda Fit Sport adds 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, a body kit for a sportier appearance, and a rear roofline spoiler above the back window. The Fit Sport also includes cruise control, remote keyless entry, and a better stereo with a USB interface. The optional automatic transmission includes paddle shifters for manual gear changes, and a voice-activated navigation system is available on the Fit Sport. When the navigation system is added, Honda includes a stability control system.

Additional options can be installed on the Fit by your Honda dealer.

A new 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine debuts in the 2009 Honda Fit, and it gains eight horsepower and one pound-foot of torque for 117 hp at 6,600 rpm and 106 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm. Unfortunately, the Fit has also gained a few pounds since last year, so the effect on performance is negligible. The standard transmission is a five-speed manual gearbox, with a five-speed automatic available as an option. On the Fit Sport, the automatic includes paddle shifters so that the driver can manually select gears.

This year, Fits with an automatic transmission get better gas mileage than Fits with a manual gearbox. Fuel economy ratings with the manual are 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, while the standard Fit automatic gets 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. If you get a Fit Sport with an automatic, the fuel economy rating matches the manual transmission.

In addition to a tire pressure monitoring system and active head restraints, the 2009 Fit includes dual front airbags, dual front-seat side-impact airbags, dual side curtain airbags, and antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution. Additionally, the Fit is designed to Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) standards, which dictate that the car’s structural design deflects crash energy away from occupants in an accident.

The Honda Fit is comprehensively equipped from a safety standpoint, with a single exception. Stability control is available only on the most expensive version of the Fit, the Sport model with navigation. We think Honda should make stability control standard on all models, especially since it claims to be committed to providing “Safety for Everyone.” Apparently, in the Fit’s case, Honda is thinking “Safety for Everyone who can Afford the Most Expensive Model.”

Honda has improved the Fit’s crash-test scores for 2009. In tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Fit earns 5-Star ratings frontal impact protection, and for the driver in a side-impact crash. Rear passenger protection in a side impact rates 4 Stars according to the NHTSA, as does resistance to rollover.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) calls the redesigned 2009 Fit Sport with the navigation system and stability control a Top Safety Pick. Fits without stability control – most of them – do not receive this honor. The Fit receives the highest rating of Good for its performance in the offset frontal and side-impact crash tests, and for its ability to protect front seat occupants from injury in a rear impact. Roof crush strength is rated Acceptable.

When considering the Honda Fit’s impressive performance in crash tests, keep one thing in mind. The scores are accurate only if the Fit impacts an immovable object or if it collides with a vehicle of roughly the same size and weight.

When it comes to reliability, leading market research firms are split on opinion. Consumer Reports gives the Fit its highest rating for reliability, while J.D. Power and Associates predicts that the Fit’s long-term dependability will be slightly above average. This is odd given the Fit’s top ranking in J.D. Power’s annual Vehicle Dependability Study for 2007 and 2008.

The Honda Fit is one of our favorite small cars, especially in Sport trim. Roomy inside, jaunty outside, fun to drive, fuel-efficient, reliable, useful, and safe amongst sub-compact cars, the park-almost-anywhere and do-just-about-anything 2009 Honda Fit is a smart buy.

By Christian Wardlaw