Honda Fit LX (2015)

Test Drive Notes Library

Pros
Extremely practical, versatile, reliable, well-equipped, and fuel-efficient.
The Fit is a very practical compact car, with a wonderfully flexible interior. It’s very well thought out in terms of space utilization. The rear seats fold in an ingenious way that makes the cargo loading floor very low and flat, allowing you to carry far more stuff in the Fit than you would guess from its size.
It feels roomier inside than its size would suggest. Lots of glass, which makes for an airy feel and great visibility. And it has a standard backup camera.
We’d expect the usual great Honda reliability.
Excellent fuel economy. EPA says 32 mpg combined for the manual transmission model we tested, 35 mpg overall for the CVT automatic.
A very useable rear seat that’s adequate for two adults.
Handling is pretty good. Not sporty, but quick, confident, and reasonably fun to drive for a subcompact car. Handles far better than, say, the similarly sized, softer riding Nissan Versa hatchback. It tracks well on the highway, where it feels solid, and doesn’t seem to get blown around particularly easily.
The ride quality is quite good (again, for a car its size). When we were test-driving the Fit, the streets in Our Fair City were either pothole-ridden or in the midst of being reconstructed. In those conditions, the Fit’s suspension did a good job of absorbing imperfections in the road without punishing the driver.
The Fit is fairly high off the ground, with a high entry point and high seat height. That makes it easy to get in and out. You don’t feel like you have to fall into the driver’s seat.
The Fit has Honda’s typically light steering touch, which makes it very easy to steer, maneuver, and park.
We like Honda’s LaneWatch system, which shows a camera view of the right side of the car when you engage your right turn signal.
Climate controls are very easy to operate with three large knobs for temperature, fan and air direction.
There are USB and 12-volt power outlets available, and lots of Honda-style nooks and crannies for your spare change and cell phone. And, of course, there are plenty of well-designed cup holders.
At $17,270 MSRP, decently equipped, we think the Fit is a pretty good deal.

Cons
Touch screen with the execrable “touch” volume controls require you to take your eyes off the road to aim your finger precisely at the right spot on the screen. And still, you have to futz with it to get it to work correctly. A real step backward from the good old volume knob, and is annoying enough to be a deal breaker for some people. It’s truly a lousy design and we can’t wait for Honda to correct it.
To make matters worse, we found the far edge of the touch screen to be a bit challenging to reach. Fortunately, there are radio controls on the steering wheel. If you have your presets programmed, and you’re not using the wheel to, say, turn, you can use the steering wheel control to change stations. Still, please, bring back the volume and tuning knobs.
Driving a car this size on a busy highway, next to trucks and SUVs can be a little nerve wracking. It’s a small car. So while it inspires confidence around town, you are aware of your vulnerability when behemoths are passing you at 80.
Road and engine noise were quite noticeable, especially at highways speed. The revs at 70 mph were well over 3,000, even in 6th gear, and the car is not well sound insulated.
“Rubbery” feeling shifter made clear the Fit is not a sports car.
It could be that our test car needed an adjustment, or just due to the small engine, but when starting from a full stop, the clutch required more gas than one might expect to keep the Fit from stalling.