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Honda Fit
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Honda Fit Specs
& Performance
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Model Year: |
2007 |
|
Make: |
Honda |
|
Model: |
Fit |
|
Style: |
Sport |
|
Base Price: |
$14,400 (including destination) |
|
Price as Tested: |
$15,720 |
|
Drive Type: |
Front-wheel drive |
|
Transmission Type: |
5-speed manual |
|
Displacement (liters): |
1.5 |
|
Engine Type: |
Inline 4 |
|
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): |
109 @ 5,800 |
|
Torque (ft-lbs @ rpm): |
105 @ 4,800 |
|
Braking System: |
ventilated front disc/rear drum w/ ABS |
|
Steering System: |
Electric, Power-assisted-sensitive
rack-and-pinion |
|
Suspension Type (front): |
MacPherson Strut, stabilizer bar |
|
Suspension Type (rear): |
Torsion-Beam Rear Suspension |
|
Tire Size (front): |
P195/55R15 84H |
|
Tire Size (rear): |
P195/55R15 84H |
|
Tire Brand: |
N/A |
|
Tire Model: |
N/A |
|
Curb Weight (lbs): |
2,471 |
|
Recommended Fuel: |
Regular unleaded |
|
Fuel Tank Capacity (gal): |
10.8 |
|
EPA Fuel Economy (mpg): |
33
City 38 Highway |
|
Edmunds Observed (mpg): |
32 |
|
Temperature
(Fahrenheit): |
53 |
|
Humidity: |
30.10 |
|
Elevation (ft): |
N/A |
|
Wind: |
2.0 |
|
0 - 30 (sec): |
3.2 |
|
0 - 45 (sec): |
5.7 |
|
0 - 60 (sec): |
9.3 |
|
0 - 75 (sec): |
14.1 |
|
1/4 Mile (sec @
mph): |
16.73 @ 80.82 |
|
30 - 0 (ft): |
30.49 |
|
60 - 0 (ft): |
123.61 |
|
Braking Rating
(Excellent, Good, Average, Poor or Very Poor): |
Good |
|
Slalom (mph): |
67.50 |
|
Skid Pad
(g-force): |
.0791 |
|
Handling Rating
(Excellent, Good, Average, Poor or Very Poor): |
Good |
|
Db @ Idle: |
42.1 |
|
Db @ Full
Throttle: |
74.3 |
|
Db @ 70 mph
Cruise: |
70.0 |
|
Acceleration
Comments: |
We
launched at 4,750 rpm. The shifter is awesome.
There was solid clutch engagement. |
|
Braking Comments: |
The operation of the ABS was loud. The pedal
feels good, especially conisdering it has rear
drums. |
|
Handling Comments: |
On
the skid pad, there was consistent understeer
and it was slow reacting to throttle input. In
the slalom it felt stable and provided good
feedback. It allowed for fast runs for an
inexpensive car. It was even fun to drive.
|
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Length: |
157.4 inches |
|
Width: |
66.2 inches |
|
Height: |
60.0 inches |
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Wheelbase: |
96.5 inches |
|
Legroom (front): |
41.9 inches |
|
Legroom (rear): |
33.7 inches |
|
Headroom (front): |
40.6 inches |
|
Headroom (rear): |
38.6 inches |
|
Maximum Seating
Capacity: |
5 |
|
Cargo Volume: |
21.3 cubic feet |
|
Maximum Cargo
Volume (rear seats down): |
41.9 cubic feet |
|
Bumper-to-Bumper: |
3 years/36,000
miles |
|
Power Train: |
5 years/60,000
miles |
|
Corrosion: |
5 years/Unlimited
miles |
|
Roadside
Assistance: |
Not available |
|
Scheduled
Maintenance: |
Not available |
|
Front Airbags: |
Standard |
|
Side Airbags: |
Standard |
|
Head Airbags: |
Standard |
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Antilock Brakes: |
Standard |
|
Electronic Brake Enhancements: |
Standard |
|
Traction Control: |
Not Available |
|
Stability Control: |
Not Available |
|
Rollover Protection: |
Not Available |
|
Emergency Assistance System: |
Not Available |
|
NHTSA Crash Test Driver: |
Not Available |
|
NHTSA Crash Test Passenger: |
Not Available |
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NHTSA Crash Test Side Front: |
Not Available |
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NHTSA Crash Test Side Rear: |
Not Available |
|
NHTSA Rollover: |
Not Available |
|
IIHS Offset: |
Not Available |
|
The 2007 Honda Fit is a triumph of creativity, proof
that good ideas don't have to be expensive. Within
the Lilliputian dimensions of this five-door
hatchback is a world of imagination that knows few
limits. It seats four comfortably (five in a pinch),
offers great fuel economy (above 33 mpg), and is as
easy to live with as your best friend.
Let's daydream for a moment about a world where all
the cars are like this little Honda. Picture
highways with traffic that flows freely. Imagine
twice the number of open parking spaces. And best of
all, see gas stations with tumbling fuel prices.
That may be a coming attraction if the world catches
on to the benefits of small cars.
One more daydream before we move on to specifics:
Perhaps the Fit — and other little cars in this
segment which are sprouting up like wildflowers —
signals the beginning of the end of an era of
insanity, that is to say the end of the SUV age. We
have nothing against SUVs when used for their
intended purpose. But SUVs for image or to give the
driver a sense of power and superiority (not to
mention a false sense of safety): now that's crazy.
A feeling of space
Judging by the Fit, the new frontier of car design
lies not in exterior styling, not in wildly boosted
horsepower, but inside the car. And that's where the
Fit excels. Look at it from the outside next to a
"normal" car, and it looks teeny. But step inside
and you'll find that Honda has created space and,
more importantly, a feeling of space. We urged a
6-foot, 4-inch friend to sit behind the wheel and
his first words were "plenty of headroom, good front
legroom."
While drivers rave about the road feel and the
awesome sensation of the five-speed manual
transmission, Honda is busy promoting the Fit based
on its second-row "Magic Seat" design, which
effortlessly provides outstanding flexibility. It
has four different modes that entail folding the
seats this way and that like an origami creation.
The key is a single control on the top side of the
front seats that slides the seat forward. No
bending, no straining. The front seat slides
forward, the backseat folds down without your
needing to remove the headrests. When the front seat
is moved back in place, the now reclined rear-seat
headrests slide neatly under the cushion. Why the
heck didn't someone think of that sooner?
With the seats in the conventional position, there
is adequate cargo room accessible through the
hatchback for say, a week's groceries (21 cubic feet
and 23 cubic feet with the seats folded down). In
the "long" mode, a 7-foot, 10-inch surfboard can be
stowed inside. We took the Fit to Malibu and found a
surfer to consult on this vital subject and we were
told that the car would definitely appeal to wave
riders: "Fold the seats down, throw the board in and
boom — you're good to go."
For carrying taller items, the Fit's backseat
cushions fold up to give you 50 inches of vertical
room, floor to ceiling, because Honda moved the gas
tank forward to open up a deeper well. Besides the
adaptability of the interior, the front seats are
quite comfortable and the fabric is attractive. The
backseats were a bit short on thigh support, but the
legroom was adequate for smaller passengers.
Additionally, there is under-seat storage for
backpacks, purses or picnic baskets.
Economy and power
Both trim levels for this front-drive, five-door
hatchback (the Fit is offered in base and Sport
trim) feature a 1.5-liter, 109-horsepower VTEC
four-cylinder engine. Delivering 105 pound-feet of
torque at 4,800 rpm, it posted a 9.3-second,
0-60-mph sprint. The EPA estimates it will get 33
mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, but our
average for the test period was 32 mpg. Driving the
Fit with a five-speed manual transmission revealed a
sweet spot of acceleration in the midrange that
emerges like a bonus on an already lively engine.
While the car seems well insulated and less tinny
than other cars in this class, at about 80 mph in
5th, the engine is revving up around 3,500 rpm and
makes its presence known.
A huge favorite of ours was the meaty feel and
action of the manual shifter. The action is precise,
well defined and pleasing. The Fit Sport is also
available with a five-speed automatic transmission
with paddle shifters that we drove briefly at a
press event. Thanks to the non-sequential
drive-by-wire throttle control, the automatic almost
seemed to have more zip than the manual. The
rubber-backed shift paddles were pleasing to the
touch and added a new dimension to the driving
experience. The paddles can be used to initiate a
shift even in the fully automatic mode; the
transmission returns to full automatic after holding
the gear for a period of time.
One editor criticized the small size of the fuel
tank (only 10.8 gallons), noting that frequent
fill-ups will make the owner feel it is not as
fuel-efficient as promised. Depending on the
driver's style, however, the range could still be as
high as 350 miles (a Fit with an automatic
transmission is estimated to get 31-37 mpg) — not
bad for a car with a base price of $14,400 with the
manual. The base Fit with an automatic transmission
is $15,200; the Fit Sport with manual transmission
is $15,720; and the Fit Sport with an automatic is
$16,520 (all prices include the $550 destination
charge).
Standard safety features
As if anticipating safety concerns from U.S. buyers,
Honda has provided two key features standard on both
the base and Sport models. Both trim levels come
with four-wheel antilock brakes and side curtain
airbags. The ABS operation was loud but the pedal
feel was good, especially considering it comes with
rear drum brakes (and front discs). Braking
distances were exceptional, with the Fit stopping
from 60 mph in as little as 123 feet. The use of
high-tensile-strength steel on 36 percent of the
Fit's unibody frame has kept the curb weight low —
only 2,471 pounds (on the Sport with a manual
transmission).
Honda's attention to safety is well-placed;
Americans tie their egos — as well as their feelings
of safety — to the sheer size of the vehicle. The
bigger and heavier car will usually win in a
head-to-head contest. However, Honda engineers are
confident the Fit will win a five-star rating from
the NHTSA on a front crash. Furthermore, they expect
a "Good" rating from the IIHS in both the
offset-frontal and side-impact tests.
Handles like a champ
The Fit drove like a champ, with quick steering and
exquisite road feel. These impressions were
confirmed on the track, where it slipped through the
slalom in 6.1 seconds at 67.5 mph. The Fit felt
stable and well balanced, and provided good feedback
to the driver. It was about as much fun as you could
have in a thrifty little car. Not only that, but the
sporty handling didn't sacrifice comfort; it
provided a pleasing, comfortable ride.
Matters of comfort, convenience and personal
preference
The operation of the heating and air-conditioning
system was the essence of simplicity. Three big
knobs, conveniently located, were easy to use and
provided all the combinations that drivers and
passengers need to keep them comfortable. Similarly,
the radio and CD player are stylish yet
straightforward, and the system delivered impressive
sound quality. A separate auxiliary input jack
provides connection to an MP3 player, and the CD
player in the Sport allows MP3 and WMA playback.
The build quality of our preproduction Fit Sport was
impressively tight, with great attention to detail.
Our only problem came with a pesky hatch that needed
to be closed twice to catch properly. The materials
throughout were high-quality and pleasing to the
touch. Controls were nicely weighted, giving a
feeling of durability and value.
Final Fit words
Honda has put so much fun in this Fit that it
arrives like a breath of fresh air in an era of
dwindling resources on a congested landscape of
clogged roads and packed parking lots. How nice to
see that the 2007 Honda Fit and some others
(Nissan's Versa, Scion's xA and xB, and Toyota's
Yaris) are cars built for the new millennium. While
an SUV spills outside the dimensions of its parking
space like a fat man in an airline seat, any space
is an opportunity for a Fit. We guess you could say
that, for many car buyers, this car will be a great
fit.omponents: Our Fit was a Sport model, which adds
an upgraded stereo as part of the package. The
upgraded system is actually quite nice and includes
thoughtful features like the ability to play MP3 CDs
as well as WMA files. The base stereo doesn't offer
this. The Fit Sport comes with a 200-watt,
six-speaker stereo and includes five sound profiles
or preset equalizer settings. There's also an
external mini-jack for connecting portable MP3
players, and an available Honda/Apple Music link
that allows for direct iPod integration into the
car's stereo.
Performance: The first thing we noticed about the
Fit's stereo is that the head unit is very
attractive. There's a large, round knob with
good-sized buttons surrounding it. The screen is
also large, with nice contrasting characters making
it easy to read. The large display also makes it
easier to navigate MP3 folders.
With six speakers, the Fit Sport's stereo sounds
very good. We were expecting a compromised audio
system given the car's price and size, but we were
pleasantly surprised by the fullness of the sound.
Bass response is adequate but not up to the standard
set by Scion's Pioneer stereo. Because the Fit Sport
has six speakers rather than the standard model's
four, the additional door-mounted tweeters provide
nice detail. The highs are bright and clear without
being shrill or distracting.
The five EQ settings actually work well and seem to
suit the type of music they're intended to enhance.
We mention this because it's not always the case
with built-in equalizer settings, no matter how much
the car costs.
Best Feature: Flexibility.
Worst Feature: MP3 and WMA CD capability are only
offered on upgraded Sport model.
Conclusion: A great little stereo that offers
better-than-average sound, but world-class
flexibility by allowing many options for playing
music.
Senior Features Editor Joanne Helperin says:
Tiny cars tend to get beaten up pretty badly by
bigger cars when they collide. So the first
questions many folks ask when looking at a
subcompact are, "Is this car really safe?" or "Are
my grandkids safe in the backseat?" Knowing this,
Honda's engineers designed the Fit to have
class-leading NHTSA and IIHS crash test scores.
Better, though, is that this safety doesn't cost
anything on top of the Fit's base price: Front side
airbags, side curtain airbags and ABS are all
standard equipment, something the competition can't
claim. Even the upcoming Nissan Versa, a 2007 model,
will charge extra for side curtain airbags and ABS.
Once the safety bar is passed, I look for features
to make my life as a busy working mom easier, such
as roominess, flexibility and low maintenance. Here,
too, the Fit is strong. Numerous flip-and-fold
seating options offer tremendous versatility, giving
the Fit 9 cubic feet of cargo space more than its
Scion competitor, the xA. A worthwhile "peace of
mind" feature is the Honda Maintenance Minder, an
intelligent system that uses actual driving
conditions — rather than the owner's manual — to
indicate when the car needs service for oil, tire
rotation and so on.
The Fit's excellent fuel economy (10 percent more
mpg than the Kia Rio 5), low emissions, fun
handling, comfortable seats and ample rear legroom
should help the Fit appeal to anyone. The young (or
young at heart) will also get a kick from the Fit's
bright colors and MP3 compatibility — though that's
standard only on the Sport trim.
Honda engineers seem to have carefully considered
all the trade-offs necessary in a small car and
designed their best all-around vehicle, making the
2006 Honda Fit one of the strongest contenders in an
increasingly crowded contest.
Senior Road Test Editor Josh Jacquot says:
What's the Honda Fit's best feature? Easy. Its Magic
rear seat. That's Magic, with a capital "M" and it's
Honda's official designation for the seats which can
be configured four different ways in addition to the
conventional three-across seating mode.
Flip the rear-seat bottom up against the seatbacks
and you've got a cargo area tall enough and wide
enough to slide a bicycle (minus its front wheel)
through the rear doors.
And if you want to fold the rear seatbacks flat,
Honda was smart enough to make the procedure simple.
Because the rear-seat headrests interfere with the
front seatbacks as they fold, the front seats must
be temporarily slid forward to achieve a flat cargo
area. Traditionally, this means running around to
the front seats, pulling the release and sliding
each seat forward. But Honda made the task no-duh
simple by placing a release on the backrest of each
front seat. Now the whole job can be done at once
without any musical chairs. It's a simple, elegant
solution that typifies the Fit's convenience.
Combine this usability with excellent control feel
and relatively nimble handling, and the Fit is as
rewarding to drive as it is practical.
Please change the marketing on the Fit ASAP. The
message should be that the Fit drives like the Base
Mini Cooper, but for thousands less. Or something
similar. Don't even try to market it as a budget car
when it's not. Market it as a smaller Civic. Oh —
and ditch the Orange for Yellow." — plekto February
7, 2006
"It worked with the Element. Now Honda utilizes
students to help launch the Fit. More students will
implement their own creative marketing campaign to
assist Honda in targeting the Gen Y market and
introducing them to the new Honda Fit." — jonniedee,
February 8, 2006
"Honda is a global company, and they understand
cultural differences. Their marketing shows that
they think that the Fit will mainly sell as a young
first-time buyer's car. The problem with that
thinking is that they really didn't design a kid's
car with the Fit. This car was designed for other
markets in the world in a category known as 'supermini.'
Think of it as a small minivan, packed with space
and innovation. So even when Honda brings this to
the U.S. and slaps some gaudy trim on it, and hires
Barney the dinosaur as its ad firm, it is still a
supermini Honda Jazz. I predict that after the first
year of this car when the word gets out about how
affordable, reliable, and feature packed the Fit is,
that the marketing of this car will change to meet
the unexpectedly broad demographic that actually
purchases it. It's kind of like putting glasses on
Clark Kent; he's still obviously Superman!" — Mebman,
February 8, 2006
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