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Honda Cars
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Sunday, 26 October 2008 05:26 |
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Page 2 of 3
Consumers who've never poked their head into a modern hatchback may be amazed at how much space is packed into the petite body. Two large adults fit quite comfortably in back, thanks in part to reclining second-row seatbacks. Three adults will even fit in a pinch.
Honda's so-called Magic Seats dive flat into the floor in a slick one-hand operation, with no need to remove the headrests. The load floor becomes perfectly flat, unlike those in many rivals, creating a class-leading 57 cubic feet of storage. For comparison, the Ford Escape, a compact SUV that's 13 inches longer, 8 inches taller and 4 inches wider, holds 65 cubic feet.
Dorm-bound college students will rejoice. Even with passengers in back, the Fit's hatch exceeds the trunk space of nearly every full-size luxury sedan, at least if you stuff it to the roof. And the front passenger seat folds forward to let you carry ladders or other long items.
The rear hatch opens at a higher angle, making it easier to lean deep inside. There are tie-down hooks, a storage box and a cargo light.
The new four-cylinder engine displaces 1.5 liters and turns out 117 horsepower, up 8 from the previous Fit. The Honda takes a modest nine seconds to reach 60 miles an hour and works hard to climb especially steep hills. But once at cruising speed, the Fit hums along smoothly at 80 mph, and the cabin is notably quieter than it was before.
The Sport's 5-speed automatic adds a pair of paddle shifters; the transmission isn't the fastest, but a sport setting lets it hold gears right up to the 6,800-rpm red line on the tachometer. Yet it's the 5-speed manual, despite fairly long throws, that coaxes the most fun from the engine.
As I headed north from Peekskill on a section of Route 6 that locals call the Goat Trail - a vertiginous, scenic switchback climb up to the Bear Mountain Bridge across the Hudson - my back-to-back drives in the new and old Fits were especially telling.
The new Fit Sport, with its suspension tweaks and fatter tires, delivered more grip and less body lean when pressed. But the new car's electrically assisted steering, despite having the quickest ratio in its class, felt a bit lifeless compared with the older version.
While noticeably buzzier and harsher-riding, last year's Fit was more fun to drive, with more of the flingy, devilish attitude that are the hallmarks of a cheap, entertaining hatchback.
That said, I always found the Fit's fun-to-drive reputation a bit overstated. Sure, the previous car was agile by the standards of budget subcompacts. But its mileage, practicality and class-leading refinement were what grabbed me, not its performance. And I suspect that for the typical buyer, sharp handling isn't a top priority.
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