2008 Honda Fit Sport 1.5 liter

Summary:

Drives great, very inexpensive to own

Faults:

Engine air and cabin air filters got dirty. ~$30.

Nail in a tire, $0.

General Comments:

What can I say? This has been a fantastic car. It drives well, costs practically nothing to own, and holds its value well.

Steering is light and very accurate with loads of feedback. Can get a little imprecise on long highway trips.

Brakes have a very well balanced feel, and are quiet with low dust.

The shifts are short and the gears have a precise mechanical feel. Clutch takeout is a little tricky with the electronic throttle.

Handling is very good, although there is too much body roll to be considered as a true sporting car. Most people would consider the ride as firm, but not harsh.

The engine can get a little noisy, but it's very smooth. It only has about 4.5 horsepower (okay, a few more than that). The point is, you won't win any drag races; but it's quick enough for the average person.

I have averaged 30-31 mpg's in nearly pure city driving. Highway is 34-37, depending on how many people are in the car. Yes, the extra weight will make a big impact.

Interior space is simply excellent for a car of this size. My 6'4" father in law said he was very comfortable in the backseat during a relatively short trip. With half of the backseat folded, I can fit 3 mountain bikes upright with front wheels removed, 3 people and all our gear. That was a huge selling point for me with the car. I'm 5'11" and I am plenty comfortable. It really is amazing how much stuff this car will hold with the seats up or down.

Here's my wish list if Honda were asking: different seat material (attracts lint like crazy), better carpeting, dead pedal, arm rest, less body roll, stronger AC for 100*+ days, 6th gear, iPod controls through the stereo. Nothing major, just minor stuff you notice after 30k miles.

I would recommend this car for anyone who needs a fun to drive, spacious hatchback and doesn't want to pay a whole lot of money. It might cost you more than say a Kia upfront, but the lower service costs and LOW depreciation more than make up for it in the long run.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th February, 2010

2008 Honda Fit Base 1.5

Summary:

Cheap quality expensive car

Faults:

Interior of the car is cheap.

Clutch seems to be on the way out.

Gas mileage is poor compared to most cars its size.

Check engine light came on at 3000 miles.

Over priced as most Hondas are.

Should have bought the Focus.

General Comments:

Cabin is loud.

Engine burns gas too quick because it is a high rpm engine.

No torque.

Just a mediocre car at best.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 28th December, 2008

25th Apr 2009, 20:44

Are you kidding? Honda Fit has the best performance in its class and has the best fuel economy. But I agree with the interior, it felt cheap and bad quality.

2008 Honda Fit Sport 1.5 Gas

Summary:

Overly happy!

Faults:

My only issue is that the plastic interior scratches very easily. I understand it's plastic, but I thought it might have been a bit more durable.

General Comments:

The Honda Fit was maybe one of the last cars I wanted to own when I started car shopping.

I really wanted a Mini Cooper, but the space issue was just too much for a first car. So I drove just about every brand new car I could that was small, yet fast and under $25,000. I test drove the Hyundai Accent, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla, Chevy Malibu, Suzuki SX4, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mazda 3 and Ford Focus, and all of them pretty well made me feel like I was buying a mini van. No fun whatsoever. My dream car was the Mini Cooper (and possible the type S version)

After about 4 weeks of driving cars and getting very tired of doing so, I decided I should take one last look over at Honda. I was very turned off by the Civic, just because almost everyone and their grandma has a Civic, but I thought why not try one out just to say I did.

I walk into Honda and start talking to a sales person. He said for my budget I should try out the Honda Fit. I looked at some pictures and told him I’m really not interested in such a large car. From the pictures it looks like a small mini van. Then he says “let me take you for a test drive” so I said why not, what do I have to lose. So he shows me the “magic” seats and how much stuff you can pack into this thing, and I pretty much just nodded and smiled during the whole sales pitch. Then he says put on your seat belt and hold on.

After the test drive I got out of the car and I had the biggest grin on my face, and I told him to wrap it up, I want it tomorrow.

The Honda Fit with Sports package blew my mind. Great on gas, drives like a race car, tons of room, and best of all, in person it looks pretty darn sporty.

I would not even consider a Mini Cooper after driving this car. For the price it’s best in its class.

I also read tons of amazing reviews from some pretty reliable publications.

You must drive it to believe it!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th July, 2008

19th Dec 2009, 07:55

I owned a 2009 Honda Fit for 13 months. It is a very good "small" car. Cargo capacity is amazing.

I don't want to repeat all the goodies and just want to say what I found not perfect:

- I had 3 occasions of car couldn't start in the morning. You know when you're late for work and car could not start. It was the battery. If you leave the FIT alarm armed over 3 day, the battery is pretty much discharged to a level that it does not have enough juice to start the engine. I have to jump start it. It OK for an old car but for a brand new Honda?

I took the car to dealer and they advised me to lock the car with the key (not with the remote). When I went for a vacation of 7 days and back, the car did not start, I had to jump start it again. BTW, the car is OK, when I drive every day. I suspect Honda engineers had to use a small battery to shave "weight" in order to get the best fuel economy.

17th Jan 2011, 19:24

The Yaris may not be as sporty as the Fit, but it's actually faster by a few seconds.

28th Jan 2021, 07:57

The Fit was fun to drive? It was a car without personality and a poor design even for cheap car. The Yaris 2008 was a better done car. The Fit had cheap plastics, bad driving position, cheap steering feeling, really uninspiring driving. Absolutely nothing sporty about it.

29th Jan 2021, 03:13

It’s not supposed to be sporty. What it is in fact is a reliable economy car that’s great to get around in the city. I know of two people who own one... a coworker and a neighbour. Both of them love the car for what it is.

30th Jan 2021, 05:43

Totally agree myself that they are not sporty. However the Fit does come with a "sport" option level... whatever that is supposed to mean.

2008 Honda Fit Sport 1.5 VTec L15A

Summary:

Most economical non-hybrid car for sale in USA the past 4 years. Uber good work Honda

Faults:

So far the only thing I have had to change is the tyres. I must say the tyres that the manufacturer puts on cars these days are terrible. I am just waiting my new tyres to be installed today. Factory tyres are Dunlop SP31 A/S in the size of 195/55-HR15. The tires that are being fitted right now are Yokohama S. drive in the size of 195/50VR15.

General Comments:

Quick little car.

Have had my 2008 Honda Fit since January 11th, 2008 and so far have put a cold air intake from HPS in California, a APEXi N1 axle back exhaust.

With exhaust and intake have gone from 30mpg in the city to 35mpg in the city ---- and 36mpg highway to 42mpg highway.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd April, 2008

9th Jun 2008, 10:29

Congrats on being a very wise and savvy car buyer. The mad rush to hybrids is not very smart. The repairs can cost fully HALF the purchase price of the cars, and the environmental damage of all the discarded (and VERY TOXIC) batteries is a threat to the environment second only to nuclear waste. Many small cars, such as the Fit, Focus, Corolla, etc. get almost as good mileage as a hybrid (and much BETTER than larger hybrids). Hybrid batteries never last as long as claimed and cost THOUSANDS to replace.

I always switch all my cars full to synthetic oil, which offers less friction and increases mileage very slightly. In addition, I either install a K&N air filter or cold-air induction system. I used to install free flowing exhausts, but the continual loud roar became very annoying, so I now stay with quieter exhausts.