2007 Honda Fit Basic review from North America

None.

Honda Fit basic. Great little car! OK, that was Mazda’s old line, but it fits. I’ve rented lots of cars in the “Economy/Compact” class, the Fit is at the top of the list in handling, finish, and utility. Very sporty handling, with well matched tires. Some small cars feel jiggly at freeway speeds on rough surface. Not the Fit. Tracks a straight line on rough interstate. Our local I-80 had a bad winter with horrible potholes. Mid winter, the highway department ground the road surface down to the previous road paving, resulting in wavy irregular grooves. Fit tracks a straight line. It’s a light car, but does OK in cross winds. 10 to 15 knot cross winds tug at the body, but there’s no wrestling with the steering wheel. Steering is quick and precise on our local rural roads. Does super on “dead skunk avoidance” slalom. I really enjoy the shifter. Relatively short throw. We drive it at 5000 to 7500’ elevation, so with the small engine we get to shift often. Well put together. Plastic and cloth interior, but doesn’t look cheap. Honda did a tasteful job. Multiple textures and color of plastic surfaces on the dash, give the impression of a nicer trim level. Same with the door fabric and plastic. Fold down rear seats are very creative. You can put relatively large objects in the rear hatch. Think bicycles or large TV sets in original box. On third tank of gas, 100% rural road and highway, 43 to 46 mpg. So, if no one is fooling around and adding gas to the tank in the middle of the night, mileage is excellent. Comes standard with A/C, Power windows and door locks, and airbags and antilock brakes. Was looking at Toyota Yaris and Corolla as well, but many of the local cars in stock did not have airbags or ABS.

Minus points. A/C is standard, but the Basic model comes without tinted windows. If you live someplace with mostly sunny days, you’ll notice the difference. Carpet is actually just trunk liner. In June 2006, there is limited dealer availability. No discount on price and limited selection.

I would have seriously considered the sport model, but it would have been a two month wait.