The 2007 Honda Fit: Little Wonder

By Jim Platt

After decades of dominating the American midsize and compact car markets, Honda has introduced the 2007 Fit. Following in the footsteps of successes like the Honda Civic and Accord, the Fit will certainly have high expectations to live up to. But as a subcompact, competing with cheaper Korean and other automakers, can the Fit hold its own?

For the most part, the new Fit goes in a different direction than previous Honda vehicles. Originally introduced as the Honda" Jazz" in a handful of other countries, the new Fit has been a redesigned from the ground up to appeal specifically to the American market. And with a startlingly low retail price beginning around $12,000, the 2007 Honda Fit is clearly aiming for the US subcompact market, and will be competing with lower-priced vehicles like the Hyundai Accent or the Kia Rio. But will Honda's strategy for the new Fit backfire? Let's take a look...

"Cute" is the word that first comes to mind upon viewing the 2007 Honda Fit. The new subcompact appears functional and spacious, but not exactly sleek or aerodynamic. However, the real selling point of the new Fit is its versatility, fuel economy and robust build. To start with, the Fit has greater power and acceleration than you might think for a subcompact of its size and price range. With a four-cylinder, 109 hp engine, the light, subcompact Fit produces a very respectable amount of torque and acceleration for a sub-compact car.

In addition, the 2007 Fit is incredibly spacious considering it's considered a sub-compact vehicle. The Fit uses what Honda calls "special seat modes." All four interior seats can be repositioned into a number of differing configurations. These various configurations can be very handy indeed, depending on the passenger or cargo load you may be carrying.

For example, both of the rear seats can be laid flat, forming a mini flatbed for transporting cargo. In this rear seat "utility mode" a small to normal sized bicycle can be transported on the flatbed. But there are other modes as well.

When set in the "long mode," the front passenger seat is reclined to a horizontal position, allowing longer items, such as skis, to be easily transported in the Fit. Honda claims that even a small kayak can be transported in this position.

There are two other seat "modes" rounding out the cargo-carrying versatility of the vehicle. Honda has engineered the 2007 Fit to have the most possible carrying space, for both cargo and passengers. The end result is a fuel-efficient subcompact that, in a strange way, actually feels spacious.

But besides the versatility of the Fit's ergonomics and seat configurations, it's also a very practical car economically. With an estimated 38 miles per gallon highway and 33 miles per gallon in city driving, the 2007 Fit arrives just in time to appeal to middle-class Americans, weary of paying ever-increasing gas prices at the pump.

With a combination of great fuel efficiency, a spacious, ergonomic design, and Honda's new versatile "special seat modes," the 2007 Honda Fit should compete well in the subcompact market place.