Honda Fit’s no exception to entry level compromise

Walking around the 2014 Honda Fit Sport, one notes a hint of possibility as to the street-ability and perceived sportiness of the little box that is the 5 door Fit. But that's the"top of the mark" for the Fit and you can expect to pay $19,000+ for one equipped with navigation.

While Honda has gone to great lengths to disguise the fact that this is the smallest vehicle available in its North American lineup, parking the car next to a Civic or Accord puts the car’s size into perspective.

The overall dimensions of the car is very small. And for some reason for 2015, the Fit is 1.5 inches shorter. Recently compared to the Chevrolet Aveo, Fiat 500 and Toyota Versa-Note by several consumer reports, the Fit scored high 8.9 out of 10 in over-all attributes while rating a bit lower in performance and standard features than a comparably priced Ford Fiesta.

A bit noisy in the cabin, with a rough hands-on feel for the road common to light vehicles, you won’t find the sound isolating features of a 2014 Accord Tour in the Fit.

In the automotive industry you get what you pay for. The Fit is not the exception. However, the 2015 model due to hit the market mid-year 2014 shows some promise.

An uptick in body styling, lower ground effects and an available 16” alloy rim will add to the illusion of a larger, car while an added 17 hp and 9 ft-lb of torque coupled to a CVT will bump up performance a bit. As demonstrated by Honda, as introduced at the 2014 North American International Auto Show, the interior will be improved by a shift in rear seat ergonomics, “soft touch” premium materials an updated dash monitor and personal communication connectivity.

As we watched the unveiling of the 2015 Fit, Honda made no attempt to disguise the fact that the new Fit was intended for a young, progressive demographic. While the car’s many positive attributes may be found to be more than adequate for mature drivers wishing to step-down into an affordable flex-space commutator, those doing so from a large or midsize domestic or import sedan may find the transition to be less than comfortable. In this case “less is not always more.”

looking at today’s Fit, we find a car that offers less than “best in class” mileage, and is rated # 3 for price in the small car category with the Mazda 3 and Ford Fiesta priced lower, while offering a greater number of standard features. However, it is a Honda and comes standard with superior fit and finish and the promise of higher residual value at time of trade-in or resale.

Due to manufacturing standards and market restraints, Honda as with all manufactures has cut more than few corners in the manufacturing of the Fit. If you are willing to live with a little less cushion and fluff while enjoying the parking and commuting attributes of a micro car, the Fit may be the Honda for you.

As to safety and crash test results, we know what happened earlier this week as all cars tested in the micro or mini car sector failed to receive a “good“rating in the “slight” overlap front end collision test. Honda claims that the fully redesigned 2015 Fit will “ ace” the test in 2015.

Looking to the 3rd generation Fit we find a redesigned uni body-like structure with integrated safety cage. Interestingly enough, Honda is positioning the Fit to be the companies new Civic, as Civic reaches Accord dimensions and price-points. Introduced to Japan in 2001, Fit production will pass the 5 million unit mark as North America adjusts to what Honda perceives as the “norm” in near future personal transportation.