We drove one in 2012 for a Cars.com/USA TODAY/MotorWeek comparison, and it swept the field despite its age. Good endorsement of the "get it right and leave it alone" approach.
Still, Test Drive is delighted to report that the completely redesigned car is a better Fit.
It's an inch shorter, but has a longer wheelbase, is marginally wider and the unusual center-mounted, underfloor gas tank is reshaped for a better fit. The rear suspension was modified to intrude less into the back seat area.
The 2015 Fit, Honda says, has a remarkable 4.8 inches more rear legroom — about 39 inches, or nearly as much as most cars' front seats. And the back seat now slides further, so you can open more cargo space and still leave enough legroom.
The rear cushions continue to fold up against the backrest to present a tall, open hauling space for that big-screen TV. The seats fold down conventionally, too. And, in so-called "refresh" mode, you can leave the back seat up and fold down everything else to create a chaise lounge for a nap.
Fit does all that and drives nicely. Important because it is, after all, a car.
Steering stays centered nicely, without fussing from the driver, but reacts quickly and smoothly when turned. Steering feel and function are magic arts. Some get it very wrong. Fit gets it right.
The suspension might seem a bit stiff. We found it closer to sporty than to harsh, and not unexpected in a small car. Cornering and stability were agreeable.
We tried the six-speed manual around Manhattan. It shifted smoothly and required little effort; livable in the city.
We spent the rest of the test time in a CVT automatic transmission model in Northern Virginia. We generally loathe CVT gearboxes, but Fit's is acceptable.
It has steering-wheel paddle shifters to let you move through set gear ratios if you wish. And in CVT mode, it drops the engine speed a lot whe! n you let up a little on the gas, as if it were a normal automatic up-shifting. Stomp the gas and it instantly grabs a lower ratio in a way that feels like a conventional downshift.
But floor it from a stop and you still get that slipping-clutch feel and sound until the car speed "catches up" to the CVT setting.
Reasonable people often disagree on matters of taste, but to our eye, the new Fit looks nicer. Less distinctive, but the silhouette's smoother.
The infotainment/connectivity system is wanting and baffling. And that's being generous. A special combo cable with HDMI to feed graphics from your iPhone to the car's 7-inch display screen didn't provide album covers, maps or much of anything.
More messing around might decode the operation. But decoding shouldn't be required. It should be as easy to link and use a phone as it is to start the car.
For those who crave more involvement, we suggest an "Absurd" mode that requires you to dig around all day in illogical, baffling layers of electronic menus.
Fit is aimed at young buyers. We bet a car's a commodity to many and that infotainment is a priority. Once they see how great the electronics suite works in, say, a Chevy Sonic, it could be hard to get them back to the Honda store.
It's heartbreaking for a great little car, which the Fit truly is, to lack a sweet suite of electronics to close the deal.
WHAT STANDS OUT
Space: How do they get so much room in there?
Mileage: Exceeds expectations.
Infotainment: Awkward, not intuitive.
2015 HONDA FIT
What? Redesign of front-drive, four-door subcompact hatchback with more space, power and gas mileage.
When? On sale since April 14.
Where? Made in Mexico.
How much? Base LX with manual transmission is $16,315, including $790 shipping. That's up $100 from 2014; Honda says it has $1,000 more equipment. Top-end EX-L (leather) with navigation is $21,590.
How many? Honda ho! pes for a! 33% boost to at least 70,000 a year.
How big? An inch or two bigger all around than Chevrolet Sonic, a chief rival, but much roomier inside. Weighs 2,513 to 2,642 lbs. Passenger space, 93.8 cubic feet (except base LX, 95.7 cu. ft.). Cargo space, 16.6 cu. ft. behind rear seat, 52.7 cu. ft. seat folded forward.
Turning circle diameter, 35.1 feet.
What makes it go? 1.5-liter gasoline four-cylinder rated 130 horsepower at 6,500 rpm (vs. 117 hp for previous Fit), 114 pounds-feet of torque at 4,600 (vs. 106 lbs.-ft. previously); six-speed manual or continuously variable-ratio automatic transmission (CVT).
How thirsty? Manual transmission models rated 29 mpg in the city, 37 mpg highway, 32 mpg combined city/highway. Base LX with CVT, 33/41/36. Other CVT models, 32/38/35.
CVT test car: 31.7 mpg (3.15 gallons per 100 miles) in suburban driving, 33.8 mpg (2.96 gal/100 mi) in mix of city, highway, suburbs.
Burns regular, holds 10.6 gal.
Overall: A great little car.
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