Test Drive: 2009 Honda Fit Sport,
Toronto, Ontario – Had I been moonlighting as a Honda salesperson the week I tested a red 2009 Honda Fit Sport, I could have lined my pockets with a little commission money.
My brother-in-law was over for a BBQ and decided then and there he was getting one. Ka-ching! A couple of musician friends were floored by how much equipment would fit in the Fit, and said they were heading to their local Honda store pronto. Double ka-ching!
The 2009 Fit is an all-new model, slightly bigger, slightly more powerful, slightly more fuel efficient and whole lot better looking than the outgoing car. Sure, the 2007-2008 Fit was cute and dorky, but this one is cute and funky, with big headlights, a sculpted body, and a radically raked nose and windscreen. Base wheels are 15-inch (up from 14-inch last year) with the Sport model getting 16-inch alloys.
The Fit’s new interior features a trio of large round gauges with illuminated blue pointers and an interesting and ultimately functional vertical stacking of big rotary HVAC controls. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes, and the Sport model gets a nice leather wrapped unit. Small item storage is not a problem with this car. There are two gloveboxes (the upper has an iPod/USB port in the Sport), lots of cubbies and a new hidden storage compartment in the bottom of the left rear seat cushion.
The 2009 Fit’s 1.5-litre i-VTEC four gets an improved variable valve-timing system that boosts horsepower count by eight to 117. Torque is up one lb.-ft. to 106 at 4800 r.p.m. City/highway fuel consumption ratings for the Fit with five-speed auto are 7.1/5.5 L/100 km. I averaged 6.4 L/100 km on my watch.
As you can guess by looking at that modest torque peak, this ain’t no hot hatch. That said, acceleration could be described as adequate, and once up to speed the Fit will happily zip along with the 130 km/h flow of 401 traffic. The tall gearing means there is no frantic revving at highway speeds, but laden with four humans, passing requires a little patience and a couple of lower gears.
All in the name of fuel economy you say. Indeed, but as I write this, there is a 2009 VW Jetta TDI clean diesel in my driveway that gets the same mileage while delivering enough low-end torque to pull a pit bull off a poodle. Yes, it is five grand dearer, but it does illustrate another approach to sanctimonious fuel usage
The true genius of the Fit lies in its perception-busting cargo capacity. The split 60/40 rear Magic Seat flips forward in an easy fluid motion, creating a 1622-litre flat load space with a very low 61 cm (2 ft.) liftover height thanks to the centrally mounted fuel tank and specially shaped torsion beam rear suspension. The hatch and resultant opening are bigger in the 2009 Fit too. You could easily put a full-sized washing machine in there or the entire cast of Corner Gas.
The other Magic Seat trick is the ability of the lower cushions to flip up against the seatbacks, providing space just behind the front seats for tall objects like plants and bikes.
With the Magic Seat functioning as seats, there is a class-leading 585 litres behind them. While this is down marginally from last year’s Fit, this tester passed the Maggie test – our large Golden Retriever was content back there on an extended journey. The humans in both the front and back, however, found the firm seats not that comfy after a couple of hours.
The 2009 Fit gets a couple of demerit points in the dynamic department. The electro-mechanical steering, which is more efficient than traditional hydraulically-assisted steering, is twitchy and lacks feel. Additionally, the Fit’s choppy ride can get tiresome after a while. Not all small hatches have to ride this way. The Hyundai Accent, for one, has a much more friendly on-road comportment; better steering too.
All 2009 Fit models get six airbags, front disc/rear drum brakes with ABS, brake assist and electronic brake distribution, and active front headrests. Unfortunately, ESP (electronic stability control) is not available.
Dynamic niggles aside, Honda has fashioned an incredibly clever vehicle in the 2009 Fit. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive than some of the competition, and no, it won’t exactly raise your pulse, but it proves funky, functional and frugal to the max.
Test Drive: 2009 Honda Fit Sport,
Toronto, Ontario – Had I been moonlighting as a Honda salesperson the week I tested a red 2009 Honda Fit Sport, I could have lined my pockets with a little commission money.
My brother-in-law was over for a BBQ and decided then and there he was getting one. Ka-ching! A couple of musician friends were floored by how much equipment would fit in the Fit, and said they were heading to their local Honda store pronto. Double ka-ching!
The 2009 Fit is an all-new model, slightly bigger, slightly more powerful, slightly more fuel efficient and whole lot better looking than the outgoing car. Sure, the 2007-2008 Fit was cute and dorky, but this one is cute and funky, with big headlights, a sculpted body, and a radically raked nose and windscreen. Base wheels are 15-inch (up from 14-inch last year) with the Sport model getting 16-inch alloys.
The Fit’s new interior features a trio of large round gauges with illuminated blue pointers and an interesting and ultimately functional vertical stacking of big rotary HVAC controls. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes, and the Sport model gets a nice leather wrapped unit. Small item storage is not a problem with this car. There are two gloveboxes (the upper has an iPod/USB port in the Sport), lots of cubbies and a new hidden storage compartment in the bottom of the left rear seat cushion.
The 2009 Fit’s 1.5-litre i-VTEC four gets an improved variable valve-timing system that boosts horsepower count by eight to 117. Torque is up one lb.-ft. to 106 at 4800 r.p.m. City/highway fuel consumption ratings for the Fit with five-speed auto are 7.1/5.5 L/100 km. I averaged 6.4 L/100 km on my watch.
As you can guess by looking at that modest torque peak, this ain’t no hot hatch. That said, acceleration could be described as adequate, and once up to speed the Fit will happily zip along with the 130 km/h flow of 401 traffic. The tall gearing means there is no frantic revving at highway speeds, but laden with four humans, passing requires a little patience and a couple of lower gears.
All in the name of fuel economy you say. Indeed, but as I write this, there is a 2009 VW Jetta TDI clean diesel in my driveway that gets the same mileage while delivering enough low-end torque to pull a pit bull off a poodle. Yes, it is five grand dearer, but it does illustrate another approach to sanctimonious fuel usage
The true genius of the Fit lies in its perception-busting cargo capacity. The split 60/40 rear Magic Seat flips forward in an easy fluid motion, creating a 1622-litre flat load space with a very low 61 cm (2 ft.) liftover height thanks to the centrally mounted fuel tank and specially shaped torsion beam rear suspension. The hatch and resultant opening are bigger in the 2009 Fit too. You could easily put a full-sized washing machine in there or the entire cast of Corner Gas.
The other Magic Seat trick is the ability of the lower cushions to flip up against the seatbacks, providing space just behind the front seats for tall objects like plants and bikes.
With the Magic Seat functioning as seats, there is a class-leading 585 litres behind them. While this is down marginally from last year’s Fit, this tester passed the Maggie test – our large Golden Retriever was content back there on an extended journey. The humans in both the front and back, however, found the firm seats not that comfy after a couple of hours.
The 2009 Fit gets a couple of demerit points in the dynamic department. The electro-mechanical steering, which is more efficient than traditional hydraulically-assisted steering, is twitchy and lacks feel. Additionally, the Fit’s choppy ride can get tiresome after a while. Not all small hatches have to ride this way. The Hyundai Accent, for one, has a much more friendly on-road comportment; better steering too.
All 2009 Fit models get six airbags, front disc/rear drum brakes with ABS, brake assist and electronic brake distribution, and active front headrests. Unfortunately, ESP (electronic stability control) is not available.
Dynamic niggles aside, Honda has fashioned an incredibly clever vehicle in the 2009 Fit. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive than some of the competition, and no, it won’t exactly raise your pulse, but it proves funky, functional and frugal to the max.