September 2008

By John Davis

The arrival of the redesigned 2009 Honda Fit subcompact at American dealerships this fall will be welcomed by everyone searching for instant relief from high fuel prices. Like the original, Honda has made sure that buyers of the new Fit will give up little in driving enjoyment just to save at the gas pump. Plus, they have once again filled the Fit with enough versatility to make it resemble a Swiss Army Knife on wheels.

The new Fit is already on sale in Japan and other parts of the world, and has garnered almost universal praise. A main highpoint of the original Fit, that it provides an unusually roomy interior for its tidy exterior size, remains unchanged even with a small increase in wheelbase and length. The interior gains versatility with class leading cargo space and an improved "Magic Seat" that folds multiple ways so both very bulky and very tall items can be carried with ease. Once again, both standard and Sport trim are available.

Powering the new Fit is a new engine. The 1.5-liter I4 with variable valve timing is rated at 118 horsepower, a gain of nine over the previous car. Both manual and automatic transmissions have five speed gearing. But, according to Honda, the extra power will not come at the expense of fuel economy which is also up for 2009. Our MotorWeek test of the original Fit yielded a mixed driving loop result of an excellent 33 miles per gallon on regular grade gas. So, we expect even better from the new Fit.

Given that buyers are increasing demand on issues besides fuel economy, such as conveniences and safety, Honda will also provide Fit buyers with more options. A voice recognition satellite Navigation system is available for the first time, as well as upgraded stereo selections. The new Fit features Honda's well regarded crash absorbing ACE body structure, and will also add electronic stability control as an option.

There may be only two problems with the 2009 Honda Fit. The first is that Fit is far from the cheapest small car available. But, that probably won't be a hindrance for most new car buyers. The second problem, however, could be a deal breaker. That is, that there will probably not be enough Honda Fits to meet demand. That's the kind of problem that every carmaker would love to have.

If you're in the small car buying mood, don't make a move without seeing our MotorWeek Road Test of the 2009 Honda Fit on episode #2803. It airs on PBS during the week beginning September 19 and on cable's SPEED beginning September 22.

Click here to find out when your local PBS station airs MotorWeek.