HONDA FIT
“57.3 cubic feet”, says Honda in reference to the Fit. The nameplate is a repeat winner in The Good 12 v2.0, but the car you see here is not the same as the winner from last year. Without relying on false exaggerations, the Fit is surprisingly not ugly for a small hatchback with minivanesque proportions. Those proportions help provide you with more useable space than direct competitors. In fact, the newer-bigger-better Fit offers more cargo volume than before, adding more than 25% more space for ’09. The total? That’s right: 57.3 cubic feet.
If total volume was what you’re after, you probably wouldn’t spend time looking in the small-car segment. Honda just uses that space as part of a three-pronged effort to get you inside a Fit. Efficiency and fun make the case; space seals the deal. No other car this fun-to-drive manages to combine such savings at the pump with space for your friends and your stuff. It sounds simple, but nobody else in the North American automotive marketplace is doing it.
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Engines: 117 horsepower and 106 lb-ft of torque from a 1.5L four-cylinder
City Mileage: 27-28 mpg
Base USD Price: $14,550
Anything Else? Honda’s little hatchback ain’t cheap. Toyota’s 5-door Yaris starts $1,245 lower while the Kia Rio5 is $575 less expensive, big dollars at this level. The Fit is that much better, however.
