2007 Honda Fit Sport: Simplicity Itself

This type of car is what sparked my interest in Honda products. Hondas have always been simple, logical cars. I still wish I had my 1989 Honda Accord LXi sedan. I loved that car as it was simple but much more than the sum of its parts.
 
Hondas newer offerings are still simple and logical to an extent but they seem a bit too Americanized.

I agree 100%. I'd prefer a faster, sportier car too, but I admire the Fit's simplicity greatly. Automotive interior designers could learn a lot from this execution.

Aw, Luddite? I just got a Fit Sport after having a 1992 Corolla and I found it positively high-tech. CD player, aux. jack, digital displays, airbags! My last car didn't even have a clock. :P

Alas, only Lotus makes simplistic cars anymore.

Now if Honda could make the Fit good looking it would be great.

^True! Fit is by all accounts a great little car, but way too ugly for my taste.
 
For a simple, attractive car, it's hard to beat the Hyundai Elantra. I drove one for two weeks and was very impressed with it. Simple, comfortable, peppy, clean looks...
 
Honda style just keeps getting stranger. They boggled my mind with the Ridgeline. I puked when I saw the Element. I went crosseyed when I saw the new Civic. And as a grand finale they created the Accord, a mess of plates that fell on the floor and shattered together. I think the only company making consistently nastier designs is that three letter acronym from Bavaria.

^Wow I just raged pretty hard. Oh well. Yes I am replying to myself.

I actually think the Fit looks just fine. I'd be impressed to see what the Civic's mill could do in the Fit (it's still pretty darn lightweight), so I think it'd be high MPG. That, or if they stuck the current (or next gen) hybrid system in to make it a true high-MPG warrior.

if they hybridize the fit, it would have to lose some of the interior flexibility - the rear load floor is very, very low and totally flat, and the floor for the back seats is ultra low. the gas tank is up front, so where do you put the batteries? if honda can keep the Fit's "magic seats" while adding a battery pack, I will be very, very impressed, and line up to buy one!

I'm not knocking on the Fit with this post- just making an observation. It's amazing how all those extras are being criticized. Would you like manual windows and door locks, with no keyless entry with that order of fries? (let's not even talk about removing the steering wheel mounted convenience controls) :P
 
My wife and I were commenting on this the other day as we looked at local car lots. That being, how you practically *never* see cars without power windows, power door locks, and keyless entry any more, even the entry level models. It wasn't too long ago that our own cars were considered to be 'well equipped' with those three things added..

actually, yes, i would like manual windows and locks on my Fit - it'd be cheaper, more energy efficient, lighter weight, and less likely to break when it's older. i'd gladly trade power windows, locks, and even mirrors for a dead pedal!

I'd be intrigued by the fit if it had some powertrain mojo. I understand that it's a lightweight, small displacement mill that gets good mpg.
 
But I want something special. VW's twincharged 1.3 liter putting out 170 hp? Honda's old 1.8 liter DOHC putting out 180 HP? Personally, I think an ultra small (1.5 liter or less) forced induction engine with some efficiencies (think BMW efficient dynamics w/ brake regeneration, decoupling alternators and water pumps, start/stop, etc.) would be a tremendous asset to this car. I'd even pay 17-18k for it, with nothing else added.
 
Fit SI? Fit-R? Fit x2? :)
 
It's a terrific vehicle that embodies Honda's traditions....give me a performance version w/ a dead pedal, some more comfortable and supportive seats, and a hardier engine and the Fit is Go.
 
Joe
 
P.s. Ok, not really, I've become too much of a snob with my desire for a BMW or something crazy torqueish like a MazdaSpeed 3.

It's priced too high for such a barebones little thing, maybe if it was starting at 11-12K...
 
When hell freezes over and Honda starts charging what they should for the Fit, it'll probably sell better.
 
The simplicity thing really wouldn't apply to someone actually buying a car, because once the learning curve is over, it's over, maybe that + could be for all the editors, not for car buyers.

CX7 - I think the Fit hasn't stopped selling extremely well since it came out, and it's not exactly bare-bones in any trim level.
 
To wit: It's about comparably equipped to a Chevy Aveo when you match their prices (i.e. Aveo starts lower, but with less standard).
 
Selling is not a problem the Fit has....
 
Joe

I installed some performance-oriented (i.e. not super low and stupid looking) aftermarket springs, a rear sway bar, lighter wheels, and sticky Falken tires for my Fit. It's much more fun than the base Mini Cooper I was originally going to buy, plus has the versatility and reliability that I need as a college student. Got 33.5mpg on my last tank.
 
I think the Fit is one of the last USDM models that stays true to Soichiro Honda's original vision.

I'm with you Joe. I shopped the Fit when it first came out, and loved it till the test drive. Gimme an option with a bit more oomph (not all that much, the current Civic engine would be enough) and we've got a deal.

Joe, the R18 (140hp 1.8L) from the Civic would do the Fit justice. It would certainly be much faster and get better economy to boot. Ill take a Civic Si powered Fit =).

cx7lover - you should change your username to fithater. you know what the equivalent of a Fit sport costs in the UK? the equivalent of about $25K. Cars in the US are CHEAP compared to the rest of the world, just like our gasoline.

I Agree kevlang. The Fit really has everything important that a CX7 has for half the price and twice the MPG.
 
Way cooler car.

Why are you converting Euros to USD to get prices for the Fit?
LOL
ANYWAY.
The Fit isn't even on the same wavelength as the CX-7.
I'm sure a steering wheel and four wheels are the "important things".
Base price CX-7 - 24K, so the fit has a starting price @ 12K now? and gets 44 mpg?! 2 PLZ
 
the fit is so great and fast, and handles so well, and it has so much that the other competitors are missing, like a CD player and manual a/c, ooh front disk brakes and 14 inch wheels.
 
The fit isn't that special, I'd take a accent 3dr over a fit, for thousands less after the huge dealer discounts, something the fit doesn't have.
 
All economy cars are basic, which ones are complicated!?!

cx7lover - can't believe i'm letting you bait me into another discussion.
 
you go ahead and take your accent, see how you like it. the accent is a 3 door hatch, doesn't have true fold flat seats (that also flip up - you have no idea how useful this is), gets worse mileage, has HORRIBLE resale value, a lousy shifter, etc etc etc. You get what you pay for.
 
A fully loaded fit is about $16K. You can easily push the price of a CX-7 into the mid-30s. And it needs premium gas to get its whopping 19 mpg combined - and that's the 2WD version! I got 42 mpg on my last tank - how you doing with your CX-7?
 
Not saying it isn't a good car, and I'm sure it's fun to drive (for a crossover), and I like the direct injection turbo engine.

"It's much more fun than the base Mini Cooper I was originally going to buy"
 
Thats a bold statement, and one I cannot endorse! haha.

"The Fit isn't even on the same wavelength as the CX-7.
I'm sure a steering wheel and four wheels are the "important things". "
 
Both are 4 door Japanese hatchbacks with tall wagon styling. Both have 4 cyl motors, front wheel drive, room for 4.5 people and simular performance.
 
The Fit does it without having to carry around almost 3/4 tonne of excess weight....and that's what makes it better.

Hmm, so the Fit has 244hp, six speed automatic, optional awd, available navi, etc... you see the point, your better argument is worthless, and just as much space too? I bet it's just as safe! not.
 
The price of the CX-7 with AWD and all the options STOPS at 32K.
 
The "horrible" resale value is irrelevant, the new accent depreciates nicely for what you got for it, it's also offset by huge discounts. It has a more substantial look, and feel. An automatic with a lousy shifter?! I've never driven a manual accent but the Short Shifter on the SE should be pretty decent for a compact. Lower buying price, what am I missing? All I'm saying is the Fit is pretty cool sounding but for what you get it's lacking compared to an SE accent, not in versatility, though, it does offer better interior space, but really, I doubt the fit can hold much weight inside the cabin, compared to a real wagon or crossover
 
PS, there is no "For a crossover", it's fun to drive period.

The more I think about it, the more interesting the thread becomes.
 
In another thread now, there is a discussion of how fun size SUV sales are down while compact SUV sales are up. The idea is it's a more responsible choice.
 
My point is ... is it a responsible choice? A little car like the Fit can do almost everything as well as a compact SUV and is a way better choice then the CX-7, CRV, RAV4, etc.
 
It's a lot cheaper and gets a lot better mileage. Compact SUV owners have already shown they don't need the SUV abilities like towing and off roading so why carry around all the excess style and hardware?

If they sold the AWD Fit in the U.S. like they do in Japan, that wouldn't even be an excuse. As fuel prices continue to rise, more and more people will think carefully about how much they really need their cars to be capable of.