Generally speaking, I'm a Fit fan. And one of the main reasons I like this car is the way it steers.
Granted, I know what Engineering Editor Jay Kavanagh is talking about when he describes the dead zone just off center in both the Fit and Insight. But when you give the Fit a bigger steering input as you're about to enter a corner or unusually technical freeway entrance ramp, the little car turns in smartly. It's not so quick that you imagine yourself in a sport compact, but at that moment, you don't feel quite so dorky driving around in an orange hatchback. For me, it's addictive. I take every opportunity to pitch the car into corners at speed. It was the same way with the original Fit.
Obviously, there's more to the Fit's (borderline) sprightly turn-in response than the published 12.7:1 steering ratio, as the suspension setup and even the skinny P185/55R16 83H Bridgestone tires have plenty to do with how it feels. Right, it's the total package that makes the car pretty good, and I'll reiterate for the umpteenth time that I like it.
Also likeable is the 2009 Fit's 34.4-foot turning radius. I made very few multi-point turns last weekend, because you can pretty much steer your way out of a hallway in this hatch.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 18,347 miles
felonious says:
09:29 AM, 12/22/09
Turning radius is an often-ignored feature that becomes very important in day-to-day life. After driving a vehicle with a radius so bad I had to back into parking stalls on a regular basis, it was mind-blowing to get my current car and be able to park nose-first!
cr_driver says:
10:22 AM, 12/22/09
Thats all? 34.4 ft? I thought it was like 32ft......boring.