Interior

(Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Space, comfort, quality. That pretty much resumes up the cabin of the Honda Fit. The huge windshield and side windows soak in so much light that the interior feels so big, and visibility is phenomenal. There is plenty of headroom, thanks to the high roof.

You know when you're travelling for a couple of hours, you're getting tired and sore, and start squirming in your seat? Didn't happen in the Fit. After a 3-hour drive, I felt better than when I started the trip. The seats are that good. Shoulder space is obviously tight for three in back, but otherwise, nobody will complain. That's pretty good for a subcompact car. I long for a dead pedal, though, because my left foot doesn't really know where to rest itself.

Cargo space behind the rear seatbacks is limited, but once you fold them down, you've got an impressive carrying capacity. The Magic Seat system is great, although the Refresh Mode, which means reclining the front seatbacks and sitting in back, legs spread out, is of little interest.

(Photo: Philippe Champoux)

The quality of the materials is also impressive. The dash is made of plastic, of course, but looks and feels rich. I hope domestic carmakers are reading this, because if there is an inexpensive car dash to plagiarize, this is it.

The HVAC and radio controls are simple and easy to use, and the volume knob is big enough so you don't have to take your eyes off the road to operate. The stereo sounds good, and has 4 speakers. Power windows are standard on all models. Also standard are front airbags and side-curtain airbags. If many people don't feel safe riding in a small car, this will reassure them quite a bit. An oddity in these modern times is that the LX has power locks, but no remote.

Conclusion

(Photo: Philippe Champoux)

The Honda Fit is impressive, to say the least. Once again, a new Honda product rewrites the book in its category. This LX automatic test car costs $18,380, a little steep, but you get a quality-crafted automobile. The DX leaves me a little cold, offering only three exterior colours, 2 speakers for the stereo and no A/C, but is a decent deal at $14,980. Here is a breakdown of some 5-door competition, with equipment that mostly matches the Fit LX:

2006 Chevrolet Aveo5 LT, 103 hp, $16,755;
2006 Kia Rio5 EX Convenience, 110 hp, $16,820;
2007 Nissan Versa, estimated 120 hp, not on sale until late summer;
2006 Pontiac Wave5 Uplevel, 103 hp, $16,755;
2006 Suzuki Swift+ S, 103 hp, $16,945;
2007 Toyota Yaris LE 5-door, 106 hp, $17,645.

So, at over $18,000, and with less-expensive adversaries, this LX is by no means cheap. But it's worth every penny.

What I like:
Efficient powertrain
Lots of interior space
Great seats

What I don't like:
Pricey
No dead pedal
No remote for the power locks