Honda's Fit is an economical and flexible little hatchback geared towards customers who live active, busy lifestyles. Being a Honda means its safe, reliable and sensible- and being a hatchback means that it's infinitely useful to a variety of people from single students to young couples to families looking to downsize from a minivan.

A do it all superstar
Fit is produced in six factories around the world and sold in well over 100 countries, making it an international small-car superstar. After all, this sort of machine jumps boundaries of culture and age with its unquestionable utility and fun-to-drive character. Don't let its small size fool you, either- as Honda says that 'small is the new big'.

The 2008 Honda Fit starts at $14,980.

Surprisingly roomy and clever
They serious? Yep. Your husky 5'10 correspondent could share the cabin with four identically-sized twins in comfort. Both rows of seating are easy to access-the front slightly snug and the rear surprisingly roomy. There's a large, deep cargo hold behind the back row, and the 'magic seating' system folds any which way to accommodate your gear if a full compliment of passengers aren't on board. The seats are thin and lack a top-notch level of support, but they aren't uncomfortable.

Honda engineers are wizards at finding storage spaces anywhere imaginable, so the interior is jammed with a generous helping of cupholders, cubby-holes and compartments for your camera, cell phone, wallet, CD's, and iPod. Space aplenty for anything is no problem, though some may wish for a covered centre console or an arm rest.

Fit and finish are good, and varying tones and textures are used to brighten up the cabin. Materials consist of the same hard plastic panels you'll find almost anywhere else for the price- but it's mostly so darn clever that even the most seasoned plastics aficionado won't mind.

Instruments are clear and sexy, and controls are all chunky, intuitive and easy to use. Fit's got an appreciably punchy stereo system installed for your tunes as well.

Eager but noisy performance
Powering Fit is a 1.5 liter, 109 horsepower VTEC engine with a single-cam valvetrain. Not a tire-melter by any stretch, but it is peppy and returns great fuel mileage. The tester drove the front wheels through a five-speed automatic with shift paddles mounted to the steering wheel.

Powering Fit is a 1.5 liter, 109 horsepower VTEC engine with a single-cam valvetrain.