Most people want the same things from their daily driver, whether you’re an enthusiast or just someone looking to get around. That’s usually some level of practicality, space, comfort, and above all, fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs. And there’s one car that possibly has all those qualities in just the right amounts to make it stand out as special, because it was all those things and also fun to drive.
That car is the Honda Fit, also known as the Jazz in some markets. First introduced in the US market as the GD3 model in 2007, it quickly made way for the second generation Fit GE8 in 2009. Honda dropped the third-gen Fit from its US lineup in 2020, with no plans to introduce the fourth-gen model that was launched overseas. But that shouldn’t put you off getting one as a daily driver because it’s the second-gen Fit that’s becoming something of a cult car. It even made Car and Driver’s list of 10Best Cars in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, earning high praise for its dynamics, packaging and affordability. Notice a trend here? It’s the second-gen Fit that made the list.
You only have to look at the prices on used Honda Fit GE8 models to see that they've held onto their values well, considering these cars cost about $17,000 when new. In fact, prices seem to be going up, if not holding steady given that most of these Fit GE8s are now at least 10 years old. And we’re going to tell you why the second-gen Honda Fit is the perfect car that isn’t an SUV.
The Honda Fit Is More Spacious Than It Looks
Honda marketed the Fit with the tagline “Small is the New Big”. But with the second-gen Fit, that line goes beyond marketing. Even though it only measured in at 161.6 in lengthwise, it rode on a 98.4 in wheelbase. Further clever packaging on Honda’s part meant it had 20.6 cu in of cargo space with the seats up, and 57.3 cu in with the seats down.
Compared to a compact SUV like the Subaru Forester, which was a much bigger car, you would only gain under 6 cu in more cargo capacity with all the seats down! The Fit’s folding seats that went flush up against the floor were a bonus, with the 60:40 split even allowing for long items like skis to be transported easily.
The second-gen Fit also benefited from Hondas Man-Maximum, Machine-Minimum philosophy before the company toned it down for the third-gen Fit. This gave the Fit the best interior room in its class, being able to sit three adults in the rear comfortably. The Fit also had Honda’s Magic Seats, which allowed you to fold the rear bench up and away to fit things like cycles or plants that needed to stay upright.
The Second-Gen Honda Fit Is More Fun To Drive Than It Looks
The Honda Fit was sold in the US with a 1.5-liter SOHC inline four engine that only made 117 horsepower and 106 lb-ft of torque. Available with a 5-speed manual, or a 5-speed automatic with paddleshifters in the Fit Sport, it doesn’t really make for an exciting sounding recipe.
But with a curb weight around 2,500 lbs, and a 0-60 MPH time of 8.3 seconds tested by MotorTrend, the Fit managed something most compact SUVs of the time couldn’t. It was fun to drive. It debuted Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering structure, or ACE, to up structural rigidity (by 164 percent in the front) and strength over the previous gen Fit without adding too much weight. It all came together to give the Fit a tied-down feel that other econoboxes just couldn’t match. Some may argue that you can find older BMWs that exceed the Fit in driving thrills for the same price, but those cars aren’t going to be as practical.
Great MPG, Bulletproof Reliability, Cheap Maintenance Are Bonuses
The Honda Fit was primarily an economy car, with a rated MPG of 27/33 in the city/highway, with owners regularly reporting having achieved or surpassed those figures. The short gearing could prove to be the only setback at highway speeds, with several modern cars giving better MPG.
It also lives up to the legendary Honda reliability expectation, with cars that have run hundreds of thousands of miles with just regular scheduled maintenance. Parts are inexpensive, and so is maintenance. Overall nothing goes catastrophically wrong, and even if it does, it’s cheap to put back on the road. The second-gen Honda Fit is getting a lot more attention now, given how expensive new cars are getting. And for very good reasons.
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November 08, 2022 at 12:05AM
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Why The Second-Gen Honda Fit Is The Perfect Car That Isn't An SUV - HotCars
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