10 Most Popular Cars of the Year
Honda Fit
Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Just as fuel prices began to skyrocket, Honda introduced its subcompact Fit. And now, as regular gasoline hovers around $4 a gallon, an updated version of the fuel-sipper is all ready to go. It’s roomier and more powerful, it now boasts 117 horsepower, than the outgoing model, yet it achieves the same fuel economy figures. A new 1.5-liter iVTEC engine gets part of the credit while the “super forward” aerodynamic design gets the other.
Slightly larger than the first generation Fit, the new model sports numerous body revisions, including a larger windshield and front quarter windows and a rounder, more pronounced egg shape. If the first model was cute, then the new Fit is simply cool.
Interior revisions includes an enhanced rear Magic Seat, which folds flush to the floor or allows the seat bottom to flip up allowing tall objects to be carried right behind the comfortable front buckets. The dash features an all-new design along with a new tilt steering wheel.
All models come with a choice of a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic (the latter is quite unusual in among super economy models and its 28 mpg city/35 mpg highway rating is superior to the manual version). Getting great fuel economy doesn’t come at the expense of fun—the Fit Sport model adds a better audio system with USB interface, fog¬lights, a rear roofline spoiler, plus available navigation system and stability control. The Fit Sport also benefits from larger wheels and tires and larger anti-roll bars. Models with the 5-speed automatic have steering column-mounted sequential paddle shifters.
Up Next: Kia Rio
What’s Hot:
- More power, same mileage
- Roomy, versatile interior
- New styling
Compare To:
MSRP: $14,550–$17,910
EPA Fuel Economy: 27 mpg city / 33 mpg hwy
More at Road & Track
Learn more about the Yahoo! Autos Exelerator Award.
