2015 Honda Fit Review

A roomier cabin and improved fuel economy allow the redesigned 2015 Honda Fit to maintain its place as one of the top choices in the subcompact car segment.

When the Honda Fit debuted eight years ago it quickly became a favorite of economy car shoppers. It's fair to say it wasn't because of the car's rather controversial styling, but with its flexible configurations for interior seating and cargo, a fuel-efficient engine and a relatively fun-to-drive demeanor, the Fit proved that you didn't need to suffer an anonymous econobox just for good mileage. Now entering its third generation, the 2015 Honda Fit looks to keep the good times rolling while also becoming even more appealing.

The Fit's distinctive wedge shape largely carries over, but this time the Fit looks a little more grown up. A new grille and headlight design, LED taillights and available 16-inch wheels align it visually with other Hondas. The new Fit's overall body length shrinks a little, but the wheels are set farther apart this year and the rear suspension has been redesigned to free up more room for those riding in the back. Indeed, the amount of room rear passengers enjoy in the new Fit is truly astonishing, as even a pair of 6-foot-plus adults won't feel squeezed.

If you need a small hatchback that can haul serious amounts of cargo, the redesigned 2015 Honda Fit is the one to get.

The Fit's enhanced seating does come at the expense of some luggage space, but with nearly 53 cubic feet, the 2015 Fit's cargo area still remains substantially bigger than those of its competitors. A main reason for this is the Fit's novel "Magic" seat. Its ability to fold completely flat or flip its seat bottom up grants the Fit an unmatched versatility for carrying passengers, mountain bikes, large pets or most things in between. The Fit also gains higher-quality interior materials, the availability of heated leather seats and new technology features like a larger touchscreen interface, smartphone app integration and keyless ignition.

Just about everything is new under the hood as well. The four-cylinder engine is still 1.5 liters in size, but various revisions, including the addition of direct injection technology, help it produce a little more power and better fuel efficiency than before. A new six-speed manual transmission (the previous Fit only had five forward gears) and a new continuously variable automatic transmission (replacing a traditional five-speed automatic) are also part of the deal. Hit the road and you should see an impressive 32-36 mpg combined, depending on what model you pick.

With its new look, more refined interior and improved fuel economy, the 2015 Honda Fit earns an Edmunds "A" rating and is again among the best in its class. The Fit is also one of the top recommended cars in our 2015 Sedan Buying Guide. Granted, it's no longer the no-brainer it once was, as alternatives like the excellent, Edmunds "A"-rated 2015 Ford Fiesta and value-rich Hyundai Accent also prove that an inexpensive car doesn't have to be an unappealing one. Those and other competitors also offer sedan body styles and generally more standard features for the money, but none offer the kind of interior flexibility that makes the Fit one of the most versatile hatchbacks available.

The 2015 Honda Fit is offered in LX, EX, EX-L and EX-L with Navi trim levels.

A 7-inch touchscreen interface is included starting at the EX trim level. Leather upholstery is standard in EX-L models.

Standard equipment on LX models includes 15-inch wheels, automatic headlights, cruise control, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, full power accessories, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a 5-inch display screen and a four-speaker sound system with CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface.

EX models add 16-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, keyless ignition and entry, a 7-inch touchscreen interface, Honda's LaneWatch blind-spot display, and a six-speaker audio system with Pandora functionality, smartphone app integration (HondaLink) and an HDMI input (needed for many HondaLink features, including a streaming navigation app).

Going with the EX-L gets you heated mirrors, leather upholstery and heated front seats, while the EX-L with Navi adds, predictably, a navigation system with voice recognition as well as HD and satellite radio upgrades.

The 2015 Honda Fit features a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine generating 130 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on LX and EX models, while a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is optional. EX-L models are only offered with the CVT.

During Edmunds testing, a 2015 Honda Fit EX-L with Navi ran from zero to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds; that's pretty quick for the subcompact segment.

Equipped with the manual transmission, the Fit returns an EPA-estimated 32 mpg combined (29 city/37 highway). CVT-equipped models deliver 35 mpg combined (32 city/38 highway), except for the entry-level LX. At 36 mpg combined (33 city/41 highway), it yields the best fuel economy of the lineup.

Every 2015 Honda Fit comes standard with antilock brakes (front disc, rear drum), stability and traction control, front side airbags, side curtain airbags and active head restraints.

Notable is the LaneWatch blind-spot system (EX and EX-L trim), which instantly switches the 7-inch screen's display to a low and wide view of the passenger side blind spot when the right turn signal is engaged.

In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing, the Fit earned a top score of "Good" for its safety in moderate-overlap frontal-offset impacts. In the small-overlap frontal-offset test, the Fit originally earned a second-worst score of "Marginal." Honda subsequently redesigned the Fit's front bumper, however, and IIHS retesting resulted in an improved (second-best) "Acceptable" rating. Honda says owners of Fits built before the change will be given the opportunity to have their cars modified with the new bumper free of charge. In all other IIHS tests of side-impact protection, roof strength, seatbelts and head restraints (whiplash protection), the Fit earned a "Good" score.

The government has also crash tested the new Fit. Here, the Fit earned a five-star overall rating for safety (out of a possible five), with five stars for total frontal impact protection and five stars for total side-impact protection.

At the Edmunds test track, a 2015 Honda Fit EX-L with Navi came to a stop from 60 mph in 127 feet; about 5 feet longer than average for this class.

The 2015 Honda Fit has a composure at freeway speeds that was lacking in the outgoing car. Directional stability is far better, so it's much easier to keep the car in a lane. It's also notably quieter at those higher speeds, making long trips more enjoyable. The 2015 Fit feels sharper and more confident when going around turns compared to its predecessor, though the steering effort is generally too light for our tastes.

The 2015 Honda Fit provides snappier acceleration around town than its predecessors, and it's quieter on the highway.

While the new engine isn't really more potent on paper, in the real world its direct fuel-injection technology helps give the Fit a snappier feel when driving around town. Shifting the new six-speed manual transmission is a breeze. You'll likely be just as happy with the new CVT. It swiftly "downshifts" when you need quick acceleration, unlike some other CVTs, which seem to produce more noise than action.

The former Fit's cabin design was lacking in terms of its overall materials quality as well as the look and feel of various knobs and switches. It simply fell short of competitors like the Accent or Fiesta. The 2015 Fit, however, makes a large leap inside, drawing a more modern and updated feel from Honda's Civic and Accord. It's also roomier than ever before. The expansive amount of rear seat space -- there's more rear legroom than in the Accord -- means comfortable seating for two tall adults and/or easy installation of child safety seats.

The Honda Fit's rear seats provide an abundance of legroom for such a small car, making it a viable option for families.

On the upper trims, the Fit boasts new smartphone amenities. HondaLink operates through the 7-inch touchscreen to provide voice control, plus a variety of search, audio and social media functions. It also allows the car's touchscreen to display and operate an available navigation app. Streamed through a newer Apple iPhone, it provides an in-dash navigation experience at a much lower cost, but with less functionality than the superior integrated navigation system available on the EX-L trim. Overall, we've found the system's menu design a little cumbersome and dislike its touch-operated volume control and overly busy procedure for setting radio presets, but responses are quick and we appreciate the touchscreen's swipe-and-pinch functionality. Android phones are not currently compatible with HondaLink, although Honda claims that this will change soon.

What continues to set the Fit's interior apart, though, is the cleverly designed 60/40-split "Magic" rear seat. Flipping up the seat bottom creates a narrow, floor-to-roof space that can accommodate taller items that wouldn't otherwise fit within such a small car. The Fit is a great choice for those with large dogs or outdoor gear; two bikes can stand side by side (with front wheels removed) in the rear seat well, for example. Folding both rear seatbacks down yields a flat load floor and 52.7 cubic feet of cargo room, nearly as much as some small crossovers. The Fit's front passenger seat also folds flat to accommodate items nearly 8 feet long.

The 2015 Fit's rear seats can fold either down or up and out of the way to provide floor-to-roof cargo convenience.