2017 Honda Fit Review

The current Honda Fit is more composed at highway speeds than its pre-2015 predecessors, something to keep in mind if considering a used Fit. Today's Fit is more directionally stable, meaning you won't need to be as busy at the wheel to keep the car in its lane. Road noise is still significant, but it's acceptable among the crop of subcompacts. On winding roads, the Fit feels light and athletic. Even within its modest power limits, and particularly with a manual transmission, the Fit can transform into the slow car you like to drive fast.

Around town, the Fit feels snappy enough, but if you floor the gas pedal for highway passing or merging, the CVT causes the engine to drone loudly. This transmission is a slick unit compared to others of its ilk, however, swiftly delivering high rpm when called upon but otherwise remaining unobtrusive. The six-speed manual is a pleasure to operate if you like to shift your own gears, but it does exact a penalty at the pump.

The 2017 Honda Fit should prove comfortable for most drivers, although taller drivers might wish for more legroom and steering wheel extension. Inside, the Fit is a spartan affair, but it's got what you need. Most of the infotainment functions live inside a crisp touchscreen display, and you'll find only a handful of gauges and dials. The touchscreen's response time and swipe-and-pinch functionality are great, but the touch-operated volume control is maddening. You might find yourself wishing for an old-fashioned volume knob.

That larger touchscreen on EX and EX-L models comes bundled with the HondaLink system, which adds apps such as iHeartRadio and Aha internet radio streams, points-of-interest search (gas stations, restaurants), and on the EX, an optional $60 navigation app that can run from an iPhone wired into the Fit's HDMI port. We've found the EX-L's integrated nav system is faster, however, and it includes voice commands. The HondaLink menu is a little cumbersome, and it doesn't do anything better than your iPhone already does. It's also not compatible with Android phones.

The Fit has always had offered exceptional rear passenger room for a car of its size. There's actually more legroom back there than in the Honda Accord, which translates to comfortable space for two adults and easy installation of rear-facing car seats.

The clever 60/40-split Magic rear seat — featuring a flip-up seat cushion that opens floor-to-roof clearance for tall items — continues to set the Fit apart. Folding both rear seatbacks down yields a flat load floor and 52.7 cubic feet of cargo room, about as much as some small crossovers have. Finally, the Fit's front passenger seat also folds flat to accommodate items nearly 8 feet long front to back. 

If you can live without leather, get the EX. It offers most of the available creature comforts, even navigation via app, for about $1,500 less than the EX-L. You can save yourself about another $1,000 by opting for the manual transmission.