Used 2020 Honda Fit

Honda’s smallest offering is the 2020 Fit subcompact. Although getting on in years, the 2020 Honda Fit still offers buyers an economical way to get around. Fuel economy, reliability and resale remain strong suits for this little 5-door, as does its incredibly roomy and versatile interior. In fact, the Fit has more passenger volume and cargo space than the Kia Rio 5-door, Nissan Versa Note, Chevrolet Sonic and Mitsubishi Mirage.

The Fit’s 1.5-liter engine isn’t terribly powerful or quick, but really few cars in the subcompact class can say different. And you can still get a 6-speed manual on the Fit. A CVT automatic (continuously variable transmission) with paddle shifters will likely be the choice for most, however, but it does offer better fuel economy than the manual.

The 2020 Honda Fit isn’t big on power, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to drive. The Fit’s small size and minimal weight make it incredibly easy to maneuver, with an agility and rapid steering response that often escape many of its peers. Comfortable in everyday driving, the Fit shines brightly when encountering twisting roads, assisted by a firm suspension and fairly accurate electrically assisted power steering.

On the Sport and higher trims, 16-inch wheels and tires do a better job of gripping the road than do the LX’s 15-inchers, although they are a bit harsher over rough pavement. And while Honda did add more acoustic soundproofing measures to the Fit back in 2017, the cabin still lets in a noticeable amount of wind and tire noise, but it’s not deafening by any measure.

Who doesn’t love a small car that accommodates tall people and lots of cargo? That, in a nutshell, is the 2020 Honda Fit. Creative packaging is largely responsible, with Honda placing the fuel tank beneath the front seats to free up room elsewhere. And then there’s the clever Magic Seat, which splits 60/40 and folds in ways to let the owner carry a bicycle or even a surfboard. Soft-touch materials adorn the 5-seat Fit cabin, along with attractive silver-accent trim.

Early Honda Fits looked slab-sided, not unlike a miniature minivan. The 2020 3rd-generation car, introduced in 2018, shed those looks in favor of a leaner design that’s more chiseled and modern, with a steeply canted windshield and a sporty rooftop spoiler. Eight color choices are available, and if you want black wheels, they’re available only on the Fit Sport. The 15-in. wheels of the base LX are steel, with covers. Fit EX and EX-L models are equipped with fog lights, alloy wheels and extra chrome on the grille and liftgate.

TOUCH SCREEN
Standard on all but the base LX, the Fit’s 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system makes it easy to find and play your favorite music. Via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, owners can access apps and streaming music from their phones.

EXPANDED HONDA SENSING SUITE
Standard on the EX and EX-L, the Honda Sensing suite includes an impressive array of driver aids such as adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning and emergency braking, lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist.

Standard features include a 6-speed manual gearbox, rearview camera, automatic headlights, LED taillights, a 5-inch touch screen, cruise control, remote keyless entry and a one-touch up/down driver’s window. Also standard: air conditioning, the Magic Seat, audio controls on the steering wheel, a trip computer, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth, and a 160-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3 sound system with a USB port. Side-curtain airbags are standard too, along with stability and traction control. Leather-trimmed seats are standard only on the EX-L.

The Honda Sensing suite of safety technologies (Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Keeping Assist and Road Departure Mitigation) is standard on the EX and EX-L. That’s in addition to their 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, push-button ignition, paddle shifters, 7-inch touch screen and sunroof. They also have the nifty Lane Watch camera, which gives the driver an unobstructed view of the right side of the car on the infotainment display whenever the right-hand turn signal is activated.

Making a respectably 130 horsepower, the 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine in the 2020 Honda Fit seems perfectly suited to the car’s mission. Unlike some small 4-cylinder engines that run out of steam at speeds over 50 mph, the Fit’s engine delivers good power right up to its 6,800-rpm redline, thanks in no small part to Honda’s brilliant variable-valve timing and control system.

At the same time, it’s efficient in daily driving, with the CVT LX model returning an EPA-estimated 33-mpg city, 40-mpg highway and 36-mpg combined. CVT models produce slightly less horsepower and torque, but it’s doesn’t noticeably change the performance between the two versions.

1.5-liter inline-4
130 horsepower @ 6,600 rpm (manual)
128 horsepower @ 6,600 rpm (automatic)
114 lb-ft of torque @ 4,600 rpm (manual)
113 lb-ft of torque @ 4,600 rpm (automatic)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 29/36 mpg (manual), 33/40 mpg (automatic LX), 31/36 mpg (automatic Sport, EX and EX-L)