Used 2019 Honda Fit

Honda upgraded its Fit for 2018 with sportier suspension tuning and Active Cruise Control — plus available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — so little has changed with this space-efficient subcompact hatchback. Nevertheless, the 2019 Honda Fit remains the yardstick by which other affordable subcompacts are measured, including the Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio 5-Door, Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Versa Note. Outstanding versatility is the calling card of the Fit, which is imbued with a spunky personality and sold in four trim levels: LX, Sport, EX and EX-L. All have Honda’s so-called Magic Seat, which folds in different ways to accommodate cargo of varying shapes and sizes. One powerplant is available: a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder that sends 130 horsepower to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual or a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with available paddle shifters.

The Fit is proof that a car doesn’t need gobs of horsepower to be fun. Agility and responsiveness are far more important, and the 2,600-pound Fit has both in spades, aided by a 6-speed manual gearbox with well-defined shift gates. This fuel-efficient little Honda is a comfortable everyday runabout that shines on twisty roads, aided by firm but not jarring suspension tuning and accurate electric-assist steering. Sport, EX and EX-L models wear 16-inch wheels with 185/50-16 tires; the base Fit, the LX, wears higher-profile 185/55-15s that offer a slightly smoother ride on rough roads. Extra sound insulation, new last year along with a special acoustic glass, continues to make the Fit cabin noticeably quieter than it was in 2017.

Who doesn’t love a small car that accommodates tall people and lots of cargo? That, in a nutshell, is the 2019 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 2019 3rd-generation car, introduced for 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
Honda Fit Sport, EX and EX-L models all boast a 7-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Honda’s own satellite-linked navigation is available only on the EX-L model.

EXPANDED HONDA SENSING SUITE
The Fit’s suite of safety technologies — Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist and Road Departure Mitigation — now includes automatic high-beam headlights. Honda Sensing Suite is standard on the EX and EX-L.

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 available on the Fit LX and Sport, but only on models with the CVT. The Fit EX and EX-L have Honda Sensing standard, 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 turn signal is activated.

Honda’s 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine makes 130 horsepower in the 2019 Fit, and its eagerness to rev gives this compact Honda a feisty nature. Unlike many engines that fall a bit flat at high rpm, the Fit engine, thanks to variable-valve timing and control, makes excellent power at its 6,800-rpm redline. At the same time, it’s efficient in daily driving; the CVT model returns EPA fuel-economy figures as high as 33-mpg city, 40-mpg highway and 36-mpg combined.

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)