2013 Best Resale Value Awards: Best Subcompact Car

The Honda Fit retains its spot as the resale value leader in the subcompact car class for a third straight year, and it's easy to see why. The Fit stands out for its fuel economy, reliability and affordability. And then there is the Fit's interior flexibility, which begets this hatchback's name. Innovative touches such as hidden storage compartments and a multitude of ways to flip and fold the seats enable this small car to swallow lots of stuff.

The icing on the Fit's cake, though, is just how much fun this vehicle is to drive. The 2013 Honda Fit's 117-horsepower, 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine gives this little mover good motivation without compromising fuel economy. Linked to a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic, this powerplant provides zippy acceleration and fuel economy of up to 35 mpg. We are particularly smitten with the Fit Sport, which has paddle shifters for its automatic transmission and a "sport" mode for surprisingly lively response.

While changes are minimal for the 2013 Fit, this subcompact's design still feels fresh. Its tall, angular shape makes the Honda Fit stand out from competitors, and its perfectly placed windows offer excellent visibility from the driver's seat. The Fit Sport trim spices things up with underbody kit, roof-mounted spoiler, and 16-inch alloy wheels.

In addition to retaining value like a champ, the 2013 Honda Fit packs a lot of it when bought new, too. A base model starts at just over $16,000, while a loaded Fit Sport with navigation can be had for less than $21,000.