2009 Honda Fit 4-door Hatchback

In typical Honda fashion the Fit's interior blends visual appeal with real-world practicality. Caffeine fanatics will love the ten beverage holders, and a multitude of storage spaces provides places to stash small items such as cell phones, breath mints and empty coffee cups. Overall interior space is impressive for this class, with ample headroom and legroom both front and rear. Honda's "Magic Seat" may take some liberties in its name, but we must admit it's a pretty neat trick for the rear seat to fold flush without having to remove the headrest. With the rear seat folded down, the Fit offers up a respectable 57.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity, more than either the Nissan Versa or Kia Rio5, for example. The front passenger seat also folds flat, which gives enough space for items up to seven feet, nine inches long.


It may have the same basic shape as the first-generation model, but look closer and you'll find the 2009 Honda Fit is actually a bit bolder and rounder than its predecessor. This new look is more aggressive, with sharper-angled headlights and a super cab-forward design. Its tall roof line and large windows give the driver greater all-around visibility as well as a vast amount of headroom for all passengers. Also, with a wider track and longer wheelbase than before, the Fit provides even more room for five passengers and their belongings.

Notable Standard Equipment

Notable Optional Equipment

The base 2009 Honda Fit includes a five-speed manual transmission, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, power door locks and windows, 15-inch wheels with full covers, 60/40-split second-row Magic Seat with under-seat storage, 160-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3 sound system with four speakers and an auxiliary input jack. Safety features include dual front airbags, front and rear side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).

One trim up is the Sport, which includes a security system with remote entry, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, a six-speaker sound system with USB audio interface and, with the automatic transmission, paddle shifters. Exterior upgrades include an underbody kit, a roofline spoiler, fog lights, rear stabilizer bar and 16-inch alloy wheels. The Sport trim can also be ordered with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and navigation. An automatic transmission is available for both trims.

The 2009 Honda Fit has a 1.5-liter engine, which Honda revised by incorporating a more advanced i-VTEC system. The i-VTEC varies the intake and exhaust valve events, which in turn enhances performance while still achieving good fuel economy and low emissions. The Fit comes in two different flavors: Manual and automatic. The automatic version uses a three-mode system: A normal drive mode; a sport mode, which holds off shifting gears for maximum performance; and a manual mode, which allows the driver to shift gears with the paddle shifters.

1.5-liter in-line four
117 horsepower @ 6600 rpm
106 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/33 (manual, sport automatic), 28/35 (automatic)