Used 2018 Honda Fit

Improved with a retuned suspension, a quieter interior and new safety and in-cabin technology — including available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — the 2018 Honda Fit is a fun, fuel-efficient and affordable subcompact with class-leading versatility. Honda calls it the 5-door car with attitude. We call it the yardstick against which all other subcompacts are measured, including the Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa and Chevy Sonic. Four trim levels are offered, LX, Sport, EX and EX-L. Each is equipped with the Fit’s famous so-called Magic Seat, which maximized cargo space but allows for a generous rear seat. All Fits are powered by a high-revving 130-horsepower 4-cylinder engine. A 6-speed manual transmission and a CVT automatic transmission with paddle shifters are available.

The 2018 Honda Fit is fun to drive, but not because it has gobs of horsepower. It’s responsive and quick for a car in this class, but it’s the Honda’s agility that makes it a standout. The Fit’s suspension offers up the kind of predictable handling you’d expect, but with a sharpness you don’t, and it combines with the hatchback’s above-average steering feel to make this subcompact genuinely entertaining in sharp corners. While all four models — LX, Sport, EX and EX-L — offer the same engine and transmissions, the Sport, EX and EX-L models handle better than the base LX thanks to their 16-inch wheels and lower-profile tires. The Fit rides well, and it’s comfortable out on the highway, but its short wheelbase can cause some chop on rough patches of Interstate. This year Honda has added insulation and acoustic-laminated glass, and the Fit’s interior is noticeably quieter.

Inside, the Fit’s generous people accommodation and cargo space are its greatest selling points. This is roomy little car with a clever back-seat design Honda calls the Magic Seat. Split 60/40, the Fit’s back seat doesn’t just fold flat, you can also flip up the seat bottoms to carry tall objects, like a mountain bike. The new Fit seats five and there’s room in back for tall adults. Soft-touch materials and silver accent trim definitely make it feel more expensive than its price. The front bucket seats are comfortable and there are myriad storage cubbies and cup holders.

Now in its third generation the 2018 Honda Fit has shed it frumpy slab-sided styling and little-minivan look for a lower, leaner design with a more muscular and chiseled shape. Up front its squinted headlights and laid-back windshield look modern and aerodynamic, while its rooftop spoiler and intricate taillights give it some sporting attitude. Fit EX and EX-L models get fog lights, aluminum-alloy wheels, and extra chrome on the grille and liftgate, while the new Sport model adds some sports-car flair with black wheels, a more aggressive front spoiler, a rear diffuser, orange pin-striping and a chrome exhaust tip.

CONNECTIVITY
Also new for 2018 is a large 7-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. It’s standard on Fit Sport, EX and EX-L trims. Honda has also replaced the audio system’s infuriating volume buttons with a conventional knob, which is much easier to use. Navigation is available.

HONDA SENSING SUITE
New to the Fit is a full complement of active safety systems rarely seen in the subcompact class. The Honda Sensing Suite is available on all Fit models, but it’s standard on EX and EX-L. It includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Keeping Assist.

The base Fit LX offers a generous amount of standard equipment, one reason it’s a little more expensive than its rivals. Standard features include a 6-speed manual transmission, rearview camera, automatic headlights, LED taillights, a 5-inch audio-display screen, cruise control, remote keyless entry, power windows and locks, and one-touch up/down driver’s window. Also standard are 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 and auxiliary audio input jack. Safety features include side-curtain airbags, and electronic traction and stability control.

Honda’s advanced active safety systems including Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist are available on the LX and Sport. Step up to the Honda Fit EX and they’re standard, along with 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, fog lights, push-button ignition, paddle shifters if you choose the CVT, a 7-inch touch screen, and a sunroof. It also gets Honda’s clever Lane Watch camera; push a button or activate the right-turn signal, and you get an unobstructed view of the right side of the car on the infotainment display. The Fit EX-L model adds leather, heated front seats and available navigation.

Every 2018 Honda Fit is powered by a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder with 130 horsepower. The engine makes good noises and likes to rev to its 6,700-rpm redline. It’s one of the reasons the Fit is sportier than many of its competitors. The 4-cylinder uses Honda’s i-VTEC and Variable Timing Control (VTC), which makes more power at high engine speeds for best acceleration, but at low speeds, like when you’re cruising down the highway, it retunes itself for better fuel economy. And fuel economy is excellent, with a CVT-equipped LX getting up to 40 mpg on the highway. The engine powers the hatchback’s front wheels through either a slick 6-speed manual or a smooth continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which is standard on the EX-L trim.

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