The 2015 Honda Fit is a perfect blend of versatility, drivability and affordability. Buyers are able to get into a brand new car starting at $14,575 and packed full of useful features, technology and the ability to adapt to many different needs. With a new manufacturing plant in Mexico, Honda will no longer need to import from Japan, making many more Fits available for sale which should help to improve availability versus the better selling Nissan Versa Note.
Powered by a 1.5L four cylinder engine, the 2015 Honda Fit pairs its engine with a 6 speed manual transmission or an automatic continuously variable transmission. The CVT offers better fuel efficiency than the manual and allows for a smooth acceleration without any clunky gear changes. The one down side with the CVT is the high revving engine at highway speeds leading to prevalent engine noise within the cabin.
The 2015 Honda Fit has a combined fuel economy of 6.4 L/100km for the CVT and 7.3 L/100km for the manual transmission, which is slightly lower than our 150km combined test drive results of 7.6 L/100km for the CVT. Improve fuel economy even more by enabling Econ mode which adjusts the engine and non-essential functions to reduce fuel consumption.
The Fit’s exterior design is intriguing and varies depending on the angle from which it’s viewed. The front shows a sleek and timeless elegance, with the rear displaying a more modern chiselling. The side view however, really shows the van-like shape of the Fit and hints towards the versatility that lies within.
Although small by appearance of the exterior, there’s a surprisingly spacious interior that offers a huge amount of leg and head room and somehow doesn’t feel cramped even with 5 adult passengers. The bright interior offers a great field of view with large windows and additional front side windows to reduce the number of blind spots and improve overall maneuverability.
Versatility was the focus in the design of the 2015 Honda Fit with many pockets of storage spaces, class leading cargo volume and adaptable folding rear seats. Fold the rear “Magic Seat” to obtain Tall Mode for upright plants and cargo, fold back the front passenger seat for Long Mode to accommodate outdoor activity equipment and fold all rear seats down for Utility Mode for maximizing cargo storage capacity. There’s even a Refresh Mode to create a comfortable reclined relaxation space by removing the front passenger headrest and folding down the seat.
The 2015 Honda Fit offers a surprisingly large amount of luxury for its size and price. Features like heated seats, backup camera, automatic climate control and a touch screen tablet-like display screen. An adjustable armrest for the driver would be a nice addition as the center console armrest is too low to be of use. Also, I would have preferred a volume control knob rather than the small touchscreen buttons.
If you’re in the market for an affordable, compact vehicle to transport cargo and passengers on a budget, the 2015 Honda Fits offers the best of many worlds along with unmatched versatility in cargo carrying ability.
