2015 Honda Fit EX Manual - Our little hauler was a 40,000-mile loner.

TL;DR = They liked the packaging, but were pretty much "meh" on everything else.

Money quote: "At 80 mph, driving the Fit sounds just like walking behind my 20-year-old Honda lawn mower." (they had a 6MT)

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I'd say that C&D wrote a fair assessment, but still find the Fit fun to drive. The transmission's 6th should have been a better overdrive gear, no doubt. I don't notice the loudness of the car.

 

C&D also said:

I'd take it for a commuter any day...

It is one of the few cars we get here that's fun to drive at legal speeds.

...an affordable, practical, spacious, and versatile machine—and its value is difficult to ignore.

...there are still few other sub-$20K cars that rival this Honda’s combo of usefulness and fun.

 

All of with which I'd agree! I'd take the Fit any day (as a DD) over the other cars in their stable.

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They published the same reviewer's (Robinson) criticism of the 'early' low-fuel warning light THREE TIMES.

That indicated to me that there were not a lot of critical comments... Come on, guys!

 

In the print version at least, if you look on the sidebar at least 2 editors praised the Fit's sportinesssportiness. I think it was just a matter of opinion of the writer who wrote up the conclusion. Also, the MotorTrend long term review was much more positive, especially in term of the driving dynamics. It's also worth noting that they also had a Nissan Versa hatch doing the exact same long term test during the same time.

 

Dont forget that the same long term Fit was thoroughly thrashed at Virginia International Raceway.

From the C/D October 2015 issue...

Every year, without fail, reader response to Lightning Lap includes multiple pleas to enter an everyday car—a Camry, an Accord, a Fiesta without an ST badge. You know, an average ride built for the average commuter. Well, this year we happened to have our long-term 2015 Honda Fit EX present at VIR and we put it to work, the test gear strapped in for what might be the slowest lap in VIR’s Grand West Course history.

Everyone was sure the 130-hp hatch wouldn’t break four minutes. Everyone was proven wrong when it did a respectable 3:37.7.

But what’s most surprising is how comfortable the wee Fit is on a track. Sure, the all-season tires howl in protest, the economy-oriented engine can barely muster 104 mph on the front straight, and you’re fighting to stay in the flat seat against 0.74 g’s worth of cornering grip. But the brakes don’t fade, stability control doesn’t intervene, and the steering is delightfully light and precise through faster corners. Beneath its overstyled skin lies the soul of a contender.

More at: We Subject an Average Car to the Perils of Lightning Lap ? Feature ? Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog