2018 Honda Fit Manual

Considering our high regard for the first two generations of the Honda Fit—and how bummed we were that the third-gen car wasn’t as fun to drive—we were eager to sample this updated-for-2018 Sport model that slots in above the base LX and below the EX and EX-L trims. The Sport designation has us remembering fondly the appealing chassis dynamics that landed the first two generations of this pint-size hatchback on our 10Best Cars lists, a distinction that the post-2015 iteration has failed to achieve. Unfortunately, the Sport badge denotes what is essentially an appearance package encompassing aggressive-looking bumpers, orange accents, glossy black 16-inch wheels, a chrome exhaust tip, and sill extensions.

That’s not to say the Fit Sport doesn’t feature any performance-improving modifications. It does, but they’re shared with the rest of the lineup: All 2018 Fits benefit from a stiffer structure thanks to additional bracing, and Honda has tweaked the steering and suspension in an attempt to impart a sportier character. The engine remains a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter inline-four churning out 130 horsepower when mated to the six-speed manual transmission, as it was in our test car. A continuously variable automatic transmission costs $800 extra; selecting it reduces output to 128 horses.

Neither Fast Nor Furious

Unsurprisingly, then, the 2018 Fit’s performance on our test track differed only minutely from the last manual-transmission model we tested. At 8.2 seconds, its zero-to-60-mph time was 0.2 second slower than the previous car’s, its 70-mph-to-zero braking distance of 179 feet was one foot longer, and it pulled 0.81 g around the skidpad, besting the 2015 model by just 0.02 g. The Honda’s handling qualities are playful, and the Fit can be tossed into most corners with a touch more confidence than before. While the steering is light and feels limp on-center, it provides traces of feedback and weights up slightly as the wheel is turned.

The throws of the Fit’s manual shifter are satisfyingly short, but the lever itself is mounted too low for easy use and its motions aren’t as crisp as in earlier Fits. The clutch pedal’s takeup point is never obvious, either, making the car difficult to drive smoothly. Perhaps we should amend our motto to read “save the good manuals.”

For 2018, Honda’s engineers layered in more sound-deadening material throughout the car and added thicker glass for the windshield and front side windows, claiming interior noise has been reduced. Our sound-testing equipment registered 71 decibels at a 70-mph cruise, two higher than the last stick-shift model we tested and two lower than our 2015 long-term test car. Regardless, when driving at highway speeds the engine spins at a high 3500 rpm, creating a buzzing annoyance throughout the cabin that can grow wearying on long trips.

Despite its relatively high cruising rpm, this test car delivered an astonishing 41 mpg on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, besting the EPA’s highway estimate by 5 mpg. The Fit is efficient even with our heavy feet on the pedals, too, delivering a 27-mpg overall result. Imagine what it could do with a taller sixth gear.

So Simple, So Spacious

The humble but durable cabin is jazzed up by black cloth seats with orange stitching in the Fit Sport, and its straightforward controls and instruments are easy and intuitive to use. People over six-feet tall may find the driving position cramped as the seat travel is abbreviated, but rear-seat passengers are provided more legroom than in rivals such as the Ford Fiesta and the Kia Rio.

The Fit’s claim to fame remains its astonishing practicality. The rear seat—which Honda calls the Magic Seat—can be reconfigured easily to haul bulky items and features seat bottoms that flip up to create a divided cargo area or flip down to help create a completely flat, very low load floor. In our testing, the Fit provided space for 20 carry-on-size suitcases with the rear seat folded in the flat position; the Fiesta and the Rio managed just 14 each.

The Sport comes with a $1310 price hike over the base LX model but brings a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system (up from 5.0 in the base car) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 180-watt six-speaker stereo, a second USB port, fog lamps, and the aforementioned exterior styling bits. Besides the efforts to upgrade the chassis and reduce noise, this mid-cycle update also includes the much appreciated return of an actual volume knob for the audio system, replacing the fussy capacitive-touch slider that so annoyed us during that 40,000-mile long-term test.

Other than official aftermarket accessories such as all-weather floor mats, cargo nets, and a pair of wheel options, the $18,375 Fit Sport with the manual transmission is a mono-spec car. That makes ordering one easy: Just choose from one of eight exterior colors.

The Fit’s enthusiastic personality hasn’t been fully revived by the latest revisions, and the new Sport trim does little more than add a third equipment level to the manual-transmission offerings. Ignore the implication that you’re getting better performance, though, and the Fit remains a roomy, flexible, practical, and fuel-efficient choice among subcompact cars.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

PRICE AS TESTED: $18,375 (base price: $17,065)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 91 cu in, 1498 cc
Power: 130 hp @ 6600 rpm
Torque: 114 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 99.6 in
Length: 161.8 in
Width: 67.0 in Height: 60.0 in
Passenger volume: 96 cu ft
Cargo volume: 17 cu ft
Curb weight: 2551 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 8.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 24.3 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 35.3 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 10.4 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 11.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.4 sec @ 85 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 118 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 179 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.81 g

*stability-control-inhibited

C/D FUEL ECONOMY:
Observed: 27 mpg
75-mph highway driving: 41 mpg
Highway range: 430 miles

EPA FUEL ECONOMY:
Combined/city/highway: 31/29/36 mpg