Review by Twain Mein | Photos by Derek Mau

Pros:

• Good gas mileage
• Excellent handling
• Incredible amount of interior space with ingenious packaging
• Great value for the money

Cons:

• Real-world gas mileage was disappointing
• Lack of power
• Noisy engine

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Strong demand for fuel-efficient sub-compact cars in North America prompted Honda to speed up production of the redesigned 2009 Fit. The 2009 Fit will arrive in dealerships Tuesday, Aug. 26. Honda’s earlier plans were for the updated Fit to arrive Oct. 1.

“We basically increased supply as much as we could to meet demand, and we were still going to be sold out of the 2008 model,” Honda spokesman Chris Martin said. “We had to do something so that our dealers would not be without the small cars that buyers are seeking.”

Official announcement from Honda is on page 2.

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Initial impressions of the Honda Fit:

• The car is nimble and fun to drive
• Can make tight U-turns in a flash
• 2nd row Magic Seats™ fold flat more ways than a spider has legs creating a versatile cargo area
• Good low-end torque from 0 - 35 gives the Fit a snappy off-the-line launch
• 5-speed automatic downshifts too easily and robs fuel economy potential
• Tall 5th gear - the engine was humming along at 2400 rpm while driving 65 on the freeway
• Includes lots of basic amenities for only $16k

This week we received the Honda Fit for testing. I’m happy the Fit finally arrived on American shores after I spotted the Fit while traveling in Hong Kong back in 2005. Attractive aero design, versatile folding seats that can accommodate many different shapes/sizes of cargo, and very desirable as gas prices approach $5/gallon.

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