News & Reviews

Honda Fit top subcompact car 2009

Yonkers, New York - The newly-redesigned Honda Fit has been named Consumer Reports' highest-rated subcompact, beating six subcompacts and small sedans in the magazine's most recent round of tests. "The Fit seems roomier on the inside than you might expect, with an interior that is unusually versatile and flexible, and cargo capacity rivaling that of a small SUV," said David Champion, auto test centre senior director. "Lightness and agility make the Fit fun to drive, the powertrain is smooth and willing, and fuel economy is enviable." Consumer Reports tested a base model with automatic transmission, and a Sport model with manual transmission, both of which earned "Very Good" overall road test scores. Among the vehicles tested, the Suzuki SX4 and Nissan Versa rated "Very Good" overall, while the base model Toyota Yaris and Chevrolet Aveo5 scored "Good" overall. The Fit and SX4 are the only vehicles in the group that are rated "Recommended" by Consumer Reports. To qualify, a vehicle must perform well in the magazine's tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on magazine surveys, and performed at least adequately if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test. The magazine said that the Versa sedan's reliability has been much below average, while reliability for the Versa hatchback has been average, and the Aveo and Yaris scored too low in testing to be recommended.

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