Redesigned 2015 Honda Fit seats 6’5 inch driver in class leading interior

Torque News had the opportunity to drive the first 2015 Honda Civic EX delivered to Track Town USA. We were blown away by the interior volume of this sub-compact.

Thanks to our friends at Kendall Honda of Eugene and Ron Tonkin Honda of Portland,Ore., Torque News was kept in the loop as to the pending arrival of the 2015 Fit to the Pacific Northwest. We drove our first production Fit at Kendall Thursday Afternoon. Better late than never, the Hocho in Mexico Fit has caught our attention.

Tall cowboy fits in the Fit.

At 6’5” tall, it’s not often that this journalist can sit comfortably in many European and Japanese imports. Long willing to adjust the seat all the way back on its rails while tilting the upper seat in a steep decline, this driver would often find knees to dash and head to the headliner. This is not the case with the 2015 Honda Fit.

So, we’ll start this review by spewing glowing experlatives as to the interior attributes, fit, finish and tech-rich interior of the totally redesigned Fit. This car is everything Honda promised and more. We found no compromise on interior accommodations right down to the double cup holder. O.K., perhaps we wouldn’t of located the cup holder in front of the shifting council. But then again, this is a sub-compact with limited accoutrement space in the forward cockpit.

Nice interior.

Honda’s done a commendable job of adding a rich “soft textured” interior to this entry-level 5 door hatch. The curved dashboard, gauge and touchscreen placement is pleasing to the eye. The trim to carpet and headliner interface was exceptional. We found the bolstered seats to be of high quality. While the hip rails could've been a little softer, they proved to be effective while leaning into a freeway on-ramp at speed. We’ll get back to the handling characteristics of the Fit in a moment.

What do we like about the 2015 Fit?

We find great utility in this 5 door hatchback. Taking a moment to fold Honda’s “Magic” rear seat, it became evident that this semi-compact entry afforded the end user the utility of a much larger minivan. The deck space in the rear of the Fit with 52.7 cubic feet of usable cargo area is second to none in its class.

Enough already, how does the car run and Handle?

Let us put it to you this way. Unless you’re accustomed to blowing around town in an Acura TL, BMW M1 or Subaru WRX, you’ll be impressed by the power available Via the Fits 1.5 Liter 16 valve i-VTEC 4 cylinder. Although rated at a modest 130 hp and 114 ft-lb torque, somehow through the miracle of advanced automotive electronics, direct fuel injection, drive by wire throttle and Honda’s CVT transmission, this little Honda will put your head back in the driver’s seat.

While the EX that we drove did not have the optional paddle shifters, the rev-happy Eco-conciouse 4 cylinder worked very well the CVT. Finding freeway cruising speeds in seconds was not an effort for the latest generation Honda Fit. In-fact, we found it challenging to keep the car chugging along below or at the speed limit. This Fit likes to run.

1.5 liter “Earth Dreams” 4 cylinder performs without compromise.
While the Fit finds maximum torque at 4600 rpm, we found the drive by wire throttle to be very responsive from 2200 rpm. That’s where you’ll find the Fit running at 60 mph. Honda engineering has developed a brilliant engine in the 1.5 Liter “Earth Dreams” 4 cylinder. Although we found the engine valve lash, fuel pump and belt drives to be a bit noisier than the 2014 Honda Civic, out of fairness to American Honda Motor’s we’ll allow the engine to break in a bit (18 miles on this one,) before we assess engine noise levels.

Firm tires, harsh ride and road noise.

We know that Honda engineering increased the “Road Kill” sound deadening on the 2015 Honda Fit. However, we found the interior noise level of the Fit to be bordering on uncomfortable. Even with the stereo volume turned up to mid-level, the road vibration resonates through the wheel wells via Honda’s standard equipment all weather tire. We recommend a dealership upgrade here.
The redesigned Fit handles exceptionally well.

We also salute Honda for measurable improving the handling characteristics of the Fit while reducing body roll and side sway to nil. We tried to roll the Fit on our first freeway on ramp.(sort of.) This car holds the road, handles well in the “S” turns and stops exceptionally well with minimum to no brake fade. Honda has taken ABS to the next level with electronic brake distribution. We don’t know how it works, but believe us, it does.

Great fuel economy without sacrificing performance.

While driving around Eugene, Oregon, we recorded an average fuel consumption of 33 mpg in combined city and highway driving. Torque News expects the 2015 Honda Fit to exceed stated EPA mpg in many North American markets.

Saturday morning we review the fully loaded 2015 Fit EX with Navigation. Awesome car.