2016 Honda Fit is versatile and fuel efficient

The 2016 Fit has more rear legroom and making it more comfortable. Courtesy Photos

Car names often consist of seemingly random words but the 2016 Honda Fit is worth its name. If there is one thing this Honda is known for, it is the incredible amount of stuff you can fit inside its pint-sized hatchback body.

Andrew Kyamagero, a driver of a Honda Fit, says his is an older model compared to Today’s Fit but as a person who loves this brand of cars, he got a chance to inspect the 2016 model and they are not so different. However, he says, the 2016 Fit has more rear legroom and commends its excellent fuel economy.

“As ever, one of the Fit’s standout features is its so-called “Magic Seat,” a uniquely constructed rear seat that includes a flip-up seat bottom to facilitate hauling behind the front seatbacks. Alternatively, you can leave that seat bottom down and fold the rear seatbacks forward, which opens up a cargo hold that will give some small crossovers a run for their money,” he says.

External features
according to caranddriver.com, an online portal, The Honda Fit big steel wheels, automatic headlights, LED brake lights and cruise control all help its proper movement, especially at night. It has 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and a sunroof that can also be opened for more aeration. It has keyless entry and ignition.

Interior
Kyamagero says it is amazing how much room this vehicle has on the interior. He jokes with others by describing it as a microvan. He adds that he has no regrets and he thinks the owner of the 2016 model would equally have none whatsoever
The Fit has an adjustable driver seat, a tilt steering wheel, full power accessories, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity. It also has a five-inch central display screen, a rearview camera and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player and auxiliary audio jack and a USB port.

The 2016 Fit should be a good fit indeed for most people, though long-legged drivers may wish for more legroom and steering-wheel reach. It has a modern-looking dashboard and satisfactory materials quality for this segment. Standard items such as USB connectivity and Bluetooth streaming audio help distinguish the current Fit from the ones before.

However, its touch-operated volume control and overly involved procedure for setting radio presets are not very popular although responses are quick.

Also to note, the Android phones are currently incompatible with Honda Link, although Honda continues to claim that this will change soon.

The Fit has always had a lot more rear passenger space than you would expect, but the 2016 has the most yet. There is more rear legroom than in the previous ones, which means comfortable seating for two tall adults.
Folding both rear seatbacks down yields a flat load floor and large cargo room, a bit less than the last Fit but still about as much as some small crossovers. The Fit’s front passenger seat also folds flat to accommodate items nearly eight feet long.

Safety
Every 2016 Honda Fit comes with standard antilock brakes (front disc, rear drum), stability and traction control is excellent. It has got front side airbags, side curtain airbags and active head restraints.

The Fit has also the unusual Lane Watch blind-spot system which includes a camera in the passenger side mirror housing that provides a low and wide view of the blind spot when the right turn signal is engaged.

According to car crash testing, an online portal, the 2016 Fit received a five-star overall rating (out of a possible five), with five stars for total frontal impact protection and five stars for total side-impact protection. In crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Fit earned the highest rating of “Good” in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset, side-impact and roof strength tests. In the small-overlap frontal-offset test, the Fit was rated “Acceptable” (second highest). The Fit’s seat head restraint design was rated “Good” for whiplash protection in rear impacts.

Driving
The 2016 Honda Fit has a composure at freeway speeds that was lacking in its earlier versions. Directional stability is far better, so keeping the car in its lane now requires fewer steering corrections. Road noise is significant, but it is less objectionable than before and acceptable for this vehicle class. On winding roads, the 2016 Fit feels light and nimble, showing off some genuinely athletic moves within its modest limits.

PERFOMANCE AND ENGINE

The 2016 Honda Fit features a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine generating 130 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission is standard.
While Toyota has Intelligent Variable Valve timing system (VVTi), the Honda has the intelligent Variable valve technology (VTEC). This technology uses hydraulic and electrical intervention to select between multiple camshaft and valve lifting profiles optimised for both low and high engine revolution (rpm) operation.
The outcome is improved engine power output and greater fuel economy. This is because of less restricted air inflow to allow ample power and reasonable fuel economy.