2010 Honda Fit

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability

Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The automotive press gives top marks for the 2010 Honda Fit's interior, from its impressive list of both standard and optional features to its cavernous cargo space and innovative "Magic Seat." Tall drivers may desire more leg room in the front seat and some reviewers complain about the undersized sunvisors, but overall the Fit's interior is a winner.

• "Some plastics in Fit's cabin feel thin. A few ring hollow to the touch. But virtually every surface has a matte finish, pebbled graining, or both. And the switchgear engages with pleasing exactness. The base-model Fit's cloth upholstery doesn't feel as rich as the Sports'. But overall, the ambience in these small Hondas is smart and upmarket." -- Iguida.com
• "Compact on the outside yet spacious inside, the Fit stands apart from other entry-level vehicles with its multifunctional interior and high levels of refinement. -- Automotive.com
• "One glaring oversight: The sunvisors are worthless when rotated to the sides, as they're both far too short and mounted too high to be of much use." -- Consumer Guide
• "Gifted with the interior space and versatility of a well-designed minivan." -- Washington Post
• "If you've never been in a Fit, you'd be surprised by the fit. Like many small cars these days, its interior size belies its exterior dimensions. At 6 feet tall, I had substantial headroom surplus, and legroom was good enough that I had to inch the driver's seat forward a bit to get full extension on the clutch pedal." -- Cars.com

Front Seats

Reviewers have mixed feelings about the Fit's front seats. They seem to agree that they're comfortable and accommodating for most drivers, but some think that better cushioning and more legroom would be helpful. If cushy front seats are important to you regardless of your size, consider the Volkswagen Rabbit. It's renowned for its impressive interior, although you'll be paying about $1,500 more for the extra comfort. If you want comfy front seats and a fully-loaded interior but are hoping to save some cash, consider the Kia Soul, which has a starting price of over $1,000 less than the Fit.

• "All seats on all trim levels are new, but the Sport model cloth seats are huge improvements over those of the previous generation, providing gobs more lateral and seat support." -- Motor Trend
• "There's no height adjustment for the seats, but they're mounted high enough to provide most drivers a fairly commanding seating position. The seats themselves are comfortable and there's plenty of headroom, but taller drivers might wish for more legroom." -- Consumer Guide
• "Only the lankiest 6-footer-plussers could desire more front-seat travel. The big-boned among us, though, may be justified asking for beefier front cushions. No one will demand more head room." -- Iguida.com
• "Seats are comfortable and supportive, front and back, although front passengers may wish for additional legroom, if they lean toward the long." -- Car Gurus
• "For what it's worth, Honda continues to claim that the front seats recline all the way to create something of a bed, as they do in the Honda Element. I continue to claim that even Michael Phelps isn't double-jointed enough to rest comfortably on this thing." -- Cars.com

Rear Seats

The general consensus among reviewers is that the Fit's back seat is a winner -- which is quite rare within the compact class. With a stretched wheel-base that translates directly into more space in the back seat, there's room for even the tallest passengers to sit in comfort. That said, some reviewers still recommend that the rear seat fits two passengers better than three.

• "Even rear seats offer enough room for reasonably sized adults, which is surprising for a subcompact." -- Car Gurus
• "And rear-seaters are likely to marvel at the leg space, even with the front buckets rolled nearly all the way back. Still, like virtually all subcompacts, Fit isn't wide enough for three adults in back unless they're fashion-model thin." -- Iguida.com
• "The 2009 car's additional millimeters of wheelbase translate directly to rear knee and leg room. I'm 6-foot-1, and I had no trouble moving from the driver's seat to occupy the left rear seat, what's called 'sitting behind myself.'" -- Los Angeles Times
• "It's amazing how much rear seat room there is in such a small vehicle. Headroom and legroom are more than adequate for adults, even with the front seats fully rearward." -- Consumer Guide

Interior Features

Although the Honda Fit's interior is marred slightly by abundant hard plastics and unimpressive cloth materials, this is in keeping with class standards. Despite the merely adequate materials, reviewers like the Fit's funky design. Moreover, the Fit makes up for its sub-par materials quality with its impressive list of both standard and optional features -- many of which you might only expect to find in a more upscale car.

Among the many features that come standard on the base Fit are air conditioning, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, an auxiliary audio input jack and a neat feature called speed-sensitive volume control, which adjusts the volume of your music according to the speed of the car to counteract wind and engine noise. Upgrade to the Fit Sport and you'll get a USB Audio Interface and a perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel. As a step up from most of the class competitors, Honda is also offering a Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition, featuring a 6.5-inch screen, as an option on the Fit Sport with navigation.

• "The gauge cluster and HVAC configuration are completely new and have a more refined, most-definitely non-entry-level feel to them now." -- Motor Trend
• "A lot of function is marred by a lack of form, although this is in keeping with the class. Subcompacts are not known for their luxurious materials, and the Fit doesn't deviate." -- Car Gurus
• "While you're not going to mistake this interior for that of an Audi, all the materials are robust, the controls intuitive and the quality high." -- Jalopnik
• "Inside, the Fit sports a funkier look than most of its rivals; the contoured and creviced dash looks like it was designed by a comic book artist, but it does have lots of storage space for small stuff." -- About.com
• "Honda does trump most rivals by offering a factory-installed navigation system with voice recognition and a 6.5-inch screen. It's available only on the top-line model, called appropriately enough, the Fit Sport with navigation." -- Iguida.com
• "The new Fit has a bunch of cool luxury features that usually aren't offered in this price range. In the Sport model, paddle shifters and audio controls have been added to the leather-wrapped steering wheel. ... Honda also revamped the air conditioning system to provide better cooling to the backseat. Told ya it's cool." -- Mother Proof 

Cargo and "Magic Seat"

Where the 2010 Honda Fit truly shines is with its seemingly endless supply of innovative storage configurations. From its 10 cup holders to its under-seat tray and large glove box, there is plenty of storage space for everything from sunglasses to maps and iPod cables. And that's before you consider the available options for large cargo.

With all seats in use, the Fit provides 20.4 cubic feet of cargo space, which is impressive in its own right -- but put the seats down and you get a full 57.3 cubic feet of space, which is enough to rival some smaller compact SUVs. The Fit's second-row "Magic Seat" remains its most distinctive feature. With three storage modes depending on how you fold the seat -- tall, long and utility -- you can easily fit everything from a flat-screen TV to a bicycle and probably still have room for the kitchen sink.

• "Cargo room is an even bigger surprise, as the Fit far surpasses its competition with seats that fold flat to offer more than 57 cubic feet (20.6 cubic feet with seats up) of interior storage." -- Car Gurus
• "Leave the rear seatback in place, flip back the rear cushions, and you open a car-wide chasm behind the front seats. That carton containing your new 42-inch flatscreen? Slide it right in. You can at the same time use the aft cargo area to carry that big box of surround-sound kit you're convinced you need. Just remember Fit isn't really a van; 300 pounds of cargo is about the limit before the tail sags." -- Iguida.com
• "It's the seemingly little things, such as cup holders smartly placed in the left and right corners of the Fit's instrument panel, out of the way of gearshift levels and other things that could trigger spills. Duh. Why didn't the Chevrolet Aveo designers think of that?" -- Washington Post
• "Honda has gone to great lengths to include tons of cupholders (10), storage slots (eight), and even hidden compartments (two) to hide maps, store iPods, or keep other contraband from prying eyes." -- Motor Trend