2007 Honda Fit Sport

Nobody asked me but . . .

Coping with expensive gasoline got you down?

Think Fit. Honda Fit.

It comes in two models, base at $13,850 and Sport at $15,170 (plus $550 destination). Sport models are equipped with aero bodywork, fog lights, larger tires, alloy rims and interior upgrades, including a high-performance audio system and leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel.

The Fit is a small car—not quite 2-feet shorter than a Honda Civic—but as a result of it’s greater height and clever packaging, inside it’s virtually a match for the Civic. In fact, the Fit has more front and rear head room and only 1-inch less rear leg room than a Civic sedan.

For $15,000 and change you don’t get a lot of soft-feeling plastics inside a Fit, but every surface speaks quality. There are no rough edges or uneven gaps. Fit and finish are exemplary.

The cloth-covered seats are comfortable and supportive. The wheel adjusts for rake. A variety of storage cubbies and cupholders, along with 60/40 split, folding rear seats that create a completely flat load floor, enhance utility.

With only 109 ponies available from its 1.5-liter 4-cylinder, the Fit expects the driver to understand the terms wide-open throttle and high revs. Both are required if you want to extract performance that will keep you up with the Joneses and their typical V6 and V8 machines. Luckily this is a Honda, from a company that made its reputation on the excellence of its small-displacement engines and smooth-shifting manual gearboxes.

Even driven hard you should be able to match the EPA’s 33 mpg city and 38 mpg highway estimates.

My jaunty Milano red Fit Sport was fun to fling around corners. I don’t know about you, but I found it refreshing not having traction control or stability control intruding on my play time. These devices aren’t even offered as options. But don’t get the idea Honda has skimped on safety. The Fit is equipped with a full complement of front, seat, and head curtain airbags.

I found the electric power assisted steering numb on center when driving down the highway—I’d prefer more input from the road. But, otherwise, no complaints. Especially around corners where the steering is quick and responsive.

The Fit has a small car ride, meaning you will feel the road. But except for sharp bumps, where the car feels like it suffers from too-stiff springs, the ride is not unpleasant. Just don’t expect Acura-like smoothness.

If you’re the practical mature adult who opts for a Fit, be aware of one thing. If there are youthful drivers in the family, hide the keys. I guarantee they will discover the car is a perfect Fit for performance tuning.

Mercedes Love Fest Update

Nobody asked me but . . .

Back on September 7th I wrote about Mercedes-Benz and Match.com pairing up in a unique “Wheels of Attraction” event which offered the first-ever SpeedMatching event on wheels. Over one hundred Match.com members accelerated the dating dynamic as they went from zero to sixty on five-minute dates in new Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Now the two companies have followed up with a Roper poll on car coupling.

• 36% of Americans say they love their car. Those most likely to feel this way are:
o Convertible owners (54%); 42% are women; 46% are luxury car owners; 44% live in the Western U.S.
• 23% feel strongly enough to view their car as a member of the family
• 26% of Americans talk to their car
• 23% consider their car a best friend
• 12% of Americans feel their car understands them better than their significant other
• 85% report having had a romantic moment in their car with someone
• 13% of Americans had their first kiss in a car
• 46% of Americans believe their car matches their personality
• 26% plan to keep their cars for “years and years”
• 8% have received a vehicle as a graduation gift, and six percent have been given a car for their birthday
• 14% of Americans say their car played a key role in their wedding day
• When asked to recount a favorite memory involving their car, Americans reported they were most likely to be with friends during the summer on a road trip
• Men reported all-time favorite car-related memories to be with friends (65%) or with a date (40%), while parked (53%) and during high school (34%)
• Women reported all-time favorite car-related memories to be with friend (52%), while on a road trip (41%) and during college (14%)
• Regionally, Midwesterners were most likely on a date during their favorite car memories, while people in the South and West were more likely to be with their family

The LoveMercedes Tour national survey of 1,016 American adults (18 years and older) was conducted by Roper. For those stats fanatics in the audience the findings are projectable to the general population within +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.