PedagogikaFine

Honda's fit subcompact hatchback is nearly Civic-sized, and it's the brand's go-to choice for those looking for space without bulk.

The current Honda Fit has been around the block a few times. The subcompact hatch has soldiered on without significant revision since its first update for US customers in 2009, and while Honda is on the verge of launching a third generation, we thought we'd take the time to see how the runabout stacks up against the new wave of small, efficient and plucky five-doors now on the American market.

When it comes to low-cost subcompact cars, you don’t get much choice in tech options beyond hoping the USB jack comes standard and Bluetooth is available. All you can really do is pick the car that’s the most fun to drive or has a lot of room on the inside. The Honda Fit in its final year wins on both counts and is as good as it gets. For now.

Honda Fit Owner's Manuals www.hofit.org/

The Fit only offers 117 horsepower; yet it has a way of feeling surprisingly frisky when you're driving around town. Packaging, seating, and cargo versatility are phenomenally good in the 2013 Honda Fit.

The Sport body kit plays nicely with the Fit's attractive lines, which keep the aesthetics from turning too slab sided. Step around to the rear, and the subcompact serves up a surprising helping of angles, both in its number plate inset and with the hatch lines themselves.

The Fit is fun to drive around town, energetic if not real quick to accelerate to highway speed or go up hills, and quite acceptable cruising on the highway at steady speeds.

Whether or not the 2013 Honda Fit satisfies with respect to features could depend a lot on your expectations surrounding connectivity. On one hand, it's definitely no stripped-down small car, and you won't find manual windows or have to skip air conditioning.

We have to tip our hat to the Fit for staying as sharp as it has for so long. While you can have more fun and get better EPA numbers out of some other players in this neck of the woods, the smallest of the Honda family still offers unbeatable interior space and an excellent drive.

The steering wheel is leather-covered (Fit Sport) and the steering wheel buttons are decently sized. The instrument panel is Spartan and the color scheme of red dials, blue lettering, and black background is hard to make out in the daytime.