Reviews
Honda Tops Consumer Reports for 2009
In what’s starting to seem routine, Consumer Reports has released it’s 2009 Auito Issue and once again Honda is at the top of the Auto Maker Report Card. The report card compiles data from autos from all car manuafacturers and the scores are based on road test data and reliability ratings.
Honda, Toyota and Subaru were the top three auto manufacturers overall. Honda fared best overall based on predicted reliability, with only the Element falling slightly short. While the European manufacturers didn’t fare as well overall, they did earn high marks in performance comfort and safety.
For some reason, American auto manufacturers are scored separately (which seems odd and almost unfair). Among them, Ford came out ahead with it’s Flex and F-150 vehicles, and GM managed to get 8 of its vehicles on the Consumer Reports Recommended list.
Honda Fit Ranks #1 among 35 Affordable Small Cars
Based on the US News Ranking and Reviews evaluation, the Honda Fit ranked #1 out of the 35 affordable small cars that they tested, based on 22 published reviews of the 2009 Honda Fit and a detailed analysis of saftey and reliability data on the car.
The larger, sportier 2009 Honda Fit has more utility than most cars in its class, and has a strong resale value. It was rated teh 2009 “Best Car for the Money” in the subcompact class according to US News.
The Fit has made the top 10 list for Car and Driver’s “Top Ten Urban Vehicles”, for both the 2008 and the redesigned 2009 models for its comfort, fuel efficiency, seating modes and available cargo space. While the price is a bit higher than some of the other “affordable” subcompact cars it has been compared against.
One of the only shortcomings among all of the reviews of the 2009 fit is the lack of a stability control option like the one that comes in the VW Rabbit as standard equipment. However in my opinion, you shouldn’t be pushing subcompacts to such limits to require electronic stability control systems. My s2000 doesn’t have stability control, and I drive it a heck of a lot harder than the Fit.
Here is a break down of the US News Rankings:
Fit Performance - 8.5 (Very Good)
Fit Exterior - 7.6 (Good)
Fit Interior - 8.5 (Very Good)
Fit Reliability - 10.0 (Excellent)
Bloomberg.com Comes Down on the Honda Fit
Unlike the LA times and many recent publications that seem to have a glowing review of the new Honda Fit, Jason Harper from Bloomberg.com didn’t seem to like it quite as much. Harper states that people might take the many positive reviews that the car has been receiving as an indication that it’s a “refined and grown-up sort of car.” Harper thinks it isn’t.
He said that in his 400 mile test drive the meek 117hp engine struggles up hills and while the chassis has been stiffened in the 2009 model there is still significant body roll through turns. Harper states that the seats are cheap, uncomfortable and don’t offer proper lumbar support, the interior looks cheap and overall he thinks the car is ugly. While the “ugly” is just an opinion, he’s right about most of his complaints, although he *is* talking about a $16k car.
The article didn’t only have bad things to say about the Fit though. Harper liked the cabin and cargo space, the large windows with no blind spots, navigation system and other amentities that have made the car so popular.
Read the full article on Bloomberg.com.