The Triangle

Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Philly Auto Show

Media Credit: Courtesy Honda The Honda Fit offers a small engine and low carb weight, allowing the car to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in about nine seconds flat.

In today's car world, there's a significant emphasis on fuel economy. Car buyers are putting a bigger emphasis on it in their buying decisions, and car makers are catering to this new demand. Last year, for model year 2007, Honda released the Fit in the United States.

The Fit is a four door sub-compact hatchback with a 109-horsepower, 1.5-liter engine that gets 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway (manual transmission). You might think that the Fit would be sluggish with such a small engine, but thanks to its low curb weight (2500 pounds) the car is capable of going from zero to 60 mph in about nine seconds. Not bad.

Thanks to a variety of interior engineering enhancements, the Fit boasts substantial cargo room for such a small car.

In fact, some dimensions rival those found in the larger Honda Civic.

The Fit starts at $13,950 and a Fit Sport version includes an upgraded stereo, 15-inch alloy wheels, security system with remote entry and fog a for $15,270.

While you're looking at the Fit, it's also worth checking out the Toyota Yaris and the Nissan Versa. If you're looking for a slightly bigger hatchback, the Mazda 3 is a stellar car (see below) and the Saturn Astra is another choice. For a more powerful hatchback, take a test drive in Volkswagen's GTI.

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