Our first installment pitted the all-new Suzuki SX4 against the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent. We put the Accent and SX4 to pasture in round one, leaving the Fit and Versa to duke it out. Who’s the last man standing? Read on.
Second place: 2007 Nissan Versa SL
WJ: To me, this was the family car of the bunch. It had a nicely refined interior with nice fabrics and surfaces. If you're the type who has to have a cubby for everything, this is your car. I find it just means I lose things. I didn't push this car hard and it seemed happy about that.
KM: Save for the cursed tiny levers that adjust the driver’s seat, the Versa’s cabin hits one out of the park. You don’t realize how much you miss so-called "basic" features — like a padded dashboard, front map lights, a rear center armrest and covered storage between the front seats — until automakers drop them from their cheapest offerings. Not Nissan. What keeps this car off the winners' table is its lackluster driving experience. The transmission offers sluggish response, and the brakes lack much clarity.
Winner: 2007 Honda Fit Sport
WJ: I used to think paddle-shifting transmissions were the thing to have, until I drove this. It did hold gears for a long time, but the tactile sensation of shifting was lacking. There was no "click" or other indication the shift took. However, it darted away from stoplights and changed direction quickly. Body lean was a bit disconcerting. The interior was my favorite because it had the storage capacity of an aircraft hangar, and I liked the materials. Where the SX4 said it was a sport-ute, the Fit said it was a sporty car. The supportive seats and smallish sport steering wheel deserve special mention.
KM: The Fit easily wins first place thanks to its engaging performance and no-nonsense interior. I didn’t find body roll as problematic as Bill did. The Accent has less, but the SX4 and Versa have significantly more. The best part of the Fit is its engine, which lacks much of the buzziness the other cars have. It feels like a much quicker car than it probably is, and it doesn’t run out of steam until you’re north of 5,000 rpm — a place few drivers will likely push it.
Previous
Subscribe to our feed
Email us your tips!
Great article, but where was the Yaris?
Mark, the Yaris wasn't at the event, otherwise it would have been spot-on to include. I've driven one and can confidently say it would have ranked at or near last place. No standard side airbags, a subpar interior and a real snail of an engine. The only thing in its favor is Toyota reliability and resale value, but even that -- for the Yaris -- has yet to stand the test of time.
THATS A CLOSE CALL. THE VERSA AND FIT ARE HEAD TO HEAD COMPETITORS AND THE YARIS JUST DOESN'T CUT IT WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMANCE AND FUNCTUALITY. MY CHOICE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE VERSA BECAUSE OF ITS CONTENT OFFERINGS LIKE THE INTELLIGENT KEYLESS ENTRY AND IGNITION, BLUETOOTH HANDSFREE PHONE SYSTEM, AUDIO, AND OF COURSE THE SUNROOF. IF ITS DRIVING DYNAMICS WERE ON PAR OR ABOVE THE FIT, IT WOULD WIN BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE RESULTS SAY THE FiT IS GO!
Did your anal fissures heal yet? The SX-4 is a car. Those other shit boxes are, well, shitboxes.
Sorry Guys ,, But I just drove a Hyundai Elantra TODAY and it was the Most Comfortable Ride I have had so far in a Small car .
Yes ! I have test driven all the other Small cars and the Elantra Beats all of then hands down for Comfort and get up and Go !
The sales man had to be at or near 300+ and I'm 340 Lbs. and both he and I sat in the 2 front seats and we were comfortable and even with 2 Hefty men ,, this car handled GREAT !!
I'm buying one Tommorow for only $11,999 plus doc fees , Taxes , and a CA: Tire Fee ?
It is ranked at 24 mpg in the Ciry and 35 MPG on the Hiway .
And that's close enough for me .
Small price and Big Comfort and the Best 10 year warrant that I know about .
Happy Hunting !!!
Just read the first part of the article a few minutes ago, not suprised the fit won. Caranddriver.com also has a comparison between some of these cars, the fit wins there also. Versa comes in at 2nd there too. Yaris is also tested comming in at 4th.
Fuck the Yaris in every single way!!! It aint no car, its an egg.
I drive the Accent SE (Black). I love it. I think it looks best. The Chassis is sweet. I got the 5 spd SE with ABS EBD, 170 watt 6 disc 6 spkr system, sunroof (that was designed like it was meant to be there), map lights, lit vanity mirrors both passenger and driver, 60/40 fold down rears, nice compartments. I'm 6'1" and very comfortable. I haul video cameras and lighting equipment very comfortably. Back seat passengers have PLENTY of room. 16" alloys. AC of course. Nobody mentioned the very adjustable seat? Anyway it's fully loaded with a well designed interior and I love it for $15,400 OUT THE DOOR. Not upset with the outcome of the review... I'm sure the other cars are great. It just seems like the Hyundai was written off to quickly and easily. Oh well. This wasn't a very detailed review.
hahahah.
i sell the hondas. the fit sport manual is helping me recapture the youth i never had.
the car is a champ. i read in a review about subcompact cars once; 'drive it like you STOLE it'.
If you got the guts to use that wonderful, high-revving, bulletproof honda engine and tranny and if you aren't scared to push the car through a turn with it's rail-like, confidence-inspiring handling then the fit's dollar/fun quotient is unbeatable.
if all you're looking for is a cheap car or hybrid like fuel economy go somewhere else. the fit and i don't need you.
Everyone misses the best all around small car value because they don't know what category to put it in. The Mazda 5 is frequently overlooked but by far the best value when it comes to fit and finish and driving experience.