Smart ForTwo Comes Out on Top in Roof-Strength Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released the results of its first crash test to determine roof strength for small cars. Only one of the six cars tested — the Smart ForTwo — earned the top rating of Good. The Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper and Toyota Yaris earned Acceptable ratings, while the Chevy Aveo managed only a Marginal rating.

These new tests are important because they will be included in the 2010 Top Safety Pick awards that IIHS hands out. The roof tests require a car to withstand a force four times the vehicle’s weight per 5 inches of crushed area. That produces a strength-to-weight ratio. A ratio of 4 is the minimum to earn a Good rating, 3.25 is minimum for an Acceptable rating and 2.5 for Marginal. Anything below that is a Poor. The Smart Fortwo earned a 5.4 rating.

IIHS points to rollover crashes accounting for 10,000 deaths a year as the main reason to add the roof test to its side, rear and frontal crash tests. However, IIHS points out that while a strong roof helps prevent injuries after a rollover, the cars themselves should be more stable to prevent such accidents. The Smart ForTwo has a three-star rollover rating from the government, while the Fit, Cooper and Yaris have four-star rollover ratings.

Last year, 84 vehicles earned Top Safety Pick status, including the Honda Fit, which looks to lose that status with its score of Acceptable in the roof test. 

Honda Fit Hybrid Possible for 2010

Japan's Nikkei business daily is reporting that Honda will roll out a hybrid version of its Fit subcompact in the fall of 2010. Presumably this would be in Japan, before a worldwide launch later on. The company has already said it will release a hybrid CR-Z sports car in 2010.

The move comes on the heels of a recent spike in demand for the new hybrid Insight in Japan. We're guessing the recent mileage enhancements for U.S. vehicles also helped Honda pull the trigger a bit early.

Reuters rightly notes that Nikkei doesn't name sources for some of its information, including a starting price of roughly $15,800 for the Fit Hybrid when it goes on sale in Japan. That’s $3,000 less than what the Insight is selling for in Japan.

We can’t imagine the Fit Hybrid going for that small an amount, and suggest that the report be taken with a grain of salt.

Honda to roll out hybrid Fit in autumn 2010: report (Reuters)

2009|Honda|Fit

Consumer Reports Picks Honda Fit as Top Subcompact

Stacked against four other subcompact vehicles, the Honda Fit Sport got Consumer Reports’ top recommendation with enthusiasm.

Out of the Suzuki SX4, Chevrolet Aveo, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa and the Fit, only the SX4 and the Fit Sport managed to get the consumer group’s recommendation. Low road test scores doomed the Yaris and Aveo, while the Versa fell short when it came to reliability.

The Fit Sport got the highest overall marks thanks to impressive fuel economy of 33 mpg during testing, a zero to 60 speed of 9.2 seconds and a versatile interior.

The vehicle’s only low mark came for its headlights, which CR found sorely lacking. So I guess it's tops as long as you drive the Fit Sport during the day?

Honda Fit Dominates Consumer Reports Subcompact Test (Autoblog)

Cars.com Videos: 2009 Honda Fit, 2009 Nissan Maxima and more

2009 Honda Fit: Joe Wiesenfelder takes on the Fit is Go mantra for almost a minute and then throws in the Cars.com family to get their feedback on Honda's popular sub-compact.

2009 Nissan Maxima: With its V-6 engine and good suspension, the Maxima is a premium-esque sedan that deserves a look, says Kelsey Mays.

2008 Kia Sedona: The Sedona might not be the flashiest minivan out there, but Kelsey says it’s an excellent value with an emphasis on usability and durability.

2008 BMW Z4: Kelsey says this coupe is a strong performer with a powerful engine, but he just can’t get over its “rat-like nose.”

View and share all of Cars.com’s videos via YouTube.

2009 Honda Fit: Second Look

While senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder got the first look at the new Honda Fit for his full review last month, the rest of the editors at Cars.com recently landed some extended seat time in the 2009 Fit to see how the popular hatchback improves on the past generation. They take on the car’s utility, family-friendliness and, oh yeah, the driving experience. 

Reader Review of the Week: 2009 Honda Fit

If you live in San Francisco and find yourself looking for fuel efficiency while hauling goats, then the Honda Fit might be your ride. This week's reader reviewer certainly recommends it. He and his wife not only own the brand-spanking-new 2009 Honda Fit, they also have an '08 version for comparison. Gas-friendly and apparently spacious enough for small livestock, keep reading to find out why else the Fit gets their endorsement. Also, submit your own review here.

2009 Honda Fit Prices Start $600 Higher Than 2008

The all-new 2009 Honda Fit goes on sale in the next few weeks, and we have a full price breakdown below. The base Fit with a five-speed manual will start at $14,550, excluding a $670 destination charge. The outgoing 2008 started at $13,950. While $600 might not sound like a lot of money, that’s 4% higher than the 2008 figure. The average price increase for a model year with no changes is typically between 1% and 3%, while redesigned models recently have added more content and kept the increase to around 5%. We’ve also, however, seen redesigned vehicles with more content, especially from Nissan, start for less than the outgoing model.

The Fit Sport is $790 more for 2009, a 5% increase. See the full pricing below, including a new navigation system being offered for the first time on the Fit. If you want to check out more news on the 2009 Honda Fit go here.

2009 Honda Fit Photo Gallery

If you haven’t already read senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder’s full review of the 2009 Honda Fit, make sure to go check it out. Then come back here, click below and check out a full gallery of Honda’s new economy-minded hatchback. We do want to alert you that there are images of both the 2009 and 2008 Honda Fit in the gallery to show the differences and similarities between the two. Enjoy.

Cars.com Reviews 2009 Honda Fit

Is the 2009 Honda Fit the most important car in America? Senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder makes its case in his hot-off-the-digital-presses review of the redesigned subcompact. Comparing it with the outgoing model, Joe finds the new model only slightly improved, but is that enough to make the 2009 a winner?

2009 Honda Fit Expert Review

News on Honda's Three New Hybrids

For some unknown reason, Honda picked late last night to drop word on its newest slate of hybrid vehicles. The big news is that it will debut a true Toyota Prius-fighter before the end of the year. It will be an affordable five-seat hatchback resembling the FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle we saw in L.A. last year. We’d expect this new vehicle to debut at next year’s Detroit auto show in January because Honda stressed it would debut early in 2009.

Honda expects to sell 100,000 of these new hybrids in North America.

The other significant news is that Honda will introduce two other hybrids in the near future to sell alongside its Civic Hybrid. One will be a hybrid version of its redesigned Fit; the gasoline-powered update goes on sale later this year. 

The third new model will be based on the CR-Z sports car concept that we can’t wait to see on the road.

Honda has more specifics on the new hatchback, listed below for the technically inclined. Otherwise, let us know in the comments if you think Honda is making the right move.