Good, because putting the Insight's little engine into a 2,500 pound vehicle didn't make sense.

I just hope they actually offer the manual transmission option that you can only find on the Insight Hybrid.

I passed a fit on the road the other day and they look WAY too small. I wouldn't buy this as a primary car to haul a family around in but I guess it would make a good second car. I wish Honda would work on getting a hybrid version of the odyssey. Combined with the VCM that Honda already uses that would make a very attractive option for a family mover.

Small is relative :) I remember when vw rabbits were sharing the road with ford galaxies. times change and suv's will not be popular in the coming years. just the facts, things move in cycles. Economy is becoming more important and the hybrid fit will fit well with the change that is already underway.

We looked at the civic hybrid but it was a bit out of our range so we bought one of the new Honda Fits about a month ago and love it! It's VERY roomy - so much more that you would think by looking at it. It has a lot of head and leg room both front and back. It's 2 foot shorter than our old Subaru Legacy Sedan so we can park it easily in the city but it is more spacious inside. We've hauled so much stuff in it (both people and belongings) and could have put even more inside with out feeling cramped. And the gas milage is great! We're averaging 34 mpg - mostly city with some highway. (FYI, we have the manual transmition.) It's a fun car to drive and cute to boot! Just thought I'd post a first hand opinion.

Yes, small is relative. I remember when I was growing up my parents would load a family of five and all our stuff into a VW beetle and drive 1000 miles from NC to Homestead, FL for Easter break. Now people seem to think they can't manage without a minivan or SUV for a family of three or four. We're looking very seriously at the Fit as a replacement for our Honda Accord Wagon when it give out.

We have 2 Hondas, an Odyssey and a 13 year old Civic. We are sold on Hondas. The quality is excellent. We needed another vehicle since my daughter had graduated from High School. We decided to give her my Civic. She is not an experienced driver and would be perfect for her. The Civic is great condition. It has a few scratches and bumps but otherwise mechanically in great shape. I was introduced to fit on the Internet and soon realized it was the perfect car for me. I had driven other cars in this category but, they didn’t measure up to the Fit. The Sport model has a nice set of options. Who could ask for more: great gas mileage, plenty of room, and fun to drive? The American Car industry can not build a small car they can only import them.

I passed a fit on the road the other day and they look WAY too small.

Looks can be deceiving. It has the second most front headroom of any sedan and as much front legroom as a Benz S600. It's also got cleverly designed rear seats that provide different configurations to maximize space for different hauling functions. With the seats down, the cargo space in back is about the same as a 4Runner's and a little more than a GMC Envoy's.

You should go try one out and see for yourself.

re the Byline for
Update on Honda Fit Hybrid and CR-V Hybrid
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.15.06

I almost ignored this because the date indicates it was posted a year ago, I think.
(I assume 05.15.06 means 2006-05-15 - ISO-format).

re: "The American Car industry can not build a small car they can only import them."

Many, perhaps most, of the Hondas & Toyotas sold in North America are built in North America.
Are they not part of the "American Car industry"?

The whole American vs. foreign debate is tired, but easily explained: It's about the manufacturing, folks. You see, "foreign brand" vehicles which are actually assembled here in North America benefit our economy more than many "domestic brand" cars which get assembled in Mexico or Canada. American auto-factory workers get paid a lot of money, which propagates to our economy. Canadian and Mexican workers don't spend their meager incomes here, so America receives no direct benefit. Any after-the-sale profits from either simply go in some CEO's inflated stock options - big woo.

I saw a Honda fit parked next to a 1992 Buick Century (considered a mid-size family sedan). The Fit is far taller, and appeared about as long and wide. However, park the Fit next to a 2006 Excursion and it doesn't appear so large.

America would benefit from changing it's perceptions.

The Fit got top marks from Consumer Reports as well. Just a thought. I would buy one now, but I'm determined that my next car be a hybrid, and I can't afford the current ones. This might be just the ticket!

You all must be the same idiot's who believe that public transportation (the kind that makes longer overall commute times usually at least twice as long,(meaning ALL) which translates to; up in the morning off to work ,work, then back home to bed 6 hrs sleep back to work etc.) can work ! Honda as well as other manufacturers must start producing hybrid suv's minivans,hey even trucks because people do still HAVE FAMILYS and do still HAVE RESPOSIBILITIES which require vehicles other than tiny low short sighted (meaning you can't see past the car in front of you) death traps, besides the fact that you'll wind up ruining your back, sitting so low, and from getting in and out of them. Also if the rest of the country is the same as the greater Seattle/Tacoma area a car would be trashed driving on ill maintained roadways ie pot holes and railroad crossings.

No, we are not the idiots; the idiots are the fatty's that choose to eat way too much (hence, the sore back) and also choose to have too many kids that they take to McDonalds and then sue the fast food industry when their kids develop diabetes.
You are the classic hillbilly, I bet your are pro-war too, of course not now you bandwagon bone-head.

Can you projest when the rav-4 or cr-v will be available as hybrids? seems like the time has come and they would both be popular sellers. kalik