Brian Chee’s Opinion of the 2007 Honda Fit’s Quality:
Here’s the bad news – at least on the outside. I found wide ranging gaps in the door panels and hood lines; noticed that the rear liftgate didn’t look like it lined up properly; and the plastic trim running along the bottom of the Fit moved around a bit too easily for my tastes. Using a credit card to gauge distance, I found significant gap variances between the doors and body, where the hood joins with the fenders, and in back, along the liftgate gaps. Perhaps our car was a prototype. After all, Honda has built a reputation as a maker of high quality cars, so the chances are that Fits on your local lot are nailed down nicely. This one, though, had some variances I did not expect to see on a Honda. Inside, the interior of the Fit is tight, with nice fitting plastics that have a quality feel, to go with sturdy seats and materials that feel as though they’ll last for a good long time.

Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion of the 2007 Honda Fit’s Quality:
Honda’s use of mesh-textured hard plastics coupled with gray metallic trim of the same caliber as you might find in an Acura goes a long way toward making the 2007 Honda Fit seem more expensive than it is. Add in the beautifully rendered gauge cluster, the plush fabric seats, the cloth door panel inserts, and the hook-secured floor mats with the Fit logo embossed upon them and you don’t feel like you’re in an entry-level car. Just take a look at that steering wheel, with its chrome Honda logo, silver metallic trim, and Acura-style cruise control buttons. Does that say cheap to you?

The outside doesn’t hint at the Fit’s base price, either. The paint looks terrific, the Fit Sport’s alloy wheels are brushed aluminum, and the gigantic headlights have an upscale appearance. However, I did notice a few build quality problems on the outside, such as inconsistent gaps between the headlight clusters and the hood, and misaligned greenhouse trim on the right side of the car. Inside, all the parts and pieces fit well, and while I did notice exposed screw heads, this is a $16,000 car, so what did I expect?

Thom Blackett’s Opinion of the 2007 Honda Fit’s Quality:
Sometimes you get what you pay for, even with a Honda. Sure, the brand is known for solid reliability, but our 2007 Fit Sport test car proved that build quality isn’t necessarily guaranteed. During my inspection I noticed a loose panel on the lower B-pillar, irregular gaps around the glove box and hood, cheap carpeting that was lifting in a few spots, flimsy panels in the cargo area, rear door panels that didn’t sit flush with the body, and welding splatter all over the front passenger’s door jamb below the A-pillar. Perhaps this is not unexpected for a $15,000 car, but it is surprising for a Honda.

On the plus side, the hard plastics found throughout the cabin feel durable and secure, with the few exceptions noted above. Fabric matching the seat inserts is used on the upper door panels, serving to decorate and add some comfort for arms resting on the sill. Buttons and switchgear all have some heft, and the leather steering wheel feels top-notch.

Ron Perry’s Opinion of the 2007 Honda Fit’s Quality:
You can’t expect burlwood trim and leather when buying a car like the 2007 Honda Fit, but you should expect decent quality materials when buying a Honda product. Unfortunately, the textured plastics that Honda chose to use on the inside of the Fit not only look cheap with their shiny finish, but also attract every scuff mark and dust particle within ten feet of the car. Our car had only a couple thousand miles on it and already the door panels were looking rough, as was the glove box door. The dash always looked dusty no matter how many times I wiped it, and the black seat cloth was a magnet for lint. Designers didn’t pay enough attention to the way the Fit’s materials would wear in real life use. Then again, you have to keep in perspective the price of the Fit. Not even Honda can make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.

Outside, I didn’t see the poor quality issues others saw. All the seams looked to be tight and even, even where the fascias met the fenders, build quality was right on target.