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.
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