I took an EX-L out for a test drive last night. Initial thoughts:
1. The look is a bit different (definitely more Civic-esqe), but it's still a Fit for sure.
2. Still has GREAT visibility
3. Leather seats are much more comfortable - they added padding
4. Extra 13HP is nice (my 2010 had 117; the 2015 has 130)
5. CVT takes some getting used to; it's still peppy to drive, but you have to drive differently because if you mash down on the pedal it makes a weird sound & doesn't jump off the line like before (previous Fit was SUPER peppy, I definitely liked the drivetrain more in the previous 5-speed automatic model). So if you feather the pedal in a little bit, that will give you better, ah, launch control
6. Engine sounds weird now. Not sure if it's the upgraded engine, CVT drivetrain, or a combination of both. I actually didn't really care for the sound, although it's quiet while cruising.
7. Suspension is hugely upgraded, feels like driving the new Civic - noticeably smoother than the previous one. You still feel the big bumps, but cruising around feels solid & smooth. Very nice upgrade.
8. Surprisingly, it corners even better than the previous one! I don't know how they made the suspension smoother but improved the cornering, but it works!
9. The huge color screen is awesome. Backup camera view is HUGE. Plus you get a camera on the right side on the higher-end models, so it gives you passenger-side blindspot visibility when you turn on your blinker. Super easy to use, very nice feature.
10. Hate the touchscreen volume slider. HATE. Dumbest feature in the new Fit. You still have buttons on the steering wheel, but the music was blaring when I started up the car, the touchscreen controls didn't seem to work super well, so I had to sit there & tap the volume down on the steering wheel. Dumb.
11. Lounge mode is back - so not only do the Magic Seats still go up & down, but you can pull the front seat down for nap mode. Nice if you're camping, want to take a break at school, or chill in your car at lunch at work or whatever.
12. They kind of ruined the cupholders. The great thing about the previous-gen Fit was that it had a zillion cupholders. Now there's a semi-pop-out one next to the steering wheel and a couple under the dash (with height limitations). This is very annoying in the '13 Civic too - there's only two cupholders (which are at least in the center, not under the dash), but the doors just have water bottle holders. So if you're taking multiple people around, drinks are a hassle. I usually carry water & some sort of protein shake with me, plus whatever my wife has, plus the kiddo, so...yeah. Miss the ridiculous quantity of cupholders in the old Fit! And what is this pop-out one, a
cupholder for ants!?
13. The model I took out has HDMI input. Legally you can't play video on the screen (iirc the law is if it's in view of the driver), but technically you can. This would actually be nice for mirroring Google Maps from your smartphone, since Honda Nav is like an extra grand & still blows chunks.
14. Has keyless entry now. The keyfob is fairly big & surprisingly heavy, but at least you don't have to take it out of your pocket. Pushbutton to start/stop the car.
15. MPG is REALLY good now.
Green Car Reports has a great real-world article on it; they got a real-world average of 35 MPG.
16. You seem to sit more upright in it, a little bit like my Kia Soul, but your knees are higher. It felt a little bit more snug than my last one, which was actually decently comfortable for me (being just over 6' tall). The awesome visibility helps make up for that feeling tho.
17. Pricing is still good. LX, EX, EX-L, and EX-L with Nav run about $15.5k to $21k - super reasonably for all of the stuff you get. I would have no qualms spending $20k on the updated Fit, unlike my Kia Soul, which tops out at a whopping $26k fully-loaded.
Honda has some nice pull-ahead programs if you lease with them; I originally leased a 2010 Honda Fit for my wife & we're currently leasing a 2013 Honda Civic (the redesigned one). My wife hates the Civic because it's got a low ceiling & is tough to get a wiggly toddler inside; she wants her Fit back. I'm not totally sold on the whole CVT/new engine thing (it was weird to drive, but then again, I don't usually drive cars with CVT's in them), so we opted not to upgrade quite yet.
I had previously checked out the CRV, which is a very popular car & is pretty nice, but it starts at an insane $23k. Granted, you can get AWD & have great resale value, but in contrast, my current 2014 Kia Soul was $14.9k...not only was it $8,000 cheaper, but I also liked it better - more headroom & felt bigger on the inside, plus a 10-year warranty (I'd get one for my wife, but the suspension is too stiff for her tastes). Also, the new HR-V is out soon (mini SUV version of the Fit, basically a smaller CRV)...my sales guy said their dealership is getting them in December, so I decided to hold off on doing the lease upgrade to check out those instead. I'm in no rush since I still have 17 months left on my lease & the pull-ahead programs only get more attractive the longer you want due to the KBB trade-in value.
Anyway, very nice upgrade from the last-gen design...better MPG, better ride, better features, still a great value overall.