Should You Take the Honda Fit Off Road?
The 2020 Honda Fit’s low ride height and front-wheel-drive don’t make it ideal for off-road adventures.
Written by Sarah Gray
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
The
Honda Fit
was one of the top-rated subcompact cars in America before sales were discontinued in the US following the 2020 model year, but with only 4.4 inches of ground clearance and front-wheel-drive, it’s not a great off-road option.Getting off-road takes a lot more than just four-wheels and desire, but with so many specs to consider, how do you know if your car truly has the ability to hit the trail?
Jerry
, the super app
that saves drivers money on car insurance
and more, is here to demystify the off-road equation. Read on to learn more about the specs that set the Honda Fit up for success—or failure—on the trails, and for some other great off-road options to consider.Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ insurance companies with Jerry in under 45 seconds
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversCan the 2020 Honda Fit go off road?
Not really—if you find yourself on a gravel road or you need to park in a relatively flat field or yard, you should be fine, but if you need to do much more than that, you should look for another option.
Starting at $17,185, the Honda Fit combines the fuel-efficiency of a subcompact car with an interior so roomy, it’s practically magical. While the suspension makes for an almost supple ride over roads and highways, neither it nor the powertrain are tuned for off-road performance.
Off-roading is about more than just suspension and power, so let’s look at some of the other factors that help make the Fit a great fit for the highway, but less comfortable off the beaten path.
Ground clearance
Ground clearance plays an important role both on- and off-road. On the asphalt, low ground clearance makes for better handling, but off the track, a low ride height can spell disaster if you find yourself scraping over rough terrain.
Ideal ground clearance for hitting the trails is upwards of 8.8 inches, but the Honda Fit only offers 4.4 inches of clearance. That’s what makes it handle so well around corners and when maneuvering in traffic, but it makes it a poor choice on anything that’s not paved.
Torque
While on-road performance often comes down to horsepower, off-road chops really come from low-end torque. When your vehicle is capable of twisting up lots of torque at low rpms, you can power through thick mud or up steep grades without having to get a run at it.
The Honda Fit spins up 114 lb-ft of torque @ 4600 rpm, which isn’t much, so this is another factor working against the Fit when it comes to hitting the trails.
Tires
This is where the proverbial rubber hits the road—or the rocks. If you’re planning to tackle anything other than tarmac, you need
all-terrain tires
that are designed to handle—you guessed it—all types of terrain. The Honda Fit is outfitted with all-season tires, which are great when it comes to treadwear and even fuel economy, but aren’t made for anything rougher than a dirt or gravel road.Drivetrain
If you’re going off-road, you have to have all-wheel-drive. There’s really no alternative. The Honda Fit offers front-wheel-drive, which is great when it comes to driving on slick surfaces, thanks to the engine weight adding traction on the powered front wheels, but it’s not a good bet for off-roading.
Angles
If you spend all your time on the road, you’ve probably never even heard of angles of approach and departure:
- Approach angle: the maximum angle at which a vehicle can climb without interference
- Departure angle: the maximum angle at which a vehicle can descend without interference
Even if you haven’t heard of them, they are what often makes or breaks an off-road vehicle.
The Honda Fit’s approach and departure angle are 15 and 22 degrees respectively, which is enough to handle the gentle rises and dips you’ll encounter on the streets, but now enough to handle the steep inclines and rough terrain of the trail.
Off-road rating: Don’t try it
We’ve rated the 2020 Honda Fit using
Jerry’s
super-technical DIRT rating system, broken down in the table below:Rating | Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|
D | Don’t Try It | Vehicles better suited to highway conditions |
I | In a Pinch | Vehicles that can handle off-road conditions in certain circumstances |
R | Rough and Ready | Vehicles designed for casual off-roading |
T | Trail Boss | True off-road vehicles capable of tackling a range of terrain |
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The 2020 Honda Fit earns a D rating. It’s an excellent option for hitting the streets, especially with its Tardis-like “bigger on the inside” cabin space that can haul deceptively large amounts of cargo. If you need to park in a field at an outdoor concert, head down a gravel road to go camping, or pull into the yard to offer more parking space for guests, go for it. But much more than that and you’ll be looking at potentially getting stuck, or worse, damaging your undercarriage.
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The best off-road alternatives to the 2020 Honda Fit
The Honda Fit won’t be a good option for off-roading, but here are the best alternatives to the 2020 Honda Fit—no matter what your priorities are.
Alternative | Model | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Best affordable alternative | $17,545 | The 2022 Kia Rio sits an inch higher off the ground than the Fit, for a little more off-road capability, and due to the currently-inflated used-car market, you can buy a brand new Rio for the same price as a used Fit. | |
Best eco-friendly alternative | $28,590–$31,999 | You’ll be paying quite a bit more, but you’re getting an eco-friendly option with all-wheel-drive and almost an inch more of ground clearance for much better off-road chops. | |
Best alternative for serious off-roading | $26,499–33,590 | Four-wheel drive, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, Hill Descent Control, and Active Torque Vectoring make the Crosstrek the perfect tiny SUV alternative to the road-restricted Fit. |
MORE: Cheap off-road trucks
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Reviewed on 5/28/2023
How to find affordable car insurance for off-road vehicles
While you won’t need to worry about paying inflated insurance premiums for off-road vehicle coverage, there’s no reason you can’t still look for ways to save. And with
Jerry
you’ll always be guaranteed the lowest rates around.Shopping with Jerry is simple, too! Just download the free app, and within 2 minutes you’ll be looking at customized options generated for you based on a cross-comparison of more than 55 of the top providers in the nation. Just choose your new coverage, and Jerry’s team of experts will help you set up your new policy, and they’ll even help you cancel your old one.
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