Cars.comparison: Weekend Athlete Cars
Small cars are often praised for their mileage and parking ease, but they have a utilitarian side that's often overlooked. So, the Weekend Athlete put these cars to the test, knowing full well that while you could attach a rack to any of them to carry a bike and other toys, that wouldn't show anybody how useful they were, now would it? With that in mind, the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris head to the starting grid to see which is the most competitive.
= Category winner| The Contenders | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Honda Fit Sport | 2009 Nissan Versa hatchback 1.8 SL | 2009 Toyota Yaris four-door hatchback base |
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| Base MSRP | ||
| $16,260 | $16,330 | $13,305 |
| Price as tested | ||
| $19,430 | $19,120 | $17,094 |
| Cargo space/bike loading | ||
| 57.3 cubic feet Taller riders and their bigger bikes will suffer when using one of these small cars, but the wide, low opening to the Fit's cargo area makes it the champ in this category. | 50.4 cubic feet The Versa's cargo area is a nice, usable size, but the hatch is very narrow and the load floor high. Even shorter athletes with smaller bikes could have issues with the narrow opening. | 25.7 cubic feet There's simply not enough room to carry a bike with even one wheel on. The Yaris brings up the rear. |
| Camping-gear loading | ||
| Despite the specs, with the rear seats up the cargo area feels slightly more cramped than the Versa, and the space seems less usable. | There's space to carry camping gear for three if they pack light. The high load floor and narrow opening don't make loading things easy, but with the seats up it feels bigger than the Fit. | The Yaris doesn't have the biggest cargo area, but it does let you slide one or both of the seats forward slightly to create more room. It's the smallest of the three by a long shot, but still very useful. |
| Bike and camping-gear loading | ||
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The Fit noses ahead of the Versa simply because its space is easier to access. Imagine having to load your gear in the rain and you'll see what I mean. |
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Once you've wrestled your bike through the Versa's narrow opening, there will be plenty of options for arranging your things. It's a roomy space, but it's no fun getting your stuff into it. |
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If it doesn't handle the bike by itself well, it's not going to handle the bike and all your other toys at all. |
| Gas mileage (city/highway, mpg) | ||
| 27/33 Marathoner: Those mileage ratings are nothing to sneeze at, but they surprisingly fail to carry this category for the Fit. | 27/33 Another marathoner: Ditto. | 29/35 Ultra-marathoner: While the other cars have to stop and sip some fuel, the Yaris pounds out a few more miles. |
| Seat-folding ease | ||
| The seats flop over nicely, and you can flip the second-row seat cushions up to carry tall objects behind the front seats. In the end though, the Fit is just edged out by the Yaris. | It's not that it's bad, it's just that the others offer more flexible arrangements. The Versa also has a split-level load floor, which will annoy some. | The Yaris likewise has a simple design, but it sets itself apart by giving you the option of sliding the rear seat forward to make more cargo room. It's the template others should follow. |
| Highway on-ramp/passing performance | ||
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The Fit Sport's optional automatic transmission has a Sport mode and paddle shifters to give you the sensation of speed. It handles the best of all three, so a curvy entrance ramp is its friend, and it's got enough grunt to sprint for the win. |
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The Versa's engine was quick to respond around town, but it lagged a bit when I tried passing on the highway. Its handling isn't as poised as the Fit's or Yaris'. |
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The Yaris just isn't as peppy. It handles OK, and there's decent pep for passing, but there's not enough there to power it to the head of the field. |
| Post-race ride quality | ||
| Rocky road: The handling comes at a price — namely, you'll feel every bump in the road. It's painful sometimes. | Smooth as a milkshake: Bumps in the road are ironed out, and the Versa's seats are the softest of the group, making the ride pleasant for a small car. | Smooth, but not milkshake-smooth: The Yaris manages to ride just enough harder (or maybe its seats are just enough harder) than the Versa to lose out. It's much more comfortable than the Fit, though. |
| Non-jock attributes | ||
| The Fit has the most space-age interior of the three, and there's decent interior room. Its superior handling also earns it some points, and it looks sporty … which is good considering it's a Sport model. | There's enough room in the Versa to carry four adults fairly comfortably. It has a rich interior and good all-around performance, making it a nice kind of car that blends in rather than standing out. | Being the smallest, the Yaris isn't the one you'd want to use to carry four large adults on a long road trip. Also, its interior is the most Spartan. |
| Locker room cred | ||
| You'll look sporty in a car that goes quickly, but your friends will know you spent fractionally more money on your car than you did on your bike and tent. | It has a roomy cargo area and the best ride, and it doesn't cost as much as the Fit. It gets the nod here for being slightly larger than the Yaris, with a nicer interior, and because it's much easier on a post-race body than the Fit. | It's just too small to win this category. The Fit and Versa are both larger and easier to load with fun stuff. |
| Overall value | ||
| Silver: It's not the cheapest car out there, but it came with a navigation system and offered the best performance and richest interior for just slightly more than the Versa. | Gold: It's not as roomy as the Fit nor as inexpensive as the Yaris, but it represents the best compromise. | Bronze: The Yaris' mileage and low price are its high points. It'll leave you with money for a new tent, bike or whatever your heart desires, just don't expect to carry them all in your car. |
| Athlete's choice | ||
| In this Faceoff, the Fit would be my top choice to take on an adventure every time. I'd get wherever I was going with all my toys and a smile on my face. | The Versa was nosed out at the line by the Fit's fun and versatility. Its narrow cargo opening doesn't help matters, nor does its slightly smaller overall cargo area. | The mileage is nice, as is the functionality of the folding seats — and the price leaves the Weekend Athlete with more money to buy toys. In the end, though, I'd rather take a larger car. |
© Cars.com 5/6/09
Next Step?
- 2009 Honda Fit
- 2009 Nissan Versa
- 2009 Toyota Yaris
Faceoff: Family Sedans — Read on 
