Orlando Sentinel's view

The 2006 Honda Civic sedan is 176.7 inches long, which is seven-tenths of an inch longer than the 1985 Honda Accord. There’s no denying that the Civic has grown, both in size and price, and Honda has long been aware of the need for a new entry-level model.

Enter the 2007 Honda Fit, which is just 157.4 inches long. Honda is sending it into battle against the similarly new Toyota Yaris and the yet-to-arrive Nissan Versa, as well as existing entry-level roller skates such as the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio and Chevrolet Aveo.

The Fit is new to America, but not to much of the rest of the world — it was named “car of the year” in Japan and England in 2002. I can see why. Despite its small size, the Fit is a lot of fun to drive, and is surprisingly roomy inside. There is 21.3 cubic feet of storage space in the rear, and you can double that by folding down the back seats.

Under the hood, there’s a tiny 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 109 horsepower. Mated to the five-speed automatic transmission that came with our top-level Sport model, though, its acceleration is pretty good, and fuel mileage, at 31 miles per gallon city, 37 on the highway, is pleasing enough. This engine is in all Fit models, but the base model gets a five-speed manual. The automatic in the Sport has steering-wheel-mounted levers that allow you to shift up and down if you want, an unusual feature on a car in this price range.

The biggest surprise is the Fit’s comfortable ride and nimble handling. The power steering is electric and feels every bit as good as conventional hydraulic units, something other manufacturers haven’t yet mastered. The Sport package gets you larger 15-inch tires and handsome alloy wheels, and they seem to help a lot, as does the body side cladding, which makes the Fit Sport look much more appealing than the nondescript base Fit. Side air bags and anti-lock brakes are standard, but surprisingly, you can’t get disc brakes in the back.

The base Fit model starts at $13,850. Base price on our Sport was $15,970, and with shipping, it cost $16,520. There were no options.

I like the Fit a lot, but I can’t help but comparison-shop: A new-for-2006 Honda Civic LX (that’s the midlevel model) with air conditioning, automatic transmission and a bigger 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter engine lists for just $1,540 more than my Fit Sport. And it still gets 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway — better overall mileage than the Fit.

So you have two appealing choices from Honda. But the pricier the Fit model you choose, the more you may be willing to check out its competition. Base price: $15,970.

Price as tested: $16,520.

Fuel mileage: EPA rated at 31 mpg city, 37 mpg highway.

Details: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive hatchback with a 1.5-liter, 106-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a five-speed automatic transmission.

Sentinel Automotive Editor Steven Cole Smith’s video road tests can be viewed online at OrlandoSentinel.com/classified/automotive.