How Many Dogs Fit in a Honda Fit? The Cute Car with the Dumb Name
Before we get down to details, I need to get one thing out of my system. "Fit" must be the stupidest name ever for a car. It's called the Jazz in Europe...but really, that's not all that much better. Oh well, what's in a name, especially when the car in question gets such great gas mileage - 27 city, 34 highway (automatic transmission), to be exact - making the Fit an inexpensive hybrid alternative. But the MPG won't do you any good if you can't "fit" your canine friends and their gear in the car with you. So let's take a closer look.The engineers at Honda managed to maximize the available interior space, which means you can carry a lot more cargo in this sub-compact than you might think. The Fit has depth, 35-40 inches from floor to ceiling, so if you travel with crates, you won't have to worry about their height. Then there's that nice, boxy shape, with no slanting back windows to impinge on cargo space. The width between the wheel wells at 40.5" isn't bad for such a small car, and will accommodate one large crate nicely. The "magic seats", as Honda likes to call them, disappear with a flick of the wrist, making a very nice, flat, roomy cargo area.
The interior space actually compares quite nicely to some of the small SUVs on the market, such as the Kia Sportage. The Fit has another half an inch between the wheel wells than the Sportage, the Fit is deeper from floor to ceiling, and the distance from the front seats to the rear door is comparable. Ah, but the big difference is the gas milage. The Sportage (automatic) clocks in at 19 mpg (city), 25 mpg (highway).
So what about crate space? Based on the measurements, here are some possible options:
- One small and one medium crate. As you can see one medium and one small dog crate
fits nicely. (Sorry, I just can't seem to stop using that word.) - Three small crates, maybe more. You people with small dogs have it so easy.
- Two medium/large crates. If you had one 36" x 24" crate with a side opening door, it could be situated parallel to the rear hatch, and another 36" x 24" crate could be placed next to it behind the front seats, with the door opening to one of the side doors. Depending upon the location of the side crate door, you may need a riser because of the rear lip. (See picture below.)
- Two medium Precision crates. If your dogs can squeeze into the medium Precision crates (30 L x 19 W x 21 H), you should be able to fit them side by side, facing the rear. Again, a riser might be required because of the rear lip.
Of course, no car is perfect. I've mentioned the lip at the rear door, which is about 6" high. While some people might like the fact that cargo can't roll out the back door, dog owners have to keep in mind that you may have problems with crate doors opening, depending upon the size and location of the crate doors. A custom built riser will solve that little issue. The spare tire is also under the rear cargo area, so you'll want to make sure any riser you build can be easily removed in case of a flat.
In terms of ventilation, the rear hatch window doesn't open though all the rest of them do and will likely provide adequate air flow. But if you like a sun roof for added ventilation options, you're out of luck as it's not available on the Fit.
So perhaps you've determined there's enough room in the Fit for you and your dogs. Is it a car you'd enjoy driving? Dan Neil, the always witty auto writer for the L.A. Times has nothing but good things to say about the ride, the quality, and the flexibility of the Honda Fit. It also received Consumer Reports "Recommended" rating. Keep in mind that though it's well put together, it's not a luxury car.
Because of the small size of the car, potential buyers may have concerns about
safety. But with front seatback-mounted side-impact air bags and roof-mounted
curtain head-protection air bags, plus the required front air bags you'll be
well-padded in case of a crash. It has a 5 star front and side crash rating from the NHTSA. You might want to know that in order to maximize cargo space, the fuel tank was moved under the front seat. It doesn't, however, seem to have affected the safety. Remember, this car has been around a while in Europe and Asia.
Cargo carriers from sellers such as Yakima and Thule would make help make the Fit a viable alternative for longer trips, depending upon the size and number of dogs you travel with, keeping in mind that roof top carriers can affect gas mileage.
Overall, it's quite surprising how much you
can fit into a Fit. Hmm, maybe it's really NOT a dumb name after all.
Also consider: Toyota
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Dome Tent for Honda Fit
| Price range |
Base MSRP : |
| Mileage |
Mileage estimates: 27/34/30 (City/Highway/Combined) Automatic |
| More Information |
Honda |
| Measurements | |
| Depth from back door to front seats (2nd/3rd row folded) = maximum depth range (D1) | 51" with seats all the way back |
| Depth from back door to second row seats (D2) | 21.5" |
| Dept from back door to third row seats (D3) | n/a |
| Height from cargo floor to ceiling behind front seats (H1) | 40" |
| Height from cargo floor to ceiling behind 2nd row seats (H2) | 35" |
| Height from cargo floor to ceiling at entry of vehicle (H3) | 31" |
| Height of wheel arches (H4) | 11.75" (right) |
| Height from ground to top of bumper (not pictured) | 24.5" |
| Width of cargo area at ceiling (W1) | 45" |
| Width of cargo area maximum (approx. at 2nd row seats (W2) | 45" |
| Width of cargo area between wheel arches (cargo "table" holders encroach into space) |
40.5" |
| Illustrated dimensions 1 (W1, W2, W3, D2, D3) Illustrated dimensions 2 (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, D1) |
|
| Ventilation | |
| Rear windows do not open | |
| Sunroof not available |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Cargo tie-downs | 4 plus seat hooks |
| Electrical outlet in rear | no |
| Electrical outlet in front | yes (DC) |
| Location of spare tire | Small spare under rear floor |
| Tailgate Lifts up | yes |
| Roof Rack Capacity | unknown |
| Rear Seats | fold almost flat |
| Towing | Not designed to tow a trailer. |
| Cargo Volume (cu. Ft.) | |
| 2nd-row seats down | 41.9 |
| 2nd-row seats up | 21.3 |
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