For 2009, Honda is introducing an all-new Fit, and -- wait, what? Didn't the Fit just go on sale in, like, 2007? Yes it did, but while the 2007 Honda Fit was new to North America, it was old hat to the rest of the world. Rather than make us wait, Honda is already launching the new Fit here -- so is it an improvement? Read on. Price range $15,220 - $19,430, EPA fuel economy estimates 27-28 MPG city, 33-35 MPG highway.

Before we start talking about the new Fit, let's talk a bit about the old Fit. The original Fit earned a place on my Best New Cars of 2007 list, despite being just one of several new mini-cars introduced to the US market that year. What made the Fit so great was the apportioning of space between front seat, back seat and cargo bay. Thanks to some fancy engineering, the Fit was the one subcompact that allowed you to haul four adults and their luggage at the same time -- and in relative comfort. Good news: Though the 2009 Fit is an all-new design, it hasn't changed much -- it's still the champ when it comes to hauling people and stuff all at once.

If I had one complaint about the old Fit, it was the geeky, goggle-eyed styling. The 2009 Fit has a brand new look; the windshield has been pulled down farther into the hood and the face is more aggressive. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I'm sure most people will agree with me that this is one handsome little car. That said, the new Fit ain't quite as little -- it's 4.2 inches longer and a half-inch wider than the old Fit. The new Fit uses Honda's ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) body structure, which means it's better equipped to protect drivers in crashes with bigger vehicles -- and in the case of the Fit, that's pretty much everything else on the road.

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