Brian, a YouTuber and podcaster, runs Regular Car Reviews, which has 898,000 subscribers. He and his business partner, Nick, have spent years uploading more than 1,300 videos talking about cars, including many run-of-the-mill daily drivers. This week, Brian mentioned the Honda Fit.

Yesterday, the group released a clip of Brian explaining why drivers looking for a cheap, reliable manual transmission shouldn’t overlook the Fit. And I couldn’t agree more.

The Honda Fit is a subcompact hatchback the automaker released in 2001. However, the model didn’t make it into the U.S. market until 2006 for the 2007 model year. You’ll probably hear the model name “Jazz” come up with the early Fit, too. The Jazz was the Fit’s close sibling sold in foreign markets.

The American market Fit came with a 1.5L inline four-cylinder engine making 109 horsepower using either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission.

Honda paused the Fit in the U.S. market after 2020, but it’s still going strong overseas, including in the U.K. Its design was facelifted this year for the global market, with great reception. As for the U.S. lineup, the automaker is pushing the HR-V, a subcompact crossover, instead.

Being Civic-esque in its efficiency and reliability, what makes the Fit so much fun is two-fold…emphasis on the “fold,” there.

Its boopable “performance” shape paired with its impressively easy-to-corner driver experience is great, yes. But for those of us who’ve had the pure pleasure of knocking around town or even road-tripping with one, we know part of the fun is its interior seat configurations.

Honda Fit seats have Tall Mode, Utility Mode, Long Mode, and Refresh Mode

The Honda Fit’s seats allow for a wide range of configurations, making nearly any driver or passenger situation a breeze. Folks camp in them, haul with them, and commute daily without suffering a big fuel bill, stress-inducing insurance coverage, or headache-inducing upkeep.

“Here in the United States where it’s hard to get nice, fun stuff…it’s quite good.”

With the average American car payment hovering over $720 a month, the Fit offers drivers who want something close to, if not arguably categorized as, an enthusiast-level vehicle without breaking the bank.

In my mind, the Fit runs in its own circle like the Civic Del Sol or the Element.

Newer versions of the hatchback cost close to $20K. However, if you go further back, you can easily find super budget-friendly options with plenty of life left.

If you’re looking for a used Honda Fit, check out MotorBiscuit’s seamless car buying service (it’ll bring you right to Fit listings in your area) to compare prices and find the best deal near you.