Squint at the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa Note parked side by side and you may find it hard to tell the difference between the two subcompact hatchbacks, especially when both are painted shades of red, like the two we tested in our latest head-to-head comparison. The Versa Note and Fit are closely matched in pricing, fuel economy and cargo, so we pitted Cars.com's long-term Honda Fit test car against a similarly priced Versa Note. Who came out on top in Cars.com's nine test categories? Judges and Cars.com reviewers Joe Bruzek and Mike Hanley weigh in below.
Related: Follow Our Long-Term Fleet
A little about the cars: The Fit is an EX trim level with a continuously variable automatic transmission; it's priced at $19,180 with destination and has EPA-rated fuel economy of 32/38/35 mpg city/highway/combined. Picking the EX trim level equips the Fit with the large 7-inch media screen, sunroof, smart keyless proximity entry and push-button start, and Honda LaneWatch blind spot camera.
The Versa Note SL we procured for the test was also CVT-equipped and had an identical combined fuel economy rating of 35 mpg (31/40/35 mpg). The SL Tech was loaded with heated seats, navigation and Nissan's 360-degree Around View Monitor for $19,485, but this particular car also included $655 in splash guards, carpeted floor mats and auto dimming rearview mirror, bringing the total price to $20,140.
Cars.com's long-term Honda Fit has been a workhorse for our staff, hauling everything from dogs, to grills to a 7-foot-long desk with aplomb, but is that enough to outdo the Versa Note SL's flashy features?
Interior Quality
Winner: Fit
2015 Honda Fit; Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
Life has gotten better for subcompact-car drivers, but the Fit and Versa Note both have relatively spartan cabins with uncomfortable hard plastic trim on the upper portion of the door and the door armrest. However, the Fit's interior is a step above the Versa Note's, which has awful, rickety climate control knobs that scream "cheap" every time you use them.
Comfort
Winner: Versa Note
2015 Nissan Versa Note; Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
Both the Fit and Versa Note have roomy, comfortable interiors considering their small footprints, and each one is big enough to carry four adults at the same time. The Versa Note's higher seating position aids ingress and egress, and its backseat is easily a class above the Fit's with the room and comfort of a much larger car.
Technology/Entertainment
Winner: Versa Note
2015 Nissan Versa Note; Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
Each hatchback has unique tech features: the Fit with its LaneWatch blind spot camera and the Versa Note with its Around View Monitor. Honda, however, neglected some of the basics by failing to include knobs for stereo volume and tuning with the 7-inch touch-screen, instead opting for touch-sensitive controls that aren't user-friendly. While the Versa Note's touch-screen is tiny, its more traditional controls are a welcome sight.
Cargo
Winner: Fit
2015 Honda Fit; Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
The Fit earned a rare perfect score from both judges for this category, and if any car is deserving of this it's the Fit, which offers impressive cargo versatility. The Fit's second-row Magic Seat lets you to flip up the seat cushion for a tall load space or fold the seat flat to create a cavernous cargo area. It's not that the Versa Note's conventional fold-forward second row isn't useful, it's just the Fit's overall versatility is significantly better.
Handling
Winner: Fit
Cars.com Senior Editor Mike Hanley driving the 2015 Honda Fit; Cars.com photo by Angela Conners
A quick corner won't unsettle the Fit or Versa Note, but the cars have significantly different steering feel. The Fit's precise light-effort steering is made for darting through traffic, while the Versa Note's weightier steering gives it the feel of a larger car. While the 2015 Fit is less engaging to drive than its predecessor, it's more entertaining than the Versa Note.
Ride
Winner: Fit
2015 Nissan Versa Note (left), 2015 Honda Fit (right); Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
Firmly tuned suspensions in both the Fit and Versa Note can make the ride feel busy even on smooth surfaces, as even tiny bumps are felt in the cabin. Both cars keep passengers relatively comfortable over bigger bumps, but the Versa Note doesn't handle rutted city roads as well as the Fit.
Acceleration
Winner: Tie
Cars.com Road Test Editor Joe Bruzek driving the 2015 Nissan Versa Note; Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
Both cars are powered by small four-cylinder engines that team with continuously variable automatic transmissions, but the Versa Note's drivetrain is more refined and produces more predictable acceleration from a standing start. We like the Fit's Sport transmission mode, though, which helps the cause by keeping engine rpm higher.
Noise
Winner: Fit
2015 Honda Fit (left), 2015 Nissan Versa Note (right); Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
You hear engine and road noise in these cars, but it's not so excessive that you'll need to yell when talking to a friend in the passenger seat. What is excessive is the amount of wind noise in the Versa Note's cabin at highway speeds.
Worth the Money?
Winner: Fit
The Versa Note has a lot of features for its $20,140 as-tested price, including navigation, heated seats and the Around View Monitor. However, the Fit's driving refinement and better cabin quality make it feel nicer overall. With its standout cargo versatility, the Fit is also the more practical car -- all for nearly $1,000 less.
Winner: Fit
2015 Nissan Versa Note (left), 2015 Honda Fit (right); Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
Out of a possible 180 points, the Fit edged out the Versa in interior quality, cargo, handling, ride, noise and value with 132 points to 117 points. The Versa Note nabbed comfort and technology/entertainment category wins and tied in acceleration. One of the reasons we added the Fit to our long-term test car fleet was its impressive space efficiency and interior quality in this class, which were two categories where the Fit definitively laid the smack down on the Versa Note.
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