As more automakers try to appeal to the more urban buyer with small crossovers, there’s already one car that’s hard to beat if you need a car with a small footprint. The 2018 Honda Fit is the go to model if you need a car that can fit your friends, all your stuff, while not completely draining your checking account. For the 2018 model year the Fit brings back the Sport model, in addition to a small facelift.

2018 Honda Fit Sport Review

The 2018 Fit also gets some upgrades under the skin as part of its mid-life refresh, including some chassis tweaks, better steering and a retuned suspension. The interior is also a tad quieter thanks to extra sound insulation and thicker glass. Oh and before we forget, the 2018 Fit now has a volume knob, which replaces the annoying volume slider.

Overall the updates to the 2018 Fit are small, with the most significant update being the re-introduction of the Fit Sport. You might recall that the top version of the last generation Fit was the Fit Sport, but when the 2015 Fit arrived, Honda upgraded it with EX and EX-L trim levels, while the Sport trim level was left off the list.

2018 Honda Fit Sport Review

The 2018 Fit Sport sits between the LX and EX trim levels, by offering a practical trim level that adds a few essential features over the base LX, but still comes in at a bargain basement price starting at $18,390. Compared to the base LX, the Fit Sport adds front, side and rear underbody spoilers, 16-inch black alloy wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and paddle shifters if you choose the CVT. Inside the black cloth seats also feature orange stitching and the steering wheel is wrapped in leather.

Under the hood all 2018 Fit models are powered by the same 1.5L four-cylinder engine with 130 horsepower and 114 lb-ft. of torque if you choose the six-speed manual. If you opt for the more boring CVT, the power specs drop slightly to 128 horsepower and 113 lb-ft. With the six-speed manual you’ll get a 29/36 mpg rating, while the CVT is rated at 31/36 mpg.

2018 Honda Fit Sport Review

Inside the Fit Sport has plenty of room for you and three of your friends. You could squeeze a smaller friend in the middle seat if you need to, but it will be a bit tight, considering how narrow the Fit is. With 39.3-inches of legroom in the back, the Fit almost has the same amount of leg space as the much larger Accord.

The Fit has always been known for its ability to swallow a large amount of stuff and the 2018 Fit continues that trend with 16.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up and 52.7 cubic feet with the seats folded. Plus the trick 60/40 Magic Seat makes loading almost anything in Fit super easy.

2018 Honda Fit Sport Review

On the road the Fit’s 1.5L four-cylinder gets the Fit moving with little effort, although if you’re a “sportier” driver you may beg for a bit more power. Lets hope that one day the Fit will offer something a bit more inspiring under the hood, like maybe the turbocharged 1.5L that powers the Civic, CR-V and Accord. For now at least the Fit is offered with a six-speed manual transmission that’s actually pretty good. The Fit’s steering is still a bit light, but its more communicative than before, while its suspension swallows bumps with ease and very little body roll.

2018 Honda Fit Sport Review

The current generation Fit has only been on the market for a few years and luckily for Honda there really wasn’t that much to fix for its mid-life facelift. The small upgrades are welcome additions and the 2018 Fit Sport might be one of the best values in its segment. With sales of the segment declining, it remains to be seen what Honda will do next to keep the Fit at the top, but for now the Fit continues to be one of the most practical and fun vehicles you can buy.