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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 6, 2006 - 31 Honda returns to its roots with the affordable and attractive Fit Continued from Page 29 Auto EVERYTHING SalesEvent 2006 Ridgeline 2006 Carof theYear.Endof theYear Truck of theYear. TM 2006 2006 Civic On EVERY 2006 Accord, Pilot & Odyssey 1.9 LEASE FOR PURCHASE FINANCING % * 36 MONTHS O.A.C. Odyssey LX model RL3826E ODYSSEY LX Quadruple 5-star safety protects your family from all sides. Take all your precious cargo even further with excellent fuel economy and innovative storage solutions. LEASE APR $ 388 @ 4.9% PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS O.A.C. WITH $5,692 DOWN FREIGHT & PDE INCLUDED. TAXES EXTRA $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT $33,200 MSRP FREE GAS FOR A YEAR! On 2006 Accords, Pilots & Odysseys PILOT LX Rugged good looks plus the best fuel efficiency of any 8-passenger SUV on the road. LEASE FOR LEASE APR $ 418 @2.9% PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS O.A.C. WITH $6,448 DOWN FREIGHT & PDE INCLUDED. TAXES EXTRA $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT $39,400 MSRP Pilot LX model YF1816E ACCORD SEDAN DX-G Dramatic restyling, responsive handling and powerful performance. Accord thrills with every turn of the key and every turn of the wheel. LEASE FOR LEASE APR $ 268 @2.9% PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS O.A.C. WITH $4,672 DOWN. FREIGHT & PDE INCLUDED. TAXES EXTRA $0 SECURITY DEPOSIT $24,800 MSRP Accord Sedan DX-G model CM5516E Honda offers one of the most fuel efficient line-ups of vehicles. For more information and to locate your nearest dealer visit: w w w. h o n d a o n t a r i o . co m Lease and finance offers are from Honda Canada Finance Inc., on approved credit. Based on a 2006 Odyssey LX, model RL3826E/ 2006 Pilot LX, model YF1816E / 2006 Accord Sedan DX-G, model CM5516E. Lease for 48 months at $388.00 / $417.99 / $268.00 per month plus applicable taxes with 96,000 km allowance (12¢/km exceeding allowance). $5,692.00 / $6,448.00 / $4,672.00 down payment or equivalent trade acceptable to dealer. Initiation payment of $6,931.20 / $7,827.23 / $5,631.60 includes down payment, first monthly payment, security deposit of $0, freight and P.D.E. and taxes. Total freight and P.D.E. is $1,455.00 / $1,455.00 / $1,310.00. Total lease obligation is $27,720.24 / $30,223.13 / $19,991.04. Option to purchase at lease end for $14,608.00 / $17,336.00 / $10,416.00 plus taxes. Odyssey lease calculated with interest rate of 4.9%; Pilot and Accord 2.9%. *1.9% purchase financing is available on in-stock 2006 Odysseys, Pilots and Accords for up to 36 months. Representative finance example based on a 2006 Accord Sedan DX-G, model CM5516E: $24,800.00 at 1.9% per annum equals $709.25 per month based on a 36-month term. C.O.B. is $733.14 for a total obligation of $25,533.14. Offers valid from September 1st, 2006 through September 30th, 2006 at participating dealers only. Free Gas For A Year offer equates to $2,360.00 on 2006 Odysseys, $2,691.00 on 2006 Pilots and $1,750.00 on 2006 Accords. Fuel cost amount is fixed and has been determined as follows using 2006 EnerGuide ratings: a) estimate of annual fuel consumption is based on 2006 Odyssey with 3.5L engine and automatic transmission / 2006 Accord Sedan with 2.4L engine and manual transmission / 2006 Pilot with 3.5L engine and automatic transmission driving a distance of 20,000 km with a mix of 55% city driving and 45% highway driving. A detailed calculation of annual litres used is available at www.vehicles.gc.ca b) fuel cost estimate is $1.103 per litre which is the Canadian national 4-week average cost of fuel up to the week of July 31st, 2006. Maximum amount available is $2,365.00 on Odyssey / $2,700.00 on Pilot / $1,750.00 on Accord. Offers subject to change by manufacturer at any time. May not be combined with any other promotion. MSRP does not include freight and P.D.E. of $1,455.00 on Odyssey, $1,455.00 on Pilot, $1,310.00 on Accord. Taxes extra. Dealer may sell/lease for less. See dealer for 2006 EnerGuide or visit vehicles.gc.ca. Visit safercar.gov for details. stopping power. A repeated compliant was Fit's tiny 14- or 15-inch all season tires, which not only look puny, but also reach their limit far before the chassis looses composure. Performance rubber anyone? Power comes from a 1.5-litre SOHC 4-cylinder engine using Honda's VTEC variable valve timing system and driveby-wire throttle control. All models put out 109 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 105 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm -- not huge numbers, but in the thick of it with the rest of the class. The standard transmission is a smooth 5-speed manual, with a class-exclusive 5-speed automatic optional, geared to get the most out of the small displacement engine. Another segment exclusive is the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters available on Sport models. With the Fit in "Drive," the driver can downshift for passing with the paddles, and the transmission will automatically return to a higher gear when the car's back to a steady speed. Select "Sport," mode and the tranny holds the gear until it's manually shifted. On the street, Fit shows that aforementioned firm ride, though for a small car with small tires, it tracks well (and flat) around corners. Punching the throttle, even with the automatic gearbox, produces impressive acceleration, though the engine is fairly loud and raspy when compared to other Hondas, despite the automaker's use of sound deadening, hydraulic mounts, etc. Coming back to the interior, the space saving allows the 60/40 split rear seats to do some pretty amazing acrobatics. The standard "Magic Seat," has four arrangements: Foremost is "Utility," where the rear seatbacks folds forward (and flat) without removing the headrests, almost doubling the cargo volume from 603 litres (21.3 cu-ft) to 1,186 litres (41.8 cu-ft). "Tall" sees the seat cushion fold up for carrying vertical objects. "Long" puts the rear and front seat down flush for carrying objects up to 2.4 metres (8 ft.), followed by "Refresh" where the front seats recline flush with the rear cushion, creating a bed-like setup. The rest of the interior shows Honda's usual high standards, with sporting touches like the three pod gauges. The seat fabrics are a bit budget compared to the rest of the package and despite Honda's claims, we'd call Fit a 4rather than a 5-seater, given the smallish back seat. The Honda is the first in its class with not only standard ABS, but also front, side and curtain airbags -- a notable trump card for this class. As product planner, Peter Jackson says that at $14,980 there will be cheaper vehicles, but they lack the Fit's standard features, not to mention its MP3 player auxiliary jack. Moving up to the $17,180 LX adds equipment like air conditioning, power locks and mirrors. The full-blown $19,480 Sport adds keyless entry, cruise, a body kit and spoiler, fog lights and 15-inch alloys. Honda's founder, Soichiro Honda, once said, "You must go after the opportunities that arise in life that you are best equipped to do." With the Fit, Honda's returned to its hatchback roots, proving that even with high-end Acuras and the NSX under its belt, the automaker still knows what makes a great subcompact.