The 2009 Fit, which is rolling into dealerships right now, is already a preliminary finalist for 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year. Don't be surprised to see it as one of three cars on stage as a finalist in December. (FYI: I am not on the panel of jurors -- so the only vote I get to cast is in the presidential race.) As the band Spoon poetically points out, everyone likes an underdog and somehow Honda has managed to keep the Fit one. But it's far from it. In the subcompact segment, the Fit is truly a hot, top dog. Dealers can't keep them around long enough to even figure out how to lower the second row back into the regular-sit position. Fun to drive, worth the hypeFor good measure, the Honda Fit is worth the hype. It's a fantastic little daily driver that can carry five people -- though they should be fit and thin if you want three in the second row. The mileage is true to the label; in one week of testing, I averaged 31 miles per gallon in a good mix of highway speeding and urban thrashing. The sticker says you'll get 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway with the five-speed automatic transmission. The manual gets slightly worse mileage at 27 mpg / 33 mpg. The Fit has hoot-like drive qualities. Those little 15-inch wheels (in a day when most cars come with 18s) and go-kart like turning ability make it fun around town. It can dodge traffic with the best of the sport cars, zipping in and out of semis along Detroit's Fort Street like a hummingbird. The electric power assist rack-and-pinion steering remains responsive at any speed and it can pitch a U-turn in 34 feet. Honda certainly didn't make the Fit powerful. Its little four-banger only cranks out 117 horsepower and 106-pound-feet of torque. While the car's launch is good, it could use a little more juice at higher speeds. Once you're cruising at highway speeds, the Fit can feel a little sluggish. It can still get you a speeding ticket, mind you, but it may take a while to get to a speed a police officer outside of Ohio would find worthy of the paperwork. Interior open, lots of storageThe inside is a nice surprise. The instrument panel looks great, with the blue lit strips marking the speedometer. The plastic dash is a little shiny and has a subcompact feel to it. It has two deep pockets -- Honda says these are bottle holders -- on each end. (Note: These should not be used for coffee cups because every bump will spew liquid. Their deep-seated build makes the holders hard to clean. Trust me on this.) Honda wanted a more open feel for the Fit and pulls it off. The dash curves down and remains open. It's difficult to do in cars with extremely steep windshields, but instead of creating a dash with a shelf on top of it, the Fit rounds out all of the edges to open it up. The three asymmetrical knobs on the left side of the center stack make it easy for the driver to reach the A/C controls. However, the air conditioning could take a cue from Spinal Tap lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel's amp and go to 11. Because the Fit has a large greenhouse -- car parlance for lots of windows -- the cabin can heat up quickly in the sun. Either the A/C in my test car struggled to keep me cool, or I just sweat a lot. Really, the Fit has lots of nice features: a sleek navigation system (optional), tilting and telescoping steering wheel (standard), 160-watt stereo with an auxiliary jack or optional USB connection (standard on Fit Sport), and redesigned and quite comfortable seats. Then there's the amazing second row. The 60/40 split row can fold up or down. Folding them reminded me of those metal chairs you see at small city meetings and churches. Just lift the seat up and it locks. This allows for 50.4 inches of height for big items. The front passenger seat can fold flat in conjunction with the second row to let you stuff something that's measuring 7 feet, 9 inches inside. The rows can also fold flat in the traditional mode, creating 57 cubic feet of storage space. If you're a college student, delinquent renter or just someone trying to stay one step ahead of The Man, this might be the perfect car. There are also lots of neat storage features. There's an under-seat compartment, cubbies on the dash, a back row cup holder, a double glove box and even a map pocket on the passenger's seat (that way the driver can easily reach it). Well thought-out cubbies create a user-friendly atmosphere that make the difference between joyful ownership and growing resentment through the years. The Fit, over time, will keep you happy, though all of the storage spots do make it easy to lose your cell phone. I did not like the Fit on long highway drives: The seat did not push back far enough for my legs to feel comfortable. Around town, it was slightly cramped but fine. On a few trips from Milford to downtown Detroit, I was starting to feel annoyingly uncomfortable. Cute, but not gorgeousWhile some may think the exterior is cute, it looks like Honda has strategically designed the Fit to steal some of the charms of the Toyota Prius. Both have that pointed nose, big windshield and a roofline that starts around the front bumper. For both cars this dramatically helps the aerodynamics, which in turn helps the gas mileage. The 98.4-inch wheel base is small, but the Fit's profile is well proportioned up front -- the front overhangs slightly more than the rear -- but it still looks a little odd from top to bottom because of its small tires. From the side, it looks like a pig on roller skates. The new, larger headlamps improve the car's face along with the fog lamps below the bumper. The larger mirrors, now mounted on the door, also help the car's look. But let's face it, this car is not a looker by any means. It may get you to work and back for the rest of your life, but it won't get you 'lucky' in spite of the Magic seats. But people buying the Fit should consider a lot more than looks. Substance is the base of any car purchase. How does it affect their pocketbook? How well will it serve them over the next four, possibly eight, years? Honda has moved its price -- an automatic Fit starts at $16,020, including $670 for shipping -- into the range of slightly larger compact vehicles. It should serve anyone looking for a reliable means of transportation quite well. The Fit is far from perfect: The exterior could star on 'What Not to Wear,' the engine could use a little more boost, the price can climb quickly into a lot for a subcompact, and the marketing campaign remains a mystery to me. What's 'a go'? Then again, who needs that much boost? The gas mileage is great and some things are worth a little extra cost. With the good, comes the bad. And like an informed electorate, a smart consumer should know not to buy just hype. Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217 or [email protected].