The Honda Fit earns MotorWeek’s 2007 Drivers’ Choice Best of the Year. While it casts a small shadow on the pavement, this cute if edgy 5-door subcompact delivers big on all levels.

The tall Fit is a marvel in packaging. Despite almost 20 inches less overall length than the Honda Civic, the Fit’s passenger volume of 90.1 cubic feet rivals its larger brother, and out-classes it in flexibility. Oversized rear doors allow access to what Honda calls their “magic seat.” The spilt-rear bench folds upright for slim items up to 50 inches tall, and mates with the front seats to provide recliners. Fold the seats flat, and cargo capacity is a big 41.9 cubic feet.

The front-wheel-drive Fit is moved along by a 1.5-liter single overhead-cam 4-cylinder with variable-valve timing and lift control. Output is a reasonable 109 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. Both the manual and automatic transaxles are 5-speeds, with paddle shifters included in the uplevel “S” trim.

Of course many buyers today are more concerned about big fuel economy than big power. Again the Fit delivers. Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the paddle-shift automatic are 31/city and 37/highway. In our recent review of subcompacts, it did very well with 36 mile-per-gallon in real-world economy. It also has a very strong Energy Impact Score using only 10.1 barrels of oil per year.

Driving the Fit is, in a word, entertaining. It can easily lope along in commuter traffic, yet provide almost go-cart nimbleness when the road opens to switchbacks. The electric power steering is nicely responsive, while the automatic’s paddle shifters allow quick sprints for passing.

On the safety front, ABS brakes are standard, as are front-side-impact and side-curtain airbags. For that matter, with standard air, CD stereo, and power windows and locks, the Fit comes extremely well equipped. Indeed the Fit is a lot of car for under $15,000.

As we said in our original road test, the 2007 Honda Fit is a small car as only Honda can build one. It’s fit for drivers who want to get where they're going without wasting fuel, but who refuse to leave driving enjoyment behind. It is our MotorWeek 2007 Drivers’ Choice Best of the Year.