Would you like to see the prototype for the family car of the future?

Look no further than Honda's all-new 2009 Fit. Yes, I said all-new. Never mind that Honda introduced the Fit a mere two years ago. The new model has accomplished the impossible -- big improvements on a car that already was pretty stellar in my book.

It has everything a family needs: lots of interior room; easily used flexibility inside with a host of different seating positions and configurations; sporty, fun-to-drive characteristics; excellent fuel economy; and a pleasant, almost luxurious ambience throughout.

It's as though a top-of-the-line Accord has been shrunk on the outside, with a new exterior built around the Accord interior. This wasn't the case, of course, but you get my point. The Fit is an unusually luxurious, roomy sedan that the whole family will love.

The new Fit is priced from $15,220 to $19,430 for a top-of-the-line Sport model that has navigation, a five-speed automatic with paddle shifters, and stability control. More about that last item later.

The fit and finish of this car is absolutely impeccable, with a futuristic exterior that looks even more 21st century than the old model. It's got thick, glossy, beautifully applied paint; shiny road wheels; and huge windows that provide excellent visibility all around. And Honda really sweated the details; there's comfortable, attractive fabrics on the door sill where your arms are likely to rest as you drive -- no hard plastic.

Interior room is generous with even stretch-out room for adults in both the back and front seats. And about that back seat: The lift of a handle under each side -- takes about two seconds -- and a gentle push back to lock them in place raises the cushions to provide a big behind-the-front-seat area for carrying bulky large packages.

And the underside of the cushion that is raised has a nice, lidded storage area for things you want to store out of site. That last item is a new feature.

Power comes from a 1.5-liter four with 117 horsepower -- up eight horsepower. On most roads, that engine is a wonderful performer, with plenty of get up and go and energy for highway driving. It handles like its on rails, too -- corners are a lot of fun on the Fit.

Depending on which model you buy, base or sport, your gas mileage will be about 33 to 35 miles a gallon highway and 29 to 31 in city driving.

Now, about stability control. This is the highly valuable piece of safety equipment that will keep your car or truck on track safely.

Just about every automotive safety agency has long advocated the use of these systems as life-saving devices.

While the Fit will have stability control as standard on the top model, the base and the middle model -- a Sport version with no navigation -- will not have the system as standard equipment, nor will it be available as an option.

Honda has been using its motto of "Safety For Everyone." To me, that motto is not consistent with reality if the two cheaper Fit models don't get the stability control.

Those who can't spend the extra $4,000 or so over the base model will not have the same degree of safety as their more affluent counterparts.

Another issue is the fuel tank, which is a bit smaller than the current Fit, a point that worries me because it diminishes the range of the car. It felt like I was going to the gas station quite often with the older model I tested a year or so ago.

But otherwise, the Fit "fit me to a T," so to speak.