Overview & Reviews

Why are Honda vehicles so highly regarded by American drivers? Certainly, their excellent reputation for reliability and quality is a major factor. But it also has to do with the overall driving and owning experience. Read any Honda review and you'll likely notice common themes such as thoughtful design, a friendly nature, better-than-average fuel economy and attention to safety.

Japan-based Honda Motor Company was founded in 1948 by Soichiro Honda. The company got its start making motorbikes. Japan had been rendered cash poor and fuel-starved after World War II, and its citizens were hurting for an inexpensive, fuel-efficient mode of transportation. Honda's first motorcycles mated engines with bicycles to create a motorbike that was cheap to make and operate.

Honda's bikes quickly evolved into vehicles far more sophisticated than small engines stuck into bicycle frames. The manufacturer's 1949 D-Type could reach speeds of up to 50 mph, and offered front and rear suspension. The 1950s saw the launch of the successful Juno scooter, built to steal market share from the Vespa knockoffs that were popular in Japan at that time. In the latter part of that decade, Honda introduced the ultra-successful C100 Super Cub. The motorbike was remarkably easy to operate and featured a crossbar-free frame that made it popular with women. It went on to become the first Honda motorbike sold in the U.S. via then-new American Honda Co. in 1959.

By the early 1960s, Honda had built its first automobiles for the Japanese home market and entered Formula One racing. But it wasn't until 1970 that it exported its first car, the diminutive N600, to the U.S. The automaker initially had a hard time sparking interest among American buyers, but that all changed in 1973 with the introduction of the Civic. The car was larger than Honda's previous models even though it was still very petite compared to compact American cars. The Civic's high fuel efficiency (an important selling point given that decade's energy crisis) and affordability made it Honda's first American success story. By 1976, the Civic had been joined by the Accord, which quickly became a favorite with U.S. consumers as well.

By the 1980s, Honda's success and its reputation as a maker of well-built reliable cars and motorcycles continued to grow. It began building Accords in the U.S. in 1982 and by 1989 had earned the distinction of making America's most popular car. This was also the decade in which Honda created the Acura brand as a way to sell more upscale and luxurious vehicles. Throughout this decade and into the 1990s, the Civic and Accord were huge sellers and considered class benchmarks. Also during this time, Honda continued to innovate through such technologies as variable valve timing, aluminum body construction and improved safety features.

Today, Honda's lineup runs the gamut. Included are fuel-sipping hybrids, a spacious minivan, reliable family sedans, practical SUVs and even a pickup. Although the latest Civic and Accord aren't quite the benchmarks they once were for their respective classes, Honda's brand as a whole continues to be one of the most well respected in the industry, with millions of loyal and satisfied customers.

User Reviews:

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  Happy Overall - 2009 Honda Element
  By Iggy Flop - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Owned this car for a little over a year now and the experience has been a good one overall. Its fun to drive, It feels solidly built, and Ive yet to have any mechanical problems with it. Is is fairly flexible, But dont expect to be moving any couches or other bulky items. Its deceptively short, and if you really wanna pack it, youve got to lose the rear seats all together, which thankfully is fairly easy. Yes they flip up, but they bulge a good bit which takes up space. Not to mention block all visibility out of the right / rear window (kind of an important one if youre a lane changer). My biggest problem though is that the paint is chipping/ spidering, and Honda will not help.

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  2011 pilot issue VCM - 2011 Honda Pilot
  By hugh7 - September 22 - 2:00 am

  i just bought a 2011 honda pilot EX-L 2wd on the spur of the moment,heres something that i did not notice on the test drive, there is something that you should know before you buy this high priced SUV! it has the ECO system also called the VCM this is were 3 or less cylinders shut down when you reach a certain speed, this is very noticeable it feels like a constant up or down shift or an engine misfire!this is to save fuel, i am very disappointed with this, on my 70+ mile trip back from the dealership the thrill of buying a new car sure went down the pipes! shame on you Honda if i wanted to save fuel i would have bought a FIT!

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  So far so good - 2003 Honda Odyssey
  By Caseyd - September 21 - 2:00 am

  We bought this 4 years ago when it had 67k miles on it. It now has 110k miles on it. It was a certified Honda so we had coverage until 100k mile, this replaced the motor mount for free. Motor mounts going bad is normal wear for a FWD car at 100k miles. It has leather seats that are EXTREMELY comfortable Road noise is worst than other vans. If you apply undercoat to the wheel wells and buy good tires it will be silent. Bad quality tires make it worse. I have flushed the transmission fluid at 75k miles and changed it at 100k miles. No transmission problems yet. I get 26 mpg driving from Denver to Utah over 11,000 foot mountain passes with the cruise set, fully loaded Love it!

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  Luxury, Performance, Affordable - 2011 Honda Accord
  By Tom Verghese - September 21 - 2:00 am

  Honda has done it again with the 2011 Accord 4 cyl sedan (leather with navigation/ rear-view camera) It feels like the Acura TSX / TL on the inside, is built on the same frame as the $ 43,000 Acura TL. It tales regular gas (instead of premium) and actual does 27 mpg in mixed driving. On the highway you can easily get 35 mpg if you drive carefully. if you want performance, the 4 cyl engine is more than adequate fro passing, merging and cornering safely. Cornering is a joy and almost feels like a BMW 328 xi. Main drawback is lack of AWD version for people who live in the snow belt like me.

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  Honda LX - 2003 Honda Odyssey
  By Rusty - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Purchased vehicle with $19K, 2nd owner. Replaced transmission right away. Overall vehicle has been pretty good. Cant believe though it did not have CD player. Strangest thing happened all my locks gummed up on me. Had to replace the locks on the van and not cheap to do that over $500 dollars. Rear wiper motor went at $100K mi. Body has help up great. Can be a little uncomfortable in the drivers seat if you have the manual seats and not the power seats.

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  Could be better - 2010 Honda Accord
  By Mike_D - September 19 - 2:00 am

  Love my Accord. I traded in my 07 Civic to this package. Bluetooth freezes up sometimes, I get the rattle from the AC Fan, the driver seat really is uncomfortable, and the idle is rough sometimes. Had my brakes replaced at 5k miles, they were off for some reason. The car is amazing though. I have to say the performance has improved since I first bought last year. Wish I wouldve waited for the 2011 because they did fix a lot of the issues I have now. Amazing car. Road noise is loud but I plan to put continentals on when these tires are ready for replacing. Got mine for $23k fully loaded black on black. Absolutely gorgeous and I still get compliments. To me, sort of looks like Malibu. :-(

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  Great Truck - 2009 Honda Ridgeline
  By Hunter - September 18 - 2:00 am

  I just got back from hunting. Bed was full and towing a pop-up camper from Denver to Craig and back. Avg 18 mpg and that included the driving on 4wd roads to and from the hunting area. Did everything I wanted it to do. On the highway from Denver to Winter Park and back I get 21 mpg and it is so nice to drive.

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  Slow but looks sharp - 2008 Honda Civic
  By egib77 - September 18 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car 4 months ago because of its eye candy appeal. Car has been very reliable with zero mechanical problems since purchase. The only issue Ive had was the driver side sun visor totally fell apart. For nearly 30 gs I would expect more performance...and for the weak performance I would expect better than 26 mpg. This car owns in the mountains!

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  Decent car but safety hazard without ABS - 2001 Honda Civic
  By bruce - September 17 - 2:00 am

  This is an OK car but feels a little tin canny and like a go-cart (not in a good way). My major complaint is braking on wet pavement or lack thereof. This car will go into a slide every time. And this is with brand new tires. ABS is a must. No way Im letting my kids use this car unless I know itll be dry outside. It even spins out when accelerating lightly on wet roads. You really have to baby it. If it has to climb while doing so forget about it. Another complaint is that the headliner fell apart at about 100k.

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  Great car for the price! - 2010 Honda Insight
  By ThreeHondaFamily - September 17 - 2:00 am

  An excellent economy car overall. Many of the observations made by others are true: The motor is buzzy at high RPM. ECON mode turns it into a total slug. Forget using this mode if you live in a hilly area. I do, and I leave it turned off and shift into Sport mode almost exclusively. Even so, Im still averaging 39 MPG. A worthy sacrifice for improved pep. Handling is good for a car with tires that skinny. The styling is pleasing and it draws positive attention from onlookers. Theres a lot of hard plastic in the interior. Some slightly softer surfaces might have been nice. Predictable Honda road noise, but hey, its a $19k car, not a Lexus. Overall, Im very pleased.