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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  Good car - 2008 Honda Accord
  By Batang Tundo - December 13 - 8:10 pm

  I bought this because my Mercedes died on me. My first accord, I am surprised how well it runs, and a lot of features that I had on my merz. before. plus i am now using regular octane. They are right this feels like a luxury car with the wealth of features and safety convenience.

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  Rattles and squeaks - 2005 Honda Accord
  By tomcat99 - December 13 - 1:56 pm

  I like this vehicle alot the first week. But as the weather is getting cold, the interior dashboard is starting to squeak and rattle when going over bumps. I am not the only one experiencing this. I have read other with complaints about this. Whats going on with American made Honda now...just like the domestic brands now...do something Honda.

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  Dependable/Fun Car - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Amanda - December 13 - 3:26 am

  The Honda Civic EX special edition 4door manual is a really fun car to drive. The interior of the vehicle is also extremely nice. I have only noticed a few minor things that I dont like. For example the paint on the front bumper is peeling but other than that problem its a great car. I cant wait to get another one.

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  Love my new SUV! - 2016 Honda HR-V
  By Belinda Morris - December 12 - 10:21 pm

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  Dont Believe the Hype... - 2009 Honda Accord
  By gmen86 - December 12 - 2:40 pm

  Disappointed. Lets start with the good: Attractive design, excellent build quality, almost german-car like. Great handling. Reliability is fine. Now the BAD: Very uncomfortable seats, and driving position. Driver area is very confined and like sitting in a hole. Will never find a satisfying or comfortable position. Car looks good standing alone, but appears small and dinky next to other cars, even compacts. Rear-end design is ugly. 2.4L engine feels slow. Cant pass or merge to save your life. Rough idol, raggedy engine sound. Gas mileage not impressive. Gets 535 miles per tank, where Camry, Malibu, Sonata, get 600 miles/tank. Accord falls short on many fronts.

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  Awesome - 2005 Honda Accord
  By Chris - December 12 - 10:33 am

  This has serious power! I was expecting something little better than gutless. Its a hybrid, afterall. It did 124 mph and had plenty left before I felt I needed to slow it down. I got 26 mpg or so for the first 1000 miles. Im now getting in the high 30s and even topped 40 mpg last week. It wasnt cheap - but Hondas have always held great value for me. Ive owned 6 Hondas to date. Highly recommend the Hybrid.

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  Awesome sedan - 2008 Honda Accord
  By dean - December 11 - 9:53 pm

  Great forum by Edmunds. Just got an Accord and no regret at all. I trade down from 2006 Acura RL and 2004 G35 Infiniti because of the Ga$ prices. I looked at Maxima almost bought one then again ga$ prices. I am glad I did because this ride is nice for 1/2 the price of RL. I like the interior space, dash-board, and a very functional cabin. I only have 200 miles on it thus far, so no complaints here. Just what I expected from a 4cyn. car and much more in style and craftsmanship. Way to go Honda!

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  The Hybrid - 2003 Honda Civic
  By doug - December 11 - 6:53 pm

  I love my hybrid! It is by far the best car I have ever owned. I have ranged between 40 and 56 miles per gallon. Drive it slow and steady and you will get great mileage.

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  Best Car Ive Owned - 2004 Honda Civic
  By DJStormX - December 11 - 1:08 pm

  I love the Civic. Best car Ive owned so far with the exceptional gas mileage. Wish Honda could have put a bigger engine or came out with a V6 model for the EX and with a little more standard features. All in all a very great car that will probably last forever.

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  Test drove. Did not buy. - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Ed Zawarski - December 11 - 7:12 am

  I own a 2012 AWD Touring. Honda makes a great car. I usually trade my cars every 2-3 years because I put a lot of mileage on them and always love to play with the newest tech toys. This time around though I held off buying a new car because I was waiting for Honda to come out with the new Pilot. I saw the very first one in person while getting my oil changed when it was still on the truck at the dealership. It was hard to get a good view of it but from what I could see, I was excited. That excitement ended when I actually saw the car in the showroom. UGH! Its a minivan! They converted my beloved SUV to a minivan :( They ruined it! They ruined it!!! Nevertheless, I had to test drive one. I am on my second Pilot Touring and have really liked them. No, LOVED them. Albeit my 2012s entertainment system has been less than stellar. The sound is great but the BlueTooth connection for my phone constantly disconnects & reconnects calls at random making it impossible to handle business calls hands-free. This does this with my iPhone, my wifes iPhone, my friends Samsung Galaxy and another friends Nokia. Honda replaced the BT module but it didnt solve the problem. The second flaw in the entertainment system is that it loves to lock up my iPod. Not just my iPod, my wifes as well. It can play for hours or even days with no problems. Other times it can play for five minutes at a clip and I have to disconnect it and do a hard reset on the iPod. Thats a pain in the neck (and dangerous) while driving at highway speeds by yourself. Honda agreed that there is an issue but cant seem to find it. $42,000 cars that dont work correctly dont make me happy but its my only complaint with this car. Anyway, back to the 2016 Pilodyssey. Not a fan of the looks inside nor out. Its a minivan. I know I repeated that but really, you cant say it enough. Its an Odyssey II. You really realize that when you get in the front seat and flip down the cheap armrests. The rear captains chairs second that motion. The touch screen nav/control panel was dog slow. I kept turning the radio off trying to turn it on. Ever click or tap something on a computer/phone screen and it doesnt react right away so you click/tap it again, only to realize the first click/tap hadnt reacted yet so the second click/tap canceled the first? UGH!!!! I have no patience for slow tech. Especially because I’m a tech myself. Underpowered processors irk me to no end. Strike two, Honda. The fact that Honda/Acura backed down to every other manufacturers level of nav restriction is quite annoying. My 2006 MDX, 2010 Pilot, current 2012 Pilot, along with my wifes 2006 RL, 2010 Crosstour, and 2012 Odyssey all had Nav systems that allowed you to have full touch/dial/voice access to any and all features of the Nav systems. Now Honda put restrictions of the use of some of the features of the new Pilots nav. Its still better than most though and Hondas voice control is WAY better than Toyotas. My 2006 4Runners voice control was the worst Ive ever seen. Maybe its gotten better by now, IDK. I switched to Honda products and havent looked back at Toyota or Lexus since. Funny thing is this year we traded in my wifes Odyssey EX-L Nav and bought a Murano. I wont say much about that car other than its very nice but well soon be trading it in. Nissan’s Nav sucks. Enough for me to take a loss on the car. So, again, back to the 16 Pilot. It rode nice. It has way more power than my 2012. The lane mitigation feature would take some getting used to. I dont like someone holding onto my steering wheel at the same time as Im trying to drive but, hey, its a feature EVERY car with a driver who loves to text while they drive should have. Maybe that will keep them in their lane instead of swerving into mine. I dont text and drive and I have pretty good control of my vehicle so Im not sure that I wouldnt be turning that feature off. Id have to give it a month or so to see if I could get used to it. One thing Honda needs to do is stop putting in the rear entertainment system. Make it an option. I have used mine maybe 4 times in the 5 ½ years Ive had my two Pilots. My grandkids used it when we drove them to the zoo and the mountains when we took my car. Other than that, its $2,000 feature that I dont use. Besides, DVDs are becoming a thing of the past. I have 400 movies, 600 TV shows, and 15,000 songs. EVERYTHING is digital. I havent used a CD nor DVD in over 3 years. Incorporate video through USB or BT instead and charge the $150 or so that those connections and software would cost. So heres what this boils down to for me. And I hardly believe I am going to say this after pounding my fist on the desk in favor of Honda over American made cars...Im negotiating a price to trade my 2012 Pilot AWD Touring in on a....yes....really....2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland.