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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  Love this car! - 2000 Honda Accord
  By OBES - August 24 - 2:10 pm

  I just bought this accord as a Honda certified used car...Great car i love it! get power with the V6 the interior is awesome and overall handling is awesome! if you are going to get a certified used car get a certified honda! best warranty and the service you get at the dealerships are great! I just recently took it in for service and without me asking they went a head and gave me a loaner car until my car was finished! great experience, I am glad i went back to Honda after owning a piece of crap GM product.

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  Love-Hate Relationship - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By Kris - August 24 - 8:16 am

  I owned a Town and Country Limited before this van, and had nothing but problems, so I traded it for a Honda - no problems, right? Wrong. Had problems with DVD player (wouldnt play video - bad cable), Navigation system (voice recognition didnt work), glove box wouldnt open, PAX tires (hard to keep balanced and fast wear), vibration in steering at high speeds (Still not resolved), Airbag light came on (no explanation except known problem). All have been covered under warranty, but what a pain. That aside, I still love the van. Its comfortable, gets reasonable gas milage, and can an haul almost anything I need.

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  Wonderful car - 2018 Honda CR-V
  By KarenR - August 24 - 5:52 am

  I love my new Honda CRV-EXL (but I loved my 2008 CRV too!). The CRV is easy to drive and park & the power front seats help make them very comfortable. I especially like the many new safety features including blindspot & lane departure warnings. The interior also has many new features but the ones I appreciate the most are using the phone for navigation through the display on the dashboard with voice commands and auto liftgate opening and closing. I know push button start & keyless entry have been around for a long time but this is my first experience and Im finding it very beneficial to not have my keys out all the time. As a bonus, my dog really likes the A/C vents in the back here in Florida. I couldnt be happier with my purchase and recommend the CRV to anyone looking for a car in this size range

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  best car ive owned - 1998 Honda Civic
  By lang - August 23 - 9:42 pm

  Ive owned my honda ex for about 8 years and i can honestly say that it has been the best car i have ever owned. Ive put 286,000 miles on it and yes ive had to put some money into it. eventually things wear out however, it has never "broken down" on me and i have never had to worry about it starting. The only flaw with this vehicle that i can see is that the exhaust rusts out quickly. other than that scheduled maintenance is all this baby needs to run like a top!! i have had to get frequent alignments but that could be my driving or the roads in maine or both. if i could wish for an improvement it would be a quieter ride. other than that i have no complains. handles well,mpg about 33 highway.

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  Running the Ridge - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By KrissQ8 - August 23 - 8:35 pm

  Ridge fits / loads up in the garage next to my ladys Pilot. Many US Need a mans bed in their life- rugged hauling, tool boxes, enough room for the Fam, sedan handling / trunk, AWD for the harshest weather, light offroading, haul motorbikes in the bed, ability to tow more than 2000 pounds. Ridge features reel me in over other midsize- wasnt buying another SUV, wouldnt have traded for another car. My Prelude and old truck merged. -My cool bike rack spring loads across the bed -Getting Torza Hard Hat Premier tonno cover Non navi model stock deck doesnt play .mp3 in any way, so I keep 6 burned CDs in it. If cant make use of Ridges spec offers, would step down to Element.

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  Only moderately impressed - 2005 Honda Accord
  By Hermann - August 23 - 7:20 pm

  The car has many positive features. Superb powertrain, very good build quality, excellent fuel economy, superb controls with great tactile feedback, equipped but not gaudy. The down side is the overly firm ride, steering that lacks precision and feedback. Itskind of like driving on molasses. And the seats are hard to get comfy in. Slightly over-firm cushion and hard to get centered in the seat. It is a nice looking vehicle in darker colors, it helps hide the heft of the rear end. Interior is very fuctional but not flashy.

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  So far so good - 2006 Honda Civic
  By Bonnie - August 23 - 1:40 pm

  I just bought this car a few days ago and am very pleased with it. It is fun to drive and great on gas. The navigation system is great-I couldnt find any similar models that offered it. This is my 2nd Civic and there was never even a reason for me to consider other cars. The new dash design is very cool and steering wheel controls are very convenient. The only thing I wasnt thrilled about was the drink holder - they are located in the center console and get very warm after driving for awhile. This is probably due to the electronic equipment but it will make a cold drink warm after awhile. All in all, very happy with this car and I highly recommend it!

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  Noisy - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By Andrea - August 23 - 11:53 am

  This car is extremely loud inside when driving over 40 mph. The noise isnt too bad if your driving under 40 mph. However, the kids have to blast the DVD just to hear over the roaring and vibration when driving down the freeway.

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  Best Car - 2009 Honda Accord
  By david - August 23 - 9:10 am

  We now have had the car for 6 months and have driven it over 8000 miles and still find it to be the best car I have owned. We have not had any issues with seat comfort or brakes. The car is used for mostly short driving in town but still delivers a 23-24 mpg. We drove it to Chicago Il and back in Sept. a trip of over 600 miles each way and got 34 mpg. At no time did I find the seats uncomfortable (9hr trip). The road noise does change with pavement type, concrete being the noisiest.

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  Disappointed - 1999 Honda Odyssey
  By Bill - August 23 - 9:06 am

  We purchased this minivan thinking that with Hondas reliability, we would have years of service. We were very wrong. We have had repeated power door problems, suspension problems, several recalls, and a replaced transmission. The engine now leaks oil and has less than 100,000 miles. Having owned this vehicle, I now know that I will never own another Honda again. There apparently is a myth about Honda reliability. If foreign cars are no better, why do we continue to buy them?