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:

• 

  Poorly Engineered Driver Comfort - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By John cannella - June 5 - 9:19 pm

  If you like the comfort of sitting on an airliner in coach, you like driving this vehicle..The lumbar support is minimal. The leather seats are cheaply contoured and result in butt shifting/sliding on cornering. The center armrest is practically stuck to your rib and super thin so that I find my elbow constantly slipping off.. and Im thin.. If your a little chunky (like that annoying chubby guy often next to me on the plane) your arm/elbow will be swinging in the breeze. Honda in its infinite "wisdom" however gives you a nice wide center armrest in the backseat. And so if technology ever allows you to convert this vehicle to a driverless one , youll be quite comfortable in the back seat !!! Daaa!!.. what the hell is that about Honda "engineers"???.. Dont you guys ever drive these cars in prototype after those pin head engineers draw the pictures.. The steering is hair trigger and tends to wander on the highway.. When you buy a stepped up edition (like I did) youd expect a CD player to be standard...To my (stupid) surprise, not on this vehicle ! Thats extra and then only comes again in the 2nd row seat..???? The suspension sucks big big time.. Im a long time 4Runner owner and am used to a truck ride and so I certainly didnt expect a luxury car ride. However this vehicle takes bumps really really hard.. The truck (crossover?) is peppy but when driving stop and go in traffic it feels like its in a very low gear and I find myself checking to see if the lever is in fact in drive.. The 2nd row seat back portion folds forward with the push of a button. However thats when the work begins.. You then have to use a manual lever on the side of the chair and keep jacking and jacking it to get the seat to fold down to cargo level.. When the seats do finally fold down, theres a huge gap (hole) in the cargo area.. Whats that about Honda? The only positive thing I have to say about this vehicle is that I love the storage compartment in the far rear cargo area.. Overall I wouldnt classify this vehicle as a truck even though it rides like a cement truck..In fact its basically a bigger version of their CRV.. My advice if you want an SUV ..Look elsewhere... If I had it to do over I would have stuck with a 4Runner.

• 

  Not the quality I expected - 2005 Honda CR-V
  By patilo - June 4 - 2:46 pm

  After much review I opted for the CRV Special Edition. I had driven a Camry and loved the ride. My CRV still feels awkward. The road noise is horrible, reminds me of my 76 Pinto! I am looking for a replacement. The AWD is what lured me to the CRV.

• 

  Struts and Springs over and over Again - 2002 Honda Civic
  By Brian Shoots - June 1 - 10:00 am

  I have been selling new Hondas for several years and have never been disappointed until this 2001 LX sedan. I have had squeaks, creaks, and rattles since day one. I believe all the springs and three of the struts have been replaced to no avail. My first two Hondas were stellar; this one has been dreadful. Gas mileage has hit 40 on extended drives, but hovers around 27 with gentle city driving.

• 

  Borderline Lemon - 2002 Honda CR-V
  By JSE - May 30 - 9:47 pm

  Purchased CRV new and have several issues with quality moonroof motor burnt out @15000 miles, missing interior door switch, A/C out after 36000 miles (very expensive repair), rear bushings (replaced), driver side visor falls out, auto power up/down window stops working periodically,and constant rattle from rear of vehicle. CRV is not comfortable on long trips for any driver over 52". This has not been a typical reliable Honda.

• 

  Honda wont fix recurring problems - 2005 Honda Pilot
  By wrod - May 23 - 1:18 pm

  I have had problems from the beginning with my Pilot EX-L and Hondas customer no-service is maddening to deal with. You cant talk to anyone but the person who answers the phone, who is obviously trained at stonewalling the customer. The vehicle will hesitate and lose power and the gas mileage is HORRIBLE. I get better mileage from my V-8 truck than from the Pilot. If you buy a Pilot you better hope you dont have problems because Honda wont fix them.

• 

  Beware the RUST!!! - 2003 Honda Element
  By bryansail - May 17 - 9:35 am

  I bought a super clean low mileage Element in Detroit in late 2005. The vehicle has only 14K miles and still well under the 3yr/36K Honda warranty. The car had surface rust on fixtures and bracket, esp in the engine area. Honda refuses to take resp. and fix this obvious design flaw. So dont buy a Honda anywhere where there is road salt because you may well be sorry! Ive been slowly fixing the rust at my expense and time.

• 

  2008 LX noisy and cramped - 2008 Honda Civic
  By b - May 16 - 5:00 pm

  2dr lx is way too cramped inside. The parking brake handle runs my knee cap raw. Im 59 170 lbs, a average sized person and I cannot find a comfortable seating position in this car. My legs are very cramped and my arms barely reach the radio controls once I get the proper leg position. The automobile was obliviously designed for smaller stature people. Car is extremely noisy on highway trips. The radio volume must be elevated to drown out the tire noise at highway speeds. Evidently Honda did not invest in soundproofing. Many blind spots, cannot see the front or rear end of the car when attempting to park. My ADVISE Buy a Toyota Corolla

• 

  Falling apart? - 2003 Honda Civic
  By loonmaster - May 14 - 2:00 am

  Got it new and I was pretty pleased at the price, at first. Almost from the get go though there was some "clicking" from the engine, bad smell from the AC and all the moding seems to be coming off. Tried to take it in for repairs but nothing ever seems to get fixed and I feel a lot of the people at the dealership are being rude and they just dont want to seem to help me. Cant imagine going Honda again. Too bad too since I was really excited about getting my Civic.

• 

  Great Idea but could use a few tweaks - 2016 Honda HR-V
  By Anita Campbell - May 12 - 1:45 pm

  I test drove and also researched a AWL HRV EX as a smaller alternative to a CRV LX. I loved the smaller overall size, good safety rating and adaptability of the seating which allowed the second row split seat to fold flat forward or fold back. The passenger seat folded backwards into a flat position and literature showed the ability to haul a kayak on that side of the car. The HRV also has a cute "hidden" back door handle that meets the triangular shaped rear side window. For the difference in exterior space between the 2016 HRV EX and 2013 CRV LX which I currently own, there was about 6 inches in width and length. However, the front seat of the HRV was quite cramped feeling (left to right) in comparison. Also, sitting in the front at a comfortable distance to the steering wheel and controls, (I am 53") felt like I was right up against the windshield. Headroom was very limited and I felt my 63" son would have to crouch sitting in the car whether front or back seat. My major concern, however, was in the smallness of Horsepower of the engine. (The HRV uses the same one as the Honda Fit). I previously owned the smaller 1998 Honda Odyssey for 12 years which many criticized for poor pickup and although lower (150) in HP than my current CRV (185), the Odyssey still scored 9 more horses than the HRV (141). I am a senior and dont have a need for speed but if I am going to have a car that can carry materials from home and garden centers or an occasional piece of furniture, I dont want to be straining on the highway. This is the first year the HRV is being offered and I am hoping that future models will address some of these concerns. It would be welcome also to see the price tag fall a bit lower in comparison to the CRV.

• 

  A huge disappointment - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By chris fountain - May 11 - 7:36 pm

  Honda has taken a perfectly acceptable little truck and ruined it with a ridiculously complicated touch-screen "information center" that is distracting, nearly impossible to access while driving and often inoperative. Together with a truly horrible, high pressure dealer experience and annoying, but telling equipment failures (the drivers seatbelt take-up/retainer spool, for instance, quit after two months, so the belt falls between the door and frame when exiting the vehicle or puddles on the front seat, waiting to be sat upon on entering - its a reminder, 6X a day, of how Honda quality has declined) the Ridgeline is a disappointing failure. In fact, Im learning to hate this vehicle. The feeble a/c gives up past 90, the seats are a torment after 2 hours of driving, the GPS often loses track of where it is, and the new, "larger" engine is anemic and dangerous when trying to quickly merge into highway traffic. Even the interior cab has been worsened, by reducing the rear seat opening - what good is the fold-up feature if bulky objects cant be placed inside? A very bad truck, designed, probably, by smart engineers who never considered what it would be like to actually drive it.