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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  Should have bought a Suburban - 2006 Honda Odyssey
  By joe - August 9 - 12:35 am

  My 2006 Odyssey with cylinder deactivation has yet to get close to 20 MPG, even with 100% highway miles. Nothing like the claimed fuel economy. Also, it is the worst road-noise car Ive owned in a decade. I recently rented a Grand Caravan for several weeks which was much quieter and smoother ride (and better mileage).

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  A More reliable Merceds C Class - 2009 Honda Civic
  By Dave92029 - August 9 - 12:23 am

  My 2009 Civic LX feels as good if not better than my previous Mercedes C Class cars. The Civic is all grown up, providing plenty of comfort and space. The build quality is exceptional. This car feels very solid yet eats up the local mountain roads. The handling feels planted and sure footed. The steering response is positive and easy to judge. Pure pleasure on a twisty road. My only complaint is the radio. The speakers lack dynamic range. They sound muddy. I believe that the LX is a 4 speaker audio without a tweeter. The bass and mid range are also not very clean and sharp. I have tried to adjust the bass, and tweeter but the speakers stink! I love the Civic, except for the speakers.

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  Love my Honda - 2011 Honda Civic
  By Brittany Robinson - August 8 - 11:13 pm

  Being a Honda lover, due to my first vehicle being Honda, of course my second choice in a vehicle would still be a Honda Civic. I owned a 99 Honda Prelude prior and was spoiled by all the features that the vehicle was equipped with such as the power windows, moon roof, and how well the vehicle handled as well as how much fun it was to drive, so when I searched for a new car I had those ideas in mind which landed me purchasing a 2011 Honda Civic EX Coupe. The Civic coupe is a durable and safe vehicle given its size and handles well. I often times forget how easily the car accelerates, given how smooth the ride is, that often times the speedometer gets away from me. Every vehicle on the market does have pros and cons however. When purchasing the civic upon the initial test drive some pros that stood out were the size of the vehicle, the awesome gas mileage, and how well the car would hold its value over time. The negatives I found were the trunk space, the road noise, and upon later realization the seat design. The size of the vehicle was instantly appealing to me because being an average height female I wanted something that was compact and easy to maneuver as well as park. In tight spaces the civic does wonderfully and can zoom in and out of traffic with no problems. In small, tight parking lots the civic also excels due to the vehicle being able to fit comfortably and easily into most parking spaces with no problems. When it comes to the gas mileage I wasn’t surprised because the vehicle gets 26 miles per gallon in the city areas and 34 miles per gallon on the highway. This made me extremely happy when purchasing the vehicle because I tend to do a lot of traveling around the holidays, as well as during the summer months, and not having to worry about stopping for gas as often on a trip is a huge plus in my opinion. Being that I own the automatic version of the vehicle it handles well in stop and go traffic as well as keeps up on the highway with traffic flow. As I was searching for a vehicle and pricing out my options I wanted something that was going to hold it’s value over time in case after a few years I wanted to get rid of the vehicle and trade it in for something else. When I stumbled upon the civic, after already having prior knowledge of the resale values on Honda in general given that my family has owned numerous, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the car depreciated. Currently my Civic is worth 10, 900 when it is rated as being in good or average condition according to Kelley Blue Book (Kelley). The depreciation value was an important aspect for me when purchasing a vehicle because I did not want to buy something that I wouldn’t be able to get a good price on later. After seeing all the pros that I wanted into the vehicle I started noticing some cons as well because as we all know perfection in vehicles simply put does not exist. The first thing that stuck out to me was the trunk space. I normally do not need a lot of space when going to and from but when it comes to thinking about taking trips and needing that space it could become an issue. Once I had purchased the car and started using it for everyday things I realized that the space wasn’t ideal but it was nowhere near as small as it could be given the vehicle’s size. It is perfect for running errands but for vacations, or moving, the trunk space is terrible. Not only is the trunk space not ideal but the vehicle I also noticed does have a bit of road noise when driving which wasn’t too noticeable upon the test drive but after owning the vehicle it is something that can be bothersome when the vehicle is silent on the inside. Once you fiddle with the radio or MP3 connections and turn the sound up, or have the A/C running the road noise tends to fade into the background. Honda definitely did not think about this attribute when producing the vehicle and in future models could use some insulation so as to where the noise lessens enough to where it is not as noticeable. Last but not lease the seat design in the vehicle is the worst feature to me because from looks it would seem like a pretty comfortable seat for commuting in as far as seats go, but after taking my vehicle on numerous long distance, over three hours away, trips my lower back gets into quite a bit of pain and causes me having to pull over. Honda needs to work on the seat design by either adding more cushion to the seats or bringing in the lumbar support that some of the Accords have. The design is great for normal commuting back and forth to work or running errands but terrible for long distance driving. Through my pre-purchase research I found that no one vehicle is going to be perfect but that there are numerous that have more pros than cons to them. For me that car was the 2011 Honda Civic EX coupe. The trunk space may be horrible, the seats are the worst, and the road noise may not give it a five star

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  Really Fun to Drive - 2017 Honda Civic
  By Andrew Armstrong - August 8 - 8:27 pm

  I forgot how much fun it was to drive a manual transmission. It handles and drives beautifully. I averaged 47 mpg (according to the trip computer) both ways on a recent trip. The keyless entry and start its really nice. The electronic parking brake does take some getting used to though.

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  This Pilot is a Pleasure to Drive! - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By IonasDad - August 8 - 5:59 pm

  I have had the Pilot Elite for almost one year now and have over 16,000 miles on the clock. Mostly city driving but have made trips from Cincinnati to Chicago, South Carolina, Tennessee, cross country to Glacier national Park and Washington State and recently to Georgia. The car performs well, I am getting over 26 mpg on highway driving, the adaptive cruise control is magic. Rear entertainment system kept my daughter entertained for 3 weeks over the summer. Dealership is GREAT and, when I had a strange noise coming from my wheel in Keystone, SD I had a fantastic dealer experience in Rapid City where they fit me in and removed a stone from brakes! The car is comfortable to drive, really LOVE the cooled front seats in the hot humid summer, great visibility and good looking too! I could moan about the GPS or Pandora interface but expect that Honda is just as impatient with these issues as we are. I would definitely recommend this family vehicle. Loads of space, too, for visits to Home Depot!!

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  I love this car - 1998 Honda Accord
  By joebob - August 8 - 10:00 am

  owned this car 4 and a half years 94,542 miles later still like new. giving to my daughter. it will be her first car. Oh and by the way yes i bought another honda.

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  Best Minivan - 2002 Honda Odyssey
  By JimmyFarm - August 8 - 10:00 am

  I have heard, as well as read that the Honda Odyssey is by far the best minivan available. After much research and many test drives on other minivans, I have found all of this to be true. Without a doubt, the Honda Odyssey is the minivan benchmark. Anybody considering a minivan purchase owes it to themselves to check out the Odyssey.

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  happy transition - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By thinks2fast - August 8 - 10:00 am

  Have recently left BMW (3 series) and am satisfied with the performance, comfort and handling. actually considering the type of vehicle, Im impressed. Toyota was my #2 choice, 3rd row seating and Honda performance tipped the scale.

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  Great, but need improvement - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By W0W - August 8 - 10:00 am

  I am not an owner yet, but did some research on the Pilot. Good value for the money in its class, but need improvements. We need a bigger vehicle for our baby, and home improvement project for our new house. Maybe, we wait another year to see if Honda improves the Pilots. In my opinion, Hondas been playing game with demands vs. supplies. Honda makes profit at least $3000 per high demand vehicle (Odyssey, Pilot, MDX, 3.2 TL) not fair for customers. My 99 Accord has oil leak from transmission at 50K mile. This is NOT typical for a Honda. Should I buy a Honda again? I know Honda and Toyota have very good resale values.

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  pilot the leader - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By .RAJU THOMAS - August 8 - 10:00 am

  exciting experience, great fun, family car!!!