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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  Feels Solid and its Fun to Drive - 2005 Honda CR-V
  By mercurius_1 - July 29 - 7:26 am

  Previous vehicle was a 95 Toyota Camry; traded up for a bigger and hopefully safer vehicle that wont also be a gas hog. This is deceptively big with a very well thought out interior. It rides firmly and solidly over the rough roads of central PA. So far I have no complaints whatsoever about it. I love sitting higher when I drive and I am impressed with all of the standard safety features. I also love the interior cargo space - Im an artist and this vehicle has plenty of room for me to haul around my paintings and other materials. Love it so far!

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  Nicely designed from the exterior, not interior - 2016 Honda Accord
  By imdlink - July 29 - 4:02 am

  One of the things that drew me to this car was the refreshed exterior for 2016. Hands down, to me, it is one of the best looking mid-size cars out right now. I have had my Touring edition for a little over a month now and I continue to get compliments almost daily on the looks of the car. Even when I see one on the road, I have to admire how good it looks. Exterior wise, this car looks perfect with his sculpted lines, curves and LED headlights, tail lights. Honda really has made this Accord stand out in the looks department in comparison to other mid size cars in the same price range. I took the car on a few test drives before making the decision to trade my 2011 Camry SE V6 in for the Accord Touring. When test driving you really dont get as acquainted with the interior unless you really own it as test drives are too short of a time to really settle in to a car. Below are my issues with the interior of the Accord. - Door panel construction- Seems very, very thin. When resting your elbow against it, it pushes in with very little force. This feels very flimsy. I am used to resting my elbow on the door panel while driving. This can not be done in this car due to how the panel is designed. For me, this makes for an uncomfortable driving experience. - Center console construction - When resting your elbow on this, it pushes in, similar to the door panel. It feels like there needs to be more plastics to harden the feel of the console as it does not feel solid. The console is also very, very small. In fact, this is the smallest center console that Ive even seen or used in car. There is very little room to place anything of decent size in it without filling the entire console. - Cup holders for driver/passenger - To me, these were designed very poorly. They are too deep for smaller sized cups. When ordering food/drinks, if you opt to get a small cup, the cup will almost sit flush with the top of the cup holder. This makes it difficulty to sometimes grab a hold the cup without popping the lid off inadvertently. It is too deep to the point that you almost have to put some type of padding in the cup holder to bring the height up for a cup to sit and be grabbed properly. The cup holders also sit further back than they should. It is somewhat awkward to grab a cup, as it sits right next to the center console. - Glovebox - This is the smallest glove box that I have ever used in a vehicle. You can only place a few items in it before filling it up. Also, when closed, it doesnt line up very well with the rest of the paneling. It is off by a few centimeters and is very noticeable. I have heard of this issue with Accords but didnt think I would have this issue on a brand new 2016. - Interior rattle- I cant quite seem to determine where this is coming from. I want to say it is emanating from the passenger right side or right rear door. It is somewhat embarrassing as it can easily be heard when no one is talking or if music is not playing. I noticed this within a week of owning the car. This could be related to the fact that the car has a rough, stiff ride due to its suspension and 19" rims/tires. I still feel that this rattling should not be occurring. - Stereo system - The stereo in the accord leaves a lot to be desired. Coming from a JBL system in a Camry, I may be a little spoiled in this area. Even with the sub and bass turned up the highest setting, the audio still seams weak. Ive tweaked just about every setting possible, but still cant seem to get a rich, deep sound from the system. I stream mostly via Bluetooth. When connected directly via Apple Car Play, the audio sounds even worse. The sounds seem muffled and distant when directly connected. Overall, Im just not happy with the audio system of this car. It is unfortunate that there is not an optional premium audio system to choose from for this vehicle. - Seats - I don’t know whether it’s just me or if there really is a problem with the seats. I have tried all sorts of configurations and can’t seem to sit comfortably in the car while driving. I’m 5’9” so I’m not terribly short or tall. - V6 Performance - Perhaps the Camry SE v6 has spoiled me in this department as well as that car had plenty of power and pep when needed. The V6 Accord is just tuned differently I guess. It seems to be little sluggish initially but when it gets going, the power eventually comes. It just doesnt feel as lively and peppy as I think it should be. Perhaps my Accord needs to be looked at, not really sure at this point. Dont get me wrong, when the shifter is put into Sport mode, the car behaves very differently. When not in this mode, it just seems to be a bit unresponsive and sluggish. I do love the fact that the car is very fuel efficient on the highway as I typically average about 31/32 miles per gallon when driving long distances at highway speeds. Overall, the Accord is a nice car, just not the car for me. I will be trading it very soon.

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  Odyssey "Touring" = Luxury + Excellence - 2007 Honda Odyssey
  By Happy Osyssey Driver - July 28 - 11:26 pm

  Luxury plus! A Mini-Limosine. All kinds of modern features. Comfort and ride are excellent. Soft plush leather seats. Everyone loves it, and I can hardly get to use it, my teenage son and daughter enjoy it so much. Our short and long trips are total comfort. Overall gas mileage is 22 mpg. The same level Toyota cost about $300/month more. With this Honda luxury van, forget Toyota.

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  2007 Honda Civic 2d LX - 2007 Honda Civic
  By E - July 28 - 8:36 pm

  This is probably the best car I have ever purchased. Excellent fuel economy (42 mpg), extremely fun to drive, all kinds of airbags make a safe car and the quality and engine are outstanding. Im sold on the Civic and on Honda.

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  Idle Vibration - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Jason Cai - July 28 - 7:34 pm

  I bought the CRV EX AWD a week ago, on the way driving the car back home, I noticed the vibration when I stopped at a traffic light. I went back to the dealer this past Saturday to report the issue, the sale person told me to go back on Monday, so they could take a look. I went back yesterday, he told me he talked to their service manager and they are aware of the issue, but nothing they could do but wait for Honda to release a fix. Before Honda commits a fix for this issue, I would not recommend to buy this car.

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  One of the most fun cars Ive owned - 2006 Honda CR-V
  By Honda Lover - July 28 - 8:27 am

  I have owned a 1993 Accord, 1999, 2001 and 2003 civic but this CRV was just the right fit for our growning family! We were deciding between the Pilot and the CRV. Hands down, we prefer the CRV. It was $6,000 less, gets better gas mileage (5-7 mpg) and has plenty of room to spare. The flexibilty that the seat positioning offers is great! I especially like the floor in the rear that turns into a picnic/card table. If you are looking at a small SUV, look no further. This CRV gives you the room, versitility, and comfort that you are looking for and at a great price! 2007 is being re-designed and the body style is changing and NOT for the better. Get the 06 while it lasts!

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  For real: 70 MPG - 2000 Honda Insight
  By Dan - July 28 - 12:27 am

  Bought my little beastie with 36,000 on it, have put another 6000 on it. Ive averaged, mixed city and highway, 70.6 MPG, with an occasional 80 MPG on the highway. Comfortable, reasonable performance, perfect car for my needs. Its STRANGE to go 700 plus miles on 10 gallons of gas! Plenty of luggage space, I routinely put my road or my mountain bike in the back, and have even put two bikes in (a bit of a trick, had to take one pedal off).

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  adairs Honda accord - 1991 Honda Accord
  By adair - July 27 - 4:22 pm

  I loved my Honda Accord. It let me down on only 2 occasions. Dead battery and radiator leak, requiring a replacemnt radiator. It has been zippy, easy to handle, fun to drive and I felt safe in it. It was stolen 6 months after I purchased it and required over $5000 in repairs. The only thing that really bothered me about it was the need to use the air conditioning in winter to keep the interior glass/windshield clear. Consequently, when it came time to refurbish the air, I needed to get it converted to the new air conditioning filler. This was expensive, but ended up being worth it. I would recommend a Honda to anyone who is considering purchasing a new or used car

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  Great for family of 6 - 2008 Honda Odyssey
  By MJ&4As - July 27 - 2:16 pm

  We had a 2006 and recently upgraded to the 2008 and like the first, we love this van. Rear entertainment is top notch, it handles like a dream and the safety features sell themselves. Id have another if I could afford it!

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  Reliability - 1991 Honda Accord
  By hon-da-man - July 27 - 1:34 pm

  No major problems with this one, bought it new from the dealer and had to sell it with 196k on it for $4000. Bought an Acura to replace it, shoulda kept both. decent gas mileage at 28 mpg. Make sure you get high rated tires, this car can handle the turns.