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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  I love my 2016 Honda Accord EX-L - 2016 Honda Accord
  By Brenda S. - April 4 - 8:14 am

  This is best car I have ever owned. I have owned over 10 different cars over the years, and this 2016 Accord is the best car for the money, I compared it to a Volvo S80, and a Subaru Legacy it is far superior. The ride, handling, comfort, features they are the best.

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  Great car - 1999 Honda Civic
  By Nixxer - April 3 - 11:19 pm

  Ive had this car for awhile now and I put anyhere from 40 to 50 thousand Miles a year on it and it has never given me trouble.

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  Loving it! - 2002 Honda Accord
  By kirk - April 3 - 7:35 pm

  This car has got to be the best car I have every had. I bought it used and have only had to get the oil change in it. It rides smooth gets up speed fast and quite. Its now 4 years old and it still turns heads when i go places. If you are looking for a gas saver, fun to drive car this is the one.

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  First Car - 2000 Honda CR-V
  By Collin - April 3 - 5:41 pm

  I purchased this as my first car and its fantastic. The 5-speed was one of its major selling points for me but the excellent quality and safety record were important to my parents. I have had no problems with this car thus far, even with 85k miles on it. The car isnt blazingly fast but the 5-speed makes it fun to drive anyway. I agree that it needs more power though, if the engine is under 3500 rpm, good luck moving with any ounce of agility. The only other downfall is the goofy auto-window switch placement. Its right on the dash hard to get used to. Overall the car is excellent and very roomy, even for my 65" body and my equally large friends. Kudos to Honda for the large backseat.

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  Bob - 2005 Honda Accord
  By R. Gillespie - April 3 - 3:13 pm

  Have had no problems. I had one recall on the driver side airbag which was replaced. It is my second Honda Accord. The first one (a 98) gave me no problems also.

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  Fun Car - 2005 Honda S2000
  By jeff geiman - April 3 - 11:58 am

  After drooling for 5 years and thinking how impractical the car is, I went ahead and bought one. Driving has been fun ever since, my commute became my race track, specially the ramps getting on the interstate. The ride is hard, but its a sportscar what did you expect. My only criticism is low rpm power, Id like to get out of the hole quicker, not burn rubber, but have more of a gas pedal response as soon as I apply foot power to the gas pedal, top end it really revs, Id just like more guts at the lower end. Its a bit noisy when traveling the freeway, radio is a bit hard to hear, but these are small sacrifices for styling and handling.

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  2001 Honda Odyssey - 2001 Honda Odyssey
  By Lynda - April 3 - 11:30 am

  This is a limo for the two cars two kids set - tons of room for your stuff, reliable, solid, excellent for highway driving, lots of power, a total comfort machine. Weve towed camper trailers, loaded kayaks and bikes on the roof. Weve stuffed the vehicle with people and luggage with no noticable decrease in performance. This vehicle has not given us one day of grief. We are replacing our old 1990 Tercel with a Honda Fit - to anyone who reads this, go the extra bucks and buy a Honda - there really is no comparison, and believe me, Ive driven them all. It doesnt score high in driving fun - but who buys a minivan for fun anyway. My 16 year old Tercel is more fun to drive, but you cant take it out of the driveway right now without something dropping off it.

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  Buzzing round town - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By JTV - April 3 - 7:13 am

  Most of our driving is in a suburban area of Florida. We get about 24mpg compared to the Honda van that we traded in that got 15-16 mpg. Our highway mileage is about 30 mpg. The engine makes a buzzing sound when driving around town but it disappears at higher speeds on the interstates. We wanted a 4 cyl. for economy and did not like the Toyota RAV with a spare tire mounted on the back. The Hyundai Santa Fe does not get as many mpg and we did not like the red color choice. We added backup sensors and an auto dimming rear view mirror. Dashboard is attractive with instant mpg readout and other info. However, the CRV is not as comfortable as our van was on long trips.

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  Happy Accord Owner - 2009 Honda Accord
  By Franko - April 3 - 7:03 am

  Use the car to commute 70 miles a day & freeway trips. Comfortable and fun to drive on trips and around town. Far better car than the Malibu it replaced. Have gotten up to 29 mpg. But usually get 26 during the commute. The car is big enough to fit three adults in the back seat.

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  Liked the shoe color, so I bought the matching car - 2016 Honda Civic
  By David Schaeffer - April 3 - 6:16 am

  I love the catchy bright green color which just happens to match my favorite pair of shoes. This replaces my 1999 Toyota Camry Solara, which I drove for 265,000 miles and 17 years 9 months. Although I was very happy with the Solara, any new car is going to impress after driving such an old car. I think the Civic Coup Touring is a great value. The total cost was very close to the Solara even though car prices have gone up in the last 18 years. The Civic is missing a couple of features (power driver seat and garage door control) that I liked in the Solara, but adds many new features. The sound system that comes with the touring trim level is better than the Solara SLEs excellent sound system. The integration with Google Maps navigation via Android Auto is excellent. Im so glad I dont have to use Garmin navigation in order to use the large dash display. Im lucky that my Samsung phone is a bit old, so it does not have the new Android operating system which has lots of reported issues with Android Auto. I had to migrate my music library from Apple to Google because I cannot use both my iPod Touch and my Samsung phone at the same time. Google Play Music isnt quite as good as Apples but Im happy I was forced to move my ~15,000 songs to Googles cloud servers. The cruise control feature of slowing down for the car in front of you demonstrates fairly primitive self-driving technology. It tends to slow abruptly, especially when you are approaching a vehicle turning left or right from your lane. I keep using it a lot to try to understand when its best to enable it and when its best to disable it.