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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  Transmission issue - 2007 Honda Civic
  By Hondata - May 5 - 7:20 am

  I own a 2007 civic si sedan, bought it brand new and the first few weeks i started to have a tranny problem on 3rd gear and took it back to the dealership and they wouldnt fix it and its still under warranty. They just told me to wait and will give me a call, and its been 8 months and no call from them and no fixture. I know that theres more cars out there that has the same problem.

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  underpowered - 1998 Honda CR-V
  By jimster - May 5 - 2:00 am

  not very comfortable, underpowered, and poor radio system, however, built like a honda and will last forever!!

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  An Average Car - 1995 Honda Accord
  By TKhan - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I have an EX Model with 130,000 mile. It does not have good acceleration power. Lot of wind noise, and noisy engine. It has weak handling in curves on high speed. Repair costs are very high. Reliable but not very comfortable. I would rate it as an average car. One review mentioned that with a full tank it can cover 500 miles, mine just do 400 miles (highway) at around 26 miles/gal (My car is dealer maintened and regulary serviced) You can buy a newer American Car for the same price of a 1995 Accord.

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  Too old for this car - 2013 Honda CR-V
  By Priscilla OHara - April 21 - 7:51 am

  I have only owned this car for one month, which is why I could not rate all the items listed. The one thing that I do want to complain about is the headrest. It is installed at an angle which is not acceptable to me no matter what I do. I have adjusted the height of the car seat, the steering wheel, the angle of the seat itself and the headrest. I cannot find a combination that allows my head and neck to remain at a comfortable angle, or if I do, the back seat slopes away from my body and does not give me the needed support. In the past I have had a serious problem with pinched nerves in my neck and back. I fear that this car is simply not suited to my physical and medical needs. I did drive the car for about 15 minutes before I decided to buy it. At that time I didnt realize how difficult it would be to adjust the various components to fit my physical needs. In all of my 60 years of driving I have never encountered this problem and I am disappointed in Honda.

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  Honda Civic - 1995 Honda Civic
  By Ashleigh Brock - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Very noisy and rattles constantly. Heat and air dont work well. Does not get very good gas mileage like they claim. Carpet coming away from door panels, exposing "shell." Good things: the rear- end is hard to mess up. I have been "rear-ended" twice and there are only scratches.

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  Not what we expected. - 2001 Honda Odyssey
  By We hate this van - April 9 - 2:00 am

  The van starts up when you want it to and takes you where you want to go, but that is about it. The rear wiper arm stopped working twice, the windshield wiper wash stopped working, the sliding doors stopped working two or three times, two seat arms collapsed, noises came out of the front wheel wells when backing up the vehicle,etc. I am so tired of going to the dealership for service.

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  Look at a Toyota - 2001 Honda Accord
  By jwood - April 6 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased a 2001 Honda Accord EX with 64,000 miles on it. I have a 2002 Acura TL Type S and love it but wanted a car to use to travel to work in and save miles on my Acura. Well I knew that Honda Motors were having problems with transmissons but I went ahead and purchased the Accord because I thought it was a sound car. Boy was I ever wrong its now in the shop having a new tranny put in it. Go buy I toyota.

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  The technology is beyond brutal - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Fredrick Reiner - April 3 - 10:12 am

  I have no idea what happened but the 2016 Honda Pilot elite we bought has the worst touchscreen user interface on planet earth. Its cumbersome, really slow, glitchy and lacking basic features. You have to over-interact with it to get simple stuff accomplished, distracting you from driving therefore creating an unsafe driving experience. The map is correct 50% of the time when giving directions en-route. Also, you cant control the rear entertainment system (dvd) from the front seat, seriously!? You have to pull over, get out and go around to the back to control it. The lane assist is highly unreliable and the Ventilated seats dont work well. All the above has led us to decide we actually are going to have to sell a brand new car we bought 2 weeks ago as we cant live with these issues for another week, let alone years to come. This will be our first and last Honda. Just read all the other reviews of people complaining of the same issues, just brutal.

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  NOT fun to drive - 2013 Honda Fit
  By Bert fromm - March 31 - 5:12 pm

  I read lots of reviews saying its fun to drive. Reality check: Its not. Mine just lagged off the line with the manual tranny. I wanted to have spirited acceleration, but this 1.5 L engine has no power at low revs: thats how they say it has great gas mileage: no power means low gas consumption You need to rev the engine to get power. It has spongy suspension and leans heavily in turns. It has no tech features. No bluetooth, no phone connection other that usb for charging. It does have good cargo room, though. Big bonus. I got rid of it after three years because other competitors have more options. I just bought a Chevy Spark EV for a change. I didnt like the way the dealer said that 2013 was such a good design, they decided not to make any changes for 2014. I didnt like the way the dealer handled my purchase.

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  Dont Buy a Civic - 2008 Honda Civic
  By gtko - March 30 - 7:00 pm

  This car has design flaws. Visors that brake on regular bases (I was told that this happens a lot). Laundry hooks brake. A/C blowing hot air at stop lights (I was told this is normal). I have just made my 4th payment and the crappy car is in the shop being worked on for the 6th time. This time the engine is rattling in the morning when it is first started because it is cold. The car also dies when put in reverse. I did not buy a new car to have to have it worked on all the time.