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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  wow what ever happened to Hondas suspension rough - 2016 Honda Accord
  By Stephen - July 5 - 1:48 am

  The absolute best Honda I have ever owned is the 2006 a accord Ex..jNever a problem road like on a cloud. I have only owned the 2016 a couple of weeks. But disappointed in the comfort and the. Hard plastic steering wheel and the small console.seems to me Honda is cutting corners to save a buck or two.only my opinion..all I can do is hope I dont have any problems and if I do Honda America will take care of them under the. Warranty.The above is an opinion I have.Quality and reliability is number 1 to me.l

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  Simple, Typical, yet Comfortable - 2007 Honda Accord
  By kaly - July 1 - 5:23 pm

  Bought because of the reliabilty of Honda not so much the style or performance. Typical middle class family car and very common on the road. Simple controls are convenient but its not fun to drive.

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  Not happy - 2016 Honda CR-V
  By Carol Chalfant - June 27 - 10:18 am

  Very disappointed that they changed interior of 2016. Loved my 2013. I miss arm rest on driver seat and storage space between seats.

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  Great For Leasing, Expensive to own - 2016 Honda Accord
  By Frank Black - June 25 - 10:44 am

  +Pros: 1. Nice redesign, but a little too much chrome on the outside. Would have been nice for some details in black instead of chrome, plus, I personally dont like chrome -- its cheapy/tacky looking bling and it blinds people driving behind you. 2. Its a V6 and fast when pushed (but also a future con.) 3. Great highway gas mileage. (Also a con) 4. The front seats can be moved further up than before, great to prevent kids that kick and ruin the leather seats 5. Dual screen, but they still havent updated the camera screen, still looks like a webcam from the 90s. 6. Finally, a rear spoiler on the V6 model, but you pay for it with it being only on the Touring Trim level. 7. Very nice rims! 8. Beige leather is very nice, so is the Orchid White paint. 9. Remote Start. Still have to figure it out. When I activate it and then get into the car and it says hold the break and push start, then car turns off. Whats the point?? Ugh. +Cons: 1. Timing Belt replacement (youre looking at a $1200 replacement including water pump and tensioner) and hope the mechanic you get installs it properly without causing more harm than good trying to squeeze into the crammed in space to replace it. They still refuse to use a timing chain on the V6 line. 2. Cost to replace engine mounts: $500. 3. Cost to replace the 7" touchscreen when it goes, and it will die eventually and I highly doubt it will make it 10 years. 4. Stupid idea to put the music controls on the touch screen and no physical buttons to operate it. I still cant stop playing music without having to navigate the touchscreen to turn off the music. At least have a on/off music button or touch button like the Pilot has* 5. Wow, still no rear HVAC control? 6. Still no rear USB ports? 7. Piano Black Gloss? Really? Its a swirl scratch magnet plus distraction in the sun from the glare. Who thought this was a good idea? 8. Keyless ignition, while nice, why didnt you do what you did like the Pilot with an illuminated Button? Anyways, its a con, because when that goes, its about $1200 to replace. 9. Subwoofer tends to rattle the rear window, though the audio system does sound better then the 2013 V6 I had. 10. HD Radio sounds aweful, I really wish they also included an analog reciever.** 11. Gas Mileage / VCM Engine ... I just hope that after the class action lawsuit of previous generations due to the VCM design, this engine doesnt eat oil and foul spark plugs. Summary: All-in-all, its a great car to lease, but not buy. Too many electronics that can go bad down the road that would raise the Total Cost of Ownership thousands of dollars more. If they provided a 8 year 100K warranty on the electronics, I say go for it, but at 3Y/36K standard, its a future money pit, even with "Honda Care" at another $1200.00 Youre better off with the LX with the least amount of electronics that can go bad. My final note: Great For Leasing, Expensive to own, esp. if you plan to drive it into the ground, and before you drive this thing into the ground, I bet you it will do that first to your wallet in repairs. UPDATES: 1. * I found the Audio On/Off button, it exists, its to the left of the CD Player. Unlike the Honda Pilot EX-L which has it on the Touch Screen. 2. **There is a way to change the HD radio preference (personally, HD Radio sounds like someone talking through a tin can, aweful.) If you dig into the menu screen, youll see the option to default to Analog Radio as the first preference. Addendum to Pros: 1. Great visibility outside of the Windows. 2. Breaking is responsive. Other: 1. When driving on the I280 in NJ, I noticed on the curves at around 65MPH, the road handling feels slippery. Maybe its the new tires? Not sure, but its not road gripping, more like fishtail/slipping. 2. My Goodness, on the Touring Trim, All Season Mats and Mud Flaps should be standard!!

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  Could be built better, 06 was Excellent! - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By vagabondchef2005 - June 15 - 9:23 am

  The 2007 CRV is great on performance and driving. It is smooth and quiet. The build quality is lacking and just by looking through the CRV you can see where Honda has cut corners to save on costs which makes the CRV look cheaper. This is definitely a SUV that is made for soccer moms and women in their 30s. The carpeting and plastic looks cheap and after about a year will wear out unlike the real carpet and plastic from the 2nd generation. Ive own this CRV for a week now and wish I could have my 2006 CRV back.I feel the older CRVs will outlast this model.

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  Disappointed - 2008 Honda Accord
  By Sue - June 13 - 3:03 pm

  This is our 6th Accord and the one I like the least. We traded in our 2004EXL for this 2008. I am quite disappointed. The car is very loud! The windshield wash barely hits the windshield but I am mostly disappointed in the gas mileage. Im lucky if I get 23 MPG and 98% of my driving is highway. Arent we supposed to be making improvements in this area? My 2004 was getting 28- 30MPG. Unfortunately, I regret buying this car.

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  Just ordinary - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Joshua Williams - June 13 - 7:30 am

  Reliable transportation but little else. Starts, goes, stops just fine, and it looks okay. Absolutely terrible ride quality (harsh, bouncy, crude & unrefined), sun visor fabric is rotting away, door fabric coming unglued, hole in drivers floor mat at 5,000 miles, thin paint on thin sheet metal, crappy speakers already failing, no lock on glove compartment, no tint strip at top of windshield, no passenger door power lock button, loses power steering fluid every 6 months, too few features for the money overall. Because of this Civic, Honda has lost me as a customer for good.

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  Over rated..over valued, noisey ! - 2002 Honda Odyssey
  By koolcat - June 4 - 10:00 am

  2002 EX.Great Pickup and Room! Apart from that, there is nothing good about this minivan. 28000 is too much for the quality of this minivan. Horrible music system. Problems with automatic doors. Vibrations in Steering wheel. Very high road noise. Drivers seat unstable. Poor braking. This MINIVAN IS BEEN OVERATED. NO WHERE NEAR HONDA STANDARDS. Owned a civic for 4 yrs.. no problems. This one, right from the word go is having problems. Cannot believe that Honda and make such a poor quality vehicle. Had to find another dealer to fix the problems as the buying dealer would not fix it.

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  Noise - 2016 Honda CR-V
  By Barry S. - May 29 - 4:32 pm

  CONS::: (1) too much noise when riding. you can hear the outside noise from traffic. (2) brakes make a creaking sound. dealership says its normal due to weather. (3) the parking/backup camera is blurred when it rains so you really cant see what is behind you. makes this feature more or less useless. (4) front drivers seat gets uncomfortable if riding for any length of time. (5) CD player setup is kinda "dumb". you have to push the button to raise the display screen to get access to the CD slot. (6) USB ports are inside the center console. hard to utilize. PROS: (1) good gas mileage, we averaged 32mpg on an extended trip. (2) looks good, good lines and style on the body. (3) price was OK.

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  Vehicle pulls to the right - 2002 Honda CR-V
  By irmermaid - May 29 - 10:00 am

  I noticed on the way home from picking it up that it pulled to the right. The dealer has had it twice-aligned it twice-once with the additional spec from corporat. I cannot drive it yet without it wandering to the next lane, on any road, at any speed. I am only getting 18 mpg. The dealer said it would take 10,000 miles to break in the engine, and would not address the low mpg. There is only 700 miles on the vehicle. I have now noticed quite a few other people having this problem, with no real solution from Honda Corporate. This is my third Honda, and I cannot honestly recommend the CRV-EX to anyone, even though I am sure there are many satisfied customers out there.