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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  What a great car! - 2003 Honda Civic
  By MrWright - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Maybe I am still in the honeymoon phase, but I love this car! I cant say enough good things about my civic hybrid. The styling is very attractive, it is loaded with many standard features that would have been options in other cars, ie. all power windows, locks, cruise, power steering and brakes, a cd player, even floor mats! The MPG is phenominal. I average 47 MPG on my daily 90 mile commute to San Francisco (over the Altimont Pass!) Had my first oil change and found out that it costs more for hybrids--even at the dealership--because of "special oil" and a little extra labor time. It was only a few bucks more, which I save on gas anyway.

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  5 speed V6 please.. - 2002 Honda Accord
  By tisaroo - March 25 - 10:00 am

  No issues with it and the performance is decent.

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  slim to none - 2012 Honda Pilot
  By Jim Higbee - March 24 - 10:17 pm

  hard car to find white with tan navigation 2012

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  This is the best small SUV bar none - 2004 Honda CR-V
  By brad - March 24 - 6:16 pm

  Just enough room for everything and just small enough to go anywhere. Honda hit the interior on the head with a different but fun design. This is one of the purchases I will never regret. It even holds its value, not to mention worth its weight in gold as far as gas prices go.

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  2006 RTL W/Moon Roof - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By Godskid - March 24 - 2:23 pm

  Awesome truck. The second week I had it I drove 1000 miles. Very comfortable,quiet and so much fun to drive. I had, however, a little whistle noise at 70mph. It seems quite a few buyers have this same phenomenon. This, however, is very minor compared to the quality of this vehicle inside and out. Honda did this one right and Im sure will take care of the whistle noise. Very happy with my purchase.

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  Could be better - 2007 Honda Accord
  By sven - March 24 - 10:53 am

  Overall the car has been mechanically reliable and runs great but with only 7000 miles its not saying much. The body integrity is horrible. The drivers door flexes, creaks and rattles in a way thats unacceptable for a $20,000 new car. Ive been to the dealer 3 times to fix it to no avail. However, if the windows cracked open slightly the rattle almost disapears.

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  EX-T First Impressions - 2016 Honda Civic
  By mc - March 24 - 1:30 am

  Ive only owned it for a few days, but so far I am very impressed. For me, it was a tossup between the EX and EX-T. I drove both, and to be honest, the turbo model did not give the night-and-day difference I was somewhat expecting. Thats not to say acceleration wasnt noticeably improved with the turbo, but I guess based on what I had read, I had assumed this thing would take off like a missile and pin me back in the seat. As it turns out, the boost is more moderate, and I believe is geared more towards giving the ability to have a smaller displacement engine (for better efficiency) while also offering good performance when needed. I first drove the EX-T, then the EX, and then took the EX-T out again to get a better feel (with more realistic expectations) for what the turbo provided. I found that although acceleration of the EX was fine (an improvement over my 2012 Civic), the engine would have to rev higher, giving the impression (real or imagined) that it was straining. The EX-T, on the other hand, answered "no problem" when I hit the pedal, and did indeed accelerate faster. After driving for a few days, I think my favorite thing about the car performance-wise is how it seems to be almost completely unaffected by inclines. My previous Civic, when going up an overpass would slow despite pushing the pedal more. It would eventually, in sort of an exasperated "FINE!" manner, downshift and allow me to get back to my desired speed, but it was always a bit frustrating. The 2016, on the other hand, pretty much just goes. This may be a result of the CVT, turbo, or both. Similarly, when speeding up to pass on the highway, the 2016 is noticeably more responsive. Cabin noise is also lower. The infotainment system works pretty well (from what I understand, there were some major bugs at first, but Im assuming my vehicle has had the reported fixes applied, as its been trouble-free). Probably my biggest complaint here is that there doesnt appear to be a way to hide audio sources from the selection list. You can cycle through the available audio inputs... FM, AM, SiriusXM, iPod, Apps, CarPlay, etc., and I know that in my setup, Im only going to be using FM, AM, and CarPlay... I wish I could hide the others. I love how my iPhone interfaces with the car via CarPlay, displaying the map, music, phone, etc. I never liked Hondas way of handling iPhone audio (via Bluetooth or USB), as it always seemed hard to find the music I was looking for. I also hated how the car, when you got in and the phone was connected, would automatically start playing music, even if nothing had been playing the last time I drove. It was sometimes quite startling (and embarrassing, if I happened to have a passenger) for music to suddenly start blaring from the speakers. While Im not sure if Hondas system still behaves this way, CarPlay thankfully does not. The lack of a physical volume knob is a minor annoyance. Same with a fan speed knob for the climate control system (fan speed changes need to be made on the touchscreen display, but at least there is a dedicated Climate button to bring up this page instantly). The EX-T has driver/passenger temperature control, which is nice, since my wife and I are at opposite ends of the desired temperature scale, especially in winter. A built-in garage door opener was something I was a little surprised to see was not included. The backup camera and passenger side mirror camera are very handy. Even after just a few days, Im now worried about having to drive the other cars in our family that dont have the side camera. I do wish, of course, that they had included a driver-side camera as well. I paid $20,700+TTL, which included the trunk tray, mud guards, and floor mats that most dealers seem to package with these cars. Id seen a few people who paid $19.5K, but it was an grueling task to get this one for $20.7K, and the TrueCar estimate (FWIW) was about $1000 more, so I feel ok about my price. I also got 0% financing. Though this is a dealer-specific issue and perhaps not relevant to a review on the car itself, Ill mention anyway I was disappointed to discover when I got home that the dealer name front plate thing had been SCREWED IN to the front bumper, leaving two small (but sloppy) holes when I removed it (our state only issues rear plates). Ill probably add a decorative plate to hide this, but my preference would have been to just have a plain (but unmarred) bumper. Poor judgment on the part of the dealer. In summary, my overall impression of the car is very favorable. Its comfortable, performs well, and looks nice. For me, as a guy in his mid-forties, its a perfect balance of a reasonably sporty car that is very fun to drive, while also being somewhat understated in appearance (though certainly more aggressive looking than the prior Civic sedan), so it does not scream "mid-life crisis SPORTS CAR!". I can see how it would appeal to younger drivers as well though.

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  Honda Insight - 2005 Honda Insight
  By Honda Insight - March 24 - 1:06 am

  Great car, I own a 2000 insight, I had great results and finf it very reliable, I dont know why they say they don"t have power. The one I have has lots of power.

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  Insight Remains Extreme - 2005 Honda Insight
  By Bob - March 24 - 12:52 am

  We own a Prius, Accord Hybrid and anInsight. Nothing beats the Insight on mileage. Its fun to drive and perfectly wonderful for daily activities and commuting.

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  Love my green machine - 2003 Honda Element
  By Jet Carey - March 23 - 10:05 pm

  This car is great. So far, 24,000 miles and only routine maintenance. Tires have held up great. We have horrendous winters here and the car handles great in the snow. As avid cyclists, we love to just throw our bikes and all our gear in the back. We got the side steps and they look great.