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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  My 150,000 mile Fit experience - 2008 Honda Fit
  By leebabysimms - December 4 - 11:24 am

  In 7 years, I put 150,000 miles on a new 2008 Honda Fit Sport and just sold it — completing my experience. I found the car to be exceptionally fun to drive, with insane cargo capabilities, and bulletproof reliability. I made so many great memories with this car and smile whenever I see one (in my color) on the road. My intense satisfaction was only dashed when I drove the new 2015 Fit I had planned to replace it with. Immediately, if felt like Honda killed my fun little car and I moved on to another car maker (I replaced with a 2015 Toyota Corolla S Plus).

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  Fun reliable car with minor fixable issues - 2006 Honda Civic
  By nunoa - December 3 - 9:17 am

  Ive owned this car from 40k to its current 80k mileage. It is fun to drive, especially above 5k rpm, and has been very reliable. The major maintenance Ive done is replacing the battery (~40k miles), brakes (~65k), and tires. There was an issue with the engine running roughly when warming up in the winter, but an ECU update for ~$40 fixed that issue. A common problem with 3rd gear was entirely fixed by replacing the manual transmission fluid with Amsoil at ~50k miles. The upper rear control arms have some excessive negative camber (around -2*) and this has caused increased tire wear on the rears, but rotation would fix that problem.

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  Transmission fails at only 62,000 miles - 2002 Honda Odyssey
  By parveentexas - December 2 - 4:06 pm

  I am the original owner of a 2002 Honda Odyssey van. On 11/07/2014, van failed to accelerate and the malfunction indicator was on. I had van towed to the local Honda dealership. Service dept at the dealership said the ECL code was P0730. They said transmission needs to be replaced. The approximate failure mileage on van was 62000. I had to pay around $3500 for having the dealer rebuilt the transmission. I had the Service Advisor take photos of the damaged transmission. Service Advisor told me that the 3rd gear has heat discoloration & is burned up. In addition he said, clutches were burnt up. Root cause was heat buildup in transmission. Honda refused any help with the repair cost!

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  Probably not the target SI buyer! - 2014 Honda Civic
  By rjgcyder - December 2 - 3:41 pm

  My wife bought a new CRX in 1989. When kids arrived in 1993 we part exchanged it for a more sensible car - much to her disappointment. The kids are now in college, so we looked around for a fun car, principally for my wife to commute, but also for the kids to use when the others are taken. Everyone wanted a manual transmission, so that limited the choice. We tried the GTI, BRZ, Mini Cooper and Mazda 3. My choice was the BRZ, but was overridden on the grounds of practicality. In the end my wife chose the SI as she found it the most fun to drive - once you have had a screaming Honda 4, nothing else quite has the buzz...

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  Best bang for your buck - 1996 Honda Civic
  By fishboy88 - December 1 - 10:12 am

  I bought my 96 civic DX 5M when I was 19 with 130,xxx miles, it was the first car I bought and I am now 26 and the car is just about to role over to 200,000, it is still my daily driver, all in all its been the best investment Ive made, now there are a lot of little things that have gone wrong with the car over the years but nothing catastrophic (nothing over $500) and considering that I have ran the s*#t out of it ie driving fast,hard accelerations, burnouts, E-brake turns, just having fun, it has held up and still gets great mileage. I have drove it to Michigan twice and both time clocked my mileage and averaged 40-41MPG with two people and the car fully loaded for a camping trip.

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  Best car EVER - 2015 Honda Fit
  By melnjames - November 27 - 10:40 pm

  I have had my Fit for a week now and I absolutely love it. I was in the market for a small SUV for future business plans but if I am the only one in the car, there is a ton of room in the back with the seats folded down. The Fit has all of the latest technology (Bluetooth, rearview camera, pandora, etc). So far, my gas mileage has been averaging around 33 miles city. There are only two things I can point out that I dont like about my car. One is the engine noise. Around town, its louder than your average car but on the highway, its not much different than any other car. Also, I am not liking the cupholders way down low in the front. A passenger can not put a large drink there.

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  Gas mileage and NAVI not as expected - 2014 Honda Civic
  By nicastm - November 25 - 1:03 pm

  The gas mileage is definitely not as I expected. My 2006 Civic EX that I traded in had better gas mileage with over 100,000 miles on it. I have it set with ECON all the time and I feather the gas petal to a point that I almost get in an accident for slow acceleration, and still only get 34-36 MPG at best. I have yet to get over 380 miles on a tank full. I use to get 425 plus on my 2006 Civic with the same gas tank size. Also, the NAVI system is terrible. No spoken street names for a 2014 model???, are you kidding. Plus it is not very intuitive and cant make changes as you drive. Big waste of money. The only good thing is there is no other GPS device mounted to the dash.

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  In the Family since 1991 - 1991 Honda Accord
  By 91hondaaccord - November 25 - 2:14 am

  My grandparents purchased this beast in 1991 fresh off the lot on New Years Eve. After they decided it was time to upgrade, they sold her onto my Aunt, from there my parents bought her for my sister when she turned 16 for $1500 (they only wanted $1000). Once my sister bought her own car the Honda was past on to me. She has 239,000 miles, and was just beautifully repainted (cost was almost as much as she was worth...). She has had a new transmission, A/C, and minor upgrades throughout the six years she has been in the possession of my parents. Great reliability, but gas milage isnt nearly as good as others (Im getting low - mid 20s, but I driver her hard).

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  Why do people buy GM when they can get civic for the same price? - 2012 Honda Civic
  By bergolive - November 18 - 11:28 am

  I wonder why people buy GMs, fords and chryslers when they can get a Civic. As far as reliability goes, I think there is enough data out there to prove that Civics are way better than most American cars. Same thing for resale value. I read somewhere that there is more American content in a Civic than in a Cruze. I dont know of this is true, but I know Civics are built in America! Anyhow, I had an Aries K when I was student and this was a constant problem (when it would start). When the engine blew up, I bought a Civic and have always been satisfied since. I drove all four of them up to about 160 000 Mi without any major trouble and managed to get a good trade-in value every single time.

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  Rides worse than a truck! - 2010 Honda Fit
  By dirtbikedad - November 18 - 6:20 am

  Bought a week ago used with 19,000 miles and ready to get rid of it already. If it rode better I would be happy with it but I honestly have never driven such a rough riding car. I had a geo metro hatchback 10 years ago that was way more comfortable. I have had older civics, accords, mazda protege, acura integras, old broncos. All rode better. It is truly ridiculous how bad it rides.