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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  quints ex - 2003 Honda Civic
  By qba - February 28 - 10:00 am

  flawless...yet lacks that distinct personality you find in the domestic makes that have suspect reliability and quality issues (I.E. ford,chrysler,gm) however over the year Ive owned the honda its looks have grown on me...

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  Amazing Value! Never fails to impress - 2003 Honda Accord
  By Dinosaurius - February 28 - 10:00 am

  THANK YOU VW! Thats not a typo. I say this because had the VW Passat not been so good, Honda would not have redesigned the new Accord to compete so impressively well. The Passat has been an eye- opener in the family car segment combining a high-quality luxurious feel with better-than- average-family-car driving dynamics. Had Honda not risen to the challenge, wed be driving the Passat right now. Instead, with this new-generationAccord, we have all that is good with the Passat and Altima (horsepower!) but combined with Hondas typical efficiency and infallible reliability. After a long line of VWs, Audis and Benzes, this is our first Honda. It wont be our last.

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  Accord EXV6 w/leather, nav - 2003 Honda Accord
  By rkymntsno - February 28 - 10:00 am

  The 3 cars I was looking at was the Infiniti I35, Acura TL-S and the Accord. The Accord won out! $6000 less but no sacrifice on comfort or performance. Plus, regular gas with 240 hp is a plus w/30MPG!!!! Navigation system is outstanding! Best in the business.

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  Gets the job done. - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Monsieur Lamberto - February 27 - 1:29 pm

  As the owner of both a high-end European sports car, and a Comfortable full sized SUV, I didnt even want to look at the Honda Pilot. I was looking at Range Rovers, BMWs, Mercedes, Toyotas, and a host of other vehicles that I thought would be more to my liking. I nearly barfed when I saw Hondas advertising for this vehicle, which was such a turnoff it took me an extra week to drag myself down to the Honda dealership. Im not a middle aged formerly cool guy whos trying to recapture my youth and now realizing I have to capitulate to living vicariously though my children in order to realize the dreams I used to have before the perils of marriage, parenthood and middle age robbed them from me Honda. Thats basically just offensive. After I got over the advertising, I did manage to test drive this car. And its actually a really good ride. Its got a fairly good technology package (though nobody is doing it like Tesla, and Honda needs to be more aggressive in pushing OTA updates and whatnot), incredibly comfortable seats, and everything just makes sense. Ive been in every other vehicle in its class, and its the best one by a mile, plus its really quiet. I did NOT like the 2wd version the pilot, because it has significant body flex and actually wasnt that hard to squeal the tires coming out of parking lots (minivan style). Things are thought out, just work, etc. The only weirdness is the audio inputs being such a focus on the entertainment package and inexplicable lack of volume knob (seriously, did you hire Apple engineers because that idea was just terrible). Fortunately, the steering wheel controls are an adequate alternative for the driver, though the car lacks a mute button (its buried under the touchscreen volume, which means to mute you have to do multiple actions while driving - basically just fail on Hondas UX for the feature). Seeing as that is my only major complaint about the car, I have to admit that were pretty satisfied. We also installed a tow hitch, and 5000 pounds is pretty good. Not too happy that we had to spend another 1300+ to get it installed however, because its not standard. If youre looking for a family hauler thatll keep its value, its a good ride. The only downside is the fuel economy, which is pretty awful for a car of its size, but standard for the class. Its GREAT on the highway (25+), but in day-to-day driving its pretty awful. For perspective our Chevy Tahoe gets 2-3+ mpg better.

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  Honda, no doubt! - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By Don - February 27 - 5:33 am

  Just bought this baby for one week. My wife and I have tested many kinds of SUVs such as Tribute, Freestyle, Torrent, Rav4. I was thinking to get a midsize US made SUV but when we saw this Pilot EX, it impressed us, the interior material quality is on the top of them. Very smooth, quiet drive. We have already drove 700 miles in the first week. This is the best midsize SUV for sure!

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  crv great to drive - 2005 Honda CR-V
  By waldeen mitchell - February 26 - 10:26 pm

  The CRV is a very reliable vehicle which adjusts itself if you are changing lanes to avoid an accident. The vehicle gives a great ride in all conditions, like rain and ice streets. The driver seat is very well built to provide comfort to people in height ranging from 50 to 62. My family is enjoying our new CRV more than our new ENVOY. Thanks Honda for improving the CRV.

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  My Civic - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Ricardo - February 26 - 2:36 pm

  Its been a month since my purchase and I cant be happier. I went into the dealership looking to get the EX but for an additional $250, I could get the SE; less than the cost of the 6 disc CD changer upgrade and the in dash system plays MP3s! The leather steering wheel is also a nice extra. Its the perfect commuter car with some extra oomph. Theres good compromise between comfort, low emissions and performance.

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  fit as a fiddle - 2007 Honda Fit
  By w snyder - February 26 - 2:23 pm

  only owned for a week and about 400 miles but already in love with this little car. first tank of gas delivered 33 miles to the gal combination highway and town 70/30 we are fit to be tied at least untill honda comes up with another winner

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  Great Car for The Price - 1997 Honda Civic
  By SSS - February 26 - 9:50 am

  This car gets fantastic mileage averaging 32 miles per gallon in city driving. The hatchback offers a lot of space considering its compact size (always easy to find parking)! Great performance without a high price tag.

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  In Honda We Trust - 2017 Honda CR V
  By Captain Nemo - February 26 - 8:52 am

  Why did we buy the 2017 Honda CRV Touring?   Below is a little history of our car ownership: We owned a 2005 Toyota RAV4, which we privately sold recently. We were happy with the RAV4, but after 12 years of ownership, our family made a decision to buy a new car. First, we visited the Toyota dealership. The 2017 Toyota RAV4 was much larger than our 2005 model, plus we werent impressed with the way it looks (especially the interior). It is still a great car but the reasons I have mentioned above moved us toward Honda . Our son advised us to get a Honda Fit, but after we owned a SUV, it is difficult to switch back to a compact car. We decided to buy the 2017 Honda CR-V Touring model and have owned it for a little more than as two months. We love this car. It is a very smooth driving vehicle with a lot of safety features (Honda Sense), great design – interior and exterior. All wheel drive adds stability and if you can afford this feature, it is a must have. Fuel economy is excellent. We love the large digital display because it is easy to see the speed you are driving and see the road at the same time. Great information system with navigation provided by Garmin. If you own an Android phone, you can use Google maps for navigation. Originally, we planned to get 2017 Honda CR-V EX-L, but we changed our mind when we saw the LED headlamps in action. Before buying, I have read a lot of reviews about the Touring trim level and was really surprised that there were some negative reviews about the sound system. You simply need to adjust the treble and bass levels. If you listen to low quality recording dont expect a great sound. I have downloaded my music collection to a USB drive. All the music I play has exceptional quality but even so, some sounded better than others. For example, Jaime Valle’s “Round Midnight” album sounds outstanding. If your budget permits, go for the Touring trim level. From now on, Im a Honda fan.