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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  Great Vehicle,lots of pep,great handling - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By M C McGee - January 17 - 8:30 pm

  Smooth,sporty design with lots of room and overall performance. A real pleasure to drive on long trips! We love the versitility of this van. Engine is smooth and powerful. Automatic climate control is simple and effective The salesman had excellent knowledge of the vehicle and the whole dealership experience was friendly,efficient,and comfortable. We also got a very good deal! The Honda Touring is head and shoulders above Toyota in giving a feeling of quality.

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  Great overall car - 2009 Honda Civic
  By JP - January 16 - 9:43 pm

  Ive had this car for almost 3 months and its been great! The car is fun to drive and averaged 41 MPG on long distance highway drives. Combined city/highway has been about 33MPG. Im really impressed with the performance and the looks of the car. Im happy with my switch from a corolla to a civic and I expect the same long life and dependability that my Toyota had.

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  Praise for 2000 CRV - 2005 Honda CR-V
  By 2000 Honda CRV - January 16 - 10:03 am

  Has get -up and -go. Fun to drive. Comfortable. Back window windshield wiper too. I love the car. My children love driving it too. Drivers seat adjustable for driver. Color is Red. Table in trunk is removable and has a bin for ice drinks under it. Neat feature for a tail gate party.

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  best car ever - 2003 Honda Civic
  By yazzuu - January 16 - 10:00 am

  this car gets good gasmileage, its safe, and it is peppy.

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  Great Car!! - 2003 Honda Accord
  By Fourputt - January 16 - 10:00 am

  Saphire Blue Pearl 2003 Accord LX V6 I have been putting this car through its paces by driving some very twisty mountain roads here in Colorado, and it has performed flawlessly. Power to spare, great handling, and I love the looks I get. This is a real winner!

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  Yep, - 2003 Honda Accord
  By tec243 - January 16 - 10:00 am

  I wanted to replace my 89 Prelude 4WS. Looked at the GTI/CL/RSX/G35/Cougar. Knew the new Accord would have 6speed/nav./voice system. Waited and waited... then a fully loaded blk/blk arrived. Its not a sports car but is very quick. 6speed is a smooth, short throw. Leans a little on hard turns and the seat doesnt hold me in like the G35 but its nearly 10k more. The voice system and touch screen is awesome !! Works with anyones voice. Excellent build quality/ergonomics. Feels solid and firm. Light beams down on the shifter. Plenty of room in the back. Nice line and good paint.

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  By far the best Honda and a great value! - 2003 Honda Accord
  By Jase - January 16 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car for my wife in Dec 02, and we have been very impressed with it. Weve racked up 12,000 trouble-free miles on it so far. It is a great highway cruiser, impressively quiet (except on coarse pavement), gets excellent gas mileage (got 37 mpg going 80 mph with A/C on). It rides typically Honda-firm, which is not to say that its uncomfortable - it is quite comfortable and smooth and does its best to smooth out the nastiest secondary roads. A nice solid "thunk" when you close the doors. This car feels much more expensive than the $19,990 that I paid.

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  2018 Accord Sport - First 1300 Miles - 2018 Honda Accord
  By John - January 16 - 8:25 am

  After my wifes 1998 MB e320 4-matic dropped a driveshaft (got it repaired) and threw four check engine codes and one catalytic converter code, we knew it was finally time to retire the old gal. We limped the MB into our local Honda dealer the Saturday after Black Friday, and purchased a 2018 Honda Accord 1.5T Sport. I had been researching them for awhile, and had even test drove one while in a different city, and knew that it was the car I wanted. Ive had it now for about a month, and have to say that overall its a great car. Highlights: Honda Sensing is awesome!. Honda has really made the sensing package intuitive and easy to use. Climate Control works well. Integration of Display Audio with the Tachometer screen is very cool. While using Android Auto and Google Maps, the Tachometer will switch to navigation directional arrows with distance to turn about 1/2 mile before you are supposed to turn. You can also have the tach screen display Audio Information, MPG / Range, Maintenance Info, and some other things. Front seats are pretty supportive and comfortable. I drove it on an 8 hour road trip, and found them to be quite comfortable, and im a pretty big guy. Headlights and fog lights work great, and illuminate the night nicely. I even like the Auto high beams, while Ive heard that others just turn them off. Wind noise is non-existent Low lights: 19" low profile tires have quite a bit of road noise, and make the ride harsh (understandable for 19" low Profile tires). I needed to get winter tires anyway, so I took off the 19s and replaced them with 17" wheels and tires from discount tire, and now the ride is much nicer, and even though they are Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires, the ride is quieter. Display Audio has been a problem. I purchased the Sport model over the LX primarily for the Android Auto integration. I was disappointed when driving home from the dealership, the Display Audio System (Android based system) crashed and rebooted itself even without my phone connected to it. Connecting through Android Auto caused more crashes of Display Audio. It was a given, that within the first 5 minutes of driving, that the Display Audio was going to reboot itself. Sometimes it crashed so hard that I had to restart the car to get it to reboot. I tried doing a Factory Data reset of the Display Audio, but it didnt stop the system from doing continuous reboots. Now, a month later, and the Display Audio hasnt crashed for over a week. Im not sure if Honda covertly pushed a software update to my car since I had it connect to my home WiFi whenever it was parked at my home, and i did open a ticket with Honda support. Anyway, the system has now magically healed itself which I find strange, as being an IT guy for the past 30 years, I know that software doesnt heal itself. However, Display Audio is working now, and the Android Auto integration is great. One last low light is the road noise. Its more than i would like, but will say that since I got rid of the 19" tires, the road noise has improved. Overall, probably the best car Ive owned.

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  2014 Accord Hybrid - 2 months in... - 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid
  By srjjcham - January 16 - 3:24 am

  After about 2,000 miles I would like to give as accurate of a review as I can on the 2014 Accord Hybrid. First off, this is not a sports car - dont get me wrong, when you take off "econ" mode and hit the gas this car moves great, and it has VERY responsive handling and braking. But this car begs to be driven conservatively & casually (picture Low Rider playing in the background while you are out cruising). The reward is a car VERY comfortable, easy to drive, with INSANE gas mileage. The 47/50 ratings are wrong - they are LOW. We regularly drive about 50/50 mix and get 52-55 average - maybe warmer weather helps some. Can go 800 mi per tank. Same quality Accord as always with high mpg.

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  Love Accords - 2005 Honda Accord
  By EL - January 15 - 12:36 pm

  We have bought three Accords, and this one is the best. We have a 96, 01, and now an 05. This one has by far the smoothest ride, it is the most comfortable, the most solid, the quietest, and the quickest. It also has more power, and gets better gas mileage than the 01 which is the same trim level.