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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  Very disappointed! 2nd time owner - 2018 Honda Odyssey
  By April P - March 28 - 8:51 pm

  This is my 2nd Odyssey purchase of a brand new vehicle. I owned a 2012 from new until this year without a single problem. We decided to switch to the 2018 this year after seeing all of the fun new features. I regret that every time I drive this van! 1- the blu ray does not play blu ray movies. It will play previews and gets stuck on the main menu and never start the movie. Regular dvds also glitch. The player will get stuck on the main screen with a regular disc and wont play the movie until we push stop then play again. There are times it wont work at all and we have had to pull off the highway to stop the van and restart it multiple times before the dvd player would even work. 2- The auto stop feature hasnt worked 90% of the 7 months weve owned this van. It worked after we made a trip last month, but stopped again and hasnt worked since. 3- The foot to open the tailgate hasnt worked the last several times Ive tried to use it. It hardly works. 4- The camera for the back seats keeps freezing, and sometimes it doesnt work. 5- The gps is great when the features work. The "traffic ahead" feature has only worked a couple of times. 6- The internet is through AT&T, and we hardly used it during the trial period, but they claimed we used up the data allotted. We watched one hour long show that whole time. GMC has it straight using OnStar internet! 7- The object detection has almost caused me to crash a couple of times. It slammed my brakes to a grind in the middle of a busy intersection because the car in front of me was turning slowly as I passed it. 8- The auto bright lights is annoying. It turns my brights on when cars are still around and I wouldnt be using them. I read in the features that the sliding door buttons would not freeze each other and stop the door if they bit get pushed, but the doors freeze if my son and I push the buttons any time close to each other. I miss my 2012! Everything worked great on that van! Ive never experienced so many glitches with a brand new car as I have with this one! Weve bought 5 new cars in the last 5 years too! The Honda dealership just told us that wed have an update soon to fix the dvd player. That was 2 months ago. Im so disappointed! Its a beautiful van, but nothing works like its supposed to.

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  Great car - 2017 Honda CR V
  By Jean and Claire - March 28 - 6:52 pm

  Very confortable car easy to drive,fun to drive on sport mode nice soundtrack system bref we love it.

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  Had the Element for a year - 2004 Honda Element
  By jonnie - March 28 - 10:00 am

  OTHER THAN THE FRONT SEATS I REALLY LIKE THE CAR. I WOULD BUY IT AGAIN. THE WINDSHIELD WASHERS NEEDED FIXED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL STUCK AND NEEDED REPLACED. GREAT CAR THOUGH.

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  Unbelievable technology package - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By pecan38 - March 28 - 10:00 am

  It is an incredible package, the amount of technology that is crammed into this car is just amazing!! Honda paid attention to almost every detail and made improvements in every area. This ody drives like a car and the body roll is minimal if not non-existent. However, Honda did not finish the job. They have added memory seats, well the feature appears to memorize only the seat positions and it does not seem to memorize the rear view mirror positions. Only one of the the power windows has an auto up and down feature. For a car costing 42k(drive out), Id expect it all the Windows to have auto up and down feature.

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  Worth the Wait! - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By smitty1 - March 28 - 10:00 am

  After looking extensively at the 04 Honda, Toyota and Nissan, we decided to wait for the Honda redesign and glad we did. It has everything and more the Toyota offered for ~$4500 less. Only complaint is DVD system wouldnt eject disk after first use and had to be replaced. Paid MSRP on 10/15.

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  Honda Does It Again - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By CAS - March 28 - 10:00 am

  If you are looking for the next generation of minivans, you must look at the Honda. It has features that make driving it just a delight such as all the sliding doors are powered and the warning sensors which tell you in the front or rear how close you are to another object. The way you can easily reconfigure the interior makes it useful for almost anything you need.

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  Review - 2004 Honda Civic
  By Janie - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I have enjoyed the quiet, reliable, comfortable performance of this car. I get 40 to 44 MPG gasoline during the cooler months. People comment on the beauty and the quiet performance of the engine. I am amused every time someone asks me, "You dont ever have to plug it in?"

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  love my hybrid - 2004 Honda Civic
  By demisim - March 28 - 10:00 am

  i drive over 25000 miles a year, so saving an estimated $5,000 over 5 yrs in fuel costs. still getting 48.4 mpg, even though i beat on the car and average about 90mph on the freeway. yeah, im a speedfreak and the 85 horses still perform well at this consistant speed.

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  2004 Honda Civic Hybrid CVT - 2004 Honda Civic
  By MT_Cup - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I have to admit to being skeptical. I live in a mountainous area, so performance can be an issue. Not so here. This car is perfect! I can pass other vehicles uphill at 55 mph and not break a sweat! Fun and powerful, this is a great car. With the cost saving hybrid technology, I recommend this car for everyone.

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  Honda Civic - 2004 Honda Civic
  By Lance Klass - March 28 - 10:00 am

  As a New York City native and one keenly aware of our over-dependence on Mideast oil, I turned my attention away from the Accord the dealership was showing me, to the sporty little Civic Hybrid that supposedly got 50 miles per gallon. I was one of the first in New Hampshire to purchase one, and Ive been delighted with it. Im 6 foot 2, and theres maybe 4 or 5 inches of extra headroom. Its a roomy, fast little car, and I get between 43 mpg and 52 mpg depending on the season and whether my snow tires are on or not. Pick-up is great, I love its looks, and its fun to drive. And I feel good that less of my money is going to Mideast oil sheiks.