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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  Front End Troubles - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Dan Polson - November 28 - 7:19 pm

  Fun to drive. Most of my driving is on winding country roads. At 88,000 had to have driver side hub bearing replaced. At 96,000 had to have driver side CV joint replaced

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  Dont believe the MPG - 2006 Honda Civic
  By JP&Yolie - November 28 - 5:53 pm

  This is a fun car to drive and folks on the street are always asking about the car. However after a handful of fillups, the best weve done is 35.5 mpg on a combination of city and highway driving. Everything else about the car is great. It drive very nice and has a bigger car drive.

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  after 3 months of excessive road noise - 2006 Honda CR-V
  By one time crv owner - November 27 - 5:16 pm

  Purchased this 2006 crv lx 2wd in february of 2006 and hated the excessive road noise since the day I brought it home, after only 2000 miles of use, I decided to trade it in for a new 06 civic ex 4 door. I regretted trading in my 05 accord 4 door for the crv it was so much better in build and better mpg and with better insulating materials. Gas mileage was aweful as well. I did all of my california driving on the highway, with little traffic and still averaged only 20 mpg, considering epa is 23 city and 27 highway(what a joke). I have always owned many hondas and will always be loyal to the product but skip the crv if you expect a quiet ride and good gas mileage for a 4 cyl.

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  Moneys Worth...almost - 1998 Honda Accord
  By Braindead - November 27 - 10:00 am

  Good value for money but perfomrance not upto expectations. I had a 90 Maxima before which had more comfortable seats and felt like it accelerated faster. Hondas controls are better placed though and it has better resale value for sure. Honda makes better cars - Nissan makes better engines

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  Still Quality After Eight Years - 1994 Honda Accord
  By apitch - November 27 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car in Jan. 2002. I was hesitant about buying the eight year old car from a private seller. But to my surprise, the ride of the car is smooth (even though it is a four cylinder) and has given me no problems. What helped is that the prior owner routinely kept up the maintenance. The look of the Honda is a classic--sleek and smooth and still can compete with the modern cars of today. In addition, I really like the gas mileage.

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  Great car, but . . . - 2006 Honda Civic
  By Gilda Dickstein - November 27 - 8:10 am

  This car fits me like a glove. Its easy to handle, and is very responsive. Visibility is good for me because of its size. Im a woman and although my husband and I have an 03 Honda Accord, which I love, I found the visibility poor for me and it was just too big for me to handle. The Civic is the perfect size for me. Theres only one thing I find not to my liking: On a sunny day, theres a distracting reflection and glare on the windshield from the dashboard, maybe because the interior is a light color (ivory). I have the same problem on the back window. I wish I had been able to pick a different (darker) color for the interior, but I had no idea the light color would be a problem.

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  Good price for vehicle as equipped - 2016 Honda Accord
  By John Roundtree - November 26 - 2:16 pm

  Fair price for a vehicle built on a solid reputation for reliability for almost 30 years.The more options,the more you pay.This vehicle was really loaded,and I am enjoying, driving and using it. I had only two disappointments,but I could be making an unfair comparison.I didnt care a lot for the drivers side blind spot mirror or the fact that this vehicle was not equipped with a hard drive.My other vehicle has great blind spot mirrors and a built in hard drive on which I can record up to 2400 tunes,however,I was able to record music onto a flash drive for enhanced entertainment features.Overall,I am very pleased with my purchase and would recommend this vehicle to others.My previous vehicle was a 2004 Honda Accord EX-V6 that was purchased new.

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  What a car - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By Cat - November 24 - 11:38 am

  For the money this car is great! You get all the toys you want and you get a great car that will last for years to come.

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  Excellent, but not exciting. - 2017 Honda Pilot
  By Returning Honda Owner - November 24 - 11:18 am

  What Honda does well is create vehicles that are solid and dependable, but not necessarily fun to drive, with certain exceptions. I have a 2017 Pilot EX-L and it has a very nice interior that has many features and comforts which add to a smooth driving experience. It is very spacious, both for passengers and cargo and has a lot of safety measures and technology that are on par with anything in its class. On the highway, this car is as smooth as can be. My only two complaints are the following: It isnt terribly engaging to drive. I just lost a 2006 Jeep Commander that drove like a car and hugged the road. The Pilot feels "safe" and almost boring to drive. I felt that the Toyota Highlander handled better, but I went with the Pilot because of other things that beat out Toyota. It handles more like a van than an SUV and I feel that the driving "experience" is less than exciting. Its fine and it drives nicely, but I want a little more engagement. The second complaint is that the touchscreen is not terribly intuitive, which is not only annoying, but is distracting to use while driving. Yes, some of the controls are also on the steering wheel, which helps, but even for the passenger, the screen isnt the easiest (although I hear it is an improvement over the last model). There is no volume button or dial and therefore you have to locate the touch volume and tap it repeatedly to change the volume. There is no need for that, as a dial is far easier to use while driving. Technology should make things simpler, not more difficult. I have a 2010 Audi A4 with outdated technology, but it is much easier to use. Those two things aside, the car is very comfortable and grows on me the more I drive it. The traction in snow is excellent, as is braking and it is a very well made vehicle. If Honda could add a little more excitement to the car, it would really increase the overall excitement. No regrets, thus far.

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  3rd and last Honda - 2002 Honda CR-V
  By disappointed - November 23 - 7:35 pm

  Purchased in Aug 08. Problems began after 75,000. Airbag light on for most of the time. Air conditioning died at 90,000 miles. Transmission dead at 105K and the gas tank neck needed to be replaced. After 165K the alternator died, leaving me on the side of a busy highway. All told, I have spent over $6,000 in repairs on top of regular maintenance. I would say the CRV is a piece of junk, but every one I know who has one, loves it and has had no problems at all. I got a lemon. But the highway incident was the last straw. Last night i bought a Volvo.