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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  I love my new Civic EX-T, but it can get better - 2016 Honda Civic
  By Chris McConnell - September 28 - 12:32 am

  The style both inside and outside of this car are great and a huge improvement. The engine is the best one in the segment and delivers impressive power for 1.5 L motor in an economy car. The CVT is also far less annoying than previous iterations of this device (Im a fan of a manual trans, but I deal with too much traffic to want to drive a stick in my everyday commuter). The car handles well and is fun to drive. It comes well equipped with a decent stereo, a decent infotainment system, heated seats, moonroof, etc. Forgive the run-on paragraph, this website wont accept carriage returns. There are some areas with room for improvement. The infotainment system needs a proper software update to simplify the menu structure, allow seamless handsfree sending of text messages. I tell it send a text to my wife that Ill be home in xx minutes, and it starts spewing back random numbers. Installing Android 7 in my S-7 did enable it to reply handsfree to a text after I receive one and the system has read it. No hardware needs to be modified, this is purely a code upgrade. The brakes offer good performance unless you head down a long steep hill behind pokey traffic. I managed to fade them pretty badly coming down Old Priests Grade. I now use low range on the CVT if descending such a long steep hill, especially behind traffic. Honda should fix these two issues right away as they are safety issues. I have three other suggestions for improvement that would be easy in a mid-cycle update of the 10th generation Civic: 1. Volume knob (clearly you know this as the new CR-V has one), 2. Add more padding to the seats, and extra $.58 of foam would help tremendously. At the front edge of the hood is a small narrow extension of the hood above the grill. This separate piece hurts the clean lines of the front of the car, just extend the hood and make it work (I could do it, I know you can too), The extra small features catch the nap of the wash mitt I use every time I clean my car and its annoying.

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  I love my new Civic EX-T, but it can get better - 2016 Honda Civic
  By Chris McConnell - September 28 - 12:32 am

  The style both inside and outside of this car are great and a huge improvement. The engine is the best one in the segment and delivers impressive power for 1.5 L motor in an economy car. The CVT is also far less annoying than previous iterations of this device (Im a fan of a manual trans, but I deal with too much traffic to want to drive a stick in my everyday commuter). The car handles well and is fun to drive. It comes well equipped with a decent stereo, a decent infotainment system, heated seats, moonroof, etc. Forgive the run-on paragraph, this website wont accept carriage returns. There are some areas with room for improvement. The infotainment system needs a proper software update to simplify the menu structure, allow seamless handsfree sending of text messages. I tell it send a text to my wife that Ill be home in xx minutes, and it starts spewing back random numbers. Installing Android 7 in my S-7 did enable it to reply handsfree to a text after I receive one and the system has read it. No hardware needs to be modified, this is purely a code upgrade. The brakes offer good performance unless you head down a long steep hill behind pokey traffic. I managed to fade them pretty badly coming down Old Priests Grade. I now use low range on the CVT if descending such a long steep hill, especially behind traffic. Honda should fix these two issues right away as they are safety issues. I have three other suggestions for improvement that would be easy in a mid-cycle update of the 10th generation Civic: 1. Volume knob (clearly you know this as the new CR-V has one), 2. Add more padding to the seats, and extra $.58 of foam would help tremendously. At the front edge of the hood is a small narrow extension of the hood above the grill. This separate piece hurts the clean lines of the front of the car, just extend the hood and make it work (I could do it, I know you can too), The extra small features catch the nap of the wash mitt I use every time I clean my car and its annoying.

• 

  Expected More - 1999 Honda Odyssey
  By klw - September 27 - 11:27 am

  I am the not so proud owner of a 1999 Honda Odyssey. At 176,000 miles we are looking at our third transmission. At $4000 a pop this is really a no brainer. Very frustrating to say the least. We have put a fairly good amount of money into the care, repair and maintenance of the van and expected more from Honda. I am wishing we had gotten rid of it after the first transmission went bad at 75,000 miles and gotten a Toyota. We also drive a Camry with over 186,000 miles and have never had a transmission problem. Comfort is nice but Id really like reliability and the ability to drive a vehicle long term without these repeated major repairs - like I though a Honda would provide.

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  i love my honda - 1994 Honda Civic
  By gigi48 - September 26 - 8:04 pm

  My 94 Honda Civic has taken me across the country and back without fail. This is a great car that has been extremely reliable. I have owned the car since 98 and have had no major mechanical problems. At 130k, I had to replace the ignition switch. The part was $40 and it was easy enough that I did the work myself. Great car!

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  What a mistake - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By Susan - September 26 - 12:26 pm

  Dont get me wrong,I do enjoy my vehicle. But, the cost of maintaining it is outrageous! The tires are awful, uncomfortable ride. The maintenance cost every 6 months is a rip-off. Each time is $50 dollars more. Im now up to $325 for a "B3"and of coarse they tell me my brakes look like they need replacing (not covered under warranty). I just serviced it 5 months ago for "A something" which cost $249. What next, a "C something". Unfortunately I was told that if I dont keep up required service & specific tires - "void purchased extended warranty". What a crock. Never again. Ready to take a loss and go to TOYOTA. Ill save money in the long run.

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  Accordingly - 2005 Honda Accord
  By Accordingly - September 26 - 9:33 am

  Ive had my Accord for almost 5 months. I must say that I like the car a lot. It does everything well, but nothing extraordinary. Its peppy, has great looks (inside and out); is comfortable; reliable; great value; but a boring driving experience. Its a perfect car to get you to/from in style, knowing the end result will be a car with great resale value; low insurance costs; good safety record; and very good gas mileage. Its a buy.

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  peppy, comfortable ride but low mileage - 2003 Honda Accord
  By chilehead - September 24 - 9:03 pm

  I recently bought this used to have a cash car and to get into something with better gas mileage than my truck. I love the styling and would say it on of my favorite years for being sporty and practical all in one car. I have lots of trunk space, the seats are comfortable and the stereo even sounds good. My main issue is Im getting poor gas mileage. I wasnt expecting the EPA mileage, but for a 4-cyl, I was hoping for better than 20/30. I average about 23-24 mpg. I have explored all the gas saving tune ups too. I was getting 19-20 in my v-8 truck. I wish I would have opted for the 6-cyl as the mileage is about same with more oomph.

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  V6 4 Door Manual - 2006 Honda Accord
  By Accord Driver - September 23 - 2:43 pm

  Great car, has an abundance of power especially with the manual.The car does everything more than well but nothing perfect. It is a jack of all trades that gets good gas mileage as well.

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  Satisfied customer - 2008 Honda Odyssey
  By Ben from KC - September 23 - 1:47 am

  Because my wife and I are planning to have more kids, I traded my 08 Acura RDX for the 08 Odyssey EX-L DVD/NAV. It was worth it mainly because of the space, comfort, and reliability of the Honda engine.

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  Excellent SUV Overall - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By Jbnibs - September 21 - 10:00 am

  I have driven Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokees for the last 12 years and was very pleased with them. This year, when it was time for a new car most of my research kept pointing to the Honda Pilot. I have not been disappointed with my choice. The interior design, style and spaciousness are all top quality. I have driven only 3500 miles, so I cant comment on reliability but Honda has a long history of reliability so I have no concerns there. I would recomend this SUV to anyone looking for a midsize SUV.