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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  Honda Hassle - 2008 Honda Accord
  By seephone - August 26 - 8:39 pm

  We bought a Honda thinking that we would keep this car for at least 5 years, but after 2, we cant wait to get rid of it. We had brake problems the first day that we brought it home. Dealership would not really address the problem. I had to purchase a set of aftermarket brakes and rotors to fix the problem. The body panels and paint are cheaply made. It seems that we have more road chips and scratches then paint left! Would not buy another Honda!

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  Very Disappointed - 2010 Honda CR-V
  By RR - August 24 - 12:55 pm

  Took this on lease just this month- maybe I still need to figure out features and vehicle still in breaking in period, but overall very disappointed with it. Noisy engine/ ac compressor, very poor pickup, difficult accelerating into a highway, fuel consumption around 17 mpg, stiff suspension transmits bumps straight through to passengers. Cheap interior design- driver seat arm rest needs getting used to, Bluetooth device linked to nav system does not display incoming call number, nav system configured to show roads as us# rather than road names. Wouldnt recommend- test drive RAV4 (comes with either bluetooth/nav but not both), or Subaru Forester (might have to wait-not readily available)

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  Poor Acceleration - 2010 Honda CR-V
  By honda owner - August 24 - 12:44 pm

  I have owned the car for 4 months now. My main complaint is the sluggish acceleration. When I start moving, I can push the acceleration pedal to the floor and its acceleration is pathetic! I am not sure whether it has to do with the engine size or other problem, but even the service at the dealer was surprised how little acceleration this car has. yet, he could not find anything mechanically wrong with it. I would definitely not have bought it, if I knew about this problem. And its a safety problem too - when you need to clear an intersection fast upon traffic light change, the car just slowly rolls through the intersection. Very disappointing!

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  Honda Corp a.k.a rip off kings - 2004 Honda Accord
  By No More Hondas - August 24 - 12:35 pm

  Read these reviews and you see Honda is not the reliability car we were lead to believe. I purchased this money pit new because I drive for work and wanted a car that would last and not nickel and dime me down the road. Wow did I pick the wrong car! The transmission had a recall and I took it in at 18K. They checked it out and install a oil kit. At 48k dropped out and Honda would not cover the labor of $700. They did replace the radio that failed around the same time. Since then the power steering motor, master cylinder, radiator and struts all have failed and needed replacing for a total of over $2,500 not including the transmission. NEVER BUY A HONDA!

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  Wouldnt suggest it to a friend - 1995 Honda Civic
  By SkyNightMoon - August 21 - 5:20 pm

  I Got a 95 civic dx i disliked almost everything about it the looks, its not my type of car, i mean it got great gas mileage, thats about it

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  Avoid this vehicle - 2002 Honda Odyssey
  By Kanigetts - August 21 - 3:09 pm

  This van has been a terrible disappointment for us. There are so many small problems and a number of really big ones. The transmission is simply junk and Honda cannot fix it. Their rebuilt transmissions are no better. Parts are extremely expensive, more than my BMW. I had a 1992 Prelude which was great but apparently Honda has gone the way of Ford in terms of reliability. Time to try one of the Korean makers.

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  Ill NEVER buy HONDA again! - 2002 Honda Accord
  By cheliaj - August 20 - 10:38 pm

  I bought this car new in 2001. The transmission went out at 70,000 in spite of doing all scheduled maintenance. Honda Corp of American wouldnt help or discuss the matter. They refuse to acknowledge that my transmission should of been recalled with the rest of the recall transmission. The paint job was totally gone in the 8th year. I replaced the transmission with a new transmission, and now unsure if that transmission was any good. I always loved Toyota and wanted to try Accord out of curiosity. Im totally going back to Toyota and take my chances. At least Toyota will "man up to their product". Honda hides and denies the obvious. Ive driven this car for 9 years out of necessity.

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  Really Bad Car - 2010 Honda Accord
  By David - August 19 - 7:16 pm

  Its hard to believe that Hondas are reliable. This car has had so many problems so far, and I only have 6K miles. Brakes vibrate, steering wheel shimmies (yup, most likely rotors, but dealer is baffled as always). Build quality is sub-par. Dashboard top shelf is warped like a wave, but dealer says all are like this. Glove box hangs down about a centimeter, and thats after being "corrected". Engine whine is annoying at best, maddening at worst. Car has no power, not get up and go. The AC pump vibrates the car at idle. Its crude and unrefined. My wife hates the front seat. At highway speed, there are gaps where air comes through and you can hear it! 22 mpg really poor for a car this slow.

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  2010 CR-V EX-L - 2010 Honda CR-V
  By kencom - August 2 - 6:37 pm

  Purchased a CR-V due to reading the high ratings of this vehicle and liked its looks. Very disappointed with the road noise, and the door misalignment. I was willing to trade in the vehicle at a loss for one without trim and door misalignment. Every car the dealer located had similar issues. The dealership scheduled me an appointment with a Honda customer service rep who stated that this door misalignment was "within tolerance". I took it to a body shop and they said that to correct it the front fender would need to be removed, and the door may not seal correctly. I traded it in with 900 miles on it for a loss.

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  2005 Honda Civic EX is a tin can - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Quality isnt there - August 2 - 12:14 am

  2005 Honda Civic ex special edition has ridiculously thin metal and a lot of plastic. So thin that you can easily put your foot through the car. The car only has two front air bags, so this definitely isnt a safe car. This car gets bad mileage and suffers from a number of engineering problems. The automatic choke comes on every time you start the car -- even if you dont need it and you cant shut it off until the car moves. In addition, the choke is too strong and just sucks fuel. Also 5th speed doesnt drop rpm sufficiently and you end up getting poor mileage at the higher speed. You are lucky to get 34 highway, while the 2001 Civic ex automatic got 36. This car should get 38.