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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  Dependable, Comfortable, Quick & Nimble! - 2009 Honda Accord
  By Honest John - November 30 - 8:11 am

  This car is pretty much perfect. It gets over 30MPG Hwy and makes 271HP. As an Audi S4 owner, Im rather hard to impress with performance or style, but this tight little V6 did the job! Its a bit noisy on the road, a trade-off for the lower profile tires, but given the handling improvement they provide, they are well worth it. I would like to address the guy who wrote about Honda cars being "pieces of junk" while extolling the virtues of the Mercedes Benz line. Just read the Consumer Reports reviews on Hondas and Benzs and you will see that dependability-wise, the BENZ is surely the "piece of junk." The fact that you pay three times too much for the heavy, ugly German vehicles makes them a true fools purchase. Most Mercedes owners realize this about the time the warranty runs out and they encounter their first REPAIR BILL!

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  I Love Driving this car! - 2002 Honda Accord
  By Truong N. - November 29 - 7:09 pm

  I have 146k miles on the odometer. The Engine and Transmission are still flawless. No leaks or anything. I did have to replace the radiator, timing belt, and water pump. Man this car is pretty quick for almost a 14 year old car. It gets me where I need to go. The ride quality is really stiff, not the best when it comes down to ride quality. The fuel economy ist good either. I cant complain because its a v6. I average about 18 mpg from city and highway driven. I love the comfortable seats and the exterior of this car! Its my daily drive and I love driving this car.

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  2010 Accord LX Sedan - 83,000 miles of reliable tr - 2010 Honda Accord
  By Adam Zaharchuk - November 29 - 11:38 am

  Very reliable, has needed no mechanical repairs. Only oil & fluid changes, tires and brake pads. Drives and handles great! Very comfortable seating. High quality interior (for the most part). What I dont like: plastic wheel covers chip very easily, and after 83,000 miles, the steel wheels behind the wheel covers are discolored. The window belt molding has been replaced on all four windows as the rubber that was used has basically disintegrated. Unacceptable for a Honda that is only five years old. The paint is also of very poor quality. I have the dark gray color, and gave recently started to notice some very slight oxidation. The paint also chips fairly easily, especially on the front of the car/hood area. The headlight housings are also of poor quality. They have already started to haze up. I am tall (63") and when I enter the car, my knees tend to hit the dashboard.

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  Honda lover - 2011 Honda Accord
  By Dani - November 29 - 9:42 am

  This is my 3rd Honda. The car has a lot of interior room for its size and enough leg room for my husband who is 61". The car sits comfortably and I love the heated seats. Although visibility while backing up is okay, I wish we had bought a 2012 with the backup camera. (A camera can be added to the 2011.) The brakes are fantastic! Shimming is a BIG problem with this car. I have had it balanced and aligned 3 times at two different places and it has not solved the problem. I plan to take it to the dealership while we have the warranty on the car.

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  2015 exl crv awd - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Jay - November 28 - 9:51 pm

  Honda CRV drive up to 1700-2000rpm Vibrantion bring to honda dealership! Check the rear seats! Under there making noises! Rear Brakeline clip Vibrantion. Honda fix for u.

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  This is a wonderful car, except: - 2015 Honda Odyssey
  By P Garrity - November 28 - 4:36 pm

  Something happened after the 2012 Odyssey that caused the Honda entertainment system people to lose their minds. The 2015 system is horrible. Pairing with a phone is touch-and-go at best, voice commands are impossible to use, if youre using phone navigation (Waze etc) you cant also use the radio or other audio sources. It is all clunky, hard to use and a really inferior experience. The addition of a side-view blind-spot camera was cute, but for my money Id rather have a front-of-car parking camera. The side-view camera is distracting and doesnt really provide a very useful image most of the time. The 2012 Odyssey was a much better car in terms of features than the 2015.

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  10K and holding! - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By John Stowe - November 26 - 9:10 pm

  I never planned to own an suv but after my new Accord Hybrid rode like a tank and had no room for my property management needs I traded for this CRV. For 10K miles I couldnt be happier. It does everything well and without complaint. I am aware of the dreaded vibration everyone talks about but it is generally innocuous. It appears to be that the CV tranny is set to almost lug the engine at lower speeds. I experience some vibration at moderate acceleration but rarely is there any vibration at idle. All of this is overshadowed by otherwise excellent attention to detail and flawless execution. The adaptive cruise control and the lane keeping feature are great. Sometimes the electronics for the nav and the phone are a bit difficult to use but it is primarily a learning curve. I have hauled four guys in the vehicle and had positive responses about rear and front seat comfort. After driving a Prius for 7 years, I was surprised at the fuel economy. My overall mpg has been consistently over 30 mpg and I get up to 34 mpg with the ac on at 70 mph. This suv feels like a keeper so far.

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  Older but practically new - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By Robert Hunter - November 25 - 7:43 pm

  This has been a great family car with impressive performance and versatility. I would keep this car if it had some of the latest technology advances that now grace the new cars. I will weep a few tears when she goes.

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  2015 crv touring - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Tom - November 23 - 1:00 pm

  you always have some things that could be better but Honda puts together a nice package and you get what you pay for in all models. sure their is some shuddering at low rpm usually around 700-1000 rpm but Im sure Honda will come up with a fix. The ride is great and the comfort is nice. The engine is good but a few more horses would be nice. The CVT transmission performs well and the way it is set up you would never know it was CVT. Gas mileage is all it says its and the adaptive cruise control makes my wife more at ease when cruising down the highway. One thing you need to be aware of in a winter climate keep the windshield as clear as you can of snow and ice or you could confuse the radar and end up with a lot of unwanted lights on the dash and some safety features not working as they should. Overall my wife and I have owned Hondas for over 25 years and we both drive the CRV hers is 2012 Ex-L with nav. It is good to drive a reliable and comfortable vehicle and our dealer has been great for the past 15 years. You just cant go wrong with a Honda.

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  I love this Accord! - 2015 Honda Accord
  By Tom Hockman - November 22 - 9:19 am

  While Ive been an Accord fan for almost 40 years, the various models had varying appeal based on the styling and ride of that generation. The 2012 redesign, and the recent 2016 refresh, are the most appealing versions of the Accord since the sleek 1988 generation. I have a 2015 Accord that Ive driven 9200 miles in six months. I love looking at the car, and I love driving it. Its responsive 4-cylinder engine is amazingly powerful, and the CVT transmission helps this car get 37 mpg on the highway. I can get over 500 miles per tank when I mostly drive on the highway. The steering, corner handling, braking, and road feel are as good as an Accord Ive ever driven. Its comfortable and dependable for short or long drives. The seats start to get uncomfortable after about 4 hours of driving, but are far superior to the seats of the 2010 model I used to drive. I got a great value on this car, too. It was basically at dealer invoice price. The Accords dont demand MSRP and above like they once did, so you can probably make a great deal on one. I hope to continue driving this car for many more years.