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 hope new Civic goes 10 years and over 240k miles - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Buddy - December 24 - 11:53 am

  Front seat head rests arre awkward in that it pushes your head forward bu realigning the seat can reduce that issue, this is common in all new Hondas and I am told is a safety feature to avoid wipe lash. I at first did not like the little extra windows in front of each side mirror but they do let in more light and make it less cramped feeling.

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  BEST CAR IVE EVER HAD - 2004 Honda CR-V
  By Monica - December 23 - 1:37 pm

  I moved 6 times with this car. Drove all over Florida with it, and it never broke down once. 100k miles on it and I have yet to find a problem with it. The speaks were soooo good, everybody thought I had special speakers put in. 10/10

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  Yes yes yes - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Oreo - December 21 - 12:12 am

  I went into purchasing this car and was hesitant at first. I started looking for cats with Hyundai and such before, and did not like them one bit. I started researching other cars such as Chevrolet Cruze and just Honda in general. Less than 5 minutes at the dealer and I was offered a test drive. The car is fantastic, have had it for 2 months and still love it. Great first new car. (Got rid of my 2004 Ford Taurus - wanted an upgrade)

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  Pleased with 2014 Accord Coupe EX-L Nav 2.4 - 2014 Honda Accord
  By Robert - December 20 - 10:16 am

  I purchased this car with 20K miles. I use it as the family do-everything workhorse, everything from grocery trips and around-town errands to long-distance trips. I also have a 2006 Honda Ridgeline for the real heavy-duty tasks and an older Lexus SC430 for weekend fun. The Accord does everything I ask of it. It is reliable, efficient, economical, comfortable, and looks great. I might also add fun to the list, since the Accord Coupe handles very well for an all-arounder, and accelerates well even with the 4 cylinder automatic. I have had a few Lexus and Acura cars, and I would have to say that the materials, fit, and finish of this car compares well with those. There are a few tiny details that could have been done slightly better (such as auto lights, night rear view mirror), but there are also a few features that are above and beyond what youd expect. The keyless locking and ignition, passenger heated seat, trunk protective liner, lane-change camera, lane watch sensor, and others are examples of things you get but might not expect for the price. Overall, Id recommend the Accord Coupe as a solid, safe, fun buy. Since its really the only coupe out there, resale should be solid if you change your mind later.

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  Shifts great, seat is more ergonomic that 2010 - 2015 Honda Civic
  By Marian Schwenk - December 19 - 5:40 pm

  Great little car. Instruments and controls are just where you expect them to be. Love the bluetooth. The car shifts great, and the seat is more ergonomic and comfortable than the 2010 Honda Civic. It also allows short to see over the steering wheel (this is a big deal). Theres also a neat little display showing your mpg at all times. Very peppy and hugs the road.

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  Bought a car to flip. Learned to Love it! - 2009 Honda Civic
  By Ryan - December 17 - 10:28 pm

  I bought this car and owned it for a year only because I needed a truck. What a blast! The car came with two problems, which allowed for me to afford it at a discounted price. 1. Radio was crazy. changed stations by itself occasionally. Cost: $40 2. Clear coat was fading and flaking off of black paint. Cost: $0 because Honda extended their paint warranty to 7 years Unlimited miles for all affected models with this defect. WOW! I was so impressed with Honda, they repainted almost my entire car with almost no questions asked. It was so easy, and once I found the right dealer they put me in touch with customer service which went flawlessly. I cant stress enough how easy and streamlined their warranty process was. Not only is Honda great, the car was great. This was my first economy car and once gas was no object I piled the miles on, without care for my mpgs. Every drive I made exciting, because I could rely on my Honda even under hard use, and it was fun to use hard. While its not overly powerful, the motor loves to rev. The Transmission shifts well. The car is surprisingly easy to drift. E brake used on a regular basis! Steering was instant and crisp and there was 0 body roll, unless you loaded it to the brim. I definitely felt a connection to this car. Steering feel was excellent, even over 100 mph. I cant explain how much the engine just likes to go. Its not powerful, not fast, but its so reactive and fun to drive in the curves, and can cruise happily at 90 mph all day. My only gripe was the transmission. Dont get me wrong, it was a fine unit. If you ever wanted to drive and have fun you needed to manually shift it though. It was not so much a performance thing as some economy setting. I had to practically floor it to get a responsive down shift. Once the Honda decides its time, its lightning quick. But until then, your stuck out of the power band. Other then all that, the only creature comforts my car had was a base model radio (acceptable), AC (worked great), and the heater. The little aluminum block doesnt warm up unless you drive and work it in the winter, but once its up to temp....That heater is a FURNACE. I swear, it could burn you if you hold your hands too close for too long. Awesome heater. Car holds a surprising amount of cargo too. I filled so full it was practically a truck one time. Fold down seats. In summary, I really expected to hate this car, but after owning it for one year I would never have sold it had I not needed offroad capability and towing. (trust me I tried) I truly enjoyed driving it, which is really saying something for a boring economizer like a Honda Civic. I can see now why ricers like to ruin them. I brought the maintenance up to date, and the car was better off when I sold it after over 20k miles. Extremely low cost of ownership. I tried to drive the beans out of it but it just asked for more. Surprisingly tough for its size. Id also like to add that I have drove later model Hondas that were not as peppy as my 2009 1.8.

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  Purchased new 17 years ago - 1998 Honda CR-V
  By multiple Honda owner - December 17 - 2:45 pm

  This is one of the best built vehicles offered from Honda, the motor and durability of the interior are exceptional. We also own a 2009 CR-V since new, but I cant give it the same level of support... the cloth interior on the 2009 rips and stains easily, but the 1998 interior looks nearly new after using the car as a daily driver for 17 years. The B20 motor is one of the most durable and reliable engines on the market, ask any experienced Honda service rep. We have no rust on the vehicle and its been all over the world as part of a military family. Around 200,000 miles we had to replace (or had replaced) suspension bushings, the radiator, a few timing belts, brakes and the muffler. However, for about 250,000 miles of service and counting its a great car. Its visibility is exceptional and all controls are extremely obvious, The entire car is durable and while road noise is higher than the newer CRV, weve never had electronic issues like the newer vehicles and the 98 CRV is very comfortable to drive.

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  IF you have to drive a minivan this is the one to - 2012 Honda Odyssey
  By Phil Brewer - December 15 - 10:38 am

  SO, no one lays awake at night dreaming of their new minivan, right? A BMW 5 series, yes! A minivan, not so much. THat being said, I needed a minivan, I insisted on a degree of luxury and comfort combined with good handling and economy at the gas station. THis car did it all. Overall I averaged 24mpg in 55k miles of driving. Easily got 29-31mpg on the highway. Admittedly I am not a lead-foot. For my everyday commute it was fine. Where it really shone was trips to Costco and family treks. I could get all four of my kids and my wife and travel in comfort with the fantastic extra wide DVD entertaining them. I loaded up all my CDs on the harddrive for unlimited listening options. THe Nav display is recessed so it doesnt get direct sun glare. I would definitely recommend it as the best minivan option for someone who needs one. As for winter driving, the forward traction 2WD was pretty good and I made it better by switching to snow tires during the cold months.

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  This Accord is Great!!!!!!! - 2012 Honda Accord
  By RenBees - December 14 - 7:30 pm

  I bought my 2012 Honda Accord LX with just under 36,000 miles in Oct. 2014. My car has recently passed 50,000 miles. I got a great deal from Honda of New Rochelle. All I can say from my year with my Accord is this car is great!!! I can be picky with cars. The center stack has a lot of buttons but you get to it really quickly. This car should have more tech in being a 2012 car but it has everything you need. It is not fast but acceleration is good. The 5 speed transmission is well ratioed and doesnt make you wish for another gear. This car is smooth. It does everything well. If you value practicality this is the car for you. You get a good driving experience in this large comfortable car. I have been averaging just under 26 mpg in 60/40 highway,city. I got 35 mpg on a trip from CT to MA and back , so the mpg estimate are fairly accurate. I would like to get 2 mpg higher but I live in condensed area. This is my first Honda and I am very pleased. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quality, practical car with excellent resale value that gives you a good driving experience on the used car market.

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  Honda continues to make great vehicles - 2009 Honda CR-V
  By M. Hurst - December 13 - 5:48 pm

  I purchased my 09 CRV in January 2011. It had been a leased car and only had 16,000 miles on it. The other vehicles I was considering at that time were a 2011 Hyunda Tucson, a 2011 Toyota RAV4, a Toyota Venza, and a Chevy Traverse. Ive enjoyed driving this car. Its very comfortable on long trips (its been cross-country twice), has plenty of power, and the cargo area is much larger in cubic feet than most other small SUVs. I have dogs, and the rear easily holds 2 crates. As of date it has over 86,000 miles on it. Ill probably put another 40-50,000 on it before I trade it. No major repairs yet. I have had it routinely serviced at a Honda dealer, replace the battery once, and all four tires. Only complaints (which Honda has not improved/changed) are: road noise, should get better mileage for a small 4 cylinder engine, no vents to deliver air to back seat or rear compartment, the backseat does not fold completely flat. Would I purchase another Honda CRV - yes!