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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  Former HONDA employee and brand ambassador. - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By Gregory Wolf - September 9 - 2:35 pm

  My family have owned Honda accord coupe 2001 that was amazing. Great reliability fantastic on gas and decent leather interior . I purchased this 2007 Honda CRV second hand this time off lease nice trade-in in 2011, havent had any issues until the AC blew out which resulted in costly repairs. Honda knows about this "achilles heel" extended warranty on certain parts of Air Conditioning but sneaky and very technical around this common issue. Would I purchase another crv or recommend anybody buying one??? Most definitely NOT!!! Go with Toyota Rav4

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  Panel Fit - are you KIDDING me? - 2015 Honda Odyssey
  By dave - September 8 - 10:09 pm

  I bought my Touring a few weeks ago. I am a car detailer and I have my own business. Been so busy that I just got around to detailing/sealant and glass coating/etc of my van. One REALLY notices the small stuff when you detail a car. I noticed the drivers front fender looked not in line with the front door. After checking other Odysseys, they were the same - and I noticed its from the angle they wanted obtain by having the fender bow out around the wheel/tire ... and they started this change in angle immediately from the front fender/door gap. OK - I can buy that. Then I looked at my passenger side. Its level of protrusion outward is HALF that of the drivers side. They are NOT the same. So I drove to my dealer and looked at the 20 or so 2015s and 16s they had on the lot. The angles and protrusions NEVER matched on any car I looked at. Sometimes the passenger side stuck out further and sometimes (as in mine) the drivers side stuck out more. I am a BMW aficionado - but my wife and I wanted a TRUE 7-8 passenger van as we have 8 grandkids. OK - going to a van means I will give up driving dynamics. But I didnt expect to give up parts that fit. I have a body shop friend, and he looked at it and said "wow, its a Japanese van so youd think panel/fender fit would be better than that". I love the van. But with all the competition out there for roughly the same price, why would I choose a Honda again if they cant get panel fitment correct?

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  Nice SUV ! - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Frankie Lee - September 8 - 4:23 pm

  Review Ive the CRV since March this year, its a good size SUV for 5 adult passengers as well as cargo room. Smooth and flexible fold-down rear back. Right lane-change Monitor display is a nice safety feature. Favorite Features: Handsome look with LED headlight. Smooth 60/40 split fold-down rear seat. Right lane-turn watch monitor provides advanced safety measure. Better mileage than last model. Suggested Improvements: Needs more power. Add left lane-turn watch as well. Engine and road noise still need room for improvement. Add front and backup sensors. Better power hydraulic trunk opener for senior driver.

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  Vibration when acceleration - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Devendra Sanghavi - September 8 - 12:43 pm

  I just bought the car on 09/06/2015 and got the delivery yesterday. Noticed that the car vibrates when gently accelerating. I am soo disappointed. Have always liked Honda and Accura. This was the third entrant for me after a 2002 Civic (purchased/used) and 2013 Accura ILX (Leased/New). I dont know what to do now.

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  300k and Still Going... - 2000 Honda Accord
  By Trace - September 8 - 12:04 pm

  I bought this car used over a year ago with 275k miles. I now have 305k miles with no problems! When I bought it the only thing wrong with it was an oil leak. Ended up being the Variable Timing Valve Solenoid seal due to the previous owner adding too much oil during an oil change. I drive 50+ miles a day to school and back and have never had a problem. Seats 5 grown adults without much of a problem. Original engine/transmission. I wish Honda still made their vehicles like they used to.

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  awesome car - 2006 Honda Accord
  By jim - September 8 - 10:01 am

  I bought my 2006 honda accord ex about 6 months.This is the second honda I own.It is a solid car it drives better than my mercedes that I owned,I will continue to buy honda for life.It is good to stick with a winner.

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  pretty nice - 2003 Honda Accord
  By stewart - September 8 - 8:36 am

  I bought this accord used from a trade in with 220,000 miles. Right now I have 229,000 miles. No major issues. Took it from ohio to florida bo problem. Scariest complaint I have seen is about excessive oil consumption. From my research it seems to happen when oil changes are not done and the oil gets dirty. When that happens your timing chain which relies upon oil pressure can jump/ get stretched. Get your oil changed every 3000 miles. I dont lose any oil and this car to get to 220k miles must have been changed like clockwork. Also the automatic seems to have tranny problems.. I have a 5 speed manual and I seen hardly any complaints. Buying used make sure the car is clean.. If someone took good care of the interior and outside, then they probably took care of it mechanically too. Also when i bought mine the oil was just due for the 3000 change.. And the small dealership didnt change the oil prior to me buying. This let me see the level of the oil, and how dirty it was after 3000 miles.. To which the oil looked good. So i bought it and had it changed first thing. I expected with that many miles to not get the window sticker epa mileage.. But in fact i get 29 combined city and highway. Taking it to florida a tank seemed to get a max of about 520 miles. Take care of your Honda if you want it to last!

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  Vehicle stopped/not starting out of no reason - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Cheyyene - September 7 - 9:16 pm

  I dont know whether other 2015 CRV owners are facing similar issue or not. My vehicle once stopped all of a sudden for no reason while I was driving on highway. All the maintenance indicators of my car like Low Engine Oil Pressure, Vehicle Stability, Tire pressure, Battery etc got switched on and my vehicle came to stop. After several attempts to start it, it finally started after 40-45 minutes. Honda on-road support told that it would take around an hour to reach me, even though I was within the city limits. The same issue occurred when once I was starting the car. The car stopped within a few seconds of my starting it. After several attempts to start it, it finally started after 20-25 minutes. This happened twice for my 8 months old car.

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  Poor Paint - 2012 Honda Fit
  By Daniel Lake - September 7 - 8:21 pm

  Rear shocks were replaced at 24000 miles, tires had normal wear at 24000 miles. However , every tire was splitting apart at the second tread in. The paint on this car was the worst paint of the eight new cars I have owned. The paint chipping was primary on the hood but was not limited to the front of the car. Seen very few fits with this problem but the few I have seen were older and had premature surface rusting. This does not stop the car from getting great gas mileage or getting you from A to B comfortable but will have a great effect on your resale value. For this reason the car was traded in with only 27000 mile and rated low.

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  I like my wifes crv 2010 Better - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Carlos - September 7 - 4:51 pm

  I have to say thanks God I have a lease, cant wait to get rid of this vehicle, My wife has a 2010 and it has better handling, better driving position, captain chairs with a real armrest and the best part no vibrations, I dont understand why they took a perfect suv and screw it up, when I went for a road test no vibration it was a hot day and of course the ac was on, Probably that was the reason I miss the vibration, after a couple of days whenever I got to a stop light with no ac running the shakes are there, believe me the vibrations are real and a real pain in the neck, I will advise everybody in the market for an suv look elsewhere at least until they take care of this problem because is real and thats the only way they might fix it, almost forget poor location for parking brake that thing is there hitting your foot all the time, specially if you wear boots it is almost impossible to find a perfect placement for your foot, I am surprised no one else commented about this.