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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  love my civic - 1999 Honda Civic
  By Tiffany T - August 22 - 11:06 am

  OK.... with over 200,000 miles on my civic, I could not ask for a better car. Never had anything major ever go wrong with it.... and going to keep driving it!

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  I Expected More - 2004 Honda Accord
  By CarBuff - August 21 - 10:00 am

  OK Car. Drives well. Not particularly outstanding in anything but better than most $26,000 Japanese cars. However, worst dealer service ever encountered. Dealer lied about performing repairs. Really left a bad taste for Honda products. Also, rattles everywhere especially from the rear shelf.

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  Hybrid is Excellent Choice - 2005 Honda Accord
  By scott s - August 20 - 10:30 am

  This was the best car purchasing experience I have had in 15 years of buying. Buy through Honda.com! They really do give you the best price. Even though this is a new vehicle, I still paid what I wanted, and got extras free. The car is tight! Quiet, comfortable, and a joy to drive. It takes a while to get used to the autostop, but you actually enjoy sitting at stop lights burning no fuel. It has pep too. The V6/electric motor combo is awesome. Merging w/traffic is easy despite the title "hybrid". I averaged 26mpg my first tank of nearly 100% short trip, stop and go. The few times I got on the highway I could immediately see the mileage cruise to above 35!

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  Disappointed - 2000 Honda Odyssey
  By HBM - August 19 - 2:00 am

  I am disappointed in the Oddy. Terrible quality.

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  Safe Bet - 1999 Honda Civic
  By Asad - August 18 - 7:46 pm

  Bought new. Rear defogger stopped working just after the factory warranty expired. Oxygen sensor and front power windows failed last year. No engine/transmission problems so far. About 32 mpg mixed highway/city and 36mpg highway with air conditioner fully on.

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  Bullet proof reliability - 2002 Honda Accord
  By Robert407 - August 18 - 11:13 am

  A 5-speed that almost shifts itself. Smooth is the word. Handles well, but 16" performance tires should be an option.

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  Speedometers, spare tires and leather seats - 2016 Honda Odyssey
  By Floyd Sense - August 17 - 10:02 am

  (1). Leather seats in an Odyssey are uncomfortably hard and hot. The leather doesnt breath like high quality seat leather should, but rather its like sitting on 1970s vinyl seats on a hot day. Solution: opt for the EX model which has cloth seats that are actually comfortable. We compared the Odyssey leather seats to competition, such as Chrysler Town & Country, and the Honda leather was the worst. (2). The Odyssey spare tire (at least it has one) is stored INSIDE THE VEHICLE, under the floor between the second row seats. So, dont have a flat when you have the vehicle loaded with cargo or if its full of kids on a rainy day. And, you wont believe where they expect you to store the flat tire you remove - see the manual and be ready to laugh. (3). If you normally wear polarized sunglasses while driving, make sure to take them along when you test drive the Odyssey. On a bright sunny day, the numbers on the speedometer and tachometer are simply not visible when wearing polarized sunglasses. For some reason, the designer decided the numbers should be displayed on a shiny background, making the situation even worse. With all that dashboard screen real estate, youd think theyd have placed a digital speed display on one of the large screens. On the positive side, the Odyssey is remarkably quiet on the road. While Hondas and their upscale Acuras are noted for their tire and engine noise, you wont hear much of that in the Odyssey. You can actually carry on a conversation with people in the middle row of seats while traveling down the road at 70 mpg. And finally, youd think that after all these years Honda would have figured out how to make it easy for an owner to get the middle row of seats out of the way for handling large cargo loads. You still have to manually remove them and store them somewhere in the garage or ? If youre a small person or older like me, youll find that to be a difficult proposition. By the way, the gas mileage is a big surprise when compared to the competition. I can easily get 28 mpg on the open highway and rarely see less than 22 around town.

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  nice suv but horrible gas mileage!!! - 2004 Honda Pilot
  By tylerfamily - August 17 - 10:00 am

  weve had our pilot for 11 mos. and my #1 complaint is the gas mileage. im lucky to get 17 mpg on the hwy. its a nice suv. however, i dont think i would purchase another one. ive already had something go wrong with the suspension, 1 recall, horrible gas mileage, and about 4 times a month it dies when you first start it. for a vehicle that only has 10K miles i feel that this should not be a problem. i totally baby this car, i try to go no faster than 70 mph on hwy and still get 17 mpg if im lucky. if getting good gas mileage does not matter to you than i would suggest this vehicle! it does handle well and is reliable.

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  I was disappointed - 2004 Honda CR-V
  By eskurato - August 17 - 10:00 am

  I bought a honda because of their quality of build. Unfortunately I am dissapointed. It has an annoying jerk when I let off the gas gently both slowing and speeding up. It has a rattle in the right rear passinger column, it has a thunk in the left front in the suspension when starting out and now there is another rattle in the dash. You pay 23K (including financing) for a car and I almost like driving my beater 87 CRX that has no brakes better.

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  Honda 2007 CRV - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By Deb - August 17 - 8:06 am

  I previously owned a 2005 CRV. Many terrific improvements in the 2007! Much less road noise! very comfortable and quiet. Radio with Bass boost is great. Love everything about my CRV except I was hoping for better gas milage. Combination city/highway with air conditioning going has been 22 - 23 mpg.