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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  Reliable transportation - 2000 Honda Civic
  By tbbaot - September 22 - 10:05 pm

  I have owned my Civic for 5 years now, and have just under 55,000 miles on it. The only repairs I have had to make were the radiator (which is plastic), and the blower fan quit at 25,000 miles. My son has the same year and model and his blower fan went bad as well. The metal shaft on the blower motor gets hot and melts the plastic fan.

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  Very pleased 16 Pilot owner - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Daniel Chen - September 22 - 3:27 am

  After putting over 1300 miles mostly from a road trip, I am very pleased with our decision to go with the 2016 Honda Pilot Touring. The push button shifter took a while to get used to, but I think I have a hang of it. Things I like so far: -Lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control were really amazing on the highway. Cant ever imagine driving without these features on long stretches of highway. -Snappy infotainment system. Was easily able to access my iPhone music & folders. -Very comfortable front and second row seats. -Easy access to third row seats. -Pretty decent gas mileage for a vehicle its size. Idle stop works well, pretty amazed at how smooth it is. -9 speed transmission is very smooth. I have heard of plenty complaints from reviews, but I have had no issues. -Driver seat setting memory. -Low road noise, well, at least compared to the CR-V and Civic that we had. -HDMI port means that I can play videos from my iPhone to the rear entertainment system (it has been a while since I last purchased a physical movie disc). Things I do not like: -No blind spot monitoring, which is only available on the Elite model. Pretty ridiculous, considering how prevalent it is in some of the more basic trims of other automakers. -Infotainment system crashed a couple of times, though it was quickly able to reboot almost instantaneously. -Unable to input navigation unless vehicle comes to a stop. I understand there is the safety concern, but there are times it is the front passenger not the driver that is accessing the navigation. -Voice command for navigation is terrible. Will probably never use it again. -Touch control interface works well except for volume, which can be a pain to quickly adjust. -Remote control from rear entertainment system seems very outdated. While there is an HDMI port in the vehicle, there is no HDMI option listed on the remote. -Cargo space behind 3rd row is small.

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  Zero Lumbar Support - Front Seats - 2013 Honda Civic
  By Tom - September 21 - 12:39 am

  Test drives arent sufficient to determine this. My back is killing me. It took me a while to figure out the cause.

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  Reliable Car - 1999 Honda Accord
  By gyori - September 20 - 8:57 pm

  I was looking to buy a reliable car. I did my research and the Accord seemed like a good bet. I was right. So far, the only problem Ive had is the alternator went bad. I change the oil every 3K miles and the car performs well. The leather interior is very comfortable. The auto temp air conditioner is great and very cold. Unlike, most cars Ive had, this car hasnt had the "little" problems (interior falling apart) that come with time. Everything is where its supposed to be. The handling could be better, but it is a family sedan after all. Overall, Im very happy with the car.

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  The Good and The Bad - 2004 Honda CR-V
  By EA Williams - September 20 - 11:20 am

  This is a great town car with lots of pluses and a few minuses.

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  Good Car -- Bad Dealter - 2000 Honda Accord
  By LeoTexas - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Great car. Havent had any major probelm with it. Dashboard can be more elegant. Terrible dealer (Lute Riley Honda, Plano, Texas): Sales/maintainance and management.

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  Ugly car, great gas mileage!! - 2008 Honda Civic
  By ChrisC - September 19 - 9:20 pm

  Overall the car is very well built and it gets great gas mileage; average is 28 mpg city. Not much as far as highways here in Hawaii, so I cant speak for that part. It is a bit of adjustment for me coming from my G35, but the gas savings more than makes up for it.

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  Honda Accord EX - 2017 Honda Accord
  By susan - September 18 - 5:30 pm

  I love this car! The ride is smooth and quiet. Dont know yet about the gas mileage.

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  Honda2000AccordV6 - 2000 Honda Accord
  By Catherine Rauch - September 18 - 10:00 am

  Seat belt hook-up too far back. Very hard to reach. Same with extra compartment by the belt hook-up. Too far back. Cant use it unless the car is stopped. Not a good feature.

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  too loud - 2002 Honda Civic
  By grego - September 18 - 10:00 am

  I have 26000 miles so far and no problems. 2 recalls so far. Tire noise was bad when new, but after 25000 miles it became unbearable. new tires put it back to when new. I still cant hear the engine over the tire noise on the highway. The car is fun to drive if you wear earplugs. performance is ok for the category of this car.