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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  time to drive and look fine - 1998 Honda Accord
  By toni - January 22 - 2:00 am

  I am very happy with my Accord. The fuel economy is very helpful at this time. With the right mind and the right money a person can truly make this car stand out. I cant wait to atach all the acessories, all the head will be turning then!! have fn driving!

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  An excellent automobile, but not perfect - 1997 Honda Civic
  By Joseph Kotran - January 22 - 2:00 am

  Honda Civics are often well reviewed by the automotive media and consumers. I think that the praise is deserved, but somewhat exaggerated. I have owned my 97 Civic LX for five years now. I am happy with it, I have had no mechanical problems, and I still like the way it looks. However, I think that the Civic is very much lacking in comfort. My chief complaint regards excessive cabin noise. The engine and road noise are far too loud for long distance trips. Even a short commute to work can frustrate as I often have to play radio at a loud volume to drown out the noise.

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  Great, but could be better... - 2006 Honda Civic
  By JakeND - January 21 - 12:16 pm

  Fun to drive manual - after break-in of touchy clutch. Cool looking, and very spacious interior. Very well-designed seats. Just took multi-state trip & can say this is the most comfortable seat Ive sat in for a bad back... very firm and well-bolstered. Attractive interior. Stereo initially sounded horrible, but got better after a few hours break-in... still nothing to write home about. A let-down in gas mileage, esp if you take it over 65 or so - but my last car was a VW TDI, so Im spoiled. (I average low 30s in mixed, very conservative driving).

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  Very disappointed! - 2003 Honda Accord
  By AngusM - January 20 - 10:00 am

  Been a loyal Honda owner since my 90 Civic. Very disappointed to see the latest Accord lost its nice "Honda" handling an fun to drive and just became another American smooth highway cruiser. I also see the gradual decline in Hondas build quality over the years. Sorry but I am moving out!

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  Honda Accord: Great Car! - 1992 Honda Accord
  By AZ-guy - January 20 - 2:00 am

  We bought a 92 Honda Accord LX 4-door sedan in 95 as the care came off a 3- year lease from a private party. We have been very happy with the reliability and low operating costs of this vehicle. Now that the Accord has 108,000 miles on it, we are just as happy with it as when we bought it.

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  Great performance needs improvement for the price - 2013 Honda Accord
  By Joe Gillie - January 19 - 6:01 pm

  Had the car for 4 months and 4k miles. Bought it used/certified with 42k miles. Starter had to be replaced 1 month after I bought it. First the bad: the stereo stinks. FM radio sounds like AM mono. Bluetooth lags but sounds decent. Cd player sounds the best but doesnt read .mp3 discs. USB input doesnt recognize my android phone to play music. Aux input sound is not good. Phone to car stereo interface doesnt work (everyone has this problem and Honda is not fixing it.) The Active noise cancelling doesnt work but is not needed as car is quiet. YOU CANT REPLACE THE STEREO without losing many functions and settings!!! This thing called IMID which controls many functions and features and settings non stereo related is built in to the stereo! HOW IDIOTIC IS THAT!?! The front seats are not comfortable. No lumbar adjust or support. I have good athletic posture and the head rest pushes your neck/head forward. The seats are not (that) bad, but should be better at this price. I use small pillow for lumbar. Missing some obvious features like lighting for back seat, no cup holders in back seat, power outlets only work when car is on, no floor lighting. Not a fan of the push button start. One thing I dont like is the center console layout. Not good use of space. When using cups in cup holder, interferes with shifting, forget using a coffee mug. The doors on my coupe are too big and heavy. Not expecting the alignment and hinges of doors to last. (I wont be doing a 2 door ever again!) Hard to get out of car in tighter spaces and hard to load things in car. For some reason, the pass through feature between trunk and back seat is left off on the coupe? The area on the hood just above the grill is very prone to little rock chips. I think its the aerodynamics? The good: the car drives wonderful! The handling is like a much more expensive sports car! Yes, Ive driven nice sports cars...The car doesnt feel like the rated hp and torque, but its good enough. I love Honda manual tranny and the way they shift and this doesnt disappoint! Hint to Honda...(keep up the way you do manual transmissions!) I enjoy the Sunroof. Factory smoked windows are a GREAT feature! The dual zone control HVAC is a nice feature! Wish fan speed was dual/independent controlled. Trunk space is great for a 2 door and car this size! backup camera screen is nice size especially compared to other cars. Did I mention the handling and steering and braking on this car is incredible!?! In economy mode only 1 mpg difference. Others are getting the same result in econ mode. Im getting about 29 mpg. combined highway/city driving.

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  Cant go wrong with a Civic - 2007 Honda Civic
  By IJ - January 19 - 5:56 am

  Got this car after my 07 Camry got totaled. Like the title of my review says, you really cant go wrong Civic if you are looking for a well built affordable coupe or sedan. Im 26 and exterior looks matter a lot to me. Civic Coupe LX in nighthawk black looks really sharp, and I got whole bunch of compliments on the looks after I changed the factory wheels with aftermarket alloys. The coupe is fun to drive and is also very comfortable. The interior design is very interesting, and stock stereo system is pretty decent. Healthy 1.8 L engine gives you very good fuel economy without compromising performance. You are not going to get bored with this car for awhile(coupe, not sure about sedan)

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  mpg is disappointing for short trips - 2005 Honda Accord
  By daga - January 19 - 5:36 am

  We purchased a Honda Accord Hybrid just last week. The fuel economy is disappointing us. Because my daily trips to work are short, the fuel saving features dont activate until half-way there. I would probably get equal fuel economy with a 4 cylinder non-hybrid and have saved 7 thousand dollars. The Accord hybrid does show good fuel economy on the freeway, but not on stop and go city driving.

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  Needs a hybrid 6 - 2005 Honda Element
  By Needs a hybrid 6 - January 18 - 11:26 pm

  Great design - the folding seat, the suicide doors. It already seems to appeal to eco-friendly types. Listen to the other reviews and give it a 6 cyl engine for more HP, but make it a hybrid for better gas mileage.

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  Awful Front Seats & Excessive Road Noise - 2009 Honda Accord
  By John - January 18 - 1:06 am

  I had higher expectations from this new 09 Accord however, I find it to be inferior to my 04 V6 Accord in both comfort and road noise. Road noise can be solved with different tires such as the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity tires that I have on my 04. They are extremely quiet! However front seat comfort is another story. There is too little cushioning and the side bolsters are too extreme! The drivers seat is a bit better because of the 8- way power adjustment which allows the seat cushion itself to be raised or lowered and angled flat if need be. The passenger seat with just a 4-way adjustment does not allow this. Honda needs to immediately fix this problem with an 8-way power passenger seat.