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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  4dr DX - will get you to 200K miles - 1993 Honda Civic
  By Dave S. - Durham, NC - July 20 - 2:00 am

  I am about to trade in my 93 4-dr DX, and it is sad that I am only going to get around $1000, due to 174K miles and a bunch of cosmetic blemishes that Ive never bothered to fix. Its said because the car is still driving quite well after all of these years, and I think its worth a bit more (Im not going to bother to try to get more however). Ride is still smooth between 70 and 80 MPH, handles well in all weather despite puny 13" wheels. Fuel economy still excellent (30 city/40 hwy).

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  my husband loves it but its ugly - 2003 Honda Element
  By elliotnine - July 19 - 10:00 am

  I like the way the vehicle drives, but it is still a little strange looking to me! I had a Toyota 4-runner for the last 8 years, and when we had a baby a few months ago, it was aggravating to get the car seat in and out of it so we had to get something different. My husband really liked these and we went and test drove one, I love the roominess, and the fact that you can wash it out, and the car seat fits in it wonderfully. . The 2nd day we had it we tried to use a bootle warmer in the 12 volt accessory plug and it was way to tight and it tore up and they tried to charge us to fix it!

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  Honda Odyssey 96 - 1996 Honda Odyssey
  By sacooper - July 19 - 2:00 am

  Great car. I am finding it hard to want a replacement. So reliable and the seating it simply wonderful.

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  Driver seat is so uncomfortable - 2008 Honda Accord
  By dkalck - July 18 - 7:16 pm

  I didnt notice it when I did the test drive but after driving the car I realized I really made a big mistake here. The seat is extremely uncomfortable. My back is in pain each time I get out of the car. I have no complaints about anything else. In fact, I love the car just wish Honda wouldnt have made such horrible seats. Seriously, there is a metal plan that will stick right into your back. I called Honda and they said it was there for safety. I think it is just really bad design. Just make sure to take a really long test drive.

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  A Lemon Honda? I didnt know those exist - 1990 Honda Accord
  By lanec - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Some highlights of the last 4 years: Replaced the transmission ($3,000), engine work ($900), brake system repairs ($1300), cv axle boot ($250), cv axle boot ($250), cv axle boot ($250), ANOTHER cv axle boot ($250), AAARRRRRGGHHHH cv axle boot($250). (Yes thats number 5.) sunroof ($100).

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  A little disappointed - could be better - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By JR - July 15 - 6:43 pm

  We have had several problems with this van. Both passenger doors creak when stopping and starting. They have tried to fix but and cant. Our serpentine belt came loose and took a week to find. TPMS light comes on a regular basis on trips. Had to relearn the system. Gas mileage stinks. Roughly 13 in town and 22 hwy. For this being the top of the line for Honda, my 2003 Town&Country Limited was more luxuious and came with better features. Run flats are nice but cant find anyone to replace just the tire in KY. Can only replace the whole tire and rim assembly. Cost is $600 per tire to replace.

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  Honda S2000 - 2002 Honda S2000
  By Astrojet - July 15 - 2:00 am

  What a great car! If it werent for the bad gas mileage, it would be as near perfect as any 2002 model could get.

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  Great car for the money - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By JAF - July 14 - 5:23 pm

  Got the CRV LX 4WD for my wife and the baby. Nice little car - easy to drive, enough space for 2 car seats plus a small adult in the back. The car has some great little touches inside, like the reclining rear seats, folding center console, and rear doors that open almost 90 degrees. The "conversation mirror" is kind of a worthless gimmick, however. Two things surprised me, one good, one bad. First, the ride is rougher than I expected, especially in the back seat. However, the little 4 banger they put in this thing was adequate for city driving and a short trip on the highway. With two babies and 3 adults in the car I had no problem getting up to highway speed and merging safely.

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  Honda made some great improvements but missed some - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By lazerbeam - July 14 - 12:03 pm

  This is my second Ridgeline the first one was a 2007. It many bumps and warts but the 2017 fixed a lot of the issues. The gas mileage has improved significantly where I can easily get 21 mpg around town and 28 on the highway (which beats the EPA estimates). The ride, handling, power and acceleration have improved dramatically. Honda kept the great lockable trunk in the bed that is quite large and can double as an ice chest. The towing capacity has not changed, but I really didn’t buy this vehicle to tow anything other than a light capacity utility trailer. The fit and finish is Honda; quality materials, fit and finish as is always expected from them. But for all of Honda vaunted design and engineering prowess, they in my estimation missed the mark on several things. First off the navigation system is nothing more than a “Mickey Mouse” Garmin that has been bloated to the point of nearly impossible usefulness. First off, there is this beautiful 8” color screen that has these jumbo marquees and icons that reduce the overall useful height to roughly 3 ½”. What a waste of space. The marquees contain the street name/highway you are on or the name of an upcoming intersection. The size of the lettering is so large a blind person might almost be able to read it. Thus the need for the wide marquees. In the bottom corners there are two marquees (one each side) that consume 2/3rds the width of the screen and are about ¾” high. One contains the current altitude and the other the direction of travel. You can swap the data back and forth, but cannot turn them off. As with the marquee at the top of the screen they also contain large letters and numbers that are out of proportion to their usefulness. There are various large icons, some of which can be turned off floating around the map surface as well. The biggest issue with the navigation system is its interface. It is one of the most convoluted, un-intuitive ones I’ve ever had the displeasure of using. The next issue I have with the 2017 Ridgeline is the rear doors. Like many SUVs, the back row seats are more for kids than adults except for short jaunts around town. The problem is the rear doors only open about 65 to 70 degrees at most making entry and exit into the back seat for anyone but a kid an act of gymnastics. I can’t believe Honda could not come up with a better design than this. My final gripe is the lack of locking tailgate. I’m overly concerned that someone could steal the tailgate. There attachment points are somewhat complicated and it would take a highly determined and knowledge individual some amount of time and effort to take it off. The issue for me, and probably many other 2017 Ridgeline owners is installing a tonneau cover and securing contents in the bed. Honda offers, and I might add a rather expensive, folding tonneau cover for the 2017 Ridgeline. No drilling or rail attachments are required, and when the rear third of the cover is folded up the trunk lid opens all the way without any interference. I will admit that it is not 100% watertight but it is good enough for the average person. The tonneau cover as with the tailgate is not lockable. If the tailgate was lockable and with the tonneau cover down and clamped one could not get into the pickup bed without a key. Thus I could go to several shopping destinations, put things in my pickup bed and secure them until I was ready to unload. Pros: Great gas mileage Very good power and acceleration Quality fit, finish and materials Exceptional riding comfort and handling Cons: Poor navigation system and interface Poor rear door entry space Non-lockable tailgate

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  Excellent vehicle except the mpg - 2010 Honda Odyssey
  By diva_3181377 - July 13 - 5:52 pm

  This is my first Honda. Have a VW and BMW and had Toyotas before this. Compared to the VW and BMW, this is very reliable. So far the only thing broke was a door lock actuator which was fixed free under warranty. We occasionally go for long trips (~1200 miles one way) and it never had any issue. A very reliable vehicle. Bad -> MPG and tires. With city driving only, i see it ranges from 13 to 18. Highway, it is 23+. I take care of my cars really well and seems this mpg is normal for the vehicle of this size. The tires last only like <25K. Tried Yokohoma tires after the OEM. Next need to try something else like Pirelly. Aligned once and all were in good shape. Maintenance - i changed the transmission fluid, brake fluid and power steering fluid at 30k. Planning to do the same again at 60k. Also cleaned the MAF sensor and air/cabin filters (they were not dirty at all). Using 0W20 full synthetic oil and changes it when the MM shows 15% life. Also use the Techron once a year. Other than the brake job and TB job at 100k, i am not expecting any issues. Honda battery does not last long (multiple people experienced the same thing). Changed 1 time and then switched to the Auto zone brand.