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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  Ho Hum - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By Not Buyin - August 23 - 10:00 am

  Ive been using a Pilot, but wont be buying one. Does anyone get near the advertised MPG? Does anyone with taste really get excited about the exterior? Just another SUV aspiring to be a minivan if you ask me. Not worth the price premium--you can buy a vwery decent sedan AND a pickup for the price.

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  Hybrid? Great! - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Eman - August 23 - 7:33 am

  I have owned my hybrid for about a year now and love it. I drive mostly in the 45-55 mph range and average anywhere from 45-52 mpg. My mileage all depends on how much I use the A/C and how much I gas from a stand still. I have taken the car on a long trip and it was comfortable! I would definitely recommend this car.

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  Second Pilot - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By homerlly - August 19 - 12:16 am

  The only reason why I gave up my 05 Pilot was because of the additional safety features added in 06. I also opted for the Nav as well. The only 2 shortcomings as I see it are lack of "daylight" lights as found in other 06 Hondas and lower gas miles than the 05 I returned. You just cant beat the utility, reliability and fun that the Pilot gives - a perfect family car!

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  impulse buy - 2003 Honda S2000
  By Hondarific - August 16 - 2:00 am

  After owning this car for a month I have to say.....I wish I would have waited. All the power is @ the high RPM bands which is great for highways and wide open roads but for day to day use in real world situations it leaves a lot to be desired. Another thing worth mentioning is that I had to have my wife take a cab when we got a flat tire because the damaged tire had to ride shotgun.

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  Brakes - 2008 Honda Accord
  By Ken - August 15 - 10:10 am

  I was just informed that I will need new rear brakes. The car just has 25K; they ought to go over 40K. The dealership I took the car to told me I was told that they are seeing cars needing brakes in 15K miles. My driving is mostly highway which probably accounts for the fact that I got more. I cannot imagine that Honda was unaware of this problem. Unfortunately I bought a 2009 EX-L Honda Accord before I became aware of the problem. Honda needs to correct it immediately and reimburse customers for any repairs. If they do not correct the problem, I plan on telling everyone I know about it and recommending that they not buy the car.

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  Comfort and balance - 2007 Honda Accord
  By jf - August 14 - 11:03 am

  Just received 2 weeks ago my new Honda Accord EX-L w/navi. It is my first Honda purchase after owning a Subaru Legacy. I love the light of dashboard and comfort of leather seats. The interior is amazing and the navi is so user friendly. If asked for same amount of money to choose a navi or a V6 I will opt for the Navi; it adds a dimension to traveling that a V6 will not give you (might be slower to unknown destination). Smooth drive.

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  It Grows On You - 2009 Honda Accord
  By Don - August 14 - 5:13 am

  I have owned this Accord for 7 months and overall its a very nice car. The interior is roomy, plenty of shoulder and leg room. The ride and handling are crisp with a bit of European flavor to it, though it falls just short of the total experience. The sound system is OK but tends to be shrill at times. Gas mileage has been acceptable but not particularly notable. The seats are firm, and at first I didnt care for them, but after a while I learned to appreciate that the firmness is really part of the overall ride and handling and you feel more attuned and attached to the driving experience. Acceleration is middling but OK. Smooth and almost transparent shifting. Great car for commuting.

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  Overall Great Car - 2002 Honda Accord
  By dawson123 - August 12 - 3:33 am

  I bought a Honda because I drive a lot and I wanted good reliable transportation. The car has a great transmission shifts very smooth. It also has very good pickup for a 4 cylinder engine.

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  Its a Honda - 2006 Honda Civic
  By mark - August 11 - 8:46 pm

  Traded in a 05 2 door Civic LX for the 06 4 door EX. Even though car has more ponies it will get you where you want but still seems weak on horsepower. The design of the car really caught my eye, and the materials are of the quality you would expect. The price is not bad considering you get moon roof, alloy wheels,side curtain air bags,ABS, and a sticker EPA of 40mpg hwy. I had compared the new Jetta and the Mazda 3. The Jetta was more expensive and both did not get the EPA mileage the Civic is supposed to. As I said "its a Honda". This new Civic is a good looker but still is pretty plain vanilla when it comes to driving experience. Reliability rated excellent but really have not had long enough

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  Safety Issues, Anyone?! - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By SARSteve - August 11 - 5:55 am

  I love driving this car, enough to trade in a low milage 2013 Pilot for it. However... I have several issues, and as others have stated, Honda rushes to close cases of complaints... official statement by Honda Corporate Customer Service: "It works as designed, there is no problem." #1 The hood on the car flexes/bends in ALL directions when passing 18 wheelers at highway speeds on windy days in the desert: I have filed a report with the NTSB. The dealer cannot duplicate this condition, so the case keeps getting closed... well see about that! #2 The Touch Screen System is Junk! Not only is it slow and hard to navigate, I have now been told from Honda that ".. you cannot connect a phone to the usb port and use the phone to place a call at the same time." Say WHAT?! The phone will only work on bluetooth, and will not do that if the phone is plugged in to listen to music that is stored on it. SO, if you need to make an emergency call, you have to unplug the phone... but good luck getting a fast connection, or any connection, without turning the car off to reboot the system. Not only that, but their system has corrupted two iPhone 6s in a row; the first one had to be replaced, and lost all data on it... A senior Tech at Apple said they have never seen a phone corrupted to this level #3 The receiver hitch is designed and built with a steep angle towards the ground in it: want to use a flat platform to move things? Watch it hit the ground on any steep driveway... and your bikes will not hang straight on a bike rack: that larger the rack, the worse it is. #4 The roof rack... is useless! My 2013 had openings in the side rails to attach straps/lines too.. where did they go? The new racks are very difficult to tie too, and the side rails also come shipped painted Silver Metallic Flake: ALL models, same color! I made my dealer paint it black to match my white cars trim. That was before finding out how useless the rack is... 8/11/2016 Update Did not drive car for four months: drove it to Arizona last week: #1 Hood still flexing in four directions when passing 18 wheelers on the freeway. #2 Touch screen completely blacked out twice during the trip: had to pull off the freeway, shut the car off and back on to reboot computer..?! Still refuses to interface with my iPhone 6, but at least it did not destroy my phones software as it did twice before... both phones had to be replaced: Apple says they have never seen this level of damage to their OS before. #3 Gas pump nozzle did not shut off quick enough, spilled small amount of gas around the filler tube and into the built in drain: entire car filled with gas fumes, had to roll down all the windows and wait a half hour to continue driving... #4 Gas fill cover does not lay flat on fender: dealer says they are all arriving that way, there is no fix! Dropped the car at the dealer yesterday, told them to keep it until it gets repaired: told them I will file a Lemon Law case against them if they do not repair it asap. Dealer has stated they have a major problem with all of their vehicles with Touch Screens, but Corporate Customer Care still claims there are no issues.