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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  LOVED 2007 2015 DISAPPOINTMENT - 2015 Honda Odyssey
  By Richard Grand - July 18 - 8:14 am

  LOVED 2007 TOURING. Had 2 minor gripes: Passenger seat too close to dash Proprietary run flat tires could only be repaired/replaced at Honda dealer. 2015 TOURING NOT SO MUCH. Ride way too stiff. Amplifies road noise. Front seats difficult to ingress/egress (~12" laterally from ground, hard to get into contoured seat). Ledge under door collects water/dirt which gets on clothes. Awkward steering wheel adjustment required for drivers of different size. Infotainment system not intuitive and way too complicated. One tone for all alerts is a safety problem (have to take eyes off road to determine cause). Nitpicking interior items include: no coin holder, front cup holders not convenient, no storage for headsets in second row. PLUSES: Rear view camera is great. Setting Navigation screen back into dash with cowl is a major improvement. CONCLUSION: Very disappointed. Will not keep this van for usual length of time

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  My 4th and last Honda - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By K Stiefel - July 16 - 8:46 am

  Everything was going well until 89000 miles when the A/C started blowing warm air. Honda, after settling a 40 million dollar class action suit for failed compressor clutches on these A/C units extended the warranty to 7 yrs or 100,000 miles. I never received notification about this. Ive had the vehicle for almost 8 yrs but well under the mileage. Honda service said "oh well". Honda of America may pay "a portion" of the repair but wont tell me how much. Honda has known about this problem and did nothing for owners to remedy it before failure. I guess the good Honda name means nothing now. Honda does not stand behind their product. Google this and you will see complaint after complaint about this problem. Also OEM tires ride horribly and lasted 25000 miles. Highway ride is rough. Inside dome light doesnt work. I am so done with Honda.

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  [non-permissible content removed] - 2010 Honda Civic
  By Dan Sylvia - July 14 - 11:09 am

  This car I got a good deal on getting for about 14k used with roughly 35k miles. Gas MPG is way off, theres no way I get 36 highway or 28 city. Acceleration is very poor especially coming from a 6 cylinder maxima. Car is a good first car maybe because of its poor acceleration and ease to drive. Not really a fun ride, however it is reliable. I havent had to repair anything and now Im a little over 60k miles. Im personally not a fan of the car with the way it drives.

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  bad paint - 2007 Honda Civic
  By Jessica Jarvis - July 12 - 3:06 pm

  i love the way the car runs, very reliable. research the paint color you are buying because there are some that have had problems cracking. Nighthawk black pearl is the color of my car and the hood and front bumpers look aweful. They are cracked more than any car that i have seen this age, and i have taken good care of the car. interior is decent. exterior gets 0 stars, the paint stinks.

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  Bad vibrations - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Chris D - July 9 - 10:55 am

  Bought a 2015 CR-V new less than a week ago. For the first few days it was a perfect car, then it started vibrating horribly at idle when in drive. Apparently this a known issue (just search the internet, Honda even has a video about it) that the "reputable" car rating websites chose to ignore when giving the car five star ratings. Dont be tricked into buying this car.

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  Give me a brake - 2012 Honda Odyssey
  By ericlight - July 2 - 4:56 am

  Honda spent a lot of time redesigning this minivan but skimped on the quality. There should be a class action lawsuit over brake warpage and suspension noise. Honda is charging consumers to routinely fix a design defect. If rotors warp at 12-15k miles regardless of driving style then you have a design flaw. Everyone we know who owns this van has warped rotors. So much of this van is well designed but they didnt car about the most important safety system.

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  Dont buy a Honda Fit - 2015 Honda Fit
  By pepemarco - July 1 - 2:24 pm

  Ive been driving honda cars since 1977 -- and the Fit is truly disappointing. The locks on the car doors and the hatchback are now jamming, so we cant open them the rear shocks are failing and there is a terrible odor coming from the heater that the dealer wont fix. STAY AWAY FROM THE HONDA FIT.

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  Poorly redesigned - 2015 Honda Accord
  By tmahler - June 26 - 7:04 pm

  The redesign of the 2015 Accord is poorly done. Seats are extremely uncomfortable, dashboard is poorly planned out, doors are awkward and heavy to open. The exterior design looks like a box and it has poor maneuverability. The steering wheel has that infernal Bluetooth poorly located. Every time I put my hands on the wheel the Bluetooth comes up. Very poor positioning.

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  Honda Quality....Are you Kidding?? - 2014 Honda Odyssey
  By terryauto - June 21 - 8:02 pm

  We purchased our 2014 Honda Odyssey last August. We decided to buy the Honda on reputation and the smoothness of the Honda Engine. Boy were we wrong. We have owned many new car brands, GM, Ford, Jeep, Lincoln, Volvo, Mercedes Chrysler to name some. We have never had the troubles with those brands as with the Honda.The big issue was that at around 8200 miles the head gasket blew. Now a check engine light is on. I have years of prof auto experience and Honda did not complete the repairs to proper standards. The car does not rde, perform, or have as good ergonomics as the KIA loaner we had from Enterprise! Now that was a shock to us as we never gave the Kia a look when shopping. We are done!

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  Dont Buy - 2012 Honda Accord
  By taranm1985 - June 18 - 1:49 am

  I have a 2012 Honda Accord ex 4 cyl. It hesitates when pulling out and when changing gears. Its still under warranty and Im having to go through a consumption test on the oil because its using so much oil. I had a Honda Accord LX 2000 V6 that I wish I still had it was a great car. I decided against leather interior and went with fabric. The interior is a dark black plush fabric and is a total nightmare to clean and to try to keep clean. I wish I had never purchased this car. Also the seats are not comfortable.