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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  not hondas best effort - 2000 Honda Odyssey
  By bellybuttonlint - April 18 - 2:00 am

  After owning a plymouth voyager, i was disappointed in the quality of the hondas interior features and equipment. The cupholders are flimsy causing frequent spills. The stereo system is second rate for a car of this caliber. Doors and body creak. Brakes and suspension are noisy. Gas mileage is poor. The folding rear seat is a nifty feature. The middle row captians chairs do not recline very far and this annoys my children.

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  Buying an Odyssey is a Pain - 2002 Honda Odyssey
  By Tweed - April 17 - 2:00 am

  The dealership that I was negotiating with was high pressure and the sales manager even screamed at me "DONT BUY THE MPV" repeatedly. A simply "Our resale value is better would have sufficed." I had to go elsewhere even though the car was offered at MSRP. Perhaps all this isnt worth getting the most popular minivan.

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  Over Priced Under Valued Pilot - 2004 Honda Pilot
  By GardenerM - April 13 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle rides like a wagon, stiff and bumpy. When taking turns, feels as though the body is sliding on the axle like a hot wheels car. Terrible gas mileage, but not surprising for an SUV. Youre paying (and dearly) for the Honda name! Vehicle cant hold a candle to their cars.

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  will never buy another honda - 2003 Honda CR-V
  By funeeldy - April 6 - 2:00 am

  The car is noisy and feels cheaply made. Very tinny. Lots of rattles and air noises. Very uncomfortable ride. The smallest bump in the road feels huge. Looses grip on tight turns on wet pavement. Feels like it could flip over very easily. The dealership service dept is aweful! They never believe my complaints and blow smoke up my butt about what they fixed. I will never buy another honda nor go to that dealer again! I am going back to subaru!

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  My 2008 Honda Accord Lemon - 2008 Honda Accord
  By Dennis Spitzer - March 30 - 2:46 am

  I bought my fourth Honda in December.I traded in my 2006 Se 4 door Accord.Boy do I regret that.I am having problems with the passenger side seat track,pealing paint on the rear bumper,Horrible Upholstery on the drivers side,and the major thing is an Major electrical problem with the Headlights and taillights flickering and dimming when you use the a/c and the cooling fans kick on and off.The dash lights and radio go in and out also with this problem.The 2008 Accord is a danger to the road....am a Handicapped citizen and basically Honda does not care about their faulty products.

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  Very disappointed! 2nd time owner - 2018 Honda Odyssey
  By April P - March 28 - 8:51 pm

  This is my 2nd Odyssey purchase of a brand new vehicle. I owned a 2012 from new until this year without a single problem. We decided to switch to the 2018 this year after seeing all of the fun new features. I regret that every time I drive this van! 1- the blu ray does not play blu ray movies. It will play previews and gets stuck on the main menu and never start the movie. Regular dvds also glitch. The player will get stuck on the main screen with a regular disc and wont play the movie until we push stop then play again. There are times it wont work at all and we have had to pull off the highway to stop the van and restart it multiple times before the dvd player would even work. 2- The auto stop feature hasnt worked 90% of the 7 months weve owned this van. It worked after we made a trip last month, but stopped again and hasnt worked since. 3- The foot to open the tailgate hasnt worked the last several times Ive tried to use it. It hardly works. 4- The camera for the back seats keeps freezing, and sometimes it doesnt work. 5- The gps is great when the features work. The "traffic ahead" feature has only worked a couple of times. 6- The internet is through AT&T, and we hardly used it during the trial period, but they claimed we used up the data allotted. We watched one hour long show that whole time. GMC has it straight using OnStar internet! 7- The object detection has almost caused me to crash a couple of times. It slammed my brakes to a grind in the middle of a busy intersection because the car in front of me was turning slowly as I passed it. 8- The auto bright lights is annoying. It turns my brights on when cars are still around and I wouldnt be using them. I read in the features that the sliding door buttons would not freeze each other and stop the door if they bit get pushed, but the doors freeze if my son and I push the buttons any time close to each other. I miss my 2012! Everything worked great on that van! Ive never experienced so many glitches with a brand new car as I have with this one! Weve bought 5 new cars in the last 5 years too! The Honda dealership just told us that wed have an update soon to fix the dvd player. That was 2 months ago. Im so disappointed! Its a beautiful van, but nothing works like its supposed to.

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  Let down by honda - 2007 Honda Civic
  By Elaine - March 28 - 3:09 am

  I bought my 2007 Honda Civic with only 58,000 have had one problem after another,starting with drivers side sun visor coming apart,to horrible vibration because of lose engine mount, wheel barrings had to be replaced and still hear popping noise when I turn sharp left,so disappointed in this honda

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  Poor Audio & Brake is funny - 2010 Honda CR-V
  By Haligi - March 24 - 10:56 pm

  Audio sound increase when I am driving, I dont know why but I ask the dispatching staff of T&T Honda Calgary, he told me its a design from Honda to increase its volume once you accelerated. And the brake is not as good as my old CR-V 2006, there is some funny situation when I used the brake, it stops but not good stop. I dont like also the head rest of the 2nd row

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  Bought into all the hype, big mistake - 2002 Honda Odyssey
  By Too Tall at 6 even - March 3 - 2:00 am

  Bad luck from day one. Leaked oil all over the garage floor. SInce then put new tranny in at 30K, multiple problems with drivers seat and sliding doors. Rattles throughout the interior. Rear liftgate is fine if you are under 5 ft 10. I am six feet and have the bumps on my head to proove it. Honda service is horrible. Should have bought the Toyota Sienna as planned but believed all the outstanding reviews on the Honda. Yes, I am a sucker for a sales pitch...

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  Roomy? Luxurious? Says who? - 2000 Honda Accord
  By Chill Will - February 14 - 10:00 am

  Okay, I do like the CD changer and sunroof. As for the rest of the car, I am not impressed. Outside, the design is bland, and the badly-aligned trunklid indicates poor build quality. Under the hood, I see a layout that dates back to 1990. Inside, controls and switchgear are well-weighted, but cheap materials are abundant. Seats are unsupportive, upholstered with econocar-like cloth, and cramped. The roof squeaks horribly, handling is wallowy, and the engine runs with an annoying drone. In the trunk, there is an un-lined trunklid, compact spare tire, and a rear seat that folds in one piece. No 60/40 split. This is unacceptable on a car of this class, where luxury is now an issue.