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:

• 

  Fun , but. - 2005 Honda Accord
  By Mark Deats - April 21 - 5:43 pm

  I have enjoyed the first year in this 6 speed coupe.The only real complaint is the light feeling of the front end when the torque steer kicks in at about 6000 rpm. I almost put in in a ditch the first time it happened. Overall it has been fun ride although I think the 2001 Accord Coupe I had handled and rode better.

• 

  Next time, go with the 4 banger. - 2003 Honda Accord
  By Danny - April 17 - 5:53 pm

  Car drives smooth and much improved over the previous model. Mileage around town stinks because the auto tranny doesnt allow 5th gear until 48MPH. It rates 20 city 28 hwy and have never achieved more than 24, even with pure highway driving. Ive had miscellaneous electrical glitches (switches and radio backlight going out) which is not typical of Honda.

• 

  Hybrid: not up to expectations - 2005 Honda Accord
  By berrytarte - April 16 - 6:56 am

  I have always loved Honda vehicles and at first glance this looked to be a great way to lower my fuel costs and payments. As time went by, I realized that I would have been much happier with a regular Accord. I am not getting the fuel mileage that the hybrid was supposed to have. I have also realized that the missing trunk space does become a factor when you are making a trip with several people. There is also a strange "lag" in the engine between 40 and 50 mph that I just cannot adjust to. The switching between hybrid and gas engines provides a very jerky feel when you are driving at those speeds.

• 

  New Civic - 2016 Honda Civic
  By Lou Tatulli - April 15 - 2:40 pm

  Great re-design of the Civic, especially the tail lights and overall body. Good value from one of the most reliable and almost maintenance free cars on the market. Air conditioner is loud when on full tilt so fan adjustment needed to hear music.

• 

  Honda 95 - 1995 Honda Civic
  By Eric - April 15 - 8:50 am

  This car is dependable with working air zone heat, defrost . Standard, electric windows.

• 

  Fuel economy? - 2006 Honda Accord
  By Stephanie Morrison - April 14 - 7:40 pm

  My Accord is only 1,300 miles old, and I am consistently getting only 17 MPG when it claims to get 20 - 29. Is there something wrong here? I was expecting at least 22 MPG. I drive mostly short, city drives, but I still averaged only about 17 mpg on a tank of gas that included about 120 miles of highway driving at an average of 65 mph. Perhaps I will contact Honda to inquire. The drivers seat could be more cushy - its a little stiff and thin feeling. Brakes are a tad grabby - wondering if that will subside over time. Other than those issues, I think it is a well made car and the drive is very sporty and solid.

• 

  My 2003 CR-V trip to Colorado - 2005 Honda CR-V
  By MJ Stewart - April 14 - 6:13 pm

  I bought my Cr-V in March of 2003. I drove it to Colorado in August. It performed just great. I love it. I had a 97 before that and loved it also. I got excellent trade in price for the 97. I would reccomend the Cr-V to everyone.

• 

  Not bad, not great spend some time in the seat - 2017 Honda Civic
  By M. Smith - April 12 - 8:42 am

  We got our civic hatchback on a lease due to some aggressive pricing at the time. We picked it over the new Subaru Impreza hatchback, Focus and Mazda 3. I am coming into this car from a 2012 skyactiv Mazda 3 touring sedan. We were looking for a hatchback that could hold an infant seat. The civic has plenty of room for our seat without adjusting the front seat which is great. We liked the interior space of the car and of course the hatchback is a huge plus. The seats almost fold flat and ease of loading junk in and out is good. Acceleration and fuel economy are both great. Ride quality is better than I thought but not as good as the Impreza. Wind and road noise is pretty good, maybe slightly above average but not class leading. Now on to the not so good. Things you may not notice on a test drive. The lack of a volume knob bothers me way more than I thought. This thing is also super hard to clean on the outside leaves and little bits get down in all the cracks and creases on the rear end. When I wash my car I have to get that junk out or it would bother me to no end. The interior is not much better the material of the seat and armrest gets dirty fast and all the spots in the overly busy dash hold dirt that can be a pain to get out. The seats are not comfortable for tall people on long drives. I am 6 tall 190lbs with a big build(broad shoulders/chest) the bolstering on the upper part of the seat puts pressure on my shoulders and the lumbar support is just a bit off. After about 30 minutes I am ready to get out and stretch. I can do hours at a time in our Outback or my work truck no problem. Its somehow manages to be quick without being fun. The mazda 3 seems to be the bench mark for fun to drive in this class and to me the civic is just lacking something in the feel even compared to now ancient Ford Focus. Yes its fast, yes it stays planted, yes it can make some fun noises but the cvt while quite good and effective at day to day driving saps all fun out of it. I cant help but feel with a manual this car would be a blast. It also lacks the feed back and just that explainable fun factor the mazda has. Overall its not a bad car perhaps its a little overly complex on the design side but if you are on the smaller side and just need something to get you to and from work this may be your car. For me I am dumping it when the lease is up and looking for something more my size.

• 

  Not bad, not great spend some time in the seat - 2017 Honda Civic
  By M. Smith - April 12 - 8:42 am

  We got our civic hatchback on a lease due to some aggressive pricing at the time. We picked it over the new Subaru Impreza hatchback, Focus and Mazda 3. I am coming into this car from a 2012 skyactiv Mazda 3 touring sedan. We were looking for a hatchback that could hold an infant seat. The civic has plenty of room for our seat without adjusting the front seat which is great. We liked the interior space of the car and of course the hatchback is a huge plus. The seats almost fold flat and ease of loading junk in and out is good. Acceleration and fuel economy are both great. Ride quality is better than I thought but not as good as the Impreza. Wind and road noise is pretty good, maybe slightly above average but not class leading. Now on to the not so good. Things you may not notice on a test drive. The lack of a volume knob bothers me way more than I thought. This thing is also super hard to clean on the outside leaves and little bits get down in all the cracks and creases on the rear end. When I wash my car I have to get that junk out or it would bother me to no end. The interior is not much better the material of the seat and armrest gets dirty fast and all the spots in the overly busy dash hold dirt that can be a pain to get out. The seats are not comfortable for tall people on long drives. I am 6 tall 190lbs with a big build(broad shoulders/chest) the bolstering on the upper part of the seat puts pressure on my shoulders and the lumbar support is just a bit off. After about 30 minutes I am ready to get out and stretch. I can do hours at a time in our Outback or my work truck no problem. Its somehow manages to be quick without being fun. The mazda 3 seems to be the bench mark for fun to drive in this class and to me the civic is just lacking something in the feel even compared to now ancient Ford Focus. Yes its fast, yes it stays planted, yes it can make some fun noises but the cvt while quite good and effective at day to day driving saps all fun out of it. I cant help but feel with a manual this car would be a blast. It also lacks the feed back and just that explainable fun factor the mazda has. Overall its not a bad car perhaps its a little overly complex on the design side but if you are on the smaller side and just need something to get you to and from work this may be your car. For me I am dumping it when the lease is up and looking for something more my size.

• 

  Not bad, not great spend some time in the seat - 2017 Honda Civic
  By M. Smith - April 12 - 8:42 am

  We got our civic hatchback on a lease due to some aggressive pricing at the time. We picked it over the new Subaru Impreza hatchback, Focus and Mazda 3. I am coming into this car from a 2012 skyactiv Mazda 3 touring sedan. We were looking for a hatchback that could hold an infant seat. The civic has plenty of room for our seat without adjusting the front seat which is great. We liked the interior space of the car and of course the hatchback is a huge plus. The seats almost fold flat and ease of loading junk in and out is good. Acceleration and fuel economy are both great. Ride quality is better than I thought but not as good as the Impreza. Wind and road noise is pretty good, maybe slightly above average but not class leading. Now on to the not so good. Things you may not notice on a test drive. The lack of a volume knob bothers me way more than I thought. This thing is also super hard to clean on the outside leaves and little bits get down in all the cracks and creases on the rear end. When I wash my car I have to get that junk out or it would bother me to no end. The interior is not much better the material of the seat and armrest gets dirty fast and all the spots in the overly busy dash hold dirt that can be a pain to get out. The seats are not comfortable for tall people on long drives. I am 6 tall 190lbs with a big build(broad shoulders/chest) the bolstering on the upper part of the seat puts pressure on my shoulders and the lumbar support is just a bit off. After about 30 minutes I am ready to get out and stretch. I can do hours at a time in our Outback or my work truck no problem. Its somehow manages to be quick without being fun. The mazda 3 seems to be the bench mark for fun to drive in this class and to me the civic is just lacking something in the feel even compared to now ancient Ford Focus. Yes its fast, yes it stays planted, yes it can make some fun noises but the cvt while quite good and effective at day to day driving saps all fun out of it. I cant help but feel with a manual this car would be a blast. It also lacks the feed back and just that explainable fun factor the mazda has. Overall its not a bad car perhaps its a little overly complex on the design side but if you are on the smaller side and just need something to get you to and from work this may be your car. For me I am dumping it when the lease is up and looking for something more my size.