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:

• 

  Nice car with some reservations - 2017 Honda Civic
  By James Bailey - February 5 - 7:14 am

  I traded a 2015 Honda Fit for my 2017 Sonic Grey Civic hatch. I loved the Fit, it was manual shift and I drove it 25000 miles in just under a year. But I saw the Civic hatch in the Sonic grey and had to have it. In retrospect, I wish Id kept the Fit, and heres why. 1. the seats - the Civic seats just arent as comfortable to me as the Fits were. My wife agrees. 2. Im not old but Im not young anymore, and getting in and out of the Civic is a chore. You sit on the ground, or so it feels. 3. Ive got some rattles in the Civic, driving on our lovely Michigan roads, and I never heard any rattles in the Fit. 4. Wind noise - the Fit had less of it. Heck, even my 1997 Ford Ranger has less wind noise in a good crosswind. 5. slight vibrations - between 55-65mph, not all the time, not every day, but its there. Friend of mine rode in it the other day, asked my why it was shimmying. It concerns me, because Ive heard other stories about Honda CVT trannys doing this. HOWEVER - the good - its not all bad!!! I absolutely love the power delivery with the turbo 1.5 and the CVT transmission. The car accelerates very smoothly (and quickly) and always seems to be in the right gear for the situation. Really works well. Fuel economy is very good, I average 38mpg in mixed driving and I have never turned on the econ setting. Cargo room is fantastic, we brought home a very large powered recliner one day that my wife said itll go in the car but I didnt believe her. It fit in the car no problem! Finally, the car looks great - its why I bought it. I love the Sonic grey color. But to sum up - the Fit I wanted to drive every day, and put 25K on it in a year. The Civic Ive had 6 months, and Ive put 5K on it. I drive my old Ford Ranger more. Cant explain exactly why, but the Civic just doesnt connect with me. I will likely trade it very soon.

• 

  Nice car with some reservations - 2017 Honda Civic
  By James Bailey - February 5 - 7:14 am

  I traded a 2015 Honda Fit for my 2017 Sonic Grey Civic hatch. I loved the Fit, it was manual shift and I drove it 25000 miles in just under a year. But I saw the Civic hatch in the Sonic grey and had to have it. In retrospect, I wish Id kept the Fit, and heres why. 1. the seats - the Civic seats just arent as comfortable to me as the Fits were. My wife agrees. 2. Im not old but Im not young anymore, and getting in and out of the Civic is a chore. You sit on the ground, or so it feels. 3. Ive got some rattles in the Civic, driving on our lovely Michigan roads, and I never heard any rattles in the Fit. 4. Wind noise - the Fit had less of it. Heck, even my 1997 Ford Ranger has less wind noise in a good crosswind. 5. slight vibrations - between 55-65mph, not all the time, not every day, but its there. Friend of mine rode in it the other day, asked my why it was shimmying. It concerns me, because Ive heard other stories about Honda CVT trannys doing this. HOWEVER - the good - its not all bad!!! I absolutely love the power delivery with the turbo 1.5 and the CVT transmission. The car accelerates very smoothly (and quickly) and always seems to be in the right gear for the situation. Really works well. Fuel economy is very good, I average 38mpg in mixed driving and I have never turned on the econ setting. Cargo room is fantastic, we brought home a very large powered recliner one day that my wife said itll go in the car but I didnt believe her. It fit in the car no problem! Finally, the car looks great - its why I bought it. I love the Sonic grey color. But to sum up - the Fit I wanted to drive every day, and put 25K on it in a year. The Civic Ive had 6 months, and Ive put 5K on it. I drive my old Ford Ranger more. Cant explain exactly why, but the Civic just doesnt connect with me. I will likely trade it very soon.

• 

  Nice car with some reservations - 2017 Honda Civic
  By James Bailey - February 5 - 7:14 am

  I traded a 2015 Honda Fit for my 2017 Sonic Grey Civic hatch. I loved the Fit, it was manual shift and I drove it 25000 miles in just under a year. But I saw the Civic hatch in the Sonic grey and had to have it. In retrospect, I wish Id kept the Fit, and heres why. 1. the seats - the Civic seats just arent as comfortable to me as the Fits were. My wife agrees. 2. Im not old but Im not young anymore, and getting in and out of the Civic is a chore. You sit on the ground, or so it feels. 3. Ive got some rattles in the Civic, driving on our lovely Michigan roads, and I never heard any rattles in the Fit. 4. Wind noise - the Fit had less of it. Heck, even my 1997 Ford Ranger has less wind noise in a good crosswind. 5. slight vibrations - between 55-65mph, not all the time, not every day, but its there. Friend of mine rode in it the other day, asked my why it was shimmying. It concerns me, because Ive heard other stories about Honda CVT trannys doing this. HOWEVER - the good - its not all bad!!! I absolutely love the power delivery with the turbo 1.5 and the CVT transmission. The car accelerates very smoothly (and quickly) and always seems to be in the right gear for the situation. Really works well. Fuel economy is very good, I average 38mpg in mixed driving and I have never turned on the econ setting. Cargo room is fantastic, we brought home a very large powered recliner one day that my wife said itll go in the car but I didnt believe her. It fit in the car no problem! Finally, the car looks great - its why I bought it. I love the Sonic grey color. But to sum up - the Fit I wanted to drive every day, and put 25K on it in a year. The Civic Ive had 6 months, and Ive put 5K on it. I drive my old Ford Ranger more. Cant explain exactly why, but the Civic just doesnt connect with me. I will likely trade it very soon.

• 

  Fun to drive - 2017 Honda Accord
  By Anne Benck - February 4 - 10:12 pm

  Loved the look of the car and the way it handled. Responsive steering and plenty of power in the V-6. On the negative side, I think the two screens is distracting while driving and the seats were quite uncomfortable for both me and my son, especially the hard lumbar support. Too bad there wasnt an option to upgrade the seats to ones that were more plush. The front seats in the Honda CR-V were better.

• 

  Big, fun SUV with hard seats - 2004 Honda Pilot
  By nomoreolds - February 4 - 10:00 am

  Im six feet, six inches tall, and some of the midsize SUVs dont offer enough headroom. Enter the Pilot! Ive got multiple inches to spare above my head, and plenty of legroom and shoulder room, too (the Highlander I test-drove afterwards felt small and cramped). Visibility is excellent. Performance is surprisingly good, and build quality is the best Ive ever seen. The only downsides are (1) The EPA mileage rating was optimistic -- no big surprise, and (2) The leather seats are definitely not soft and cushy like a luxury cars. You sit *on* them, not *in* them. My 240 pounds dont even dent the seat cushions.

• 

  Nice - 2013 Honda Accord
  By barryinmass - February 3 - 9:09 am

  I traded in my 2011 Accord SE on this guy. Overall definitely an upgrade. Styling is similar, but refined all around, and more handsome. Structure and doors feel more solid, no doubt because they are - Honda upgraded the structural architectural and steel strengths used. Car is quieter overall. I did prefer the driving experience of my previous automatic Accords transmission, but this CVT does improve mileage significantly, better than the manual! I am averaging a little over 30mpg in predominantly highway, but mixed driving, and the highway is done at 75mph. The CVT keeps the RPMs down under light load - around town I dont even cross 1500RPM under casual conditions.

• 

  Reliable w/ very good gas mileage - 2002 Honda CR-V
  By Mark Sillitto - February 2 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my first Honda a little over a year ago. It has been very reliable, gets good gas mileage and is fun to drive. Power is a little weak with the 4cyl engine even with a manual stick. The interior is roomy for four adults and thats about it. Engine is a bit noisey on the highway. I feel safe operating this vehicle. Its not so high off the ground that you need a ladder but the view does improve operating safety I believe.

• 

  The Civic from a Technical Point of View - 2002 Honda Civic
  By savou - February 2 - 1:56 am

  The 1.7L EX has plenty of low end power for its engine size. I find its suspension too soft. This is a problem in high speed slaloms when the car doesnt seem to want to follow the line you are asking it to. In turns the car will typically understeer but by letting go of the gas pedal you can easily convert it to a pleasant oversteer. The factory tires are among the worst (mine came with Firestone). The Honda spoiler is quite anoying. It makes the car rear end look bigger than it already is and blocks a rather large section of your rear view. The car is very very reliable and the engine is a jewel. You can drive it right up to the redline non stop and it will always work perfectly.

• 

  Cupholders - 2016 Honda CR-V
  By mil6 - February 1 - 8:19 am

  There are 2 usable cup holders in the front. There could be more closed storage compartments, as well. But the most serious problems are the vast array of technology controls. These GUIs did not try to use the natural extension of past interfaces which would have made them more intuitive. There is an awful lot of stuff arrayed all over the dash which is a distraction. The icons on many of the controls are too small to quickly scan. The voice commands must be precise and because they are not natural language confusing. The manuals are incomplete and poorly illustrated and indexed. The vehicle handles well and is comfortable.

• 

  Great Product--Service is lacking... - 2003 Honda Accord
  By 2nd and last Honda - January 30 - 10:00 am

  I had issues with the original brakes pads and rotors for the first 15,000 miles which cause other problems. (I purchased aftermarket pads and rotors. This fix my other problems. Who would have guees it.) My other issue involves the fuel tank sending unit (the fuel gauge). My fuel gauge is off by 4 gallons on 17.1 gallon tank. From my experience, serveral local Honda dealerships will do almost everything to put off doing warranty work. When American Honda get involved, they can not make their dealerships to perform any work. By the way, fuel gauge can be more than 20% according to American Honda. Otherwise, it is a good car.