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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  Great car for your money - 2016 Honda Civic
  By Bart - December 31 - 5:38 pm

  I have had the new Civic EX-L for about a couple of weeks now. From a guy who has owned luxury cars in the past, I was really surprised at how much I like this car. Everyone I have shown it to cannot believe that the car is a Civic and I have received a lot of complements about the car. Exterior and Styling This Civic is wider and looks sportier than all of the Civics in the past. You cant really even call the this a compact car anymore. The spacious cabin gives ample space for 4 grown adults. Interior The EX-L comes with the leather wrapped steering wheel and seats and while you cant compare the leather seats to a Lexus, the Civic leather seating is still quite comfortable. The infotainment center is unlike any other car I have been in. Its basically an Ipad or Android tablet. Pretty much everything is controlled through touch screen gestures except for a few things such as temperature control. Some people of complained about the lack of physical knobs and buttons for controlling audio and other settings. My experience is that if you are familiar with an IPad, you shouldnt have any problems with this car. Also, most of the time, as the driver, when I need to change audio volume for changing radio stations I would use the steering wheel audio controls which work great. The center cup holder console is massive and can hold anything from large bottles of liquids or for storage of coins and miscellaneous items. Tech Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are awesome. The navigation system of your phone will beat any built in navigation system. Integration with music apps such as Spotify was seamless. The Civic has a built-in camera on the right side mirror which is activated when you turn on the right turn signal allowing the driver to see a view of the right hand side in the infotainment center. Some people may find this distracting but I find it immensely helpful when changing lanes. Performance This 1.5 turbo is peppy. I believe 0-60 on this car is about 6.8 to 7.0 seconds which I believe is the fastest for any car in its class. I cant wait to see what happens when the Si or Type R version will be when it comes out. The turbo kicks in fairly quickly if you want it to. Theres even a gauge for it that is shown in the instrument console. The handling is responsive and the brakes are solid. The MPG on the sticker says 30 City, 40 Highway. Theres no way you will get that unless you drive like a grandmother with the ECO mode always enabled. Its more likely you get around 30 MPG for highway. What I didnt like CVT Engine: Coming from a V6 luxury car, this CVT engine sounds very rough. While its not a problem when the car is moving, it does get quite loud with this droning sound when the car gets going from stop. It took a while for me to get used to the sound of the engine and its no longer an issue for me now but I can see some people might cross this car off their list just because of this CVT engine. Im thinking the Si and Type R versions will not get a CVT and come with a highly coveted manual transmission option. Rear Camera: The resolution for rear view camera is not good. The images can be fuzzy especially at night or when its raining. Its also placed in a position where its very noticeable and not protected from the elements. Thats not good design. Side Camera: The side camera on the right has better resolution than the rear camera but its also pretty big. Youll notice it right away. With todays technology you would have thought they would have been able to make the cameras smaller Headlight: I didnt go for the Touring version because I wasnt interested in the features it offered such as the improved audio or heated seats in the back. But one thing I do regret not getting are the better head lights. The yellow standard headlights of the Civic just make it look cheap. For EX-L they really should have given it Xenon. Car Play Freezes: From time to time, Car Play wont work correctly. Its most likely a problem with the phone. I would have to reset my phone in order for Car Play to connect correctly. Otherwise, I would get no audio or buzzing noises coming from the speakers Honda Voice Recognition: Hondas built in voice recognition software is horrendous. The voice recognition is used to make phone calls and I have yet to get that to work correctly once. I always just use Siri option to make the calls. Siri seems to do a much better job of picking up my words. Overall, for what I paid for the car (which was below invoice), I feel that I got a lot of car for my money. Time will tell how reliable this new Civic platform will be.

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  Amazed so far - 2008 Honda Accord
  By steel811 - December 31 - 1:20 pm

  I bought the 2008 Accord 6 days ago, have put 300 miles on it, and so far, all I can say is...nothing! Im so impressed by this car that I am speechless. The handling of the car around turns is amazing, the engine responds with the right amount of "juice" when I need it, plus I get tons of compliments on its looks. I seriously cant count the number of times someone has said, "whend you get the BM-er?" Not to mention, I have already driven it through a snow storm, which ironically was the day I bought the car, and it handled beautifully! I have nothing but praise for the folks at Honda for hitting a home run on the 2008 Accord!

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  3rd Accord - 2001 Honda Accord
  By Doug - December 31 - 12:07 pm

  I love Accords and will continue to buy them. They seem to go through 3 year stretches of good looking then plain and back again. Very reliable but pricey to fix. I took the remote door lock off my key ring because the panic button has a hair trigger, it starts the horn honking by itself in your pocket.

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  Zippy Little Car - 2005 Honda Accord
  By CH - December 31 - 10:50 am

  After driving SUVs for ten years, the Accord Hybrid is a blast to drive. Over 30,000 miles in one year, and the gas savings keep adding up... and Increasing with the continual rise in gas prices. At expressway speeds, I average 32mpg. Style, comfort, pep, and economy. What else could you want.

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  One Sweet Car - 2000 Honda Prelude
  By bh - December 30 - 9:13 pm

  I bought this car as I loved the sleek and sporty body style plus knew of Hondas reliability. Ive owned the car over 4 years and the only thing Ive done is put a new battery in it. Due to my getting older I am thinking about trading it for a Tacoma but am having a very difficult time bringing myself to do it. 28 MPG on the open road and it handles so smoothly. The paint on it still has a showroom shine but I really baby the car. If anyone is looking for an incredibly sporty car that will get you looks plus the added benefit of great reliability than get yourself one of these babies. You wont be sorry.

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  Just what a starting family needed - 2008 Honda Pilot
  By Out of 714 - December 30 - 1:39 pm

  We got the outgoing 2008 Pilot EX-L at a great deal as the 2009s were coming in later that month. We are glad we went with the Pilot as this is my 4th Honda product. Chose the mocha metallic with saddle leather seats. The lighter color gave it the sense of more room and upscale over the gray available in the darker models. Lots of room for the babys carseat and easy hook up to the latches. Tons of room in cargo area with 3rd row folded. Stroller and groceries fit with room to spare. Engine is very smooth and eases with on ramps and passing. The interior is a little dated, but after 5 years of this model, Honda has worked out all the bugs by now

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  Great car - 2006 Honda Element
  By Brian - December 30 - 1:19 pm

  Have had this car for 3 yrs/60 k miles. Great car. Super cheap to own, amazingly reliable. Standard maintenance is really inexpensive, and only every 10k miles. This is not a luxury car. There is no wood trim/leather seats, etc. What you see is what you get. But its plenty peppy, drives very smooth, and fits in compact car parking spots. Excellent turning radius. Blind spots do take some getting used to though - my only complaint. Excellent in the snow. Excellent build quality. Excellent cargo capacity. Seats are easy to flip up or take out. Even comfortable to sleep in, which I have done many times at trail heads before climbs!

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  Rough Riding - 2007 Honda Accord
  By tgoyer - December 30 - 12:30 pm

  I have owned several Hondas over the years. I have owned LXs, EXs, and CRVs. The 07 Accord has been very disappointing in regard to the ride compared to the previous models I have owned. It is like riding in a log wagon. On bumpy roads you feel every bump and the steering feels unstable. Does not have the solid feel of the previous Accords. Does fine on smooth roads but get ready to get your teeth rattled on bumpy roads at any speed.

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  Difficult car not to love - 2008 Honda CR-V
  By Robert Schoell - December 30 - 10:11 am

  After owning a 2002 CRV for over 5 problem-free years (and reselling it for 55% of its original value), we decided to go for a new CRV. One year later were very glad we did so. This car shines due to its dependability (absolutely no problems experienced) and the sheer thoughtfulness that went into its design and construction. Whatever aspect you look at, steering, seating, handling, this car performs diligently whether in-city, or on mountain tracks. There are faster, flashier and more powerful SUVs out there, but I dont know of any other that gives you the great peace of mind that comes with CRV combined with the pleasure of driving such a well-designed and thought-through vehicle.

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  Not Bad, Not Bad at All - 2005 Honda Civic
  By G. Marek - December 30 - 8:00 am

  I purchased my 2005 Civic Hybrid used, with just over 5700 miles on it. The vehicle has surprised me with its get up and go, good acceleration. I was worried it would be sluggish, but I am happy to say I was mistaken. Very comfy interior, great sound on the stereo system, and the AC will ice you down (living in Texas, this is a good thing). I like the little pseudo-fin on the back, adds a sporty little touch. Though a small car, it feels solidly put together and handles admirably. Of course, most importantly the gas mileage is sensational, and this was the main reason I got this car. I have not been disappointed, and I wouldnt expect anything less coming from Honda. Recommended!