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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  Best bang for your buck - 1996 Honda Civic
  By fishboy88 - December 1 - 10:12 am

  I bought my 96 civic DX 5M when I was 19 with 130,xxx miles, it was the first car I bought and I am now 26 and the car is just about to role over to 200,000, it is still my daily driver, all in all its been the best investment Ive made, now there are a lot of little things that have gone wrong with the car over the years but nothing catastrophic (nothing over $500) and considering that I have ran the s*#t out of it ie driving fast,hard accelerations, burnouts, E-brake turns, just having fun, it has held up and still gets great mileage. I have drove it to Michigan twice and both time clocked my mileage and averaged 40-41MPG with two people and the car fully loaded for a camping trip.

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  OK, but features not up to high price - 2012 Honda CR-V
  By jenson23 - December 1 - 3:30 am

  A bit disappointed after reading so many stellar reviews. Lots of blind spots. Doors come up higher than my older cars (cant easily rest my arm on windowsill) probably for better safety, but that makes it very hard to see the 4 corners of the car, or see potholes by front passenger side, or see where the driveway edges are when Im backing up. Also very disappointed at the lack of lights. No light in glove box! No lights anywhere on outside door or mirror. When I open the door on a dark street at night, other cars cant see that its open! Very dangerous. Worst is getting in car at night and cant see button to quickly lock door, and have to feel / fumbling w/ key!

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  The BEST I have owned - 2004 Honda Element
  By maguu - November 30 - 2:23 pm

  I purchased my 2004 Element in 2007 w/36000 miles off a lease. I now have 86000 miles on it and have not had any mechanical issues so far. I hope to drive it for a long time yet. This is the best I have owned,I have owned several cars and trucks American and foreign but none of them was as trouble free as this has been. It drives very stable and AWD can take you thru a lot of snow and mud. I have used as a car,truck and camper,have towed my boat and ATV side by side without any complaint from her. Honda really screwed up dropping this from their lineup,they should have just kept tweaking it to improve it more. I really dont know what I will replace this with,maybe try to find a clean 2011.

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  Best car EVER - 2015 Honda Fit
  By melnjames - November 27 - 10:40 pm

  I have had my Fit for a week now and I absolutely love it. I was in the market for a small SUV for future business plans but if I am the only one in the car, there is a ton of room in the back with the seats folded down. The Fit has all of the latest technology (Bluetooth, rearview camera, pandora, etc). So far, my gas mileage has been averaging around 33 miles city. There are only two things I can point out that I dont like about my car. One is the engine noise. Around town, its louder than your average car but on the highway, its not much different than any other car. Also, I am not liking the cupholders way down low in the front. A passenger can not put a large drink there.

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  My 2007 CRV EX - 2007 Honda CR-V
  By r_man20001 - November 25 - 9:00 pm

  I purchased my certified new with 25K miles. I loved it and have been happy with it but have had reliability issues. My air conditioner failed and had to be replaced and the locking modulator has failed along with a door lock and my routine maintenance visit to the dealer yielded new struts. Im just at 77K miles with regular maintenance so thumbs down.

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  Gas mileage and NAVI not as expected - 2014 Honda Civic
  By nicastm - November 25 - 1:03 pm

  The gas mileage is definitely not as I expected. My 2006 Civic EX that I traded in had better gas mileage with over 100,000 miles on it. I have it set with ECON all the time and I feather the gas petal to a point that I almost get in an accident for slow acceleration, and still only get 34-36 MPG at best. I have yet to get over 380 miles on a tank full. I use to get 425 plus on my 2006 Civic with the same gas tank size. Also, the NAVI system is terrible. No spoken street names for a 2014 model???, are you kidding. Plus it is not very intuitive and cant make changes as you drive. Big waste of money. The only good thing is there is no other GPS device mounted to the dash.

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  In the Family since 1991 - 1991 Honda Accord
  By 91hondaaccord - November 25 - 2:14 am

  My grandparents purchased this beast in 1991 fresh off the lot on New Years Eve. After they decided it was time to upgrade, they sold her onto my Aunt, from there my parents bought her for my sister when she turned 16 for $1500 (they only wanted $1000). Once my sister bought her own car the Honda was past on to me. She has 239,000 miles, and was just beautifully repainted (cost was almost as much as she was worth...). She has had a new transmission, A/C, and minor upgrades throughout the six years she has been in the possession of my parents. Great reliability, but gas milage isnt nearly as good as others (Im getting low - mid 20s, but I driver her hard).

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  CR-V V stands for Vanilla - 2014 Honda CR-V
  By brifi - November 24 - 9:34 pm

  This car is like driving an appliance, its drives OK and gets me where I want to go but has very little character. Fuel economy declines drastically in cold weather. LX seats are not very comfortable after an hour. Rear visibility is very poor, the backup camera is not a solution to this. The stability control catches me by surprise, applying brakes in the middle of a turn when I am not expecting it. The front seat head rests have an aggressive angle that doesnt allow me to stretch and straighten my neck. I wish I had bought the Forester with true AWD. I also wish I could turn off the A/C function that automatically comes on in defrost modes, it is not necessary in my dry winter climate.

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  Outstanding reliability, fun to drive. - 2013 Honda Civic
  By madmaxooohhh - November 20 - 8:35 am

  Great vehicle for a commuter car that is also fun to drive. It has decent styling and boring reliability. Has needed nothing for the year I have owned it so far, besides oil changes, and tire rotations every 5000 miles. I should have purchased a domestic car so I could learn how to fix them.

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  Why do people buy GM when they can get civic for the same price? - 2012 Honda Civic
  By bergolive - November 18 - 11:28 am

  I wonder why people buy GMs, fords and chryslers when they can get a Civic. As far as reliability goes, I think there is enough data out there to prove that Civics are way better than most American cars. Same thing for resale value. I read somewhere that there is more American content in a Civic than in a Cruze. I dont know of this is true, but I know Civics are built in America! Anyhow, I had an Aries K when I was student and this was a constant problem (when it would start). When the engine blew up, I bought a Civic and have always been satisfied since. I drove all four of them up to about 160 000 Mi without any major trouble and managed to get a good trade-in value every single time.