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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  2005 TO 2015 - 2015 Honda Odyssey
  By rescuegal - September 10 - 9:45 pm

  Yes, traded my old lady for a new version. Have had my LX for a few weeks and am happy with it. Runs very quiet and smooth. As for a comparison to my 2005: The drivers seat is ok but would prefer the old version and no adjustable seat. Just not a good trade off for me. With less padding, I feel the new seat fabric will wear out faster and it is not as comfortable. I miss the center console in front that you can actually reach. The new one is on the floor. (safety factor) The standard wheels look cheap. You can get better Honda wheels but you might need a second job. It is time to have the ability to fold the middle seats into the floor and have a flat storage surface. Tired of storing seats in the house. (dog friendly issue) Manual is a little hard to read. Taking the above into account, I still feel that the Odessey is the best van out there.

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  Panel Fit - are you KIDDING me? - 2015 Honda Odyssey
  By dave - September 8 - 10:09 pm

  I bought my Touring a few weeks ago. I am a car detailer and I have my own business. Been so busy that I just got around to detailing/sealant and glass coating/etc of my van. One REALLY notices the small stuff when you detail a car. I noticed the drivers front fender looked not in line with the front door. After checking other Odysseys, they were the same - and I noticed its from the angle they wanted obtain by having the fender bow out around the wheel/tire ... and they started this change in angle immediately from the front fender/door gap. OK - I can buy that. Then I looked at my passenger side. Its level of protrusion outward is HALF that of the drivers side. They are NOT the same. So I drove to my dealer and looked at the 20 or so 2015s and 16s they had on the lot. The angles and protrusions NEVER matched on any car I looked at. Sometimes the passenger side stuck out further and sometimes (as in mine) the drivers side stuck out more. I am a BMW aficionado - but my wife and I wanted a TRUE 7-8 passenger van as we have 8 grandkids. OK - going to a van means I will give up driving dynamics. But I didnt expect to give up parts that fit. I have a body shop friend, and he looked at it and said "wow, its a Japanese van so youd think panel/fender fit would be better than that". I love the van. But with all the competition out there for roughly the same price, why would I choose a Honda again if they cant get panel fitment correct?

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  Nice SUV ! - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Frankie Lee - September 8 - 4:23 pm

  Review Ive the CRV since March this year, its a good size SUV for 5 adult passengers as well as cargo room. Smooth and flexible fold-down rear back. Right lane-change Monitor display is a nice safety feature. Favorite Features: Handsome look with LED headlight. Smooth 60/40 split fold-down rear seat. Right lane-turn watch monitor provides advanced safety measure. Better mileage than last model. Suggested Improvements: Needs more power. Add left lane-turn watch as well. Engine and road noise still need room for improvement. Add front and backup sensors. Better power hydraulic trunk opener for senior driver.

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  awesome car - 2006 Honda Accord
  By jim - September 8 - 10:01 am

  I bought my 2006 honda accord ex about 6 months.This is the second honda I own.It is a solid car it drives better than my mercedes that I owned,I will continue to buy honda for life.It is good to stick with a winner.

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  pretty nice - 2003 Honda Accord
  By stewart - September 8 - 8:36 am

  I bought this accord used from a trade in with 220,000 miles. Right now I have 229,000 miles. No major issues. Took it from ohio to florida bo problem. Scariest complaint I have seen is about excessive oil consumption. From my research it seems to happen when oil changes are not done and the oil gets dirty. When that happens your timing chain which relies upon oil pressure can jump/ get stretched. Get your oil changed every 3000 miles. I dont lose any oil and this car to get to 220k miles must have been changed like clockwork. Also the automatic seems to have tranny problems.. I have a 5 speed manual and I seen hardly any complaints. Buying used make sure the car is clean.. If someone took good care of the interior and outside, then they probably took care of it mechanically too. Also when i bought mine the oil was just due for the 3000 change.. And the small dealership didnt change the oil prior to me buying. This let me see the level of the oil, and how dirty it was after 3000 miles.. To which the oil looked good. So i bought it and had it changed first thing. I expected with that many miles to not get the window sticker epa mileage.. But in fact i get 29 combined city and highway. Taking it to florida a tank seemed to get a max of about 520 miles. Take care of your Honda if you want it to last!

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  Must be used to Driving an Accord - 2015 Honda Civic
  By S T - September 7 - 12:14 am

  Im very surprised at the consistently high reviews of this car, to be honest. Perhaps Im just used to the ride of an Accord, after owning three consecutive Accords (1993, 2001, 2010), but I cant seem to get over the fact that I feel every bump in the road in this car (2015 EX-L w/navigation). Perhaps theres a suspension or tire inflation issue with mine, but I didnt imagine buying a new car and feeling bumps driving over even painted crosswalks. Radio and heat controls are not intuitive (again, possibly just based on experience with Accords). Nice enough looking car, especially for a Civic, but will definitely be unloading this car once it is paid off in a few months, after owning Accords for an average of close to 15 years each.

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  Very Reliable. Cant get rid of it! - 2005 Honda Civic
  By Eli - September 5 - 10:31 pm

  After breaking 140,000 plus miles, I had to replace the alternator, ball joints, oil pressure switch and camshaft sensor. Besides these minor repairs, I change the motor oil every 3,000 miles, transmission oil every 20,000 miles, and the drive belts every 60,000 miles. I had to change the breaks about three times since the life of this vehicle, purchased back in 2005 with 4,000 miles on it. Overall, excellent reliable car. I still drive it every day to work, 60 miles round trip. I will only get rid of it once the new 2016 Civic Coup becomes available.

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  Great Car, Horrible Vibration - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By Bolt - September 5 - 9:59 am

  I checked out this car last night at a local dealership and loved everything about it before I test drove it. However, I was totally turned off by the vibration that I read in other reviews. I can certainly confirm that the vibration from the CVT is certainly there. I felt it in the seats, steering wheel, and my wife even felt the vibration by simply touching the center console. Please stay away from this 2015 model until Honda gets their act together and fixes this issue.

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  Its My Second FIT!: Fast and Fun. Yellow! - 2015 Honda Fit
  By David - August 30 - 11:42 pm

  My FIT has 7000+ miles on the highway and city since I got it in March 2015, so I am ready to write a competent review. I traded in my 2009 FIT with 70,000 miles for this Brand New 2015 FIT. Overall its been a lot of fun, and everyone in my area loves the Yellow! The compliments come in daily. People roll their window down to compliment the car. The FIT is completely redesigned for 2015—very little is the same from the Old FIT. Safety: It is a topsafety pick in its class from the Insurance Institute and passed the Offset crash test too. The old FIT failed miserably and was a dangerous car to be in an accident. Engine: It has Honda’s Famous “EarthDreams” Engine. You have more than enough power in this car--it accelerates faster than any car in its class. In fact, it is overpowered for the suspension and handling, and I recommend this car for experienced drivers only. Not a car to give to new driver just like you would not get them a Corvette. If you step on the accelerator too fast, you will spin the front tires. My experience in rain is that the fronts spin very easily so be careful--may be the brand of tires, --Firestone--not sure. Much much faster than the Old FIT. Steering/Handling: Here is one area I prefer the Old FIT. The Old FIT handled better--pinpoint accuracy--so much fun. The new FIT is not precise, ambiguous on the highway, but it’s OK. Braking: Brakes on the New FIT are not enough for the power of this vehicle--I leave a LOT of room between my car and the car in front. Its not bad--just again--for the experienced driver who knows how to control a lightweight car with a powerful engine. Ride Comfort: The person that buys this car is someone who prefers a NASCAR sports car road feel to a cushy Lincoln ride. You will feel the road and all imperfections in this FIT. If the road is well paved and smooth, car will run smooth too. Some professional reviewers have written that the car is noisy inside. I have not found that--its fine. Transmission: CVT has been fine--no problems. Interior: Mine has Leather and that was a must for me. The leather is very comfortable, cleans easily, and supportive bolstering for my back. I have all the technology that Honda offered in 2015 in my FIT, including the large touch screen with steering wheel controls, rear and side cameras. Many reviews have written that the touch screen interface is confusing. I don’t know what they are talking about!—it’s intuitive, and easy and fun to use—it’s one of the best in the car business now. I sat for a few hours two days with the well-written manuals you get in the car and learned a lot. Referred to them on occasion and learned more. Bluetooth, Satellite Radio, HD Radio is the best! Incredible sound! Navigation is very good, better than smart phone navigation, and has upgradeable maps. The voice recognition is poor and I never use it. Only thing that frustrates me is that certain functions are disabled while the car is moving. But I am having a ball with all the dash toys and it’s what sold me on the car. If you never had Satellite Radio—it’s cable TV for the car and additive—mine is always on CNN, MSNBC or FOX TV or Bruce Springsteen station (audio only). It’s the best! Seats 4 comfortably, although I use mine like a pick-up truck with rear folded down 99% of the time. Reliability: So far through 7000 miles, no problems or recalls. (My Old FIT had 2 Recalls, and 2 Warranty Repairs over 70,000 miles.) Real world mileage: My best Tank of Highway/City mileage has been 38 MPG, Worst tank which was probably more city than highway: 31 MPG. One day I was on the highway only for the first 2 hours after a fill, and it was 45 MPG. Not bad! Side Camera: Only Honda has this—it’s a lot of fun. Get it! Hitches: U-haul and other places will install a hitch specifically made for this car to carry bikes or tow less than 2000 lbs. It is 225.00 installed at U-haul, I just inquired. I really would not tow anything too heavy or fast with this car, maybe local only—use the hitch for bikes. Purchase: I shopped many dealers and compared deals from Costco, Truecar, Carsdirect, AAA, and what I was able to negotiate on my own. The Best deal by far was the Edmunds Price Promise. I don’t work for or with Edmunds—just telling you my experience. Summary: It’s a fun drive to drive, reliable thus far, with very good cargo room (its biggest selling point for most people), and very good fuel mileage. It’s not the best handling car, it’s fast, but needs more braking power, and better cornering. The Technology package is excellent and a lot of fun. I think it’s a great value overall—there is no need to spend more money for a car. You don’t need an SUV. This FIT allows me to have all the features of a Mercedes, BMW or Lexus at 1/3 the cost—I almost feel like I am driving for free. I sleep well at night. Hey, it’s my second FIT and I could have purchased any other car!

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  Bluetooth Problem - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By John Yozwiak - August 28 - 4:07 pm

  They hands-free capability to place a call using voice recognition does not work. The system does not recognize a phone number that has been tagged with a voice command. Check this feature out if it is important to you.