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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  Hondas at High Mileage - 1997 Honda Accord
  By PTheofanis - August 16 - 2:00 am

  When you read high rated reviews about 97 Honda Accords, keep in mind that they are written by people who clearly do not have high mileage. I own a 97 Honda Accord LX sedan, and it has fallen apart exponentially after 80,000 miles. I admit that I drive my car hard, and this car will not keep up with others like me. Its seats are not designed well, the suspension falls apart, there is too much body roll, and the transmission isnt smooth during shifts.

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  Honda needs to start over with the FIT! - 2007 Honda Fit
  By larzstar - July 27 - 10:20 pm

  Having owned my Fit for 6+ months I do NOT and will NOT recommend it. IMHO Honda needs to start over. I have lots of issues with it. First is the Windshield wipers. WHY does that passenger wiper have to swing all the way into the drivers view? I feel this is a Safety Issue. However I guess Honda doesnt care. I could go on and on with all my gripes with the car. There are a few more that NEED to be mentioned. The Seats are not comfortable for long rides. The gas tank, making annoying sloshing noises. (For those that dont hear it I have to say HMMM...Are you DEAF?!?) Rear license plate holder allowing the plate to rattle. The paddle shifers on the steering wheel (boggles my mind WHY)

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  How the mighty have fallen - 2016 Honda Odyssey
  By Mr. Nice - July 13 - 9:25 pm

  Not as special as as we originally thought. Honda has been resting on its past reputation. Their quality has fallen greatly and their dealer service centers are failing miserably. Do a quick online search for Honda Odyssey brakes and you will find many issues with their brake systems being defective and their failure to take ownership. Many like ours have had issues with less than 15,000 miles and Honda refusing to take care of the problem even though the car us under the manufacturer warranty. This is just one of many issues customers are facing.

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  Trouble with rear brakes - 2008 Honda Accord
  By zion kodary - July 4 - 11:46 pm

  This car has brake problems and transmission problems. Does not shift correctly; it gets stuck on 3rd gear.

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  three problems with the new cars - 1999 Honda Accord
  By Max Shao - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Three problems with Honda Accord: 1) The car jitters when the driver wants to accelerate after slowing down for a turn or for a stop sign. It is very uncomfortable and it is dangerous, e.g., when one wants to make a left turn and the car does not accelerate smoothly and promptly. 2) Banging noise when one starts the engine. These two problems occur in every new Honda Accord of 1998-2001 years. Honda can do nothing about them. 3) The engine stalls due to ignition switch prematurely worn out. It is dangerous since if your engine stalls while driving in traffic, you are at risk of being hit. Honda has recalled its 1997-99 Accord for repairing this defect.

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  Worry about all the electronics... - 2017 Honda Pilot
  By aandie67 - June 25 - 9:53 pm

  I really love my 2017 Pilot ex-l. Lots of room and fits my teenage boys, 130 lbs dog, and all of our stuff perfectly. Great mix of options - even at base level - I was a bit disappointed that it does not have heated side mirrors, even though my 2008 Odyssey ex-l had it. I have about 8K miles on it... and recently have experienced the audio screen going black - only audio - the screen works otherwise. Honda has no service updates, and has no records of this being an issue on 2017 models - though there is plenty of problems documented on the piloteers board - for earlier models. I am hoping it is just a loose fuse and it not an indication of bigger problems.

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  Not the quality I expected - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By BeaD - June 13 - 7:16 am

  Very weird shifting/braking. At slow speeds, "phantom braking" causes sudden deceleration. Push start only works if Im pushing very hard on the brake. JUST INCREDIBLE to me that the car is not compatible with Apple CarPlay, a technology thats been around for years. Lack of integration makes everything clunky. Want your car to narrate incoming text messages for you? Dont buy a Pilot. Honda claiming its a hardware issue and cant retrofit, even though Accords have it. Boggling. Dash is glitchy - sometimes auto-dims at night, other times I have to open settings and manually dim it. Stupid detail, but that huge display screen tells me almost nothing. Listening to a song on the radio and want to know what it is? It will display 8-10 characters only, leaving half the screen blank. This car was not designed to thrill a driver. Vexing, yes. I would recommend people spend more time looking at the Highlander.

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  Not for comfort - 2004 Honda Pilot
  By New Honda Owner - June 12 - 2:00 am

  The seats are not comfortable at all! The Seat cushions and covers have two heavy gauge metal rods in the middle of the seat that run across the thigh. You can feel them by pressing your fist down on the stitch line in the middle of the seat. These metal rods cut leg circulation. The window lock feature locks out the driver from control of the windows thus making the feature nearly worthless. The game goes like this; the kids lower the window, you lock them out, then you try to raise their window but you are locked out too. Lastly, the cross bars whistle when properly installed. The Pilot is a great SUV that drops the ball on the one yard line.

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  Lies.... - 2005 Honda Odyssey
  By Saiyan - June 9 - 9:40 am

  Quieter cabin, better fuel economy... ALL LIES!! After only 18k miles, Im selling it. The road noise is unbearable. Apparently, the ECO thing doesnt work, causes a major droning noise at 65 mph. Fuel economy is 16/24 at best. I will never buy another honda van. The navigation doesnt give accurate travel times, all of which are based on an avg. speed of 60 mph!!! Then, one day, the A/C stopped working. I bring it to the dealer. Before even looking at it, the mechanic says "I hope it is not a rock in the condenser." When on the lift, it was the condenser. Extremely poor design. The gaps in the grill are so big, it is insane. Look at German cars, even the economy ones like jettas.

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  Worst Honda Ever - 2015 Honda CR-V
  By 2015hondacrv - May 30 - 9:21 pm

  Ive had my car for exactly one week and I am completely disappointed. This is my third Honda and is my last Honda. Vibration and shuddering after it warmed up and really terrible at idle (stop on D). The vibration is very noticeable on passenger seat without passenger. The posted MPG is not true. The MPG from Honda website is 26 city/33 highway/28 combined mpg rating for AWD models. Currently mine is only 23.3 mpg combined (driving a little more city than highway). The heater is weak and has trouble keeping up in cold weather. The back seat takes very long time to get warm. This is really a problem for me because I have kids sitting in the back seat.