Soichiro Honda founded his Japan-based company in 1948 and started out making motorbikes. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Honda started building cars for Japanese residents. In 1970, the United States had its first taste of the brand in the form of the tiny N600.
Today, people know Honda for its reputation for making reliable and well-engineered cars. Most of its vehicles are fuel efficient and offer a comfortable amount of cabin space for passengers.
Price/Value
Honda’s lineup runs the gamut these days, and the features and prices vary as well. The brand offers hybrids, sedans, minivans, and even a pickup truck.
The Fit is the manufacturer’s least expensive model, starting at $17,945. The hatchback comes with a surprising amount of passenger space thanks to its folding back seat. With such a low cost, the Fit has few accessories at the base trim. It takes an upgrade to get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
On the other end, the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell starts at $34,355. The nationally sold plug-in hybrid can drive 47 miles on its electric motors alone. Options are more abundant for the Clarity with driver’s seat, upholstery, and navigation upgrades available.
Depreciation
It’s not easy to determine a car’s depreciation value. It’s necessary to research a make and model’s history, so there is no one-size-fits-all formula. However, Honda regularly shows strong value retention.
The Fit quickly won followers when it entered the sub-compact market. According to Edmunds, the Fit depreciates about $9,328 after five years. A Honda Civic depreciates $11,543 after five years.
There is no way to guarantee depreciation rates for any vehicle. However, you can minimize the loss by taking good care of your Honda and by selling it before it racks up too many miles.
Reliability
Honda has a reputation for producing some of the most reliable cars on the market. Studies carried out by J.D. Power often score Honda vehicles well.
Honda continues to win awards for its designs. Honda vehicles won awards for dependability in 2017 and performance in 2019.
Honda Models
Honda cars come with a wide variety of body styles, options, and features.
Honda Accord
$24,800
At the base trim, the Accord uses a 192-horsepower 1.5-liter turbo engine. You can upgrade to a 252-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo engine for extra oomph. In both cases, the engine pairs with your choice between a six-speed manual and a 10-speed automatic transmission. Car and Driver tested the 2020 Accord and drove 38 miles to the gallon.
Honda Civic Si
$25,930
Underneath the hood of the Civic Si is a 205-horsepower turbo engine that transmits power to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. Car and Driver testing returned 36 miles per gallon with the coupe body and 42 miles per gallon with the sedan. The Civic Si is no minivan, but there’s still enough room for passengers to feel comfortable.
Honda CR-V
$26,170
The CR-V is a compact SUV recently overhauled with a fresh face and new equipment options. The hybrid powertrain is different too. Now, CR-V drivers get a 2.0-liter engine paired with twin electric motors with a lot of features and upgrades to consider.
Honda Odyssey
$31,785
Honda strives to deliver for the modern family in the form of the Odyssey. The cabin is quiet, and there is a wide variety of tech features, including backseat entertainment. Car and Driver testing returned 30 miles per gallon on the highway, outperforming the estimated EPA range. The Odyssey also received excellent scores on safety tests.
Maintenance
American drivers have chosen Honda vehicles for the last 50 years because they have a reputation for reliability. There is plenty of substance to the claim because well-maintained Hondas last for a long time. According to RepairPal, Honda drivers typically spend an average of $428 a year on maintenance.
Just like any other vehicle, Hondas require regular inspections, oil changes, and tire rotations. You may spend more or less depending on your driving habits, your city, the age of your Honda, and local repair shop margins.
The most common repair is the air conditioner.
Environmental Impact
Honda has reported its environmental performance data publicly since 2005. In 2011, the company sought to reduce its CO2 emissions by 30% by the year 2020. The brand measures these reductions in the average fleet emissions produced by all its automobiles, motorbikes, and power equipment levels compared with the 2001 fiscal year.
As of 2018, Honda automobiles produced 25.9% fewer emissions compared to the 2001 fiscal year. Motorbikes produced 32.2% fewer emissions in the same timeframe, and Honda power products produced 26.7% fewer emissions.
Features
Honda offers much of the commonly offered options found in rival cars, but there are a few features it can call its own.
For example, the 2020 Accord comes with the Honda infotainment system. It also recently updated its infotainment system. Its 8-inch touchscreen is fast to respond and renders the UI crisply.
Additionally, Honda offers a multi-angle rearview camera. Not only does it look behind the vehicle, but it can also look down to make sure nothing is hiding just below the bumper.
The Ridgeline also comes with unique features, specifically its dual-action tailgate. This feature can open like a traditional tailgate, or it can open sideways, much like a door. This two-direction system gives you versatility in getting things stored in the back.
Safety
Honda vehicles have a suite of standard safety features, like rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot awareness, lane-keep assistance, and adaptive cruise control. Many also include Honda Sensing, which incorporates collision-mitigating braking and road departure mitigation.
Many drivers use conventional cruise control on long stretches of highway, but it’s less useful on condensed neighborhood streets. With Honda’s adaptive cruise control, you can set your desired speed while still safely keeping enough distance from the vehicle ahead of you.
Honda also utilizes a collision mitigation braking system to further prevent the chance of an accident. This system alerts the driver with visual warnings and loud sounds. Some models also lightly tug the seat belt as an additional layer of protection. The automaker’s forward-collision warning system also alerts the driver.
What’s Next?/Future Products
Honda recently unveiled the Civic Type R Limited Edition for 2021. It’s a lighter-weight version of the Type R, having shed a massive 46 pounds to make it faster on the track. Part of this weight loss is thanks to the cars new wheels which are made from forged aluminum. The rest of the weight was shed from the heating ducts, tonneau cover, wiper blade, and various sound-deadening materials. This is the 11th Honda Type R car in the company’s history, and it will only be available in Phoenix Yellow metallic paint.
Honda also plans to release a new Civic for the 2022 market, but the coupe will no longer be produced. The automaker will still make the hatchback and sedan bodies, but the two-door Civic will not return after 2020.
