Honda Car Reviews

World renowned for their excellent build quality and reliability, Honda continue to push the boundaries with their technological innovation.

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Honda Car Reviews

Honda Overview

Brief History

Honda got its start when the company released its first product in 1947. The Honda A-Type was a bicycle, powered by a small engine. The company, foreseeing future greatness, opened a small manufacturing plant. In 1948 the Honda Motor Co. was founded by Soichiro Honda, and began to produce scooters and motorcycles. The company experienced great successes and continued to produce many popular scooters and motorcycles during the 1950s. 

Honda began developing prototypes for cars during the 1960s. The first prototype was a small pick-up, and the T360 was released in 1963. The first car they produced was the S500, a two door roadster which went into manufacture not long after the truck.

Honda has been manufacturing cars successfully in the United States since 1972 with the introduction of the Honda Civic. In 1986 they were the first manufacturer to create a separate line of luxury vehicles, known as Acura.

They continued with their technical innovation and less than a decade later, the Honda Corporation released a prototype for a humanoid robot, pushing the limits of technology. 2003 saw the first test flights of the Honda Jet, with 2005 seeing the first mass produced motorcycle with air-bags. 

Model Range

Jazz

The Jazz is a small family, 5-door hatchback. Called the Honda Fit in other markets, it has been around since 2001, and is now in its second generation. The second generation, which first appeared as a 2008 model, is larger than its predecessor, being both wider and longer, and taller inside, although overall height has remained the same. One interesting feature is the ability to fold the rear seats flat, which is more common in MPVs than small family cars, but allows you to make the most of the space available. The Jazz is also available as a hybrid, giving over 60 mpg combined and enabling you to save on road tax, and achieved the Euro NCAP 5-star rating in 2009. 

Insight

The insight, when first released, represented the cheapest hybrid on the market. Today this medium family car is still one of the cheapest hybrids around. The original version was a 2-seater, however the 2nd generation model comes as a 5-door hatchback to make it appeal to a wider market. Giving over 60 mpg combined, it is also one of the most economical. This, coupled with the reduction in road tax, makes it a cheap car to run. It also received a 5-star Euro NCAP rating in 2009.

Civic

The Honda Civic, first produced in 1973, is now in its 8th generation. It is available as either a 3 or 5-door hatchback. This medium family car features radical styling, with its sleek futuristic appearance. It received the 5-star Euro NCAP rating in 2009, and is available in the sportier S and R-Type models. There is to be a 9th generation model released in 2012.

CR-Z

The CR-Z is another hybrid vehicle offered by Honda. It is a sportier coupe than the other hybrid cars offered, and is seen as a successor to the CR-X, as is evidenced by the similar design to the 2nd generation model. The engine gives good performance, and still allows the driver to achieve 56.5 mpg combined. Whilst this isn’t as efficient some diesel and other hybrid cars, it is significantly more economical than the coupes with which it is intended to compete. It is also another Honda car to receive the 5 star Euro NCAP rating in 2010.

Accord

The Accord has been around for over thirty years, since being introduced in 1976. It has come a long way since the first model was released and is now on its 8th generation. There are two models, the saloon or tourer (estate). It is a large family car that received the 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating in 2009. As Honda’s are well known for their reliability and build quality, it should be quite cheap to own, and it is relatively fuel efficient given its size.

CR-V

This medium sized 4x4 is loosely derived from the Civic. First appearing in 1996 the CRV was updated in 1999, and received a more powerful engine. The 4th generation, arriving in 2012, boasts sleek and stylish design and a spacious interior.


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