10 Of The Most Successful Models In Honda History

Honda's rise from a small player in the Japanese car market to a global behemoth wasn't always guaranteed. At the start of the '70s, its finances were in dire straits thanks to a run of low-selling models, with production lines mostly empty and development cash running low. However, a string of successful models throughout the decade managed to turn the company's fortunes around, not only securing its future but catapulting it into the global limelight.

Despite reaching new sales heights, however, it seems that bosses always kept the company's near-death experience in mind, never content to rest on their laurels and always keen to innovate. As a result, Honda's most famous nameplates have remained consistently among the best in their respective segments, even after decades of constantly evolving competition. Alongside its biggest icons, Honda also boasts a number of less famous models that have proved successful in other ways. They have pioneered new design approaches, helped define entire segments, won over enthusiasts, or sometimes a mix of all three. Here are the company's greatest names so far.

The Accord is another of Honda's most long-running nameplates, having been in constant production since 1976. Much like the Civic, it has seen 11 generations to date, with a steady evolution between each. Although the Accord is most recognized as a sedan, it was initially developed as a three-door hatchback, designed to be a more upmarket alternative to the Civic. However, the sedan variant, introduced in 1979, became the top choice with buyers by the time the second generation of the car debuted in 1981.

For its first few generations, the Accord remained largely the same across every region in which it was sold, but with the launch of the sixth-generation car in 1997, a new strategy was piloted. Honda built different Accords for Europe, Asia, and America, each with mechanical and stylistic differences designed to appeal to buyers in that region. Honda's American-market Accords were made in America, having become the first Japanese-badged car to be made in the U.S. in 1982.

The current generation Honda Accord might be very different under the hood compared to the original generation, with a hybrid powertrain now offered, but the car's appeal remains much the same as it always has been. Much like the CVCC engine that appeared in the first generation Accord, the latest Accord Hybrid's powertrain is unwaveringly efficient, while its cabin is both thoughtfully designed and suitably spacious.

SUVs and crossovers have gone from being a fairly niche segment of the market a few decades ago to being some of the most popular body styles today. That rise has been in no small part down to the success of models like the Honda CR-V, which has remained a perennial bestseller since it was first launched in 1997. Honda's development team had spotted a gap in the market during the '90s, with buyers wanting the space and practicality that an SUV could give but not willing to compromise on car-like driving dynamics and comfort. The CR-V was designed to bridge that gap, becoming an early pioneer of the segment now most commonly referred to as the crossover.

The first-generation CR-V stuck closely to the traditional boxy SUV styling that was common at the time, but later generations gradually introduced more rounded, aerodynamic styling. The third generation CR-V introduced in 2007 saw the most drastic styling overhaul, with later models featuring incremental changes until the launch of the sixth-generation CR-V for 2023. It's available in both gas-only and hybrid form, with Honda sticking to a more cautious electrification strategy than many other manufacturers. There's a good reason for that: the CR-V continues to prove popular with buyers, so Honda has little incentive to rock the boat.

While the current generation Acura Integra has received high praise from reviewers — SlashGear included — it's important to look back to see exactly why the nameplate was held in such high regard in the first place. It formed an integral part of Acura's initial lineup when it launched in the U.S., helping to introduce the brand to buyers for the first time. Elsewhere in the world, where the Integra wore a Honda badge, it was equally well received, especially in third-generation Type-R guise.

Its high-revving VTEC engine was ripe for carving through backroads, and its handling was as sharp as any other front-wheel drive car on the market. Some critics even today argue that the DC2 Integra Type-R has never been bettered. With such a rich heritage, it's safe to say that the revived Integra had a high bar to meet, but SlashGear's time spent with the car in the mountains of California confirmed that it was just as enjoyable to drive as expected.

The Honda Fit, known in some markets as the Jazz, was never hugely successful in America. Honda discontinued the model in the U.S. in 2020 after selling just 32,000 units the previous year, effectively replacing it in the lineup with the HR-V crossover. However, elsewhere in the world, the Fit has been remarkably successful. Honda quietly churned out over 3.5 million examples during the car's first decade on sale, and launched the fourth-generation model in 2020 with the expectation of selling 120,000 examples per year in Japan alone.

Throughout the generations, the Jazz has always tended to prioritize practicality and safety over driver enjoyment, and as a result, has a reputation for attracting older drivers in some markets. The latest generation has tried to shake that reputation with mixed results, but even if it's not considered the enthusiasts' choice, its continued popularity with drivers looking for a sensible urban runabout has kept it a mainstay of Honda's lineup in Europe and Asia.

Minivans are today far from being the in-vogue segment that they once were, but that doesn't diminish the success of the most long-lived models like the Honda Odyssey. A firm favorite with families for decades, the Odyssey was first launched in America in 1995. It arrived relatively late to the party – segment-defining minivans like the Dodge Caravan had already been around for a decade — but the Odyssey quickly gained market share thanks to its refined ride and practical design.

Like many of Honda's bestselling models, the following generations of the Odyssey followed a careful path of evolution rather than revolution, adding extra power, more standard tech, and improved safety with each new model. The van is now in its fifth generation and still offers the same core appeal as the original '90s model did, albeit with numerous small improvements. While some model years of the Odyssey are a safer bet to buy used than others, the minivan's generally consistent levels of reliability have kept examples rolling off showroom floors for almost 30 years with no sign of stopping anytime soon.