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Honda has one of the best reputations as far as automakers go, and there are some simple reasons for that. Like every other highly reputable automaker, Honda’s earned its reputation by making great cars that beat out their rivals. In fact, Honda currently has three models that are the best in their segments for the 2023 model year.

Honda's 2023 Civic in bright red compact car corners on a city street.
2023 Honda Civic | Honda

The 2023 Honda Civic is the best compact car

The compact car segment is a competitive segment, but U.S. News wrote that the Civic was the best option of them all, as it got an overall score of 8.7 out of 10.

The Civic scored well because it was a well-balanced car that’s affordable. It currently starts at about $25,000. The compact Honda sedan doesn’t have many downsides, as it comes with a comfortable and “upscale” interior.

This is mainly because Honda redesigned the sedan in the 2022 model year, and for the 2023 model year, the Japanese automaker removed the LX trim. That used to be the Civic’s cheapest trim, but now its cheapest trim is the Sport. That switch increased the Civic’s base MSRP by about $3,000, but it also improved the quality of the base trim.

U.S. News wrote that the Civic’s interior “punches well above its price point” and that it has a premium feel. The interior is also well-equipped, and the car has a comfortable ride.

Its standard engine feels underpowered as it gets 158 hp, but Honda offers a handful of optional engines, including a 315-hp one. That said, the base engine is very efficient as it gets about 34 mpg combined.

The 2023 Honda Odyssey is the best minivan

The Odyssey was another Honda car that topped its segment. The minivan segment only has a few options, but the Odyssey’s overall score of 9.0 out of 10 means that it decisively beat its rival, the Toyota Sienna.

Honda’s minivan currently starts at about $37,000. Just like the Civic, Honda decided to discontinue the Odyssey’s LX trim, and that has improved its standard features but at the cost of a few extra thousand dollars.

Overall, the Odyssey is an excellent minivan with few flaws. Its cabin is spacious and comfortable, and it also has a long list of standard smart safety features.

Those features help make the minivan a very safe vehicle for families. Honda only gave it one engine, and it’s a 280-hp V6. It’s powerful enough, and it gets a decent fuel economy of about 24 mpg combined. 

Like other minivans, the Odyssey has a huge cargo capacity, and it maxes out at about 158 cu. ft. That said, this is the source of its only issue. The third-row seats can be folded down, but the second-row seats have to be removed entirely if owners want to get access to that max cargo capacity.

The 2023 Honda Ridgeline is the best compact pickup truck

The compact truck segment is growing quickly, and the Ridgeline received the highest score of them all. It has an overall score of 8.4 out of 10, and unlike the Civic or the Odyssey, the Japanese auto giant didn’t give the truck any major changes for the model year.

Regardless, it’s still a great and unique truck. It’s powered by a 280-hp V6, and that allows it to tow up to 5,000 pounds.

What’s unique about the Honda truck is the fact that it has a unibody design, while most other trucks have a body-on-frame design. This gives the Ridgeline an excellent ride quality, which compliments its upscale interior. That said, it’s not a cheap truck, as it starts at about $39,000.

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