Honda Dominated KBB's ‘Brand Image Awards'

Subaru and Honda battled it out for KBB’s Brand Image Awards. Which brand came out on top?
Written by Andrew Kidd
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
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Honda
and Subaru are both winners of Kelley Blue Book’s ‘Brand Image Awards’, but one brand came out ahead of the other.
According to KBB, Honda won ‘Best Overall Brand’, likely due in part to its diverse lineup of great vehicles. Besides the household names of Accord and Civic, Honda is known for making a wide array of efficient and reliable vehicles that are easy to operate.
So how was Honda able to fend off Subaru and other brands for the title?

Honda: affordable, economical and safe

In recent years, Honda has shifted its focus on SUVs such as the HR-V, CR-V, Passport, and Pilot, but still offers traditional cars and minivans like the Odyssey. The company has also hybridized some of its lineup, like the CR-V, its Accord Hybrid and Clarity plug-in hybrid.
But despite that shift toward SUVs, the top late-model vehicle in Honda’s line-up according to consumers is still the 2021
Honda Civic
, which at a starting price of just over $25,000 and a combined fuel economy of 33 mpg is both affordable and economical.
KBB
calls it one of the best small cars you can buy on the market.
Honda dabbles in trucks, too, with the 2021 and 2022 Honda Ridgeline also scoring high in KBB’s expert and consumer surveys. Starting at $38,115, it’s a bit pricier than the Civic but offers 21 mpg and the capability of a midsize pickup with the comfort of an SUV.
Honda’s vehicles are also generally safe in a crash; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given recent Honda models stellar crash safety ratings, with many scoring five stars across the board with others not scoring under four.
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A history of reliability

Honda has long been known for the reliability of its vehicles. The Honda Accord, for example, is up there with the Toyota Camry as one of the best vehicles on the market that can easily reach 200,000 miles. 
It’s reasonably priced, sporty yet family-friendly and gets great gas mileage at around 33 mpg combined. And don’t take it from us; according to Consumer Reports, 72% of Honda Accord owners say they would buy another one (if their old one ever breaks down, maybe).
MORE: The 2022 Honda Passport May Give the Ford Bronco a Run for Its Money

Recent hiccups

Unfortunately, Honda has recently been in the news due to reports of unexpected braking in several hundred of its 2018-2019 model year vehicles due to possible malfunctions of its automatic emergency braking system. 
Honda isn’t the only automaker NHTSA is investigating, though; Tesla has a history of faulty automatic braking as well.

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Honda vehicles are generally cheap to insure as well, with three of them making our
top 10 cheapest cars to insure list
.
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