It's funny how negative the reaction to this generation of Honda Civic has been. You'd think Honda was building a terrible Civic based on some of the press out there. The Civic is still a commendable compact car; it just isn't as impressive as the other recently redesigned cars in this class.

This year, Automobile Magazine choose the Honda Odyssey as one of its ten All-Stars, the only minivan to make the list. It's not hard to see why the Odyssey would be so honored, but it's actually my least favorite minivan to drive.

Pop the rear hatch on the Honda CR-V and you're in for a surprise: the load floor is very, very low. I went to throw some groceries in the back of the car last night and stood in the store parking lot for a minute, wondering exactly how it's possible to have such a low load floor, a fully-independent rear suspension, and all-wheel drive.

Goldilocks wants a new compact crossover. As circumstances would have it, she's in luck. She's interested in a segment chock full of nice vehicles from just about every carmaker you can think of -- from Kia to Range Rover and every manufacturer in between.

With a grand total of 36,630 miles traveled, the Honda Odyssey goes down in the Automobile Magazine record books as one of the highest mileage Four Seasons cars we've ever had. This isn't necessarily surprising when you consider that from the moment it arrived at our office, the Odyssey was the go-to vehicle for family vacations and road trips.

Just because the Honda (Accord) Crosstour abides by a time-tested formula for crossover glory (take one wagon, raise its ride height, and sell it as an alternative to an SUV) doesn't mean it was immediately bound for glory. In 2010, the Crosstour's first full year on the market, Honda sold over 28,000 examples, but that figure dropped by an astounding 37 percent to just over 17,000 vehicles in 2011.

Anyone who loves tiny sports cars, as I have for more than sixty years, can only be delighted when a new one appears, especially when it comes from a competent manufacturer so you know that hard-to-do details like the HVAC system have been worked out properly. From 1950s Siata Spiders to the 1960s ASA 1000GT "Ferrarina," most attractive tiny sports models were Italian, with all that implies as to reliability and longevity. The happiest exception was the 1991 Honda Beat, mechanically the product of a company then at the height of its powers and graced by a lovely Ferrari Mythos-inspired Italian body design (it was a Pininfarina project, unacknowledged by Honda). I wanted it the moment I saw one at Honda's Tochigi Proving Ground and have enjoyed mine for sixteen years now.

Our Odyssey has now completed its eleventh month and eclipsed an unbelievable 35,500 miles. Last month we thought the minivan might be starting to show its age after numerous editors complained about hearing an assortment of squeaks and rattles while driving. An inspection turned up only a loose roof rack and, since it was tightened, there have been zero noise complaints.

Winter in Michigan: it's cold, it's messy, and, for our four-wheeled companions, it can be downright brutal. While heaves, cracks, and potholes -- which in the Great Lakes State could often more appropriately be called sink holes -- can damage wheels and tires instantly, they can also have a cumulative, degenerative effect on the overall integrity of a vehicle, no matter how tightly screwed together it was when it started life.

After years of ignoring the exploding market for pickup trucks, Honda finally in 2006 brought out its first pickup, the Ridgeline. Rather than develop a V-8 engine and a body-on-frame chassis from scratch, Honda adapted the unibody underpinnings of its Pilot SUV to create an unconventional pickup, but one that nonetheless would meet the needs of a large number of pickup buyers.

Last month, the Odyssey accumulated more miles than it had in any previous 30-day period since its arrival at 120 East Liberty. This month the Odyssey was as busy as ever, even if the odometer spun a bit more slowly. Copy editor Rusty Blackwell and his family started December off appropriately with a trip to Michigan’s Christmas mecca, Frankenmuth, to see the bearded man himself and do some shopping. “With our three-year-old in the third row and the baby in the second, grandma was able to tend to both with ease while my wife and I captained the ship.” He was also pleasantly surprised by the performance of the Blizzak winter tires. “They were quiet and didn’t seem to compromise the Honda’s excellent ride and handling characteristics one bit.”

Five years doesn't sound like a long time, but in North America's midsize sedan segment, it can feel like an eternity. Much has changed since Honda last rolled out an all-new Accord in 2008. Style has increasingly crept into the formerly bland segment, while four-cylinder and hybrid options have proliferated in the name of improving fuel economy.

Any Honda Civic has always been a car that appeals to logic, and has long been seen as a safe choice for legions of small-car buyers. The Civic Si, however, aspires to be something more. It has more power, a close-ratio gearbox, a firmer chassis, and various appearance items. The Si is definitely the most interesting version of the new Civic, and it's a car that's highly competent overall. Even so, the Si doesn't generate the kind of excitement that a sport compact should.

It's been another busy month for our Honda Odyssey. First it went to South Dakota with Tim Jennings, husband of editor-in-chief Jean Jennings, who brought along Chesapeake Bay retriever Bob and hound dog Ray (the Stray) to go pheasant hunting. With the rear seat flipped into the floor, Jennings was surprised at how much he could fit into the Honda. "It handily swallowed three dog crates, a 48-quart cooler, and hunting gear galore. As hard as it is to believe, I feel like I can fit more in the Odyssey than in our Chevy Suburban."

At the Twin Ring Motegi raceway in Japan, the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer sets the standard for corporate citizenship. Rather than selfishly pave another road circuit through the gentle hills, Honda has dedicated 104 acres of racetrack property to Hello Woods', a nature preserve and children's camp that is as wacky as the inexplicable apostrophe in its name suggests. Here, Japanese youth spend a month mastering three character-building outdoor skills: starting a fire, using a knife, and...uh...riding a motorcycle.

Honda’s reputation as an innovator and technology leader wasn’t earned with the first hybrid brought to the U.S. market or its stubborn commitment to a hydrogen-powered prototype. Honda built its brand on the fundamentals of its most accessible and popular vehicles. Americans admired the simplest solutions to the most complex problems; they respected diligent engineering that set a standard of continuous improvement; and they believed in the company that was consistently one step ahead of the competition.

Honda will use its home turf of Japan to show off four small new concept cars. The "mini vehicle," electric sports car, plug-in hybrid sedan, and electric city car will all be shown off at the Tokyo Motor Show at the end of this month.

Honda doesn't often do surprises -- the company is defined by rational decision-making and straightforward, elegant engineering. Since the outgoing CR-V broke sales records in its final year, there was no reason to expect much of a change.

The market for mid-size sedans has turned into an all-out brawl: upstarts sparring with old favorites, domestics trying to match imports, Honda and Toyota warring for Japanese supremacy. But one model soldiers on as dependably and reliably as ever: the Honda Accord. The Accord had a mid-cycle face-lift just a year ago, but its last major redesign was in 2008. Still, it continues to serve customers well. The Accord is available with either two or four doors, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder or a 3.5-liter V-6, and a choice of three transmissions -- a five-speed manual, a six-speed manual, or a five-speed automatic. The Crosstour drops the Accord nameplate for 2012 and is now its own model. On its own, the Accord has few obvious flaws: its VTEC engines are famously reliable, its interior build quality is very good, it handles well, and to top it off, its famously high resale value makes it a good automotive investment. Where the Accord might come up a little short is in comparison with its competition from Hyundai (the Sonata) and Toyota (the Camry), both of which have been redesigned recently. Still, it's hard to find fault with the Accord, which is still a solid choice in its segment.

The Honda Civic is the car that proved that small cars can be good to drive, appeal to the masses, and not be entirely soulless. Honda's ninth-generation Civic debuts for the 2012 model year, but unless you look closely, you might not notice. Both inside and out, the Civic retains signature cues from the previous car, with a single-arc profile and a two-tier dashboard. For the sedan, there are few changes to report under the hood, either, as the 1.8-liter four-cylinder and five-speed automatic carry over. The sporty Si does get a new engine -- a 201-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder -- and eco-warriors now have the choice of the HF sedan (41 mpg highway) or the Hybrid (44 mpg combined). The Civic uses a multilink rear suspension that is more planted and comfortable than the torsion-beam arrangements used by its competitors from Chevrolet, Hyundai, and Toyota, making it one of the better-driving small cars. Inside, however, the Civic has lost some ground to its competitors, with plastics that are not very appealing and a navigation system with fiddly buttons. Still, the cabin feels spacious; the engineers from Honda managed to carve an additional 3.7 cubic feet of interior volume from an exterior that's unchanged in size. A 60/40-split rear seat means that even coupe models can carry large items. The Civic used to stand apart from its competitors, but that's no longer the case. However, we can't discount the Civic's competent road manners, reliability, and stellar resale value.

A brand-new CR-V is set to debut for the 2012 model year. There were few details available at press time, but the concept car pictured at left previews the styling of the new CR-V. Until that car goes on sale at the end of the year, buyers will have to settle for the 2011 CR-V, which is a pretty good vehicle in its own right, offering versatility, spaciousness, and ease of use. The current CR-V has a 180-hp four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission and is available with four-wheel drive. Clever packaging includes an optional dual-deck shelf that splits the commodious cargo bay horizontally and a sliding rear seat that folds flat in three sections instead of the typical two. The car-based CR-V handles and brakes well, and it has a low step-in height for easy entry. Still, the CR-V is growing old: it could likely get better fuel economy with a more efficient engine and a six-speed automatic, and it doesn't offer some of the modern conveniences, such as Bluetooth and navigation, except in the top trim level. At least one of those shortcomings will be addressed with the 2012 model, as we do know that a more powerful 2.5-liter four-cylinder will be available.

Open the door on a base model Honda CR-Z and you'll notice something interesting in the footwell: three pedals. The CR-Z is the only hybrid car sold with an available manual transmission. Hybrids are generally not revered for their handling prowess or sporting pretensions, but Honda set out to make the CR-Z a car that has those attributes. The CR-Z is not particularly powerful, with a combined 135 horses produced by the hybrid powertrain, but it handles well and it's actually fun to wring out on back roads. The CR-Z also delivers good fuel economy: a combined 37 mpg with the optional continuously variable transmission. The CR-Z comes with three selectable drive modes to tune the car for performance, economy, or a happy middle ground. The CR-Z is somewhat compromised by its two-seat packaging and poor rearward visibility, but it is still one of the most-fuel-efficient cars on the market. New competitors such as the funky Hyundai Veloster offer many of the same attributes as the CR-Z, including similar two-person seating, coupelike styling, and very good fuel economy, but the CR-Z should appeal to drivers who are looking for good, clean fun at a reasonable price.

It's rare when you find a car that combines driving pleasure, great fuel economy, and utility at a price that makes it seem like an incredible bargain. Granted, the Fit is quite small, but its high roof gives it the look and feel of a small minivan. The rear Magic Seat folds eight ways to Sunday and, combined with that high roof, creates a versatile cargo area that measures 57.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats -- more than in the Crosstour. The Fit's 117-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine isn't overly powerful, but it is willing to rev and is efficient, returning up to 35 mpg on the highway. It can be paired with either a manual or an automatic transmission, both with five forward speeds. The Sport model has steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that help you get the most out of the automatic. The suspension provides confidence and fun on twisty back roads, albeit at the expense of some highway ride comfort. The Fit is one of a wave of subcompacts that show that just because a car is practical and inexpensive doesn't mean it can't be fun to drive.

The Honda Insight makes hybrid ownership attainable. Created to be sold not only in the United States but also in markets around the world, the Insight costs less than the smaller Civic Hybrid. Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean that it lacks technical sophistication, however, as it uses the same parallel-hybrid powertrain that does duty in the Civic Hybrid. Current Honda owners who get behind the wheel of the Insight will feel instantly at home. The cabin design and ambience are an appealing mixture of Civic, Fit, and first-generation Insight, with effective ergonomics, intuitive controls, and lots of nooks and crannies for storage. Hybrids are all about fuel economy, and last year's Insight achieved 40 mpg in the city and 43 mpg highway. The Insight's 2012 EPA estimates have not yet been released, but Honda promises even better mileage. Changes made to improve fuel economy include the fitment of a new set of low-rolling-resistance tires, tweaking the exterior styling, and reducing friction in the little gas engine. All in all, the Insight brings a simple, price-minded attitude to a crowded market, and it should appeal to buyers who've been intrigued by hybrids but didn't think it made economic sense to purchase one -- until now.

We'd like to tell you that there's one clear standout in the minivan market, but we'd be lying. The minivans from Honda, Toyota, and Chrysler have been jockeying for the top spot for years, and all are formidable competitors. Even in that esteemed company, however, the Honda Odyssey stands out as an eight-time Automobile Magazine All-Stars award winner. The Odyssey's capable 3.5-liter V-6 uses Honda's cylinder-deactivation system, which cuts the power to some of the cylinders under light engine loads, enabling the Odyssey to claim best-in-class highway fuel economy. Like any good minivan, the Odyssey's most impressive features pertain to interior versatility. The minivan can be configured to hold either seven or eight passengers, and its second-row bench can hold three child seats -- just the thing if you're bringing your new set of triplets home from the hospital. If your kids don't want to watch the same movie, an extrawide rear-seat video monitor, which can screen two movies at once, is an option in the top Touring Elite model. A removable center console has room for a purse inside, and a cooler below the center stack can hold four bottles of water. For carrying cargo, the third row now folds into the floor with the tug of a single strap. The Odyssey is a vehicle that will appeal to everyone in the family.