There are many vehicles that can carry a large number of people, and there are those that can carry large amounts of cargo. There are vehicles that excel in passenger safety, and those that provide maximum power with minimal fuel consumption. But if you count the number of vehicles that can do all of these things equally well, the list dwindles to a simple two-handed finger count. Now throw in the requirement that this vehicle offer a bulletproof build quality and high resale value, and the number slims down to just one: the Honda Odyssey.
For most Minivan owners, interior room is first and foremost on their list of "must haves." The Odyssey not only excels in this area, it gets bonus points for the creative way its interior space is laid out. The centerpiece of the Odyssey's passenger cabin can actually be found in the rear of the vehicle; a third-row seat that flips and folds flush into the floor well. The seat mechanism is easy to work and requires about one-tenth of the energy you'd use pulling out a removable third seat and lugging it into the garage. The Odyssey's second-row seats come only as twin captain's chairs, both of which can be removed to create an enormous flat floor. In fact, with the seats removed the Odyssey boasts a massive 170 cubic feet of cargo space; that's more interior room than you'll find in the Chrysler Town and Country, Toyota Sienna or Ford Windstar. The Odyssey also rules supreme in terms of headroom, legroom and shoulder room stats.
The innovative interior does not stop with the seat layout. You'll find much to like inside the Odyssey, from its built-in flip-down cup holders (they are cleverly mounted on the outside bottom edges of the captain's chairs) to the optional DVD entertainment system that features a flip-down ceiling-mounted screen, to the retractable center tray table. Everything shows a level of thought and detail unrivaled in this price category.
After accommodations, acceleration is usually the next demanding requirement of the minivan set. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, when it comes to pure power, the Odyssey is again King. Equipped with a 240-horsepower V6 engine, the Odyssey out guns the standard engines of all its competition by a wide margin. Yet with all that power under the hood, the Odyssey's engine remains quiet and composed, even under harsh conditions such as climbing steep grades or when burdened with a heavy load. The standard 5-speed automatic transmission is flawless, getting off seamless shifts that take full advantage of the engine's power curve. You'll never feel as though the transmission shifted too quickly and left you without power to get around traffic or launch across a busy intersection.
Power alone does not make a vehicle successful; control—combined with power—makes for a great a drive. Given the Odyssey's considerable bulk, you will be amazed by its tight turning radius, its flat cornering response and its agility when forced to perform emergency maneuvers. You'll also love the fact that the Odyssey will not punish you at the pump, returning an EPA fuel consumption rating of 18-mpg city and 25-mpg highway.
If the Odyssey has some hidden shortcoming, we were not able to find it. In areas of room, comfort, power and even safety, the Odyssey earns an A plus. Indeed, the only drawback we could think of has nothing to do with the Odyssey's design, but instead with its production. Being as popular as it is, Odysseys don't stay long on dealer lots, meaning you might have to wait to get the exact model you want. Understanding this, Honda has packaged the LX model with a fairly heavy content level including manual front and rear air conditioning, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, 11 separate cupholders, power door locks, dual-sliding side doors, rear privacy glass, dual front-side-impact airbags, power mirrors, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, speed control, tilt wheel, power windows, AM/FM Stereo with cassette and intermittent front and rear wipers; there are no factory-installed options available on LX Odysseys though your dealer can add things like a CD player and mud guards.
The EX offers even more luxury features such as automatic air conditioning, dual power sliding side doors, remote keyless entry, 8-way power driver's seat, alloy wheels and CD stereo. The EX also offers three optional packages: the EX-L includes leather seats, the EX-RES has all the features of the L and adds a DVD-based entertainment system and the EX-NAVI includes all the features of the L with an onboard navigation system built into the dash.
