Honda Odyssey - looks good and drives good

Honda Odyssey - looks good and drives good

Honda Odyssey - looks good and drives good

The Odyssey mini-van is almost a mainstay in the various offerings on the market for families to choose. The 2011 model is the first year of the fourth generation – simply explaining that Honda did some changes to this year’s model.

Our test model was the top-of-the-line Touring Elite, which was outfitted with almost every technological whiz-bang available. Honda threw everything in this trim level except the kitchen sink. Literally, they even added a cooling box for drinks – much like the old style ice-box. The test model color was a very attractive Celestial Blue with a contrasting gray interior.

The re-designed styling has a few observers thinking it is too modernistic and they like the older, box shape better. I like the new look. There is more of a sculpted appearance in the front that makes it look like a Roman nose in between two broad shoulders. Perhaps it is a reflection of a strong and caring father caring for his family.

The sliding door tracks on the side of the van are interesting. Again, there is a lot of verbal controversy over whether the tracks should be cleverly hidden under the window frames or not. Honda chose to almost highlight the narrow gash running to the back, but they did a very good job of making the open track a part of the “moving-forward” look. The open tracks have become a styling feature that accelerates until the top of the taillights are reached.

The test model Odyssey was powered by a 3.5 liter, 24 valve, V6 engine that provides 246 horsepower. But this is no ordinary, plain-Jane engine. It is Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management engine that shuts off some of the cylinders when there is a low engine load and all the cylinders are not needed. Some of the less expensive trim models have a different engine that does not have this Variable Cylinder Management, but I think it really is a help with fuel economy. A five speed automatic is standard, but a six speed automatic is available, which was included on the test drive model provided by Honda.

Inside the Odyssey, comfort is great. The interior is outfitted with fairly high-quality materials and offers a lot of versatility. Different from most of the other minivans on the market that fold the seats flat into the floor, Honda has an unusual approach. The second row seats actually slide slightly sideways, allowing more access to that third row of seating. The third row seats can be folded down if necessary for more cargo space. Another feature that appeals to me is the middle seat in the second row. It can be pulled forwards, making it more accessible for moms and dads in the front seats to reach back to the latched child seats behind them. Grandparents needing to reach back to help their grandchildren when parents are not with them can almost twist themselves into knots, requiring visits to the chiropractor.

The side doors slide very gently and smoothly, although they are powered. Manual minivan doors usually require a strong pulling or jerking action. When there are small toddlers and sometimes a dog or two, fingers and tails can be caught in that rapidly sliding door. This is just one small part of the many parts of the Odyssey that appeals to drivers hauling small children, whether parents or grandparents.

Interestingly, a study and report showed that crash injuries for children in minivans was about half of the injuries compared in SUV’s. Michael J. Kallan from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine provided the analysis in the February 2009 issue of Injury Prevention. He said, “Minivans are an alternative choice as a family vehicle with similar storage and seating capacity to that of many midsize and large SUV’s. … The objective of the study was to estimate the relative risk of fatal and non-fatal crash injuries for children in minivans compared with children in comparable sized SUV’s.”

The Honda Odyssey is almost fun to drive. It has terrific steering. It is a comfortably smooth ride. My test model was EPA rated at 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. For a fairly large vehicle that can actually carry eight passengers, this is wonderful mileage. Prices for the base model LX start at $28,580, but the pricing goes up rapidly for the better equipped models. The Touring Elite test had an ultra wide DVD screen, HID headlamps, a blind-spot notification system, and more, but the bottom sticker price hit $44,030.

Minivans may not be the father’s choice for being “with it” and “looking cool”, but it is safe and it offers so much flexibility. Honda has done their homework on this one. The new Odyssey looks good, it drives good, and it has good gas mileage.

By Alan Gell - MyCarData