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The Honda Odyssey is at the top of its class. It's a big van, and does everything a minivan is supposed to do exceedingly well. Nifty features such as a disappearing rear seat, a deep storage well in the floor and optional power sliding doors allow it haul to groceries home, kids to school, adults to dinner and plywood to the shop, all with equal convenience.
For 2002, Odyssey will haul all those things a little faster, with 30 more horsepower than before. Amazingly, fuel efficiency has not suffered, thanks at least partly to a new five-speed automatic transmission. Backing up that newfound go-power are new four-wheel disc brakes, which come standard. Inside, Honda has added side-impact air bags, a leather seating option, a DVD entertainment option, and other refinements.
Add to that Honda's hallmark levels of design, engineering and quality, and you get a vehicle that is a joy to live with on a daily basis. The Honda Odyssey gives the acknowledged benchmarks of the minivan category, the Dodge Caravan and the Chrysler Town & Country, a run for your money.
Odyssey drives and rides like a minivan. It accelerates briskly, as quickly as many sport-utilities. Fuel economy is average. Honda's V6 is smooth and quiet, though it makes its presence known under full acceleration. The automatic transmission works well, but the column-mounted shifter feels a bit funky, as it travels an elliptical path when you push it through the gears manually.
In most situations, the Odyssey delivers a smooth, comfortable ride. On a bumpy road into Washington, D.C., however, the suspension seemed to lack sufficient damping. Potholes are felt and heard as rattles emanating from the rear of the vehicle. Odyssey is easily maneuvered in close-quarters, better than most SUVs.
Big, well-designed mirrors are easy to adjust and provide good rearward vision. The view from the inside mirror is obscured a bit by the rearmost headrests, but they are removable. Sound quality from the premium six-speaker stereo is mediocre. It has difficulty reproducing any music with a broad range. Distortion occurs at higher volumes and the system lacks the efficiency to reproduce low-volume segments well.
Last year, we wrote that the 2001 Odyssey equaled the efforts of DaimlerChrysler and other leading competitors. For 2002, more power (with no loss in economy), better brakes and upgraded interior features move Odyssey even closer to the top of its class. Its magic third seat is a neat trick. Add to that Odyssey's strong value and Honda's proven quality.
Overall, the Honda Odyssey is a solid minivan, one that owners of other Honda products can trade into with confidence. It delivers a load of convenience and is easy to live with. The Odyssey is a great choice for a family of five or six, and a smarter choice for most families than a sport-utility vehicle.
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