Driving Impressions

Underway, the Honda Odyssey delivers everything you could ask for in a minivan: a smooth ride, responsive handling, stability at speed and a smooth, powerful engines. Honda's goal with this latest-generation model was to produce a minivan with the handling of a European sedan. The Odyssey belies its size on the road and handles like a premium sedan. It's not as dynamic as a European sports sedan, of course, but it's certainly better than an SUV. We found its handling and ride pleasant for long drives as well as around town. During a test drive along country roads near the Honda factory in Alabama, we found the Odyssey offered a perfectly pleasant ride. It was neither too firm nor too soft. Granted, there is some road vibration. And there is some slack in the steering on-center: You can turn the steering wheel a few degrees in either direction before the vehicle starts to move. It was no worse than in a Chrysler Town & Country, however, and many people will not notice as it's a common trait of many large cars and most SUVs. All in all, it's an ideal vehicle for a long-distance drive. Several laps around a race track showed the Odyssey to be stable at high speeds. And we were surprised how much we could chuck it into corners. We found we could drive hard enough into a sharp corner to feel the tires slip without any drama. We could not feel much body roll (lean) in corners, and an Odyssey lapping in front of us looked remarkably stable for a tall vehicle. Parking is easy. The turning radius is among the tightest of any minivan, making it an easy to make U-turns and maneuver in parking lots. The park-assist system, with beeping tones that warn the driver of other bumpers front and rear, helps considerably when parallel parking. Straight-line acceleration is good, better than other minivans. Yet despite having 244 horsepower going through the front wheels, the Odyssey is almost devoid of any torque steer. The Odyssey's 3.5-liter V6 engine is smooth, powerful, clean and fuel efficient. The iVTEC V6 (intelligent Variable Timing and Electronic Control) that comes on the EX with Leather and the Touring model gets an EPA-rated 20/28 mpg City/Highway, which is better fuel economy than the standard VTEC that comes on the LX and EX, 19/25 mpg. The iVTEC engine does this by deactivating three of the six cylinders whenever you're cruising. We were never able to discern when the engine was running on three cylinders as there is no visible lurching or change in engine note, although a green dash light illuminates to tell you the system is working. Both versions of the V6 generate the same amount of power: 244 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque (though the iVTEC generates its peak torque at 4500 rpm vs. 5000 rpm for the VTEC). If it looks like horsepower figures are lower for 2006, it's due to a change in how the Society of Automotive Engineers tests engines. No change has actually been made to the engines. The brakes work well. Every Odyssey comes with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and Vehicle Stability Assist, Honda's electronic stability control system. This system works in conjunction with the drive-by-wire accelerator and ABS to modulate the brakes while managing the throttle and ignition. If the vehicle starts to lose grip on a tight turn on a slippery surface, the system automatically slows the engine and gently applies brakes to stop the vehicle from skidding out of control. In a test on a soaking skid pad we found the system works well. Fortunately it only works in emergency situations so it's not distracting during normal spirited driving. It can be turned off, though we recommend against doing so. Booming road noise, especially from the rear seats, was a common complaint of the previous-generation Odyssey. Honda claims that the current vehicle is much quieter with increased amounts of sound-deadening material and floating sub frames that keep suspension and tire noise more

Final Word

Anyone who appreciates the versatility of a minivan coupled with the driving characteristics of a car will delight in owning a Honda Odyssey. The Touring model is especially compelling for drivers who a versatile luxury utility vehicle that rides like a car. Perhaps that's why Honda calls its Odyssey a premium adventure vehicle. New Car Test Drive correspondent John Rettie filed this report from Alabama, near the Honda assembly plant.