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2008 Honda Odyssey
2008 Honda Odyssey
A Minivan of Homeric Stature
The Honda Odyssey leads the minivan market as a sought-after model in a segment that many family chauffeurs shun.
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The standard engine in the Honda Odyssey is a 3.5-liter V6. With the upscale EX-L and Touring trim and equipment packages, the engine gets Variable Cylinder Management, in which half of the cylinders shut down at cruising speeds to boost fuel efficiency.
The upgraded models also include an Active Control Engine Mount System and Active Noise Control technology, to reduce noise and vibrations. A sophisticated, five-speed automatic transmission channels power to the front wheels on all models.
As with most Hondas, handling, steering, and braking are crisp and make driving the Odyssey a pleasure. The engine has plenty of power for overtaking vehicles on the highway as well as hauling lots of people and stuff. But the transmission can be slow to downshift at times.
Tall windows, high seating and a low dashboard make for excellent outward visibility. The Odyssey almost feels like a sedan behind the wheel.
As expected with a family-oriented vehicle, the Honda Odyssey offers a long list of standard safety features, including stability and traction control, four-wheel disc antilock brakes, front airbags as well as front side and side-curtain airbags that deploy when sensors detect the vehicle has begun to tip, but before it rolls over.
The Toyota Sienna offers more gadgets. The Nissan Quest has more dynamic styling. But the Odyssey’s roomy, flexible interior, packed with standard amenities, is the best thought-out. Features include seven-passenger seating, an AM/FM/CD stereo, front and rear air-conditioning, cruise control, power door locks, mirrors and windows, keyless entry, a storage compartment in the floor, a tilt-adjusting steering wheel, and a third row that folds flat into the floor. Unlike older minivans, windows in the sliding doors roll up and down.
EX and EX-L trim levels offer eight-passenger seating with an extra jump seat in the second row. Other models have a removable storage bin instead.
The third row can comfortably accommodate two adults or three kids, thanks to the second row’s ability to slide forward, which also eases access. Encroaching side roof panels could cause some discomfort for larger third-row passengers.
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Options include a rear DVD entertainment system on EX-L models (standard on Touring models) and a touch-screen navigation that incorporates voice recognition. Customers who spring for the DVD entertainment system can add a rear-view back-up camera.
You need seating for seven or eight; you’re considering an SUV but prefer a car-like ride and want better gas mileage; you need a large cargo hold to haul bulky items.
Your ego can’t take the “soccer mom” minivan stigma; a smaller sedan or wagon would meet your needs.
Up to eight occupants; ample seat and steering-wheel adjustments along with excellent outward visibility benefit drivers of all sizes.
The original Honda Odyssey was released in 1995 to join the then-growing minivan market. But it was neither fish nor foul, essentially a tall, underpowered Accord wagon replete with rear swing-out doors, rather than sliding ones. The fact that it had two rear doors was a rarity at the time. What the original Odyssey did include, which would become the model’s defining feature for years to come, was a third-row passenger seat that folded flat into the floor when not in use. This precluded the tedious task of having to physically remove the seats to maximize cargo space. A redesigned version grew in size and gained a gutsy V6 engine and dual rear sliding doors. It launched to universal acclaim in 1999 and its popularity continues with the current version, which debuted as a 2005 model.
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