Hard to think it, but this vehicle is actually a member of an endangered breed. Just like the colossal station wagons of yore, the humble minivan is now somewhat under threat, outcompeted by legions of crossovers.
Part of the deal is the whole “mom” vibe that a van projects. It’s a device for hauling around the soccer team and it doesn’t get a lot of respect.
Well that’s a darn shame. Minivans are some of the nicest-riding, most feature-packed machines on the road and they’re absolutely the ideal road trip companion. Load it up with pretty much anything your can think of — the kitchen sink? Why not? —and hit the open highway.
A perennial favourite, the Honda Odyssey has always been a nice safe choice for a growing family that doesn’t subscribe to the idea that their family hauler need pretend to be a rugged SUV. Refreshed for 2014, it now includes a world-first feature: a built-in onboard vacuum cleaner.
I guess you could say that particular part of this van really sucks. So how’s the rest of it?
Design
There’s not much you can do, style-wise, with what’s essentially a box on wheels, but to their credit, Honda’s at least made an attempt. Up front, there’s a new grille, hood and fenders.
Thankfully, in an industry strangely obsessed with making their next generation of cars more aggressive, the Odyssey is still a friendly-faced machine and quite reserved. From the side, the dominant feature is the chrome-surrounded greenhouse that looks like a fat lightning bolt, if we’re being charitable, or like the designer had hiccups, if we’re not.
Touring-class Odysseys get 18” alloy wheels in a machined-look finish that seem at balance with the immense amount of sheet metal here. The overall appeal of the car is a sort of utilitarian anonymity, even with the extra chrome of the Touring edition. This isn’t a show-off car.
Environment
Inside, of course, is where the action is. With a simply tremendous amount of seating and tonnes of cargo room, the Odyssey has space to spare. Anyone also looking at a three-row crossover should just try sitting in the third row of this van to see how much more room a minivan can have.
Stacking it up against the major competitors, the Odyssey doesn’t have the second-row flexibility of the Dodge Caravan, with its stow and go seating, and the Sienna’s larger rear seats are better suited to longer-legged passengers.
The Odyssey provides plenty of comfort, especially for little kids, but removing the second row of seats for the annual garage clear out is a bit of a pain. Maybe we’ll clean the place out next year.
However, with three-zone climate control and full leather seating, the Odyssey is easy-to-clean comfort for up to eight. The rear seats flip away to form an entirely flat loading area, or leave them up and load up the deep trunk.
Up front, the driver and passenger now have a cleaner interface system to deal with, including a new touchscreen handling most of audio functions. Fit and finish are very good, although the use of plastics is not quite up to the near-luxury feel you’re starting to get with some modern crossovers.
It would also be nice to see a practical innovation here like the Highlander’s mid-level dashboard shelf.
I’d also like to see far more USB power outlets, not just the one used for connecting to an iPod, but several more out back to charge mobile devices for the kids.
Performance
With a six-speed automatic transmission and a 248hp 3.5L V6 standard on all Odysseys, Honda’s minivan is about as fast as it needs to be. Interestingly, they’ve programmed the throttle to be very progressive, which makes it easy to get off the line without spilling sippy cups and snapping little necks.
If you floor it, the six-speed auto downshifts and the V6 provides enough thrust to get out of the way or make a tricky merge, but the overall driving experience is far more relaxed.
Coming off the line almost feels like setting sail, with the Odyssey gliding up to speed.
It’s a different sort of driving. On a winding country road, the concern is not so much about gripping the curves with maximum GS, as it is not making anyone carsick.
To that end, body roll is relatively controlled in the Odyssey, and it’s easy to set up a smooth rhythm, not slow-poking, not hustling, but a just-right cruising speed. It’s a bit like being the captain of a comfortable cruise-liner.
On the highway, the lack of radar-guided cruise-control is missed and an overactive lane-departure-warning system is a bit annoying (you can turn it off). Other than that, this is what the Odyssey seems born to do: middle-lane cruising, eating up the miles.
It might be good at the short-run school/soccer/music-class excursions, but it’s also an ideal vehicle for long-distance touring.
You might not get your thrills behind the wheel, but everybody can share in the great view out the windows.
Features
At the Touring-level, the Odyssey is crammed with everything from Satellite Navigation to 12-speaker audio, a push-button smart key and to the aforementioned touchscreen interface system. Honda calls this last HondaLink, and it’s straightforward to use.
There’s also a gargantuan 16.2”-wide screen out back to pacify rear passengers.
Safety ratings for the Odyssey are excellent — the IIHS has awarded it the highest possible rating. There’s a blind-spot monitoring system and a multiple-angle rearview camera to make parking easier.
Fuel economy is quite good, considering the sheer weight of the van, thanks in part to cylinder-deactivation when cruising. Official ratings are 10.9L/100kms in the city and 7.1L/100kms on the highway.
Especially when loaded up with kids, expect 10-20 per cent worse than that in city conditions, but it is possible to dip into the sevens on the highway.
Green Light
Smooth powertrain; composed ride; oodles of space.
Stop Sign
Not fitted with latest Honda technology; needs more charge points; no radar-guided cruise control.
The Checkered Flag
Just like it says on the tailgate, it’s a great vehicle for a family odyssey.
