1995-1998 Honda Odyssey: Road Test

Odyssey departs from the minivan herd by virtue of its fully independent suspension, versus beam-type rear axles for most of the competition. It corners with little body lean and has good stability. Ride quality is also commendable: steady and firm at highway speeds; smoothly absorbent and comfortable when traversing bumpy urban pavement. Braking is nearly faultless. Power from either the 2.2- or 2.3-liter engine is adequate, but the engines are loud when flooring the throttle. Also, when passing or engaging in quick sprints onto expressways, the Odyssey can feel underpowered. Gas mileage is great, more than 21 mpg in city/expressway driving. As in the Accord, Odyssey's automatic transmission delivers prompt shifts that are usually smooth. Full-throttle downshifts, on the other hand, can induce an unwanted lunge forward. Because the Odyssey minivan is three to five inches narrower than rivals, cargo space is somewhat limited. There's also little walk-through room. On the plus side, the rear seat easily folds flush, and it's an easy minivan to park. The interior features plenty of space for six, but an extra person in the center seat of the 7-passenger version could be squeezed. Rear entry/exit is somewhat hampered by doors that don't open as wide as they should. Driving position in the Odyssey is comfortable; visibility good all around. The dashboard is attractive and well-organized.

Value for the Money
Well-built, well-equipped, and likely to be reliable, Odyssey is worth a look--provided that it's big enough to meet your needs. Lack of a V6 and modest dimensions tend to limit its appeal, however, against the league-leading Chrysler minivans and Ford's Windstar.