2002 Honda Odyssey: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

More horsepower, standard front side airbags, available leather upholstery, and a DVD rear-seat entertainment system lead Odyssey's 2002 updates. Odyssey's 3.5-liter V6 engine gains 30 hp and replaces its 4-speed automatic transmission with a 5-speed. Minor cosmetic changes, retuned suspension, and standard rear disc brakes vs. drums also are new. The front side airbags join standard ABS and traction control. LX, EX, and EX-L models are offered. All have dual sliding side doors, which are powered on all but the LX. Odyssey seats seven and includes a 3rd-row seat that folds into the floor. EX-Ls add leather upholstery and are available with a factory-installed video system that includes a 7-inch ceiling-mounted LCD screen, remote control, wireless headsets, and front-mounted DVD player. The EX-L is also available with a satellite/DVD navigation system, but not in combination with the rear-video package.

COMPETITION

Though the competition has heated up, we feel that the new Dodge Caravan is still one of the best minivans you can buy. It offers all of the creature comforts in a pleasing package at a fair price. Our other Best Buy is the Honda Odyssey. It's a little bit smaller than the Dodge, but more sporty to drive, and it has a super-convenient flip-and-fold-away rear seat.

Trailing at a close second are the Recommended Chevy Venture and Toyota Sienna. Though these vans are comparably priced and offer loads of neat features, we feel they can't match the road manners of our two Best Buys. Also garnering Recommended ratings are the Chrysler Town & Country and Chrysler Voyager. Though they are mechanically similar to the class-leading Caravan, they don't offer the breadth of model choices.