Honda Odyssey 2004 Review

What we liked
>> Sleek contemporary styling
>> Spacious and flexible interior
>> Very smooth auto trans

Not so much
>> Engine power is just adequate
>> Lap-only seatbelt for centre seat
>> Positioning of child seat tether points for
      centre row

OVERVIEW
The people mover market has always been small in Australia, presently appealing to just two per cent of the population of new car buyers. Part of the reason has been the image delivered by what was originally a market filled with commercial vans with seats. But when Honda launched the first generation Odyssey here in 1985, it ushered in a whole new concept with a vehicle that offered seven seats but actually drove more like a car than a van.

But still the segment has languished as Aussies opt for the tougher looks of mid-size four-wheel-drives with seven-seat capacity rather than the still mini-bus visuals -- if not driving characteristics -- of people movers.

So when Honda started toying with its third-generation Odyssey, it was design that took the front seat, with the sleek look of the new model sitting somewhere between the previous generation and what might be considered a stretched station wagon.

Reflecting the small number of buyers in this segment, Honda is offering just one model Odyssey -- dropping the previous generation's choice of four-cylinder and V6 powerplants -- with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder five-speed automatic in two trim choices.

Apart from the obvious visual differences to the model it replaces, the new Odyssey is also significantly cheaper, with the entry-level model priced at $38,790 and the Luxury at $45,290.

FEATURES
The first thing you notice about the Odyssey is its very sleek design, and it's no accident. Although it sits on the same wheelbase as its predecessor, the new Odyssey is 65mm shorter and a more significantly 80mm lower. Yet despite the reduction in overall length and height, the interior is 50mm longer while the floor to ceiling height is marginally higher with an extra 5mm.

It's all about the packaging and by using a new compact double-wishbone rear suspension and flattened plastic fuel tank -- that still maintains a 65-litre capacity -- Honda engineers have been able to lower the car to such an extent that from the rear, it doesn't appear to sit much higher than a medium-sized wagon.

Inside, the design carries over the slick exterior themes with a big stepped dash -- with the transmission shift mounted high next to the steering column -- and blue lit instruments under a deep hood.

The seating layout is traditional people mover -- a 2-3-2 configuration -- with the rear seat split 50/50 and the centre row split 60/40. Like Honda's smaller Jazz, the seating is highly flexible, with the second row double-folding forward and the third row slipping into the floor to create a large cargo area. The luxury model even has a power operation to fold the third row away.

COMFORT
With big, wide opening doors and its lower stance, getting in and out of the Odyssey is not a problem, while access to rear is made easier with a second row that slides on 320mm long runners. Once inside, there is plenty of head and legroom for adult passengers in both the front and second row and in the third row, and although you wouldn't want to do a long journey, there is really only a slight compromise on headroom.

The seats are supportive, although I found them a bit too firm. The only real issue with their design is the placement of the child restraint anchorage points for the second row at the top of the rear roof rail, meaning that the third row would become unusable with child seats fitted. Full adjustments for the driver seat -- power operated on the Luxury model -- help to get a decent driving position, although the Odyssey still lacks a reach adjustment for the steering column.

General ride comfort is good, although there is a bit of harshness over rougher surfaces and in terms of equipment, the Odyssey is wanting for little. The climate control services all passengers with separate controls for the front and rear, there is quality single CD player, lots of cubbies and cup-holders, cruise control, power windows and remote locking.

The Luxury version adds a six-stack CD player mounted under the front passenger seat, leather trim, a power sunroof, auto headlights and alloy wheels.

SAFETY
Where many of the new generation people movers have a substantial benefit over four-wheel-drives is in their safety performance, particularly in terms of vehicle compatibility, and the new Odyssey is no different. With a monocoque, car-like body structure and low stance, the Odyssey is designed to perform in a crash in a similar way to a passenger car, with extensive load distribution channels built in.

Honda claims the Odyssey also incorporates a number of features to reduce potential pedestrian injuries, with impact-absorbing materials used in the bonnet, wiper pivots, front guard and bumpers.

For occupants, the Odyssey is fitted with anti-lock brakes and dual front and front side airbags. The luxury model gains full-length curtain airbags and although all seats have head restraints, a glaring omission in terms of safety is the lack of a three-point seatbelt for the centre position in the second row of seats.

MECHANICAL
Honda's decision to produce the new Odyssey without a V6 engine has left the car with just one engine -- a 2.4-litre variable valve timing equipped four-cylinder that produces a maximum power of 118kW and peak torque of 218Nm.

The engine is closely related to that found in the Accord Euro and although the car is sold with a higher tune version with similar output to the 140kW Euro engine in Japan, it is not on the sales lists for Australia.

Mated to the engine is a five-speed automatic transmission with a manual sequential shift function and what Honda calls Grade Logic Control. This is essentially a computerized function that reduces gear changes during quick on-off throttle actions.

Although the Odyssey retains the same double-wishbone setup for both the front and rear suspensions as in the previous model, many of the components are new or modified.

COMPETITORS
The people mover segment stretches across a broad band of prices, styles and sizes with the Odyssey sitting somewhere in the middle. Its direct competitors are Toyota's Avensis Verso and the new Mitsubishi Grandis, both of which are more expensive by about $4000 and $7000 respectively.

People in the market at the budget-end looking at the $32,000 Kia Carnival or Holden Zafira are probably not likely to make the stretch to the afore-mentioned three, while those interested in the truly large Toyota Tarago, Chrysler Voyager or Volkswagen Caravelle, are unlikely to compromise on size.

But where Honda expects to find some more buyers is those to whom a 4WD appeals for its seating flexibility or capacity but don't really need the off-road ability, or the traditional family wagon market.

ON THE ROAD
The lower, sleeker look of the new Odyssey has a greater impact on more than the visuals and this becomes clearly evident as you punt the car with relative enthusiasm along a winding country road.

Its low centre of gravity and well-sorted suspension produce minimal body roll and handling that could better that of many mid-sized passenger cars. The steering is, surprisingly for a Honda, reasonably well-weighted, with a speed-sensitive variable assistance that firms up nicely as the speedo rises.

The auto transmission is one of the best in the market, with smooth, almost imperceptible, shift changes under moderate load and a manual sequential shift that is quick to respond to driver input. Its placement on the dash alongside the steering column also makes it easy to use, which is a bonus, because if you want to get anything more out of the engine than adequate urge, the manual shifter comes in handy.

Holding the gears pushes the engine into the upper rev band where the peak power and torque occurs over about 4500rpm and if you are hauling up long hills or need the thrust to overtake, this is where the engine needs to be.

It's not that it is particularly peaky, because the power delivery is nicely linear; it's just that there is not a hell of a lot of it there. On the flat, around town at suburban speeds, it is fine but pushing through winding roads at country speeds means the accelerator spends a lot of time hard against the floor.

With a full load of seven people and some gear, any forward motion is likely to be leisurely.

The Odyssey will go along way to help remove the stigma attached to people movers with its sleek design, competent driving characteristics, and high quality, flexible and functional interior. It's just a pity it doesn't have an engine with the sort of performance to match its sporty styling.