The second-row bucket seats are adjustable fore and aft, allowing optimum comfort for six passengers. Adjustable shoulder belts for the front and second-rows reduce the irritation caused by inflexible mounts that some manufactures offer that ride could choke a small fry, cut into the necks of others, and make pregnant women uncomfortable.
Young working woman's view: It has a nice tight turning radius, holds 20 gallons of fuel, and is easy on the eyes. Yet, my best advise on the Odyssey is to wait. Next year a more potent version well most likely be brought online with substantially more features to keep it competitive. Another advantage of waiting is to see what Ford and Volkswagen are going to offer. Meanwhile, the Odyssey remains the BMW of vans with its sporty combination of handling and performance, although the disc brakes have their pads full when trying to stop this Honda in a hurry.
I liked the idea of a fold-up table between the two front seats, but when you stop fast everything slides off. I liked the Chrysler movable center console better. There is good space in the second row where two-bucket seats can be moved around to make access to the third row of seats easier. The interior is rather plain and certainly not up to the competition's standards.
Would I buy a Honda Odyssey van? Not now. When the need does arise, I would certainly consider this model based on its drivability, but although I like it pricing and value in class, the interior rattles bothered me, as did the tire noise.
Family conference: This is a good van with above average reliability and performance. If you can get a good deal, go for it. If not, wait, because this next model year there is going to be plenty of attractive offerings from other manufactures and Honda knows this well. Look for a vastly improved model to arrive and move the bar even higher in the expanding mini-van market. One thing we hope Honda does not change is its value pricing.
