The brakes on the Odyssey are very impressive. For a minivan, pedal feel could be compared to using your own feet to stop the van like the Flintstones. Initial grab is rapid, pedal travel is short and the four discs scrub off speed in very little time. Also impressive is the steering. It is very communicative, precise and better overall than many cars. The turning radius is very small. This will help tremendously to manoeuvre this big minivan in shopping mall parking lots.
The Odyssey's road manners can at times be both sporty and civilised. Whether it is loaded with 7 passengers or with only the driver, a smooth road can turn this sizeable Honda into a competent cruiser. As with any vehicle equipped with a taut suspension, rough roads do not particularly agree with the minivan: ride comfort quickly deteriorates.
Safety
The Odyssey has standard dual front, side and side curtain air bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution, stability with traction control and seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 5 out of 5 stars (an excellent result) for both front passengers in a frontal impact and 5 out of 5 stars for the passengers in lateral impacts. The IIHS has not yet rated the 2005 Odyssey.
Conclusion
This is a van designed for families to move into. There is room for everyone and everything. I can find only one major flaw with the Odyssey and that is that it is not offered with an optional AWD drivetrain. The reason probably has more to do with the fact that the average American buyer would not pay a premium to purchase an Odyssey with this option. Since we are subject to the whims of our neighbours to the South, we too will not get it. Well, I have five words: 2005 Toyota Sienna CE AWD.
Reliability has often been associated with Honda products. The new
Odyssey should not change this. In the recent past, the only weak spots to speak of were the electric doors and the 5-speed automatic transmission. I will assume that these issues have been sorted out for 2005.
Good stuff:
Great engine
Room to spare
Interior design and ergonomics
Not so good stuff:
Torque steer
Electrical anomalies??
The Odyssey's road manners can at times be both sporty and civilised. Whether it is loaded with 7 passengers or with only the driver, a smooth road can turn this sizeable Honda into a competent cruiser. As with any vehicle equipped with a taut suspension, rough roads do not particularly agree with the minivan: ride comfort quickly deteriorates.
Safety
 |
Conclusion
This is a van designed for families to move into. There is room for everyone and everything. I can find only one major flaw with the Odyssey and that is that it is not offered with an optional AWD drivetrain. The reason probably has more to do with the fact that the average American buyer would not pay a premium to purchase an Odyssey with this option. Since we are subject to the whims of our neighbours to the South, we too will not get it. Well, I have five words: 2005 Toyota Sienna CE AWD.
Reliability has often been associated with Honda products. The new
 |
Good stuff:
Great engine
Room to spare
Interior design and ergonomics
Not so good stuff:
Torque steer
Electrical anomalies??
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