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2008 Honda Odyssey LX Road Test

If a car manufacturer were to make such a thing as a driver's minivan, who

Facelift makes a good van even better. (Photo: Honda)

would make it? You might think for a moment that that it might be Mazda, with its whole “zoom-zoom” attitude, but for most folks the 5 is a bit too small. Toyota? Dodge? Their vans might be powerful and great all-round minivans, but you'd have a hard time justifying those choices with regards to performance. If I had to pick a brand, it would have to be Honda. Put aside the Si and the S2000 roadster and focus for a second on more ordinary products like the Accord and Civic, and what you'll find are cars that are role models for what conventional cars should be like. Hondas, big and small, have an effervescent nature to them, yes – even their minivans. It's what's helped the Odyssey to earn the reputation as being one of the best people movers in the business.

This is the way things have been for two generations since Honda gave the van a complete makeover and more conventional layout in 1999, improved again with the 2005 redesign and now we're being introduced to the freshened 2008 model. By and large it looks the same, and that's because by and large it is the same van. If you squint, you might find that there are a few extra creases on the hood,

Entry level Odysseys are very basic looking machines, but they are well equipped. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

plus the airdams on the front bumper are mildly different. The biggest change is that there's an extra bar on the body-color, chrome-outlined grille, and an extra splash of orange on the enormous, clear-lensed taillights. The tailgate's been redesigned in a subtle way to accommodate the larger brake lights, not that they were unnoticeable on the original, and the whole lot is capped off by a new roof-mounted spoiler.

More importantly are the changes that have been made to the features list. Honda has made many improvements to the most expensive models, the EX-L and Touring, offering new features such as Handsfree Link, the Bluetooth connectivity system found in various Acuras, as well as a fancy new reverse camera which displays its image on the rearview mirror for EX-L models without the navigation system. Oh, and the front passenger's seat is also now available in power operated form.

Upper level Odysseys can be had with the new two-stage cylinder deactivation for better fuel economy. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

At the other end of the scale, Honda has taken into account those who aren't prepared to drop nearly forty thousand dollars on a family hauler with the new LX trim level. The LX is as low as you can go (in terms of price and equipment) for an Odyssey, yet is generously equipped. Air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, power mirrors and keyless entry are all standard, as are variable intermittent wipers and a rear bench that not only reclines, but folds flat into the floor. The LX is only available as a 7-seater, rather than with eight seats like the rest of the range. All Odysseys also come with front, side-thorax and side-curtain airbags, and VSA stability control too, plus active head restraints. The LX is a rather basic looking machine though, with matte black door handles and side rub strips, a matte rear spoiler and wheel covers on steel wheels. This is, of course, all to do with getting more people into the Odyssey, and dispelling the perception that it's one of the most expensive vans around (but it is). Prices start at just $25,860, although still not enough to undercut the base prices of the Sienna, Quest, Caravan, Entourage, and Sedona.

Tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and handy dash-mounted shifter, plus simple climate controls makes Odyssey a breeze to operate. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

Part of that reputation has to do with the fact that just about every Odyssey I've ever encountered has been really quite well equipped. If you're going for something like the Touring model there are plenty of luxuries to be had, but even on the lower EX you get a lot of equipment such as digital climate control and the hideaway 2nd row seat. A byproduct of this is a plethora of small, little buttons, each with a specific control and function. Faced with these controls and an upright seating position, the helm is much more like a space ship than a minivan, but that isn't the case in this LX. The stage is simpler with a few, large, easy knobs that govern the main controls. Instead of the power-operated sunroof and side doors, there are blank slots, and instead of the DVD player, you get extra storage bins and cubbies. Even without the extras the Odyssey feels like a quality product, with tightly fitted interior panels, and nice, rich velour-trimmed seats. Complaints about the cabin were few and far between, the biggest of which was that second-row passengers found the size of the door handles too small for easy use.

Four big round knobs replace the complex layout of the digital climate control system; where all the other gadgets would normally go, there are storage spaces. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

And while I can appreciate some of the Odyssey's intriguing features, like power windows on the sliding doors (my first personal encounter, and a favorite feature amongst family and friends), or the Magic Seat 3rd row that reclines and folds flat into the floor, it's the way that it drives that leaves the strongest impression. Even with its black plastic trim and bottom-run wheel covers it feels more special to drive than it looks. As far as minivans go, it's about as sporty as they come, with a ride that's firm and free of excessive body roll. Yet at the same time it feels sturdy, free of structural quakes that such large vehicles are prone to. With nice, big mirrors, a tilt and telescoping steering column and the same steering wheel as the old Accord, it's easy to forget that you're driving a big minivan, provided you don't catch a glimpse of the two rows of seats behind you. The Odyssey is also quiet, quieter than people movers generally ought to be, which is a good thing – you'll be able to hear occupants in the second and third row without too much trouble.

And the van moves with gusto too. I drove around with it unloaded most of the time, and it had ample get up and go. The 244-hp, SOHC 3.5-liter V6

Odyssey's third-row Magic Seat easily folds flat into the floor. The second row seats aren't as advanced, though. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

engine with VTEC is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission on the LX and EX models, but there is another engine choice offered for the EX-L and Touring models, a 241-hp version of the same engine with i-VTEC. Honda has started adding cylinder deactivation (VCM) to a growing number of their cars, trucks and vans, and although this isn't anything new for the Odyssey, the system has been upgraded for this model year. Much like the new Accord V6 (with the automatic), there are now two stages of cylinder deactivation, allowing the engine to fire on three or four cylinders. The advantage of this arrangement is that the car can run under a greater number of situations on fewer cylinders. The increase between the two systems is slight, but noteworthy especially if you're comparing it against non-cylinder deactivation models like the one I tested. Honda claims 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway for the standard engine, which drops to 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway for the top-line V6. I've driven a variety of products with Honda's VCM system and indeed, true to their claims, it's so smooth and seamless you'd never know it was engaging and disengaging cylinders if it weren't for the little “Eco” light on the dash. Furthermore, vehicles with the deactivation system have the edge on refinement thanks to its active noise cancellation, which

For all of its good qualities, the Odyssey deserves a star. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

uses active engine mounts and the car's sound system to counteract vibrations and unwanted sound.

Due to pricing being much more of a priority to buyers on an entry level model, what you'll find is that the new Odyssey is actually cheaper than the outgoing entry level van by only $215. And this makes it a slightly more competitive vehicle when you're cross-shopping dealer MSRPs. But the thing is that the Dodge Caravan, or any of GM's minivans almost never sell at MSRP. Flip through the newspaper in my area and you'll find the brand new redesigned '08 Dodge Grand Caravan flying off dealer lots at unbelievably cheap lease rates and dealer pricing well below sticker. Likewise goes for those GM vans, which were recently boosted in power and engine size.

The Odyssey faces a lot of tough competitors, not just from the Koreans or Chrysler Group's new Caravan and Town and Country, but from some unlikely sources, like modern “large” crossovers such as GMC's Acadia and Mazda's CX-9. It also faces the intangible rival, image. Minivans, for all of their comfort and practicality aren't cool. Even though the Odyssey is practical beyond all measure and drives quite well too, it just screams out to everyone on the road that you've put your family first, and you really aren't out to make much of a statement about yourself. Of course, to many, especially those with kids, such a statement is kind of cool in its own "be who you are" sort of way. Still, this day and age it may be a situation of slim pickings in the minivan sector, but like in any case, the strong survive – and that is exactly what the Odyssey is doing.

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