The Honda Odyssey: A Minivan that's Redefining the Breed

The Honda Odyssey is currently our top-rated minivan, and it's an extremely practical vehicle that's surprisingly Nimble to drive. B Honda's redesigned the Odyssey for 2011, but did they make a good thing better or did they screw it up? The answer lies in the styling changes. Gone is the conservative old van, replaced by a sleeker design with a lightning bolt profile on the Belt Line. This bold new look tries to make this minivan look all the more sleek and modern.

However, some of these styling changes may be a bit too much for our taste. The sliding door track, for instance, can feel a bit too prominent, while the curving roof line adds a touch that's hard to ignore. These subtle design cues give the Odyssey a fresh new look that sets it apart from its competitors.

In terms of engine changes, Honda has taken a more restrained approach this time around. All Odyssey models now come equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine, which provides smooth and energetic performance. Additionally, they've introduced a cylinder shut-off system that can shut off two or three cylinders depending on the load to save fuel economy. While these changes may not be as dramatic as the styling updates, they're an important step forward for Honda's efforts to make the Odyssey more efficient.

The top trim levels of the Odyssey now come with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is a welcome upgrade over the standard 5-speed automatic. This new transmission helps to further enhance the overall driving experience of the Odyssey, making it feel even more agile and responsive than before. Despite this, Honda has made one change that we're not entirely sure about: reducing steering effort. While this may be an attempt to address customer complaints, we don't think it was a great idea. The steering can feel rather light at sub-highway speeds, which reduces driver confidence somewhat and makes the van feel less sporty.

On the other hand, one change that we wholeheartedly agree with is the reduction in road noise. The old Odyssey could get quite loud inside, but this new model is noticeably quieter. This is a significant improvement that should help with conversation inside the Odyssey's roomy cabin, which is a major draw for many families.

One of the most impressive features of the Odyssey is its spacious cabin. Most versions can seat eight people comfortably, thanks in part to a more comfortable Center second row seat. The old one was quite narrow, but this new model's design has made it much more accommodating. Additionally, the outboard seats can be slid towards the sides of the car, giving you more room in the second row seat for installing three car seats.

There are also three latch locations on these seats, which makes it easier to install and remove child seats. Furthermore, there's more leg room in the third row seat up front, making it a great option for families with multiple children. Some of the controls are better clustered together, but it can be a bit of a stretch to reach them.

The Odyssey also features a nice big screen for the navigation system, although it uses a complex controller rather than a touchscreen display. We prefer other designs like this one, as they're more intuitive and user-friendly. Other neat features include a hoop that folds out of the console to hold a bag for trash, and a cooled cubby at the bottom of the dashboard that can keep some bottles cool.

One area where Honda could improve is in their trim configuration options. The Odyssey comes with only a limited number of trims available, which means you often have to buy a higher trim level to get the options you want. One option, like Bluetooth or a backup camera, requires purchasing an EXL model with leather, which adds significant expense.

Despite these criticisms, the new Honda Odyssey is still a top contender in its class. It feels an awful lot like the old model, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. With its spacious cabin and impressive features list, it's no wonder why the Odyssey remains one of our favorite minivans on the market.

Ultimately, the big question is whether this new van is good enough to stay on top of the minivan heap. We'll be putting the Odyssey through a full test soon, so we can provide you with an honest review and let you know if it's still the best choice for your family.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe Honda odssey is currently our top rated minivan it's an extremely practical vehicle that's surprisingly Nimble to drive B Honda's redesigned the Odyssey for 2011 did they make a good thing better or did they screw it up immediately obvious is the styling changes for 2011 gone is the conservative old van what really stands out is this lightning bolt profile on the Belt Line what also stands out a little bit too much it's a sliding door track here now a curving roof line it tries to make this minivan look all the more sleeker engine changes for the new Odyssey are much less pronounced than the styling changes all Odyssey have a 3.5 L V6 engine now they also all have a cylinder shut off system that can shut off two or three cylinders depending on the load to save fuel economy this power Tri remains smooth and energetic most Odyssey come with a 5-speed automatic transmission the top trim levels though will have a six-speed automatic handling has long been an odyssey strong suit with this big box feeling smaller to drive than it actually is now the Odyssey is still fairly agile it's more engaging to drive than Toyota Sienna but in order to address customer complaints Honda reduced steering effort now we don't really think that was a great way to go the steering can feel rather light at sub highway speeds that reduces driver confidence somewhat and it makes the van feel less sporty one change we wholeheartedly agree with though is a reduction in road noise the old Odyssey well it could get quite loud inside this new van is noticeably quieter still it's not quite as hushed as some other family haulers now reduced noise levels should help with conversation inside the odyssey's roomy cabin most Odyssey versions are going to sit eight people that's helped by a much more comfortable Center second row seat the old one was quite narrow this one's much more accommodating another neat trick that the Odyssey has is that the outboard seats can be slid towards the sides of the car that gives you more room in the second row seat for installing three car seats there's also three latch locations there there's also more leg room in the third row seat up front some of the controls are better clustered together but it's a Long Reach of the climate controls there's a nice big screen for the navigation system but it uses a complex controller rather than the touchscreen re prefer some other neat features there's a hoop that folds out of the console that can hold a bag for trash there's also a cooled cubby at the bottom of the dashboard that can keep some bottles cool Honda's practice of building only a limited number of trim configurations means you often have to buy a higher trim level to get the options you want one option is like a Bluetooth or a backup camera or a power tailgate well you have to buy a $35,000 EXL with leather Toyota doesn't force you to do that with their Sienna so we do have a few complaints about this new van still despite the new styling it feels an awful lot like the old Odyssey the big question is though is this new van good enough to stay on top of the minivan Heap well we'll buy one and we'll let you know as soon as we fully test it here at our trackthe Honda odssey is currently our top rated minivan it's an extremely practical vehicle that's surprisingly Nimble to drive B Honda's redesigned the Odyssey for 2011 did they make a good thing better or did they screw it up immediately obvious is the styling changes for 2011 gone is the conservative old van what really stands out is this lightning bolt profile on the Belt Line what also stands out a little bit too much it's a sliding door track here now a curving roof line it tries to make this minivan look all the more sleeker engine changes for the new Odyssey are much less pronounced than the styling changes all Odyssey have a 3.5 L V6 engine now they also all have a cylinder shut off system that can shut off two or three cylinders depending on the load to save fuel economy this power Tri remains smooth and energetic most Odyssey come with a 5-speed automatic transmission the top trim levels though will have a six-speed automatic handling has long been an odyssey strong suit with this big box feeling smaller to drive than it actually is now the Odyssey is still fairly agile it's more engaging to drive than Toyota Sienna but in order to address customer complaints Honda reduced steering effort now we don't really think that was a great way to go the steering can feel rather light at sub highway speeds that reduces driver confidence somewhat and it makes the van feel less sporty one change we wholeheartedly agree with though is a reduction in road noise the old Odyssey well it could get quite loud inside this new van is noticeably quieter still it's not quite as hushed as some other family haulers now reduced noise levels should help with conversation inside the odyssey's roomy cabin most Odyssey versions are going to sit eight people that's helped by a much more comfortable Center second row seat the old one was quite narrow this one's much more accommodating another neat trick that the Odyssey has is that the outboard seats can be slid towards the sides of the car that gives you more room in the second row seat for installing three car seats there's also three latch locations there there's also more leg room in the third row seat up front some of the controls are better clustered together but it's a Long Reach of the climate controls there's a nice big screen for the navigation system but it uses a complex controller rather than the touchscreen re prefer some other neat features there's a hoop that folds out of the console that can hold a bag for trash there's also a cooled cubby at the bottom of the dashboard that can keep some bottles cool Honda's practice of building only a limited number of trim configurations means you often have to buy a higher trim level to get the options you want one option is like a Bluetooth or a backup camera or a power tailgate well you have to buy a $35,000 EXL with leather Toyota doesn't force you to do that with their Sienna so we do have a few complaints about this new van still despite the new styling it feels an awful lot like the old Odyssey the big question is though is this new van good enough to stay on top of the minivan Heap well we'll buy one and we'll let you know as soon as we fully test it here at our track\n"