Hondas have been many things over the years: innovative, well-made, well-engineered. The list of credits is endless.
But There is one thing a Honda has never been, and that's a minivan. Until now.
For 1995, Honda ends its absence in this popular sector of the market with a minivan of its own. And unlike the Rodeo sport/utility, another first for Honda but supplied by Isuzu, this vehicle was home-grown. There are elements borrowed from other Hondas, notably the Accord, but not from anywhere else.
That is bound to be a plus with people who have owned Hondas, particularly Accords.
As you'd expect of a
Honda, this minivan is different. For example, it has four doors. This won't be a unique feature in 1995, because the next generation of
Chrysler minivans will also offer a fourth door, though it'll be optional while
Honda's is standard.
However, the Odyssey's rear doors are hinged, like a sedan's, which makes them a little easier to use. The Chrysler rear side doors both slide back, van style.
Because it uses a modified Accord chassis, the Odyssey will also have one of the most sophisticated suspension systems of any minivan. All Honda passenger cars have what Honda calls a double wishbone suspension, instead of the more common - and cheaper - MacPherson struts.
The advantage of the Honda system is that it minimizes undesirable wheel movements during cornering. This enhances the carlike driveability that's a must for front-drive minivans.
The Odyssey's engine is a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder, the same engine used in the Accord line but retuned slightly for this application - a little more peak horse-power and a little extra torque, the commodity that gets you away from stoplights and helps you haul heavy loads.
The 4-speed automatic transmission is essentially the same as the one used in the Accord, offering smooth shifting and the latest generation of Honda Grade Logic computer programming. Grade Logic uses sensors and a microprocesser to determine special driving situations. If you're driving down a steep hill with your foot off the accelerator, the computer tells the transmission to shift down one gear to help keep your speed in check.
Safety features, too, are up-to-the-minute. The Odyssey has dual airbags, 5-mph bumpers and 4-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock included as standard equipment. The doors are equipped with side-impact beams and meet 1997 federal side-impact standards for passenger cars.
The Odyssey will probably have a familiar look to folks who have owned Hondas over the years. With its short nose, raked windshield and tidy proportions, it resembles the old Civic station wagon, but on a somewhat grander scale.
The issue of size represents a problem for the Odyssey. Even before its introduction, there was criticism from some auto industry analysts who were allowed a preview and dismissed it as too small.
But Honda has always kept its cars as compact as possible. There's a near-phobic bias against excess space and mass in Honda engineering, and the Odyssey is true to its heritage in this respect.
However, the Odyssey is no midget. It is a little bigger than the standard version of the Dodge Caravan, a tad smaller than the Mercury Villager and about the same as the Toyota Previa.
The Odyssey will be offered in two models: the well-furnished LX and the loaded EX, which we tested. There's no real base model here.
