For many years
Honda buyers could start with a small Civic, then graduate to a larger
Accord as their need for room grew and their incomes increased. But once they began
having larger families and required cars with even more room, there was no place
for them to go within the Honda family. And there were plenty of places for them to go
outside of Honda--specifically, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Toyota or Mazda.
From a business point of view, this was a situation that Honda could not allow to
persist, something that dealers, as well as loyal owners, pointed out regularly to the
parent company.
To meet their needs, Honda introduced in 1995 its first minivan, the Odyssey, based on
the front-wheel-drive Accord platform. Coming late to the party, Honda decided to make
its own variations on the minivan theme.
Unlike minivans from domestic manufacturers, the Odyssey has four conventional doors,
like a sedan. The only other minivan to employ sedan-style doors is the rear-drive,
truck-based Mazda MPV. Likewise, Honda took an innovative approach to seating in the
Odyssey. The rear bench seat folds flat into a small well in the floor for increased
cargo-carrying capability.
For 1996, Honda has made no changes in its appealing formula (other than to make the
Odyssey available to Isuzu dealers, who will call it the xxxx).
The Odyssey continues to be available in two trim levels: The well-equipped LX and
fully-loaded EX. Each carries a long list of standard equipment, including front and
rear air conditioning, power windows, mirrors and locks, 4-wheel antilock brakes, tilt
steering, rear window wiper/washer and an AM/FM/cassette stereo sound system.
The EX adds alloy wheels, power sunroof, remote entry and a more powerful stereo with
six speakers.
The Odyssey price is on the high side, however, particularly considering that it is
powered by only a 4-cyl. engine. The base price of the cheapest LX is $23,560 and the
base price of the top-of-the-line EX is $25,550.
Unless you feel an uncontrollable urge for a sunroof, the LX is probably the greatest bet,
and it was our choice for this review.
The Odyssey sports a short nose, raked windshield and compact proportions. In terms of
size, the Odyssey is similar to the standard Dodge Caravan but is much smaller than
the Grand Caravan. It is somewhat smaller than the Mercury Villager/Nissan Quest, more
on par with the Toyota Previa.
Because it is built on the Accord chassis, the Odyssey has a low step-in to make entry
and exit a snap. Drivers who test drive some of the taller minivans will be pleasantly
surprised by this attribute. In addition, the extra-wide hinged doors make entry and
exit easy as well.
As sedan drivers know, four doors are extremely useful. After driving a van with four
doors, one would be reluctant to go back to the more traditional configuration of a
single sliding door on one side and two front hinged doors. The four doors make it
convenient to stash a briefcase, hang laundry from the dry cleaners, install child
safety seats and load people away from the street.
On the other hand, sliding doors may be preferable in tight parking spots at the
grocery store, eliminating the chance of whacking another vehicle with the door. Then
again, when passengers are debarking from the left side of the vehicle, a sedan-type
door gives other drivers a warning that someone is about to emerge. That is not true of
a sliding door.
As one would expect, the fit and finish of the Odyssey is outstanding. Materials in
our test van were of exceptional quality. Interior and exterior pieces joined
perfectly together, and paint quality was excellent.
