![]() ![]() After a few years of testing other minivans, I’ve come to realize the Odyssey is the best of the bunch, and I swear this 2008 tester had firmer braking and more precise steering than the earlier model I drove. The last time I tested an Odyssey, two years back, I hadn’t been exposed to many competitors and I found the braking mushy and the steering pretty numb. Moms and dads will get a pretty engaging drive with this minivan. And no, we don’t know why there’s an odd number of them, either. It features an integrated remote that pops out of the ceiling DVD unit, plus underfloor storage between the first and second rows to store headphones, DVDs and handheld gadgets.ĭo your kids leave bottles and sippy cups everywhere? If so, you’ll all love the Odyssey’s 13 to 15 cupholders (depending on trim level). Both rows were finished in black leather in my Touring model and were not only comfortable, they also felt very upscale for a minivan.Ī DVD entertainment system is optional on the EX-L and standard on the Touring trim level. I’m 5-foot-10, and I fit very comfortably in the third row, even with the second row in its rearmost position. The seats also slide forward easily to allow access to the third row. The second row is a configurable bench it can’t fold into the floor like the seats in the Chrysler and Dodge minivans do, but the center seat can be removed entirely, leaving two captain’s chairs and an aisle to walk back to the third row. The three rows in the Odyssey offer plenty of room. The interior has some new colors and textures on the instrument panel and new fabric for the base models. Buyers who do a lot of highway driving might see optimal results at the pump if they get this engine. The deactivation was seamless in my Touring test van. The LX and EX models - the more affordable ones - use a 3.5-liter V-6 that doesn’t have cylinder deactivation and gets 16/23 mpg. ![]() This version of the engine is rated at 17/25 mpg, but comes only on the EX-L and Touring trims. The old system was only able to shut off three cylinders, meaning this new version will be able to conserve fuel in a wider variety of driving conditions and speeds. That means that when you’re cruising or decelerating, two or three of the cylinders will shut down to conserve fuel. There is also a change under the hood, where the 3.5-liter V-6 engine on the top two trim levels has a new version of the automaker’s cylinder deactivation system. For a full list of what changed between the 20 Odysseys, check out a side-by-side comparison here. If you weren’t looking closely, though, you’d never notice. The Odyssey is handsome enough, and for 2008 the taillights and front end get small tweaks to add a slightly modern edge. It’s a minivan, and no minivan on the market is stunning enough to stand out from the pack. We’re not going to spend a lot of time on the Odyssey’s looks. The Odyssey is unabashedly a minivan, which means it delivers all of that vehicle’s must-haves: three rows of comfortable seats, family entertainment options, a pleasant ride and, in the uplevel Touring trim level I tested, a big scoop of luxury sitting on top. Honda’s latest ad campaign asks folks to “Respect the Van” - the concept being that minivans are so derided these days that the idea of owning one has to be beaten into potential buyers. What I can say to all of them is that they have one model to hold themselves up against: the Honda Odyssey. Many companies are getting out of the minivan game entirely right now, while others - like Volkswagen and Hyundai - are just entering it. The Honda Odyssey gets a lot of minor changes for 2008, and when you account for all of them, they add up to one heck of an argument for buying a minivan. ![]()
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