06 October 2011

The Honda Odyssey has been a top seller since it came out a few years ago, ranking highly in many best car lists. It’s giant yet sleek, and powerful and handles like a car much smaller than itself.

Style & drive
The Honda Odyssey may be a seven-seater but it’s stylish enough to shake the daggy “family van” label. The use of a clever “V” design theme in the cabin means all seven seats have a forward-facing view and each occupant has more than enough leg and shoulder room. As nice as the leather interior is, we’re not quite sure if it’s the best choice for a vehicle designed for all the rough and tumble of a big family.

The Odyssey’s drive is smooth, manoeuvrable and stable, if not a little sluggish when all seven occupants are in tow. For a car as big as this, parking assist wouldn’t go astray but, unfortunately, it’s missing from the Odyssey.

Maximum storage space is achievable only if you have five on board; the third-row seat folds up and slides into a niche, creating some much-needed luggage space. One thing to keep in mind: a Mum on her own might find it difficult to remove the third seat. The boot could be bigger but at least the low, flat floor makes loading and unloading easy. A storage well for groceries and other loose objects is a handy touch.

One thing that I found particularly annoying about this vehicle was the way it handles baby seats and their seatbelts/straps. If baby seats where placed in the middle row, the seatbelts/straps needed to connect to bolts situated in the rear of the vehicle. This meant that passengers in the final row of seats had ugly straps hanging above their heads. Avoid this vehicle if you have baby seats.

Safety
Although ANCAP hasn’t crash-tested it, safety is one of the Honda Odyssey’s strong points: it has front-side-head airbags, ESP stability control and three-point seatbelts in all seven seating positions.

Eco factor
For a giant car, 8.9L / 100km is impressive.

3 words to describe this car
Stylish, comfortable, agile.

What are the best things about this car?
Design, interior space and cabin features.

What are the downsides of this car?
Not much storage space when all seven occupants are in the car, and the second row passengers can’t lower their windows.

What kind of petrol does it use?
Unleaded.

Liked it?
It’s definitely a strong contender for top family car (unless you have baby seats).

If personified, who would this car be?
Oprah Winfrey.

Soundtrack of choice for this car?
Powderfinger – Odyssey Number 5.