Automotive
By Alex Nunez on September 9, 2010 in

2011 Honda Odyssey minivan

The minivan wars are heating up. Again. The 2011 Toyota Sienna threw the first punch earlier this summer (it's in showrooms now). Nissan and Chrysler are still readying their new and/or heavily revised vans for introduction in the near future. Honda, however, is ready to defend its position as the best-reviewed minivan overall. The new 2011 Honda Odyssey arrives in showrooms on September 30, and this week we got to sample it briefly during Honda's East Coast media launch drive event. Does it have the goods? Read on.


The test scenario

First, a quick rundown of the circumstances: We piloted a 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite (the new tech-laden tippy-top trim level for 2011, which carries a base MSRP of $43,250) over a 66-mile planned test route that mixed highway travel with a variety of scenic and twisty local roads. The weather conditions were sunny and generally beautiful. Total seat time was right around two hours, and we drove solo.

We won't be able to pile in the wife and three kids (and perhaps the dog) or hit the local big-box club store for the obligatory 43-pound box of Lucky Charms and other assorted needs until we get some additional time with the '11 Odyssey on our own. That will come. In the meantime, here's a quick rundown on what's new, along with initial driving impressions.  For photos (both live shots taken by us, as well as official Honda PR images), head over to our official Facebook page (be sure to "Like" us while you're there). If you're not the social media type, you can also see the same pics on the ConsumerSearch Automotive photostream at Flickr.com.)

New looks

Overall, the 2011 Honda Odyssey's new shape, conceived at Honda's California design center, is more aerodynamic than the 2010 minivan's. Honda says it wanted the 2011 Odyssey to be recognizable from across a crowded parking lot, so its typical vannish profile is set off by uniquely-shaped side glass that dips downward at the vehicle's rearmost section. This is basically the Odyssey's signature design feature, and it is indeed an easy identifier. The thing about that "across a crowded parking lot" angle, however, is that the Odyssey is popular enough that once the new ones start hitting the road in force, owners are likely to see more than just one parked outside the supermarket, so even though it'll be easy to ID an Odyssey, it might not be yours.

From a functional standpoint, Honda says that the rear-window dip benefits third-row passengers by creating a less claustrophobic cabin environment that lets them see out more than they would have in the outgoing model. One tradeoff for this unique look is that the track for the sliding doors is mounted lower on the bodywork and fully exposed as a thick horizontal line instead of hidden under the window line as you'll see on other vans. Honda points out that the lower mounting point for the door motors and track increases third-row shoulder-room, however. We'd point out that while that's a good thing, it also means that the 2011 Honda Odyssey presents better in darker colors that help mask the visual busyness created by the pronounced door track and other body panel cut lines at the rear of the van.

Roomy, organized interior

All three seating rows (our tester was set up with seating for up to eight passengers) are comfortable, though we only spent significant time in the driver's throne. That said, headroom and legroom are good regardless of where you set yourself set up. The middle row features a nifty innovation dubbed "wide mode" seating. The two captain's chairs can be lifted and slid outboard slightly to allow better room for three adults. (The Odyssey has a removable center seat as well, and it slides fore and aft independent of the captain's chairs.) What parents should find appealing , however, is that the wide mode lets the 2011 Odyssey accommodate three full-sized child seats across in the second row. As a parent, your author can attest that three-seats-across is a sort of kid-hauling Holy Grail. When we get a second shot at the Odyssey we'll put that to the test firsthand. The outboard second row seats slide forward and tip their seatbacks for easy third-row ingress and egress, and the third row is indeed adult-comfortable.

On the matter of child seats, the Odyssey has three sets of LATCH anchors in the middle row, and two more in the back row. All second and third-row seating positions have tether anchor points as well.

The freshened cockpit gets a more traditional instrument cluster, with the tachometer on the left and speedometer on the right, separated by a driver information display. (2010 Odysseys presented the driver with a gigantic speedometer in the middle.) The center stack, topped with an 8-inch VGA nav/infotainment display, is still very button-happy (a common reviewer criticism of current Hondas in general), but Honda's Ohio-based R&D engineers sought to arrange these controls more ergonomically. Hence, the climate controls are separated and positioned just under the nav screen. The audio controls are the next-highest group. Honda gets a thumbs-up for its use of simple dials for both volume and tuning. With basically no time to get into the system's nitty-gritty, we were still able to quickly find and tune into our favorite XM station for the drive without reaching for the owner's manual in despair. (We also streamed music from our Bluetooth-connected iPhone with no problems whatsoever.)

Finally, below the audio controls is the dial/joystick interface for the navigation and other screen-based menus. We got to use this when we mated our phone to the Bluetooth system. Frankly, there's a lot to learn, and you need more time than we had in the car to make a final judgement. We were encouraged by what we experienced, however. Honda also integrates voice commands for controlling many of these features (USB-connected iPods can be told to play a specific artist or song, for example - a la the widely-praised Ford SYNC setup.) We'll weigh in again once we have an opportunity to spend a week with the new Odyssey later on.

Plenty of storage

Behind the third row seats, you'll find a deep well with 38.4 cubic feet of storage space. Collapsing the rear seats (the fold flat into the floor) is so easy, that it's almost not obvious. Pull on the strap behind either side of the 60/40 split bench and the seat tumbles out of sight. Honda says that before they placed the instructional decals on prototype vehicles (same ones you'll find in the production cars), that employees would actually stop, thinking there were additional steps. There aren't; it's just crazy-simple. With the third row stowed, cargo room increases to 93.1 cubic feet. Large grab handles make it equally simple to put thise rear seats back in place. All three second-row seats fold over, or can easily be removed. Ditto the front center console. Honda says that last part will let you load ten-foot 2x4 boards and still close the tailgate. Another interesting feature is the trash ring built into the back of the center console. Flip it open, and you can slip a grocery bag or small garbage bag over it to collect all the junk your family generates over the course of a long drive. Finally - and we know you've been waiting for this - LX models have 10 total beverage holders, while EX and higher trims have 15. So yes, there will always be more cup and bottle holders than there are passengers.

Nifty tech

One neat feature in the test vehicle was a coolable compartment at the base of the instrument panel. It can handle four 20-oz bottles or a six-pack of cans, and pressing a button will pump cooled air into it to keep beverages chilled or prevent candy vbars from melting. The cooling system runs straight off the air-conditioning system's evaporator, so it's cool regardless of what temp you set the climate control at.  The center console between the front seats includes a cavernous storage bin (I dropped a digital SLR with supplemental battery pack and long lens in there, and could have dumped in a lot more, too.)

As noted earlier, the tester we drove was the Touring Elite edition, which gets the full suite of techno-innovations. Honda says the trim level was added in response to customers asking for more features and options than were already available on the previous high-end Touring model. In addition to the aforementioned nav system, the Touring Elite is equipped with a 16-inch superwide rear entertainment display that can display up two two video sources simultaneously. One is the van's DVD player; the second is a user-added device. The Odyssey Touring Elite has both standard A/V jacks and an HDMI input (at present, Honda is the only manufacturer to offer the latter) for a second video source, like a videogame system or other high-def device. A pair of wireless headphones are included (this is standard in pretty much anything with a rear entertainment system), and there are two more standard headphone jacks for third-row riders. The audio system can also play back proper, full surround sound for the rear passengers only (ceiling-mounted speakers by the fold-down rear screen act as a center channel). Honda says this is a feature aimed at families whose kids don't like wearing the headphones. Note that the rear-seat entertainment system offered in the EX trim is not the same as the one we experienced, it uses a smaller nine-inch display.

Safety

Traction control and electronic stability control are standard, as is ABS with brake force distribution and brake assist (the latter will apply extra braking force during emergency situations). Add six standard airbags: a pair of dual-stage front airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags, and three row-side curtains with rollover detection. One interesting feature worth noting is the Front Passenger Occupant Detection System (OPDS) for the front passenger-side airbag. Sensors in the front passenger seat determine that person's size and seating position. If a small adult ot child is leaning into the airbag's path, the system shut down the bag and prevent deployment until it determines that the passenger's seating position is such that firing the airbag is a safe course of action.

What's underhood?

For 2011, the Odyssey's 3.5-liter V6 returns with a little more power (248 hp) and torque (250 lb-ft) than last year's model. Incremental improvements to the intake, exhaust, and engine mechanicals result in good fuel efficiency and more usable midrange power (i.e. where you want it most). Trim levels from base LX to the various EX iterations use a five-speed automatic transmission, while Touring and Touring Elite models get a six-speed. All models are equipped with Variable Cylinder management, which lets the engine shut off two or three of its cylinders depending on driving conditions to help save fuel. The upshot is that 5-speed Odysseys are rated at an estimated 21 mpg in combined use, while Touring models are rated at 22 mpg. During our short time behind the wheel we averaged 20 mpg without even trying.

All Honda Odysseys are front-wheel drive only, and all-wheel drive is not in Honda's minivan plans. Honda says that AWD minivans (read: Toyota Siennas so equipped) account for only 5% of the market. Furthermore, they add that the required AWD hardware (the additional driveshaft going to the rear wheels) would force them to raise the vehicle's floor in back and significantly alter their interior packaging.  It's a fair enough argument, and the Odyssey has certainly not suffered to date for lack of AWD. We will say, however, that we've driven the AWD 2011 Toyota Sienna as well, and it certainly doesn't fall short in terms of interior flexibility as a result. As before, the Toyota Sienna is the only minivan currently on the market to offer an AWD option. If you want an eight-passenger Honda with all-wheel drive, the 2011 Pilot  midsize SUV is your answer.

Behind the wheel

The 2011 Honda Odyssey's V6 is not the most powerful in the class on paper, but from behind the wheel, it just doesn't matter. The minivan accelerates with the appropriate sense of urgency, whether you're running around town or merging onto the highway. There's plenty of midrange punch for passing, and the standard antilock braking system with brake force distribution (this analyzes the vehicle's load and optimizes where it sends the braking power accordingly) scrubs off speed confidently. Forward visibility is excellent, as is the view straight back. Over-the-shoulder passenger-side checks are thwarted by the second-row seat's headrest, which totally blocks the view out of the rearmost window. The Touring Elite model we drove atones for this with its standard blind-spot warning system (a warning lamp illuminates inside the cabin on the forward roof pillar when a car is detected in the van's blind spot), but it's exclusive to that peak trim level only.  The outside rearview mirrors seem a little small for a vehicle this size, which doesn't help matters, particularly if you are in a lower trim level where the blind-spot tech is unavailable.

Steering feel is nicely communicative, with less effort required at slow maneuvering speeds than at highway velocity, where a little more resistance is built in. Ride quality during our brief journey was also very good, with a clear eye toward the comfort end of the spectrum. Fortunately, it's not so cushy as to sacrifice all road feel, and imperfections are absorbed by the suspension with little more than a muted 'thunk.' Overall, the handling is very predictable, making for an enjoyable, casual driving experience, based on our short jaunt in the Odyssey.

What'll it cost me?

As for pricing, the rundown is as follows. The 2011 Honda Odyssey LX opens things up at $27,800. The EX starts at $30,950 with the EXL (leather) at $34,450, EXL-RES (rear seat entertainment) at $36,050 and EXL-NAVI at $36,450. Note that navigation and rear entertainment is an either/or deal in EX models - you cannot get both. The Odyssey Touring starts at $40,755, and the Odyssey Touring Elite, which is what we drove, comes in essentially fully loaded at $43,250.

Is the 2011 Honda Odyssey still the best minivan going? Until we're able to get a more extended look, we'll answer that with a resounding "Probably."  We look forward to that opportunity and eagerly await the flood of full expert reviews that will help us determine whether it truly hangs onto its perch at the top of the Best Reviewed pecking order. Stay tuned.

Photo Links

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. arranged the venue and supplied the vehicle described in the above review.

Tags: Editors Notes

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