1996 Honda Odyssey Review & Road Test

Accord as their need for room grew and their incomes increased. But once they began

having larger families and required vehicles 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 best bet,

and it was our choice for this review.

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's 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.

terms of seating configurations. The Odyssey is available with seating for six or

seven. Only the LX is available with either 6- or 7-passenger seating. The 6-passenger

version is the more expensive, and the EX is available only as a 6-passenger van.

Six-passenger models have two front bucket seats, two removable second-row bucket

seats and a 2-person third-row bench seat. The removable seats weigh about 25 lbs. and

are easy to take out.

The 7-passenger configuration provides a 2-passenger third-row bench seat which

retracts completely and easily into the floor to provide a flat and open cargo area.

An unplanned stop at the lumber yard or an antique shop allows the driver to simply

flop the third-row bench seat into the floor and fold second row seats up against the

back of the front seats to carry the goods home instead of returning home to remove

the seat as is the case with other minivans.

Or, you can use the Odyssey as a camper--the middle and rear seats fold down to make a

day bed. The rear seat also can be flipped onto its back to create a tabletop for

tailgate parties.

Despite the clever configurations, however, the rearmost seat does have a drawback.

Adult passengers are likely to experience difficulty climbing in and out of the third

row seat and will find it a tight squeeze once there. Also, the spare tire is mounted

inside the van at the right rear, which limits the rear cargo area somewhat.

On the other hand, storage for miscellaneous items is abundant throughout the Odyssey,

with a variety of glove boxes, door pockets, storage bins and cupholders. In front,

there are two large glove boxes and a center storage bin along with cupholders.

The instrument panel will be comfortably familiar to Honda loyalists. Conventional

analog gauges are legible. Controls are logical and easy to find, reach and operate.

The Odyssey meets all passenger car safety standards, including the 1997 side-impact

standards. It features 5-mph bumpers and dual airbags.

offers the most car-like ride and handling of any minivan on the market. However, this

is more than an Accord with a minivan body. Honda's chassis team engineered additional

structural reinforcements into the basic Accord unitbody structure, and stretched the

wheelbase by 4.5 in., with benefits to both ride quality and responsiveness.

The Odyssey offers only one engine, a 140-hp 2.2-liter single overhead cam 16-valve

4-cyl. engine that's a variation on the basic Accord engine. No V6 is offered, even

though one is available in the Accord.

Under most circumstances, the engine operates smoothly and quietly. One won't suffer

whiplash with the acceleration from the engine, with a 0-to-60 mph time of 12 seconds.

But for around-town driving, the power and acceleration are adequate, and, with an EPA

mileage rating of 20 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, fuel stops will be less frequent

than in larger, V6-powered minivans.

Load the van with people and their belongings, however, and one might wish for more

horsepower. The 4-cyl. engine begins to sound a little busy in climbing steep hills or

pushed hard for passing.

Likewise, the Odyssey is available only with an electronically controlled 4-speed

automatic transmisison, also used in the Accord. The very smooth transmission contains

a system of sensors and computers--called Grade Logic--that adapts shifting to driving

conditions.

The Odyssey also features the Accord's sophisticated all-independent suspension

system. All Honda cars and now its minivan have a double wishbone suspension, instead

of the more common and less expensive MacPherson struts. The advantage is that

undesirable wheel movements in cornering are minimized, and the handling responses are

more precise.

Steering light, precise and responsive, and the tilt-adjustable column allows the

driver to compensate for the wheel's rather flat angle, which is mildly reminiscent of the old Volkswagen microbus.

Parking is easy with the Odyssey's small turning radius. Braking, supplied by 4-wheel discs with antilock as standard equipment, is very good.

otherwise handier than its larger competitors, and the innovative seating setup makes it easier to adapt to various cargo configurations than most, if not all the others.

Although there are many minivans that will swallow more stuff, the basic minivan

concept emphasizes extra cargo capacity with car-like driveability. And on that latter point, the Odyssey is the most car-like of them all.