| The Honda Odyssey and its minivan competitors | | | | the third seat for additional cargo space.I |
| - Chrysler Town & | | | | never drove my test vehicle with more more |
| | | | than one passenger, and |
| Country, Dodge Caravan and Toyota Sienna - | | | | |
| are often touted as family | | | | that left the second and third rows vacant. |
| | | | With cargo ar additional |
| vehicles.In television commercials, the | | | | |
| Odyssey is showcased with a mother or | | | | passengers it's likely the ride quality |
| | | | would have improved, but wasn't |
| father transporting the neighborhood youth | | | | |
| soccer team to practice or | | | | bad with only a front-seat passenger only |
| | | | slight bumpy in some |
| with a family packing up for a summer | | | | |
| camping trip.But what if a large family isn't | | | | situations. The front bucket seats provide a |
| part of the equation? Is a minivan still a | | | | superior view without any |
| | | | |
| prudent choice?With the 2004 Honda Odyssey, | | | | obstructions.For drivers unaccustomed to |
| a strong case can be made in favor of a | | | | automatic shifting adjacent of the steering |
| | | | |
| minivan for a two-person family or even an | | | | wheel, there's a slight learning curve. The |
| individual who needs a | | | | shifting arm is positioned |
| | | | |
| healthy amount of space for cargo or who | | | | behind the shorter arm that operates the |
| enjoys traveling with friends.For my weekly | | | | windshield wipers. More than |
| drive, the Odyssey was the 240-horsepower, | | | | |
| 24-value | | | | once, I reached for the shifting arm and |
| | | | engaged the windshield wipers |
| V6, EX model with a 5-speed automatic. With | | | | |
| its Redrock Pearl exterior | | | | or windshield cleaning spray.Regardless, the |
| | | | available options in my vehicle were |
| and Ivory interior, the vehicle has a | | | | plentiful and nicely |
| confident presence and performs | | | | |
| | | | appointed: leather seats, individually heat |
| equally impressively.Although a minivan, the | | | | front seats, front and rear air |
| Odyssey has surprisingly quick acceleration | | | | |
| | | | conditioning, driver's 8-way power seat with |
| and has been timed in under eight seconds in | | | | adjustable lumbar support, |
| the standard 0-60 mph | | | | |
| | | | cruise control and a audio/visual package |
| test. While obviously not marketed as a high | | | | than encompasses an AM/FM |
| performance vehicle, the | | | | |
| | | | cassette/CD stereo, rear DVD played, second |
| Odyssey is not tortoise-like in any | | | | seat, flip-down seven-inch |
| acceleration situation.Still, the purchaser | | | | |
| of a minivan is likely more interested in | | | | LCD monitor and remote and wireless |
| substantial | | | | headphones.Those features push the Odyssey's |
| | | | price well into the low $30,000 |
| cargo area than drag racing.And that's an | | | | |
| area in which the Odyssey shines.Beginning | | | | range. Still, add such features as dual- |
| with front interior, the seats are spacious, | | | | powered sliding rear doors on |
| wide and | | | | |
| | | | both sides of the vehicle, automatic climate |
| comfortable. The front center console is | | | | control, steering wheel radio |
| actually a folding tray. When not | | | | |
| | | | controls and efficiently operated and |
| in use, it folds parallel to the passenger | | | | illuminated visor mirror and map |
| seat, leaving ample access to | | | | |
| | | | lights, and it's no wonder the Odyssey's |
| the first of two passenger rows.The second | | | | reputation as the best value in |
| row of the seven-passenger vehicle provides | | | | |
| superior | | | | its class continues to expand.2004 Honda |
| | | | OdysseySafety features -- Driver's and front |
| room. The bucket seats are adjustable into | | | | passenger's front and side airbags, |
| many settings and can also | | | | |
| | | | ABS brakes, traction control system.Fuel |
| be moved together to form a bench seat that | | | | Mileage (estimates) -- 18 mpg (city), 25 mpg |
| can be slid forward and aft | | | | (highway).Warranty --Bumper to Bumper, 3 |
| | | | Years/36,000 Miles; Drivetrain: 3 |
| for appropriate leg room.The third row seat | | | | |
| folds into the floor, which further extents | | | | Years/36,000 Miles Corrosion: 5 Years/50,000 |
| available | | | | MilesBase price range -- |
| | | | $24,490-$30,490.James Raia is a syndicated |
| cargo space and alleviates a problem in | | | | journalist in Sacramento, Calif., who writes |
| other similar vehicles. A third | | | | |
| | | | about sports, fitness and business topics as |
| seat not in use doesn't have to be stored | | | | well as the syndicated car |
| elsewhere.If all rows of seats are in use, | | | | |
| there's a deep, rectangular space behind | | | | review column, The Weekly Driver. |
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