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2010 Honda Odyssey
New Car Test Drive edited by New Car Test Drive
Driving Impressions
Honda's goal with Odyssey was producing a minivan with the handling of a European sedan, and it hasn't missed the mark by much. Underway, the Odyssey delivers everything you could ask for in a minivan: a smooth ride, responsive handling, stability at speed and a smooth, powerful engine.
The Odyssey belies its size on the road and handles like a sedan. It's not as dynamic as a European sports sedan, by any means, but it handles better than a traditional SUV. It's best compared to any of the newer crossover SUVs. We found it pleasant around town or for long drives.
The Odyssey offered a perfectly pleasant ride during a test drive along country roads in Alabama. It was neither too firm nor too soft. Granted, there is some road vibration. And there is some slack in the steering on-center: You can turn the steering wheel a few degrees in either direction before the vehicle starts to move. It was no worse than in a Chrysler Town & Country, however, and it's a common trait of many large cars and most SUVs. All in all, the Honda Odyssey is a good vehicle for a long-distance drive.
A few laps around a race track showed the Odyssey to be stable at high speeds. We were surprised how much we could chuck it into corners. We could drive hard enough into a sharp corner to feel the tires slip without any drama. While the body leaned in corners, it wasn't as bad as most minivans. In fact, an Odyssey lapping in front of us looked remarkably stable for a tall vehicle.
Parking is easy. The turning radius is among the tightest of any minivan, making it an easy to make U-turns and maneuver in parking lots. The park-assist system, with beeping tones that warn the driver of other bumpers front and rear, helps considerably when parallel parking.
Acceleration is better than that of most other minivans. Honda claims 0 to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, which is very quick indeed. Yet even when it has all 244 horsepower pulsing through its front wheels, the Odyssey is almost devoid of torque steer (a tug on the steering wheel that accompanies hard acceleration in front-wheel-drive cars), an impressive feat.
Honda's 3.5-liter V6 engine is smooth, powerful, clean and fuel efficient. The i-VTEC V6 (intelligent Variable Timing and Electronic Control) that comes in the EX-L and Touring models gets an EPA-rated 17/25 mpg City/Highway. That's slightly better than the fuel economy of the standard VTEC V6 that comes on the LX and EX: 16/23 mpg. The advantage the i-VTEC engine has is its VCM system, which deactivates two or three of the six cylinders whenever the Odyssey is cruising at a steady speed. We were never able to discern when the engine was running on three cylinders as there is no obvious stutter or change in engine note, although a green dash light illuminates to tell you the system is working.
Both versions of the engine now generate 244 horsepower. The base version rates 240 pound-feet of torque at 5000 rpm, while the i-VTEC version makes 245 pound-feet at 4900. We were unable to tell much difference between the two engines. In short, the Honda VTEC V6 is a great engine, and the i-VTEC version is just a little better.
The brakes work well. Every Odyssey comes with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and Vehicle Stability Assist, Honda's electronic stability control system. This VSA system works in conjunction with the drive-by-wire accelerator and ABS to modulate the brakes while managing the throttle and ignition. If the vehicle starts to lose grip on a tight turn on a slippery surface, the system automatically slows the engine and gently applies brakes to help keep the vehicle from skidding out of control. In a test on a soaking skid pad we found the system works well. It only works in emergency handling situations so it's not distracting during normal spirited driving. It can be turned off, though we recommend against doing so.
We had no complaints about noise while driving any of the Odyssey models. The Touring model and the EX-L benefit from extra high-tech noise-abatement features. When the i-VTEC engine with VCM is running on three cylinders there is a natural imbalance, which can produce drumming sounds and vibrations. To counteract this, the engine is mounted on special active control engine mounts that electronically adjust themselves to counteract engine vibrations. Further booming sounds are reduced by an active noise control system that automatically sends an out-of-phase sound through the speaker system to cancel out engine noises; it also works when the engine is idling.
