Honda Odyssey Car Review

FamilyCar Rating: Model Reviewed Honda Odyssey 2.4 litre 5 speed auto petrol $43,990* 3 word summary True Family Car

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I was really looking forward to reviewing the Odyssey. There are plenty on the road and for a long time was the only 7 seater that wasn't a people mover or an SUV. Mercedes have recently tapped into this market niche (by niche I don't mean small) and now offer the R Class, but you'll be forking out a lot more cash than the Odyssey.

So why is it so popular? I thought I'd start by asking 2 girlfriends who have them, and love them. When I asked Stacey she said. "I've got 4 boys and everywhere we go we have boy accessories, like bikes, scooters, buckets, bat and balls. I need the 7 seats and the storage and there was no way I was going to drive a people mover".

When I asked Kelly her response was "I wanted the extra seats, but still wanted to drive something that looked and felt like a car".

I guess Kelly and Stacey have summed up why the car is attracting plenty of mums; the 7 seats, the overall space and the looks-not a people mover and not an SUV. Now I'd end the review here, as my girlfriends have nailed why it's so popular, but I thought you might want a bit more info and see if it stacks up from a motoring professionals point of view.

There are 2 models to choose from. They are both auto with the same engine. The only differences are the features. We drove the cheaper of the 2 models. The luxury model is a couple of grand more and includes features like leather seats, 6 stack CD player and an electric sunroof.

Driver Comfort & Visibility
The Odyssey definitely feels like a car to drive. The steering is light (my husband thinks too light), which makes it easy to turn and park. At first I was worried about reverse parking as the car is longer than an average sedan. The visibility out of the rear makes this easy to do, although for peace of mind I would have liked reverse parking sensors. I kept misjudging how far I was away from a wall and ended up parking halfway out before having to go back further. Over time, this is something that you'd get used to.
The seats are really comfortable with armrests for the front passengers, which give it an executive feel. The seat trim is a functional dark grey, but has a quality plush feel to it. The dash layout is easy to read and all controls are in easy reach. Both the cruise control and audio are mounted on the steering wheel.

The Drive
The great thing about the Odyssey is that it is really easy to drive thanks to the light steering, great all round visibility and good acceleration. My husband wasn't fussed about the drive. He thought that it lacked spirit and the steering was too light. I disagree. When you've got a carload of 7 and 8 years olds, there's plenty of spirit for me. An easy car to drive in these situations is just what the doctor ordered. Mind you, he was the one who wanted to be in the driver seat all weekend.

Safety
When you're transporting your kids and their friends, safety is pretty important and covered quite nicely in the Odyssey. There are airbags throughout, ABS brakes, Stability Assist and Electronic Brake Distribution. All 7 seats have 3-point seats belts and there's a choice of 5 child seat anchorage points.

Storage
There are plenty of storage options throughout the entire car including door pockets with bottle holders, 6 cup holders and storage compartments throughout. In the front there is a centre console with 2 cup holders and coin holders, a glove box and centre box for storing CDs. If you need to move from the front seat to the middle row, you can simply flip the centre console and make your way through.

The boot space with all seats in use is actually OK. We got in 4 school back packs and we could have tossed in a bit more. There's also a handy storage box to hide items from prying eyes. Obviously the space increases if you are only using the front and middle row. And you should have no problem getting in those flat pack purchases from Ikea when both rows are folded flat.

Rear Passenger Comfort
This is the good news. In the middle row there is plenty of side and leg room. In the 3rd row 2 adults can sit comfortably with generous side and leg room. There are air vents in all 3 rows, which is a must to keep all of your passengers comfortable. There are lots of storage options down the back too. The middle row has door pockets, pockets on the backs of the front seats and a centre arm rest with 2 sturdy cup holders. Your 3rd row passengers haven't been left out either. Both passengers have a storage nook, a cup holder and the left hand passenger has a storage bin.

Green Factor
The Odyssey consumes 8.9 litres per 100kms combined cycle. This jumps up to about 12 litres/100kms around the city. So it's not the most fuel efficient car around. It scores 3.5 stars in the Green Vehicle Guide rating which is not good, but not bad.

Overall View
The Odyssey is a really easy car to drive offering great functionality for families with 3+ kids. It has enough power to get up hills with 2 adults and 4 kids on board. It really is the only option for those who want 7 seats, value for money and don't want an SUV or a people mover.

Test Drive Tips
1. The parking brake is a foot brake located on the left hand side of the pedal brake. To engage or disengage you just need to push in with your foot.

If you're considering buying this car you might also like to test drive the Holden Captiva, Ford Territory, Kia Carnival, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Rondo, as these are all 7 seaters.

Features of Car Reviewed

*Manufacturer's list price. Excludes dealer delivery and government statutory charges.

# All new vehicles sold in Australia (up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) are tested to determine the level of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (Greenhouse rating), whi  ch are displayed on the fuel consumption label attached to the windscreen of the car. The Green Vehicle Guide rating combines the Greenhouse Rating and Air Pollution Rating and awards a star. 5 stars is the best rating.  For more information, click here.
Information is correct at the time of the review. Please check with your local Honda dealer for the most recent information.

Reviewed By: Melissa Pye