Congrats to Steven Geiger for a review of his 2005 Honda Odyssey EX-L getting a
runner up win.
One night, my wife and I bumped into each other in the closet and nine months later, we had twins. We thought we had
the car situation worked out, but this was not to be the
case. The dual stroller was the size of a Mini and fitting three cars seats (we already had one child) in the back was
quite a squeeze. So began our search for a replacement
vehicle.
Being a car guy (I read Autoblog.com), I knew that we would focus on five minivans: the DaimlerChrysler twins, the
Toyota Sienna, the Nissan Quest, and the Honda Odyssey. I ruled out other makes due to their dismal reviews and
ratings.
Toyota Sienna- We made the mistake of sitting in the XLE Limited AWD model, which listed for over $40,000-too much
$$$ for a minivan. Wow, beautiful interior, we were really shocked how good it looked and felt inside. You can
definitely tell that Toyota also makes Lexus vehicles. The test drive on the other hand, was not inspiring, as the
minivan felt a little tippy and road noise was coarse. It was a nice driver, but nothing exceptional.
Chrysler Town and Country (T&C)- We really wanted to like this one! I?ve always been a Mopar fan, but the
stow-n-go feature was a no go for us. The seats seamed thin and narrow and the leather had a vinyl feel and look to it.
To its credit, we thought the
T&C had a more supple ride than the Sienna and was quieter too. Otherwise, it seemed dated and did not offer the
full range of safety features that its newer competitors offered.
Nissan Quest- I loved the look of this minivan, but I could not get the wife to look at this. She thought it was
ugly. After Consumer Reports listed it as one of the least reliable vehicles on the market, its fate was sealed. We
decided not to test drive it.
Dodge Caravan-Great price, but too much interior plastic. That?s when we learned price is not everything.
Honda Odyssey-. My wife used to have a Bimmer 3 series and she could not get over how great it handled. During the
test drive, she was blasting through backcountry roads and the Honda handled the curves and crests of hills with great
aplomb. I later read that Honda benchmarked the Bimmer 7 series. After the test drive, the choice was clear.
There are four Odyssey trim levels: LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring. We picked the EX-L (L stands for leather) with DVD.
We picked it up on April 1, 2005 and have driven it
about 1,200 miles. After all this time, I still have not figured out how to operate all the functions. I fumble with
the DVD player; and I have no idea how to set the clock, or program a radio station. But with a regular car, it?s just
figuring out the controls on the dash; in a minivan, it?s learning the art of versatile seating. To this day, I still
have not figured out how to slide the middle row seats together. Maybe if I read the manual, I would know how to do all
these things, but it?s over 400 pages, so I may hold off and read it during summer vacation.
Our Honda has the variable displacement engine that shuts off a bank of cylinders when the load is light to achieve
higher fuel economy. The only way to tell it?s on is an ?ECO? light that appears on the dash. This light goes on and
off so frequently; I?m convinced
that this is more of a gimmick than an actual worthwhile advancement. Nevertheless, we have averaged 21.38 MPG,
achieving a high of 23.97 MPG and a low of 18.28 MPG, which is pretty good for a heavy vehicle.
I?ve also noted that the ?bumpers? are very fragile. We already have a scrape on the side of the bumper. I?m
thinking a car bra may be needed to protect it.
To close, it you need a minivan, you can do a lot worse than to pick the Honda. It?s highly rated and has all the
major safety features as standard equipment. But more importantly, it?s a joy to drive.
Pros:
Sporty handling
Gas mileage
Peppy engine performance
Cons:
Missing features that are standard on entry-level vehicles, such as a trip computer