Test Drive: Honda Odyssey useful ... and ugly
The 2014 Honda Odyssey.(Photo: Honda Wieck)
Story Highlights
- Styling: Bad
- Features: More than you expect
- Driving feel: Sporty, for a family van
So much new, so few external changes to billboard them.
That sums up the refreshed 2014 Honda Odyssey.
Test Drive considers the styling of Honda's Odyssey family van — nothing "mini" about these things — a great tragedy, and would have welcomed exterior improvements.
Oh, sure, the 2014 Odyssey gets some blacked-out this, chromed that, body-color the other. But until that side styling is changed, to get rid of the sheet metal kink, and hide the sliding side door track the way Toyota and Chrysler vans do, Odyssey's very far off our personal list.
Oddly, some otherwise reasonable people say they actually like the way it looks. And a feisty Honda dealer in the South insists that whenever Test Drive writes nasty things about the appearance, his sales go up.
Honda chose to work underneath for 2014, on major matters. It changed to its latest crash-safety construction, thereby becoming the first family van to earn a "Top Safety Pick Plus" rating, highest possible from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
In addition to doing well enough to earn Top Safety Pick in the IIHS regular menu of crash tests, adding the "Plus" requires a high score in the demanding new small-overlap front crash test, duplicating a glancing blow to a tree or pole.
Honda gave all models the six-speed automatic for better mileage, increased the array of features without much price jump for better value and added a minivan-exclusive built-in vacuum cleaner to the top model for more headlines.
In fact, the vac has gotten so much attention that the Honda product guys probably could bill the development costs to their marketing department as a promotional expense.
But notwithstanding the excellent crash-safety results and body-color mirrors, LED taillights, muscular new hood — and the vacuum — Odyssey's an actual vehicle. One to tote families, mainly. So, how does it do that, because of, or in spite of, the changes for the 2014 model, which went on sale July 2:
Kids: Nothing better than a van, and the high-end Odyssey test vehicle had most of what they like. Separate climate control in back. Headphones. Sliding and reclining second row. Window shades. Power sliding doors for easy in-out.
A colleague's 13-year old daughter and my 10-year old son, prowling Odyssey separately, both loved it. She, smitten by the vacuum and the "clubhouse" potential of the big space. He, favoring the spaciousness, window shades and his own climate controls.
MPG: Using a six-speed automatic across all models (it formerly was just on the upper trim) boosts federal mileage ratings 1 mpg. In real life, "mini" vans are nearly as thirsty as big SUVs. Even so, if you carry lots of people, a 15-to-20-mpg van (real world) is very fuel-efficient.
Lack of all-wheel drive: Only Toyota Sienna offers that among vans. Driving Odyssey even a short distance in rain and sleet was a reminder how important AWD can be.
Convenience: A van does family stuff better than any other machine. Odyssey carries as many people, gives them more room and hauls more cargo than some big SUVs. Won't tow as much, so for that, stick to the truck-based SUVs.
Revisions make it easier to link phones and use voice commands, though the setup still isn't the definition of intuitive.
Vacuum: Seems to work okay, and would be handy to remove sand on a beach trip, or spilled mulch from a run to the greenhouse. Mounted in the left rear cargo area, the hose reaches to the front.
Colleague Jennifer Geiger, writing in Cars.com's KickingTires blog, says her hand-held DustBuster cleaned up some debris better, though the Honda system is a champ at sucking up sand. She judged her showdown between the two a split decision.
Sportiness: Overall, the Odyssey is the most responsive, least lumbering, best handling van. But it's not sporty compared to, say, a well-done family sedan.
The pleasing and unusual (for a van) tied-down chassis feel came at the expense of a noisy, jiggly ride. The test van was a high-end Touring Elite ($45,280), and it and the Elite come with 18-inch-diameter wheels. Their tires have shorter, stiffer sidewalls than the 17-in. wheels on the other models, and stiff sidewalls often result in a harsher ride.
Parking: Easy, due largely to the Odyssey's admirably tight, 36.7-foot turning-circle diameter, making the van more maneuverable than some midsize sedans.
Tailgate: Doesn't open far enough and, unlike on some other vehicles, isn't adjustable. If you're even a little taller than average, it's too easy to bang your head.
If you don't need AWD, and Odyssey's unusual styling doesn't burn your eyes, then the updates for 2014 have made a strong contender even stronger.
HONDA ODYSSEY
What? Freshening of the brand's family van, including new transmission, interior and exterior trim and a built-in vacuum cleaner on the top model. Front-drive, seven- or eight-passenger van with sliding side doors.
When? On sale since July 2.
Where? Built at Lincoln, Ala.
How much? Starting prices, including shipping, range from $29,655 for base LX through $45,280 for EX-L Touring Elite.
What makes it go? 3.5-liter V-6 rated 248 horsepower at 5,700 rpm, 250 pounds-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm; six-speed automatic transmission.
How big? Same as Chrysler Group and Toyota minivans; only 1 in. shorter, 1.3 in narrower than Chevrolet Tahoe full-size SUV.
Cargo space: 38.4 cubic feet behind third row, 93.1 cu. ft. behind second row (third row folded), 148.5 cu. ft. behind first row (second, third rows folded).
Weighs 4,396 to 4,613 lbs. Turning circle diameter, admirably tight 36.7 ft. Rated to tow 3,500 lbs.
How thirsty? Rated 19 miles per gallon city, 28 highway, 22 combined city/highway.
Touring Elite test van recorded 18 mpg (5.56 gallons/100 miles) in a mix of moderate-speed highway driving and suburban traffic.
Burns regular, holds 21 gallons.
Overall: If you don't need Toyota Sienna's all-wheel drive, and don't mind the styling, Odyssey's updates make it an even stronger candidate.
References
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