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In the 1995 movie Get Shorty, Chili Palmer (AKA John Travolta), gets off the plane and is presented with a minivan at the airport instead of the rental Cadillac he ordered. The rental agent retorted, "Well this is the Cadillac of minivans." Of course when movie star Martian Weir (AKA Danny Divito) saw a mobster driving the minivan he went out and bought one just like the one the shylock was driving. So long and "shorty" of it, this week I turned in the super sexy Cadillac XLR convertible that I had last week for a drive in what some consider the Cadillac of minivans. Many automotive journalists have long considered the Honda Odyssey as best minivan on the planet, so now its my turn to take the top of the line all new redesigned 2005 Honda Odyssey for a spin. And spin we did. The first stop was Texas Road House, just southeast of 119th and I-35 in Olathe, KS. Home to families and minivans throughout Johnson County, Texas Road House is a place where a parent can have great food and value in a fun atmosphere. The hand cut rib eye steaks and fresh hot rolls literally melt in your mouth. My former neighbor, Rod Jones, operates this top of the line casual restaurant. It was the perfect drive for the Honda Odyssey as we parked in a sea of SUV's and minivans. Minivans may never be the sporty and sexy aspirational vehicles that car guys love to talk about but this segment is a bread and butter profit center for manufacturers. Almost every automaker has a very competitive minivan in its' portfolio. General Motors and Ford both offer minivans in a variety of nameplates as well as Toyota, Nissan, Kia, and Mazda. Yet it's the Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Caravan that continue to define the minivan standard. Fresh exterior styling on the 2005 Honda Odyssey can be seen in an updated grill and extra large headlight units. Power sliding side doors had real roll down windows. While I love the roll down second row windows I would like to see power vents in the rear side glass. A functional spoiler sets off the rear but in reality there is only so much you can do with minivan styling. Let's face it; you drive a minivan for function rather than form. Inside the Odyssey it's easy to see why so much praise has been heaped on this vehicle. Everything is functional and laid out in logical order. Features like the convex mirror integrated into the overhead sunglass holder may be simple but the watchful parent can now oversee unruly children and potential blind spots. The best navigation system on the market today it is available on the 2005 Honda Odyssey. Voice recognition of this newest generation navigation is superb. The huge touch screen offered full color video from the rear-mounted camera for safety while backing up. Rear third row seating is "stow and go" but the second row seats fall short of Chrysler ingenious fold flat design. Instead, Honda has a hidden "lazy susan" under the floor in between the first and second row for extra storage. Second row seats are comfortable and configurable. One of the best features of the 2005 Honda Odyssey is the 255 horsepower 3.5 Liter V6 engine complete with Variable Cylinder Management. At 50 horsepower more than the Chrysler Town and Country the 2005 Honda Odyssey is rated at 20 MPG in the city and a very economical 28 MPG on the highway. Driving the Honda Odyssey was a pleasure. It has plenty of power for rush hour traffic and handles freeway ramps with ease. Hard corning and performance handling is excellent for a minivan due to improvements in the 4-wheel independent suspension. Vehicle Stability Assist and Traction Control make this front wheel drive minivan an excellent choice for challenging driving environments. Honda teamed up with Michelin to introduce the PAX System of extended mobility tire and wheel systems on the 2005 Honda Odyssey. This special tire and wheel combination allows drivers to travel on a punctured or deflated tire for up to 125 miles at 50 MPH. All three rows of passengers are protected by side curtain airbags with rollover sensors. Four-wheel anti lock brakes are also standard. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2005 Honda Odyssey its highest rating for frontal crash protection. Starting below $26,000 the 2005 Honda Odyssey is available in three trim levels. My test vehicle was the top of the line Touring package with GPS Navigation and DVD Rear Entertainment Center topping out at $39,010 after destination. Certainly at this level the 2005 Honda Odyssey can be considered the Cadillac of minivans. Is it the best? That is for you to decide. But before you buy, try the Odyssey. You certainly can't go wrong.
2005 Toyota Avalon Limited 2005 Honda Odyssey Touring Front Wheel Drive Minivan
MSRP as driven $39,010 EPA MPG 20/28 Additional Web only Information and Resources For Additional Reviews: |
©2005 - Stan Risener