Honda Odyssey 2004 review

Some have even gone as far as describing the motivation as a "grudge purchase".

That was then ... this is now.

The latest spin on the people mover market – headlined by a pair of sleek, low-slung units from Honda and Mitsubishi – is the quality of versatility.

In the next-generation Honda Odyssey and Mitsubishi's all-new Grandis the bar has been raised with higher levels of style, comfort and engineering.

The funky-styled luxury Grandis may be $4000 more expensive than the sexy and elegant luxury Odyssey but both offer attributes unique to their badges.

Central to the vehicles' appeal are their sleek good looks, clever seating versatility and acknowledgement that driving a family car should not be cause to compromise either safety or enjoyment.

CARSguide took the pair and put them through their paces.

Despite its size, the Odyssey is easy to manoeuvre and, even with the smooth ride and quiet NVH levels, steering feel is not compromised. The Grandis quickly shrinks around the driver and while the steering is light, and the initial impression is too light, it does grow on you.

Both cars are comparatively low-ride, body roll is at a minimum and the drive impression is distinctly large sedan rather than small van. An issue with both cars is learning where the front corners are as the drop-away styling of the nose makes judgment difficult.

The Odyssey is powered by Honda's proven 2.4-litre i-VTEC engine with the in-line four producing 118kW at 5500rpm and 218Nm at 4500rpm. Drive through the front wheels is pleasantly linear delivered by the five-speed sequential automatic gearbox.

The Grandis features the appearance in Australia of Mitsubishi's MIVEC technology, which gives the single-cam engine a power profile more like that of a DOHC unit.

The 2.4-litre in-line four puts out 121kW at 6000rpm with 217Nm on tap at 4000rpm. Drive is through the front wheels via a four-speed INVECS II automatic box with sports mode sequential shift.

The Grandis has a better feeling of urgency from lower in the rev range and holds power well through the mid range.

Both are very comfortable cruising.

Honda claims a 9.4l/100km combined cycle fuel economy while Mitsubishi lists the Grandis as using 10.4l/100km under similar conditions. Neither were able to meet these during the test drives but the Mitsubishi was closer with a combined 11.2l/100km. The Odyssey returned 10.3l/100km.

The Odyssey is elegant throughout, borrowing heavily from the Accord's flash interior styling cues. Attention to detail is paramount and the Odyssey offers fold-out map pockets, power sockets and a gaming power outlet. The luxury model has an electrically operated rear seat.

Grandis is a little less flash but no less functional. Seats are comfortable and versatile. The third row drops and folds flat in seconds. The middle row also folds flat. There is a flip function allowing the two rear seats to face outwards, so-called stadium seating, with the tailgate raised giving comfortable, dry seating for picnics or sport.

There is little between the pair when it comes to family safety. Both have dual front airbags and side and curtain airbags. They provide seat belt pretensioners with load limiters on the front seats, head restraints and front and rear crumple zones.

Both have anti-lock brakes with brake force distribution and five child safety-seat anchor points. An Odyssey shortcoming is that the middle row centre seat belt is a lap belt only.

Without any electrical aid the Odyssey took three steps to put the rear seats down.

In both, the second and third rows fold flat into the floor, with the second rows giving a 60:40 split. Each allows for one-seat middle and rear rows, giving long load space. Odyssey's lower profile and wedge front end give it sedan characteristics and ride height.

For Mitsubishi, the Grandis is a world apart from the Nimbus van it replaces, as it flattens out to a wagon rear from the wedge nose.

Jaedene Hudson: Some $4000 cheaper, sexy interior and exterior styling, firm steering and better over-all feel tips the scales in favour of the Odyssey.

The funky styling, innovative ideas, seven lap-sash seat belts and better performance make the Grandis a good choice if only you didn't have to shell out the extra dollars.

Kevin Hepworth: The Odyssey's more substantial feel, interior ergonomics and solid steering are good reasons to lean towards it. Six lap-sash belts and the flatter engine performance are marks against. The tipper is the sharper pricing on the Honda.

We tried to compare the two new cars with the people mover market-leading Kia Carnival, which in May accounted for more than 50 per cent of all people mover sales.

Due to the Carnival's sales success Kia Australia was unable to find an available car for the test.

Are these cars sexy enough to buy?