Honda Odyssey 2004 review: first drive

Everyone who's seen, driven and talked about the Odyssey is keen to give it a compliment. They like the shape, the look and the cool cabin. And they like that it is a people-mover that isn't going to be an embarrassment among the four-wheel-drives on the after-school pick-up run.

Some people have even mistaken it for the Honda Jazz, a big compliment for a people-mover. It's a reflection of the work that's gone into the third-generation Odyssey, including a sharp nose and a squished-down roofline that makes it just 25mm taller than the Jazz.

The starting price is a relatively affordable $38,790. It has been a real shock to Mitsubishi, which has been forced to rip $4000 off its all-new Grandis people-mover only weeks after it arrived in Australia.

So the Odyssey looks a sure-fire winner. And it's already won our 2004 assessment of people-movers, claiming victory over the giant Chrysler Voyager and the compact Holden Zafira.

Sadly for Honda, it's a winner in a sector that makes only minimal sales. Even the classy new Odyssey is unlikely to win over too many families from their 4WDs. Pity.

But there is plenty of impressive work and impressive stuff in the Odyssey.

The body is a new-age design that could easily have been a motor show concept car.

The futuristic dash has glowing blue dials and wood and metallic trim panels.

The car packs more room into a smaller overall space, with seven seats in three rows.

The layout is incredibly flexible, with a fold-up tray between the front buckets, a sliding second row and a third row that folds into the floor.

In the Odyssey Luxury model, the third row is electrically powered.

The Odyssey still has a relatively small 2.4-litre engine, but it is a hi-tech Honda unit. It is hooked to a five-speed automatic with a cool-looking shift jutting out of the dash, right beside the wheel. It also has a touch-change manual mode.

The Odyssey picks up the usual safety gear: front airbags, side curtains in the Luxury, and anti-skid brakes.

There are also air outlets for each seat, separate rear aircon and eight cupholders.

On the Road

THE Odyssey is roomy and comfortable, quiet and easy. It's a long way from a sports car to drive, but line ball with the best of the people-mover club.

It's not as big or punchy as a Chrysler Voyager, but few people need that much heft, and it shades the Zafira with better looks, more refinement and more space.

The Odyssey is the sort of "crossover" vehicle we're going to see much more of in coming years, as companies work to blur the lines – and improve the appeal – from traditional classes.

Honda says the Odyssey is for "versatile families", which probably means blended families and older owners who carry friends or grandkids rather than a posse of youngsters. It has always tried to drive the Odyssey that way, but earlier models were too bland, too costly and too cumbersome.

The newcomer is a delight to drive, and feels sure and confident on bumpy roads and through corners.

It gets along pretty well, responding well on kick-down and with the touch-change auto for times in hilly country or when you have a big load on board. Nobody is going to complain about the performance.

The Odyssey is easy to park, has good headlamps and fits into spaces at the mall that are tighter than you expect.

The seats are impressively flexible, right down to the armrests on the front buckets, though the centre-row middle seat doesn't have much shape or support. And it has only a lap-style seat belt.

There is a lot to like about the Odyssey, and it has impressive fuel economy as well as plenty of space.

Our only real complaint was excessive reflections into the windscreen from the great-looking dash. And we're sure a lot of families would have appreciated an optional DVD entertainment system.

But that is almost nothing. There is much to explain the Odyssey's easy run to a gold medal in the people-mover race of 2004.