2009 Honda Odyssey Reviews

Graham Smith road tests and reviews the used 2009-2013Honda Odyssey.

Peoplemovers have never been particularly fashionable, they're the ugly ducklings of the motoring world, but there's no denying their practicality when it comes to family transport.There's plenty of reasons to consider buying a peoplemover, particularly one like the Honda Odyssey, instead of an SUV. Honda had done its level best with the Odyssey to make the peoplemover sexy and rid it of the old image of a converted van as most once were. Compared to other peoplemovers the Odyssey is quite a stylish vehicle, it really doesn't evoke images of a delivery van at all. For a family of five or more it makes a lot of sense.The 2009 Odyssey was the result of an extensive makeover, with a new body, improved safety, and better performance and fuel economy. Under the sleek new skin the mechanical platform was basically the same as the previous model. Honda offered two models, the well-equipped entry-level model and the Luxury, which came with leather and a host of other neat features. All it lacked was a parking aid, which would have been a welcome addition in a vehicle of its type. With just 2.4 litres doing the work the Honda is no fireball in the road, but has enough grunt to make for a smooth, comfortable drive with sufficient get and go to get the job done.The five-speed auto is smooth and well matched to the engine. On the road the suspension is supple and delivers a comfortable ride while still giving the feeling that it's clamped to the road. The secret to the Odyssey has always been its comfortable, flexible cabin, which is more like a car than a van. It seats up to seven and the seats can be slid, folded and removed to create the perfect space for your family.IN THE SHOPA Honda specialist mechanic once bemoaned to me that he wished he had of done his apprenticeship on another make as it was tough making a living out of Hondas when they rarely broke down.His mate, who's done his apprenticeship on another make, a German one, was making a nice living from fixing the cars he chose to specialise in. It's not a guarantee that Hondas don't, or won't, break down, but it is testament to their overall level of reliability. They need to be well maintained and service according to the book, but if they are you should enjoy a good run out of them.The Odyssey is no exception. As the Odyssey is primarily aimed at families check the cabin closely for the things that happen when kids are transport, things like stained and torn trim, broken hardware etc. Also look for damage from incidental contact with the scenery because of the lack of parking aids.IN A CRASHWith front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control, ABS braking the Odyssey is well equipped to handle a crunch. ANCAP gave it a four-star tick when it was tested.UNDER THE PUMPThe 2.4-litre engine has to work quite hard to propel the Odyssey, but even so it's quite a frugal unit, with a claimed average of 8.9 L/ 100 km. Carsguide recorded an average of 10.1 L/100 km when testing the stylish wagon, and that might be closer to real life reality.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $41,990 to $47,990Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder petrol; 132 kW/218 NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, FWDEconomy: 8.9 L/100 kmBody: 5-door wagonVariants: Base and LuxurySafety: 4-star ANCAP.VERDICTStylish, comfortable, efficient, and sensible means of transporting a family.

Honda's latest luxury people-mover may boast a heap of clever features inside yet it's what's under the bonnet that puts it ahead of previous models, and indeed many rivals. Over the past 15 years Honda has produced several market-leading Odyssey models.Each one has been praised in turn for its practicality, space to fit up to seven adults and looks that Honda has even marketed as being sexy. Which is pretty amazing, considering people movers are generally regarded as boxy vans at worst and useful family haulers at best.The main hurdle to previous Odysseys is that they have all tended to drive on the sluggish side. The various four-cylinder engines have been handed a major job to haul all that weight plus all those people. There certainly has never been spritely acceleration, lively get up and go or a boy racer feel about the Odysseys, and indeed most people movers.The one exception in the range was the short-lived six-cylinder model of the second generation that is still a sought-after used car for families unable to afford a new one. But that has changed with the new fourth-generation model released earlier this year.Honda has re-worked the 2.4-litre four-cylinder to up the power from 118kW in the previous version to 132kW. Considering it is such a big car the power and acceleration is noticeably better than before. Having said that the five-speed auto gearbox is unchanged but there is no suggestion of it hunting for gears as some of the previous models have done.Inside the styling is all about function and practicality for large groups of passengers. Having four children I have always needed such size and as they have become older needed the leg room. Most seven-seater 4WDs have useless rear leg room and it has generally been only the more expensive Chrysler Grand Voyager and Toyota Tarago that beat the Honda for space.The cheaper Hyundai iMax effectively wallops the Odyssey for internal space but it really is aimed at businesses rather than families. Instead for just under $50,000 the Luxury Odyssey offers leather treatment, wood grain, plenty of space and solid performance.The middle row seats, now with three lap-sash belts, after years of Honda having only an outdated lap belt in the middle are easy to move to suit whatever configuration of seating you want.They slide forward while the back seats fold down to give you enhanced luggage space. Rear passengers have separate air vents and a good view. Adults can easily sit here without feeling as they are about to swallow their knees. The other bonus in such a car is plenty of storage space. There are cupholders, large door storage space and a bin in the dashboard near the driver.Between the front seats is the handy flip-up console which is great for holding phones, sunglasses etc. It is a glaring omission from some other people movers. Storage space behind the rear seats for groceries and luggage has always been a compromise in seven seater cars but the flexibility of being able to fold away the third row of seats when they are not needed creates a virtual cavern.Around town, where the cars will spend the bulk of their lives, the Odyssey is an ideal hauler for school trips and sporting events with ease of access to all seats. On the open road it is a very comfortable cruiser including when climbing hills.Road noise reduction has improved over the generations and now is comparable with other cars of the same price range. People don't buy people movers out of choice. You can buy some pretty impressive sports cars and sexy sedans for this money. You have to need to regularly haul more than three people to have any desire for them.But what the Odyssey does is provide a climate where such driving is pleasurable and comfortable. The styling, created by lowering and flattening out the design to become sleek and elongated rather than boxy, goes a long way to enhancing the feeling of pride in driving such a car.Most major carmakers, except surprisingly Holden and Ford who have instead opted for the traditional wagon and AWDs such as the Territory, have people movers on the market in Australia. Some are van conversions, others are packed with luxury and therefore an extra cost, an increasing number are diesel to benefit families looking for economy and there's also the smaller movers which have third-row seats strictly for small children.What sets the Odyssey apart is its ability to take some of the best out of each of these styles to create the best all-rounder in the segment. The bottom line: extra performance enhances an already strong package

Delusion may be frowned upon by people in the ‘real’ world but it has tempting advantages.I, for example, could delude myself that even after having four children, there is an ever-so-slight yearning to have more kids to fill any void in my life and the empty seats in my people mover.And not just any people mover. Australians can kid themselves that they're happy with a hatchback but show them a Honda Odyssey and they go completely gaga over its practicalities.This is a people mover like few others. Though it shares DNA with commercial metal boxes such as the Nissan Nomad and Toyota Lite-Ace, is so many streets ahead it's difficult to speak of them in the same breath.Honda threw away the traditional commercial van design guide by lowering its version's floor. That brought down the roofline and though its lengthy proportions tend to link it with a hearse, it has a very versatile and spacious cabin.The Odyssey seats seven people — real people, not babies — and has excellent centre and third-row seat flexibility. Seats flip, individually fold flat, can be removed and even slide. The third row folds into the floor so creates a flat luggage area. It's easy to get in and out of the third seat row. Once in, you note that visibility is pretty good and there's air vents overhead.Then there's the styling. There are overtones of a fun fair space capsule — a theme Honda infuses in its other car and motorcycle models — and though it can grate, it is never dull. In fact the flowing lines of the dashboard and the varying hues and textures — even the orange plastic wood trim — work to shrink what would otherwise be a big slab of black plastic.Heaps of personal storage spaces include centre armrests for the front and centre seats, big door pockets, cupholders and storage for the third-seat occupants and a handy bin in the driver-side dash. The front-seat centre console also folds down for access to the centre seat.The Odyssey can load up with 600kg — on top of its dry 1700kg weight — so it needs a capable engine to get this all in motion.Honda has upped the power from the predecessor's 118kW to more welcome 132kW. But the figures don't tell the whole story. The engine a 2.4-litre four-cylinder that is basically unchanged from the previous model.Where the old engine sweated out 118kW at 5500rpm, the new one copies the power delivery but Honda has engineered the ability to rev further and keep pumping out the mumbo.So while it still puts out 118kW at 5500rpm, it will run to 6500rpm and record 132kW. Unless they're deluding themselves, no people-mover owner wants to scream through the suburbs at 6500rpm in a desperate bid to attain mechanical Nirvana. Given that there's little change in the torque curve — it's still 218Nm at 4500rpm — the drive experience is unchanged.The same deal applies to the five-speed automatic transmission which, while virtually every component has been redesigned, it still feels like the smooth-shifting gearbox of old.On paper, the combination of a smallish engine, auto transmission and lots of load space can equate a torturous country drive where caravans overtake you on inclines. In fact, the Odyssey is remarkably nimble and doesn't seem too fazed by hills.It's also very comfortable with its long wheelbase able to soak up ruts and the soft seats numbing any harshness. But it's big and the steering is vague so clearly it's no Porsche through the bends.But it is versatile, it is stylish and there's no delusion about the fact that if you have the need or want, it would be easy to fill its seats with your offspring.

Honda has made some raucous machinery in recent times — a swag of Type R models and the S2000, plus the king of everyday supercars, the now-defunct NSX.Its more mainstream models, however, attract less attention when driving past a bus-stop full of school kids — except the Odyssey, which may well have them preparing tickets for entry. The tickets won't stay out for long — the fourth generation of Honda seven-seater is much less bus-like than some of its immediate opposition, in a number of ways.For a start, it's lower-slung, sitting a little lower in overall height than the norm for a peoplemover, thanks to flat-floor engineering of the underpinnings. That makes it a little more car-like to drive, as does the useful amount of vision and the use of conventional doors in place of the sliding units on its opposition.That's great for not feeling like a bus driver but not so good in shopping centre car parks, where the sliding side doors make life easier for rear passengers. There's little to complain about from the rear passengers — the seating is comfortable and there's ample room for a road trip involving adult rear passengers as well as rugrats.Luggage space with all three rows in play is still a problem for peoplemovers, but the Honda is not a bad performer on this front — the specs say it has increased over the old model to 259 litres with all three rows up or just over 700 litres with the third row folded into the floor.The in-cabin storage is also commendable, with versatile little touches like the dropdown table between the front seats, but the light-coloured wood-like trim in a sea of varying shades of grey plastic doesn't work.The positioning of the shifter for the automatic takes some getting used to but in its dash-mounted position it's out of the way and allows for more console storage.The automatic transmission itself is smooth but feels as through it could use another gear beyond its current five, mainly because the engine (as is the case with most Hondas) likes plenty of revs on board before anything urgent occurs. Peak power of 132kW from the 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is up a little on the old car but torque is unchanged, not welcome news when the weight has gone up a little as well.The Odyssey boasts a good ride quality — although it's a little thumpy over small road imperfections — and even though there's a little bit more body roll than would be ideal, the Honda can be hustled through corners with a surprising amount of confidence ... especially for a peoplemover.Other complaints were minor — the front-seat armrests get in the way of the seatbelts on the front seats and the child capsule tether bracket arrangement in the boot is a little at odds with the rest of the car, being ugly and a little poorly executed.Stability control and six airbags — front, side and full-length curtain airbags — The stepped gauge layout is a little odd at first but once accustomed to the look it is informative.Parents don't seem to want to drive peoplemovers — SUV sales suggest the big seven-seater 4WD is the preferred option with a less sedentary image and even the luxury SUV segment has more sales than peoplemovers. But if you're looking to cart the family in comfort and aren't fond of driving a truck, the Odyssey is a useable and versatile machine.

It's the sort of car that more Australian families should be considering, despite the overwhelming popularity of hulking seven-seater SUVs. The 2009 Odyssey is relatively stylish for a family van, comfy and safe, and very good value.The Odyssey has just been through the makeover machine and emerged with a new body, more safety, better performance and economy, and a tight price. It is, in short, just what you would expect.But Honda says the Odyssey is all-new and that is wrong. The 'top hat' bodywork is new for '09 and there is a lot of other new stuff, but the mechanical platform at the base of the car is the same as it was before the update.That's only a minor criticism these days, since even Volkswagen did a similar 'top hat' tweak for the latest Golf, but it shows that Honda is not using the same take-no-prisoners approach to new models which used to set it apart from the Japanese pack. But at least the Odyssey is still made in Japan.These days there are two Odyssey models, the basic car at $43,990 — a price which is not far above the family-favourite Kia Carnival and well under the fully-loaded Chrysler Grand Voyager — and the Luxury model with leather and the rest of the fruit at $49,990. But there is something missing: any sort of parking aid, either a camera or radar, and that's a reflection of the carryover electric system in the car.Still Honda has plenty to trumpet for a car which has been an award winner since the original Odyssey in 1994. The basic idea is still good and the size is right for family use in 2009.Looking at the upgrade work, the 132kW engine promises more go with a five-speed auto and the safety pack of front-side-head airbags and ESP stability control is what is needed these days.Even so, there is tough competition in the people mover class and SUVs totally dominate the family car scene so that means you also need to judge the Odyssey against the Toyota Kluger, Ford Territory and a bunch of other high riders.It is good to slide back into the Odyssey. My previous favourite in the people mover family is the Citroen Picasso, but mostly because of the innovative design work and equipment in the car, and I wanted to see how the Honda stacked up against the French machine and also the top selling Kia Carnival and Chrysler's giant Grand Voyager. Basically, it wins.It's hard to feel the extra go promised by Honda, particularly with a load on board, and I really didn't want to check the improved safety equipment, but the Odyssey is a really relaxing drive and has all the sort of family-friendly stuff you need. It's a seven seater that's more like a car than a giant boring bus, but with plenty of flexiblity.The dash has the latest Honda look — giant circular dial with blue lighting — but the sound system betrays the age of the hidden stuff. We expect better on the entertainment front and the lack of any rear-view camera — Honda says dealers can sell you a radar parking system — is a major mistake in 2009.The Odyssey feels nicely compliant in the suspension, the five-speed auto works smoothy, and the engine is good on the highway and solid — not sensational — around town.The seating position in the front is good and I like the fold-down central table area, which clears space for a walk-through, although it could do with better cupholders. The leather trim in the test car is also compliant and gives a quality look and feel.The test car did well in a variety of roles, from single to multi-purpose trips and even a bunch of heavyweight shopping expeditions. There was very little to complain about.The Odyssey has also been the subject of one reader's search in the past week, including shopping it against the obvious people mover rivals."I was most impressed, and it was top of my list, however the wife was not happy with boot space and ease of getting the kids in the very back. As she will be the main driver the Wife wins," says Ronnie.It's easy to see her points. It's good to have convention hinged doors instead of the barn-style sliders on most family vans, but that means folding the middle bench and creating enough space to get a person through to the very back is not as easy as operating the system in a Voyager.And the luggage space in the very tail is tight-ish, although Honda has a brilliant electric fold-up system for the third-row seat. It zips down into a recess and that leaves plenty of space for bikes or Bunnings, provided you only have five onboard.The Odyssey is not new, but it's newish and didn't really need much changing in any case. Now, if they could just give us a reversing camera...