The 3.5-litre engine coupled with the six-speed transmission pulled strong from a stop and had generous power at launch, while merging into traffic on the freeway and for passing on the highway. We powered up hills and cruised along the freeway at freeway speeds without fuss and without a lot of noise penetrating the cabin.
At one time, the cavernous interior of some minivans tended to amplify road and wind noise, but the 2011 Honda Odyssey is a well-insulated and quiet place to be. Now with rear seat entertainment systems to keep rear sear passengers occupied, even parents with children can speak to each other at conversational levels.
Both large and small changes – the stretched A and C pillars, panels that sweep the airflow around the front tires and underneath the engine, inner front fender wells that are sculpted rearward to improve engine room air flow, a tailgate spoiler that smoothes air over the rear of the vehicle to reduce turbulence, and a more aerodynamic mirror shape and lower rocker panels on the Odyssey Touring – all contribute to a lower coefficient of drag and a quieter interior.
From the driver’s seat, the blue accented gauges and displays are easy to locate and read, and secondary controls for the audio system, navigation system and climate-control system are all within easy reach and feature large, easy-to-operate buttons and knobs.
The front seats are large and comfortable. With 10-way power adjustment (eight-way for LX) it was easy to find a comfortable driving position. Our Touring testers also had four-way power adjustment for the passenger seat.
The Odyssey EX-L and Touring feature a leather-wrapped steering wheel intended to create a sporty feeling, with steering wheel mounted audio, cruise control, telephone and navigation voice control buttons.
Whether intended or not, some spirited driving through a twisty canyon road revealed a sporting side to the Odyssey that few would believe possible in a minivan. It may never be a sports car, but the 2011 Odyssey’s lighter, stiffer body and firm suspension help the car handle twists and turns without unusual sway and minimal body roll. The new Odyssey felt much smaller than it is with handling equal to or better than the short wheelbase minivans once built by Chrysler and Mazda.
The disappearance of the short wheelbase minivans, such as the Mazda MPV and the Dodge Caravan, were the first signs of a declining market for minivans. They were quickly followed by the departure of the Ford Freestar and one by one, GM’s entries in this segment as well. In 2009, Nissan stopped building its minivan, the Quest.
With minivan sales predicted to level off in the 70,000 units per year range by 2012, one has to ask why Honda would bother investing in a completely new minivan for such a small market. Canada is only a small part of the minivan market in North America: while U.S. minivan sales have fallen from a high of 1.3 million units in 2000 to a predicted half a million vehicles this year, a 500,000 plus market is more than enough for four players to go after. Nissan is obviously rethinking its decision to terminate the Quest and plans to introduce a new Quest at the Los Angeles auto show in November.
In the U.S., the Honda Odyssey is the number one selling minivan (it’s the Grand Caravan in Canada) and its 2011 Odyssey is designed to keep it in the top spot in the North American minivan market.
2011 Honda Odyssey Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices
LX: $29,990
EX: $33,990
EX RES: $35,490
EX-L: $40,990
Touring: $46,990In addition to a "more modern look", the fourth generation Honda Odyssey minivan features better fuel economy, sportier handling, easier access to the third row seat, and new features like a multi-view rear back-up camera, reports Grant Yoxon.
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