The 2010 Odyssey went on sale this past week, carrying over from 2009 with no significant changes. Prices begin at $26,805 (plus $710 freight) for the base LX model and run as high has $40,755 for the fully equipped Touring model, which comes with such extras as leather seats, rear-seat DVD entertainment, premium audio and a navigation system.
The Odyssey’s decent fuel economy, up to 17 mpg city/ 25 highway for the 2009 EX-L model we tested ($33,155 plus freight), puts it on par with most of the midsize crossovers, including the new Chevrolet Traverse (17/24).
For the 2008 model year, the Odyssey was updated significantly, getting new exterior styling and a more fuel-efficient 3.5-liter V-6 engine that comes with Honda’s revised Variable Cylinder Management system.
Premium features were added throughout the vehicle, including a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, a four-way power passenger seat, a rearview camera with display in the rearview mirror for models without the optional navigation system and side mirrors with memory and reverse tilt-down.
Interior improvements included a new instrument panel and premium fabric for the seats, although we didn’t see the seat fabric because our tester had the leather seats (the “L” in our tester’s name stands for “leather”).
For 2009, Honda added a power-operated tailgate to the EX-L model as standard equipment.
The Odyssey has room for up to eight people, or seven with middle-row captain’s chairs such as we had in our test vehicle. There is lots of cargo space available when all of the seats are not needed for people.
Although this van is targeted at women, the largest group of minivan buyers, it’s definitely more stylish than vans of the past. It’s popular not only with young families with kids, but also empty nesters who like to take leisurely highway trips and who sometimes need extra seats for grandkids.
The Odyssey’s appeal to women also comes from its perceived safety and dependability. Honda has a “Safety for Everyone” policy that applies throughout its lineup, which means that important safety features are standard, rather than optional.
Odyssey safety features include electronic stability control; antilock brakes with brake assist; advanced dual-stage front air bags; front side air bags; and three-row side-curtain air bags with a rollover sensor.
Also, the Odyssey has a front-end design that is meant to help not only the vehicle’s occupants, but also any pedestrian who might be struck by the vehicle. Other standard safety gear includes active front seat head restraints and daytime running lights.
The Odyssey earned the highest crash-safety rating — five stars — in front- and side-impact tests conducted by the federal government.
The Odyssey provides plenty of storage areas and cubbies, and there is a new storage bin in the second-row PlusOne Seat (standard on EX, EX-L and Touring models).
Its seats have some useful innovations, including a third-row 60/40 split bench “Magic Seat,” which folds completely into the floor, when not needed, to provide a completely flat cargo floor. The second-row PlusOne seat is now standard on the Touring model, adding an eighth seating position in the place of the removable center console.
Odyssey has 38.4 cubic feet of cargo space even with the third seat in place. But with that seat folded into the floor, cargo space expands to 91.1 cubic feet — with room for five passengers remaining in the first two rows.
But to expand cargo space further, the second-row seats must be removed.
Total interior volume is 209.8 cubic feet, more than the interiors of two of Honda’s compact Civic sedans combined.
Standard on the LX model are 16-inch wheels; EX and EX-L models get 16-inch alloy wheels; and all three have all-season tires. The Touring model comes with 17-inch alloy wheels and all-season tires.
Optional — and a great security feature — are Michelin PAX run-flat wheels and tires.
Other Odyssey standard features include dual-zone air conditioning on base models and three-zone automatic climate control on EX, EX-L and Touring models; tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel; power windows/mirrors/door locks with keyless entry; and cruise control.
Options include the navigation system with voice recognition and built-in Zagat restaurant guide; and the rear DVD entertainment system with a pull-down screen.
Two engines are offered. The base engine is an all-aluminum, 3.5-liter V-6, standard on the entry-level LX and midlevel EX models. It’s rated at 244 horsepower and 240 lbs.-ft. of torque, and EPA ratings are 16 city/23 highway.
But the EX-L and Touring models come with a 3.5-liter aluminum V-6 engine with the variable cylinder system, rated at 244 hp and 245 lbs.-ft. of torque.
This is the same engine offered in the newest Accord. It’s designed to shut down two or three of the engine’s cylinders to save fuel while cruising at highway speeds. The previous Odyssey also offered a cylinder-deactivation system, but it cut the engine down to three cylinders; adding the 4-cylinder mode gives it more flexibility, Honda said.
This is what gives the EX-L and Touring models their 17/25 mileage ratings. Also added for 2009 were upgrades to the Odyssey’s audio system. It now comes with an auxiliary input jack so iPods or other portable music players can be attached directly, and the compact-disc player now is able to play music files that are in the MP3 and WMA formats.
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