2005 Honda Odyssey Los Angeles

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Honda launched an all-new Odyssey for 2005. Anyone who appreciates the versatility of a minivan coupled with the driving characteristics of a car will delight in owning the 2005 Honda Odyssey. The Touring model is especially worth looking at if you're wanting a versatile luxury utility vehicle that rides like a car. Perhaps that's why Honda likes to call its new Odyssey a Premium Adventure Vehicle. The 2005 Honda Odyssey lineup now includes three models. All include the full complement of safety features such as curtain side airbags for all three rows of seats, anti-lock brakes, and vehicle stability assist with traction control.

Driving the '05 Honda Odyssey

The Odyssey's 3.5-liter V6 engine is smooth, powerful, and clean. The Touring model and the EX with leather benefit from high-tech noise-abatement features. When the i-VTEC engine with VCM is only running on three cylinders there is a natural imbalance, which can produce drumming sounds and vibrations. To counteract this, the engine is mounted on special active control engine mounts that electronically adjust themselves to counteract engine vibrations.

2005 Honda Odyssey Design

Honda says the Odyssey has a sporty Euro sedan look. All models come with two sliding doors, manually operated on the LX and electrically operated on all other models. The power windows in each of the side doors can be opened in the same fashion as in a car. The tailgate is electrically operated in the top-of-the-line Touring. The Odyssey is the first application of Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure. The vehicle's crush zones have been re-engineered to provide even better protection for occupants while lessening damage when hitting other smaller vehicles and pedestrians. At the same time the main body has been made much more rigid for better handling. Honda also claims the Odyssey has the lowest drag coefficient of any minivan for better fuel economy and high-speed stability.

Inside the '05 Honda Odyssey

Flexibility in seating arrangements is a key attribute in any minivan and Honda has further enhanced the Odyssey's many seating configurations. There's room for eight people with the optional PlusOne seat that fits between the two captain's chairs in the second row. If it's not needed as a seat it can be turned into a table or stowed in the floor instead of the Lazy Susan bin. If the PlusOne seat is not being used, the right-hand seat can be slid across to allow easier access to the third-row seats. The third-row "magic seat" is split 60/40 and folds down into the well provided for it much more easily than before, and the headrests do not need to be removed before folding. There's a host of other small touches that have gone into upgrading the interior. From a driver's standpoint, changes include the gearshift lever, which is still mounted on the dashboard, but has been realigned so it has an easier longitudinal motion instead of vertical. The driver's seat has been redesigned so it holds the driver more firmly and is positioned in a more car-like setting.

Honda Odyssey Lineup 2005

The LX is the base model with manual sliding side doors, manual driver seat controls and manual air conditioning. It does come standard with power door locks with remote keyless entry, front and side power windows and 60/40 split fold-down rear seats. The air conditioning system includes an air-filtration system.

The EX adds power sliding doors, alloy wheels, tri-zone climate control, a stowable second-row PlusOne seat, in-dash CD changer, steering wheel audio controls, power driver seat controls and other items. If you want leather seats, the EX with Leather is the ticket. Additionally, this model includes the iVTEC engine with variable cylinder management (VCM), a power moonroof and heated front seats.

The Touring is designed more for empty nesters looking for a luxury minivan. Sounding more like the name of a sporty station wagon from Europe, the Touring model has a slightly stiffer suspension, run-flat tires, front and rear parking sensors, automatic tri-zone climate control, power tailgate, power adjustable pedals, upgraded sound system and 17 cupholders, in addition to the items included with the EX with leather model.

Conclusions

Every Odyssey includes Vehicle Stability Assist that works in conjunction with the drive-by-wire accelerator and ABS to modulate the brakes while managing the throttle and ignition. If the vehicle starts to lose grip on a tight turn on a slippery surface, the system automatically slows the engine and gently applies brakes to stop the vehicle from skidding out of control. In a test on a soaking skid pad we found the system works well. Fortunately it only works in emergency situations so it's not distracting during normal spirited driving. It can also be turned off.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com