August 26, 2007

2007 Minivan Challenge:
2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L – First Impressions
by Dave and Carolyn
edited by Paul Williams

	Click image to enlarge Read more of Dave & Carolyn's comments on the 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L: Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 Read all the articles in the Minivan Challenge Photo Gallery: 2007 Honda Odyssey

It’s fair to say that Dave & Carolyn's preconceptions about minivans are being challenged. Boxy minivans of the past, which at the time seemed so spacious and well-equipped, have evolved into sleek, powerful and luxuriously-appointed people movers. Ironically, while minivans may be at the zenith of their development, their appeal is waning; the current fascination with SUVs and CUVs speaks to a different set of needs, perhaps. Still, you can’t beat a minivan for interior space and practicality, if those are your priorities.

With the Toyota Sienna LE returned to Toyota Canada, Dave and Carolyn are now behind the wheel of a 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L. Like the Sienna, Odysseys can be purchased for a modest base price ($33,000) and optioned up to over $50,000. Also like the Sienna, the Odyssey can be purchased in seven or eight-passenger versions.

The EX-L that Dave and Carolyn are testing arrives with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) which deactivates three cylinders when the van is under light load for improved fuel economy.

At $40,000 exactly, the Odyssey EX-L matches our highest allowable price, and comes with leather interior and a sunroof, along with a range of standard features, including electronic stability control and side curtain airbags. A DVD entertainment system is an optional extra.

Odysseys are powered with a V6 engine making 240 horsepower and 240 foot-pounds of torque.

Dave and Carolyn’s initial impressions of the Honda Odyssey (Picked up on August 13, 2007, with 904 km showing on the odometer).

Click image to enlarge

“The minivan is wonderful so far - probably my favourite to date,” says Carolyn.

“The "Midnight Blue Pearl" exterior paint is very nice looking. In fact, it gives the minivan a very rich and classy appearance. We both thought the minivan looked rather stately in this regard. The minivan looks bigger inside than the Sienna did. The grey leather interior is also quite luxurious. The backseat stowed away quite easily and it was very easy for us to install our daughter's car seat.

Once we were sitting inside the minivan we felt like we were inside a luxury private jet (we are not sure if the pictures will convey this but the dashboard is set low and is quite modern looking!) The minivan comes with climate control and power windows/seats/mirrors/sliding doors but NOT a power liftgate!

While the liftgate is easier to open and close than the Sienna's, (because it feels lighter), it seems that the lightness of the liftgate may prevent it from always closing (latching) properly without an extra push at the end.

The power moonroof is a very nice and unexpected feature. The stereo/CD system is quite nice with all controls on the steering wheel including tuning. The minivan brakes and accelerates well, but not quite as well as the Toyota did. We have not driven it too far yet but we are already concerned that the minivan may not give us good gas mileage - it seems quite thirsty!”

After a couple of days behind the wheel, Carolyn adds:

Click image to enlarge

"So far, the Honda Odyssey is working out wonderfully. I find that it handles and accelerates quite well - slightly better than the Hyundai but not quite as well as the Toyota (the Toyota Sienna had exceptional power in my opinion). I must say that it feels a bit bigger [than the Sienna] to me; I do feel as though I am driving a big vehicle when I get in the Honda. It is very luxurious, though, and I really like the exterior colour. I am a big fan of black exteriors and I am pretty much resolved on choosing a black exterior for any new vehicle that I might purchase in the future. However, I must say that this particular shade of blue captured my attention immediately - it just looks so very rich and luxurious! The minivan's dashboard is also extremely eye catching because it imparts a very modern feeling (almost like you are piloting a small airplane!).

""We have been looking forward to testing the Odyssey and are interested to see how it compares with other vans on the market.

"We have some things to pick up at the Home Depot, and an upcoming birthday party with extra people to transport, so this will be a good initial test of the Odyssey."

	Read more of Dave & Carolyn's comments on the 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L: Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 Read all the articles in the Minivan Challenge Photo Gallery: 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L

Paul Williams is an Ottawa-based freelance automotive writer and senior writer for CanadianDriver.