Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Our stylish Odyssey served two Los Angeles-based staffers this month, senior programmer Debby Katzir and Web developer Andy Chase, proving yet again that it can appeal to a diverse population.

Katzir was pleased to take possession, or repossession, of the Odyssey. This experience was just as good as the last. Coming off of a two-week stint with our long-term Jaguar, Katzir felt a greater sense of control with the Odyssey and said the seats were much more comfortable than the Jag's. Although the power driver's seat was easy to adjust, she (and her family) would appreciate a power passenger seat as well.

Our staffer mentioned that the van is a bit bumpier and noisier than it was when it left the dealer, but the ride is still solid. Katzir was impressed with the Odyssey's turning radius, which she found "amazing for such a large van, almost as good as my CR-V, and infinitely better than our Nissan Quest." Speaking of the Quest, the Katzirs are still planning to ditch it for an Odyssey, which her husband prefers "in every way."

Katzir was fond of the Odyssey's conveniences and gadgets, citing the folding third-row seat that makes it simple to haul large items. Although she likes the idea of the power sliding doors, it sometimes takes multiple attempts with the remote control to get them to open or close. Another minor doodad complaint is the location of the power outlet, which Katzir says is too close to the floorboards and should be raised to a more convenient level on the dash.

While the van was in Katzir's possession, we received notice of a safety recall regarding the sliding doors. We learned that in some Odysseys the doors were not latching properly and could fly open during movement. Not a good thing.

We took the Odyssey to Robertson Honda in North Hollywood for this service, and while it was there another safety recall came up on their computer. This one involves the resonator chamber, which, in cold, wet weather, could trap water. When this trapped water begins to evaporate, it could be drawn into the throttle body and turn to ice, which could cause the throttle to stick in an open position. This service involved drilling two additional drain holes in the bottom of the resonator. Although our California-registered Odyssey isn't required to have this fixed it was done anyway, in case of travel or relocation to colder climates. We were satisfied with Robertson Honda -- they got both services done in less than a day and even chauffeured our staffer home when the van was dropped off.

Our Odyssey's body has been taking some abuse as of late. A few months back, a mysterious vertical gash appeared on the left side of the rear bumper. Well, now Mr. Gash has some friends. Right around the corner, on the left-rear quarter panel, is a fresh dent with some scratches and foreign paint, acquired from a white mystery vehicle while the van was parked. This left us wondering not only about the quality of the Odyssey's sheetmetal, but if this is one individual's or group's conspiracy to follow our Odyssey around Los Angeles and injure it.

Web warrior Andy Chase finally realized what all the Odyssey hype among Edmunds.com's staffers, and the general public, was about. Chase said the van handled, uh, well (we just can't bear to call it "c$#-like" one more time) and, for its size and shape, is quite responsive. He added that the suspension smoothes out the minor road flaws without totally removing feedback.

Like Katzir, Chase had mixed feelings about the van's gadgetry. One the one hand, he loved the power sliding doors, but wondered if the mechanism will stand the test of time, "automatic features are always cool, but they're also just one more thing that can break down." After driving the van for two weeks, Chase felt he hadn't used even half of the gizmos, since the only passengers were Chase, his girlfriend, and their 80-pound Greyhound. (Trooper did learn how to operate the fold-down seat, however, and found the cargo area quite accommodating.) Chase felt that all these nifty features were "wasted on a 20-something like myself, with no kids and not much call to drive lots of people around." Apparently, Chase isn't the only one who feels he's a fish out of water in the Honda. VP Lev Stark commented to Chase, "You look really out of place driving that minivan." No one else on staff would comment on the record, but we'll sum up with four words: long hair and goatee.

Chase did log a practical complaint about the minivan. He thought it was big. Not humongous, but big enough that it made it difficult for him to find parking on his busy street, and when parking, he said the pointed front end made it hard to gauge how much space one has in front.

"This was my first experience driving a minivan of any kind," wrote Chase, "and I have the feeling that it has set me up for disappointment if I ever find myself driving another manufacturer's offering. I can't say that I want to run out and buy one, but if I ever find myself in a situation where I need a minivan, the Odyssey will be the first one I look at." By then, we imagine our Web dude may have cut that hair, gotten married, had some kids and bought a house. Then there will be no more image problems, no more street parking problems, and Trooper will have taught him how to use all of the Odyssey's gadgetry.

Until then, get this guy into the Xterra.

Total Odometer Reading: 11,474
Best Fuel Economy: 19.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 11.5 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Recall for sliding doors. Recall for resonator chamber.