Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Editor-in-chief Chris Wardlaw drove our Honda Odyssey this month, and, much like Homer, had an epic's worth of words about this vehicle.

Wardlaw journeyed from L.A. to Denver, and arrived home with a sore back from the lack of lumbar support and an injured left elbow from the rock-hard plastic on the upper edge of the door panel and the thinly padded door panel armrest. Ah, the sacrifices auto journalists make for the sake of the story.

During his trip, Wardlaw came to some profound conclusions. First, he decided he can't stand the Odyssey's transmission. He complained of slushy detents between gears and a balky shift lever causing him to shift from reverse into D3 rather than D4. And when it finally does make it to D4, the shift lever blocks access to the volume control on the stereo. Moreover, the grade-logic control system causes major weight transfer problems on twisting downhill runs. "Repeatedly as I came down to Denver out of the Rocky Mountains, the grade-logic control kicked in when I was on the brakes, mid-turn, cruising with traffic at about 75 mph. The accompanying lurch as engine braking supplemented brake pedal pressure was unnerving, unpredictable, and quite irritating. After a couple of these surprises, I shifted down into D3 and left it there until I had reached the end of the steep grades." Wardlaw suggested getting rid of grade-logic technology altogether, clearly defining detents between gears, and tossing out D3 and replacing it with an overdrive on/off button, so the driver can determine when engine braking should be utilized. Wardlaw did mention that one good thing about grade-logic technology in the minivan is that it held lower gears as he climbed Vail Pass doing 60 mph, which was considerably faster than much of the traffic.

Wardlaw was also impressed with the Odyssey's highway travel. "Going with the flow" of traffic at 90 mph, the Odyssey was confident and quiet, save for excessive wind noise. Wardlaw even hit the triple digits once or twice, without even realizing it until he checked the speedometer. He praised the minivan's "lovely VTEC engine" for its ability to hum on the highway (though at 210 horsepower when run on premium, it lacks the low-end grunt for around-town errands), and the class-exclusive rear independent suspension, which improves ride and handling.

Inside the cabin, Wardlaw found the ergonomics to be decent, and liked the fact that the cruise control system remains activated even if the vehicle is shut off and restarted. The sound system is acceptable, and does a good job of masking racket from broken pavement that can make the cabin get rather loud. The center tray is pretty useless, says Wardlaw, as the surface isn't rubberized so anything on there goes flying when the vehicle stops or starts. Also annoying were the pull-out dash cupholders that don't ratchet for various-sized drinks, and the center cupholders that are too shallow to hold a 32-ounce water bottle upright.

Nighttime is the right time, except in the Odyssey. Apparently the things that need illumination are not illuminated, and the things that don't require illumination are illuminated. Let us elaborate. Two controls that are completely blocked from view by the steering wheel are the cruise and traction control buttons. However, these handy tools are illuminated at night. Nifty -- if you can crane your head around to find them. Likewise, the power door closing switches are lit, but right beneath them you'll find dark power mirror switches.

But Wardlaw, ever inventive, has a solution. Since traction control is used infrequently by most people, it doesn't need a light. Second, since cruise remains active indefinitely after being turned on, this button is also rarely used. Solution? Move the cruise control on/off switch to the steering wheel-mounted cruise controls. Ah, ha! We have genius among us. Not only that, Wardlaw suggests moving the illumination for the door closing buttons to the power mirror controls. Why, you wonder? Well, "since getting this van...I've always closed the power doors by either yanking the handle or using the remote key fob. Only once or twice have I used the dash controls. Yet, each time I drive the van after Christy has gone somewhere, I must fiddle with the mirrors. Thus, the illumination would be more appreciated for the control I use all the time (power mirrors) than for the control I almost never use (power door switches)." And come on Honda, at the very least let's light up the driver's door panel controls for windows and locks. Thank you, Mr. Fix It.

And natural illumination can also be a problem in our Odyssey -- when driving into direct sunlight, the glossy plastic dash throws a reflection onto the windshield that's so bright it obliterates parts of the forward view. "This cannot be safe," resolved Wardlaw.

But wait, there's more. When we got our front-loaded Odyssey, our dealer had installed a "stupid $295 cargo mat" and a $395 bug deflector. Well, our ill-fitting cargo mat that serves no apparent purpose (since our van came from the factory with a tray already installed) was just about trashed because it hampers the ability to fold the seat neatly into the floor. And that bug deflector? Shattered by the strength of our hero's hands as he went to shut the hood. This will also be removed permanently at the next dealer visit.

Speaking of dealer visits, next time we go to Woodland Hills Honda Wardlaw wants us to be sure and thank them for not installing the front license plate frame. The frame and hardware came without instructions because the dealer is supposed to install it in states that require a front tag. So Wardlaw tried to do it himself, only to find that the screws provided were too small. He'll have to go to a hardware store to find the right-sized screws, but we're sure he'll be able to take care of the problem.

Another enigma that cropped up this month was brought to our attention by a fellow Odysseyer in Denver. This particular woman and grocery-shopper, who shall remain nameless, was driving an EX much like ours and asked Mrs. Wardlaw if she'd noticed any problem with the driver's seat. Christy said, in fact, that she had noticed something odd, and then, when relating this story to Chris, he also said that he had noticed something odd.

Sometimes, not always but on occasion, after we leave the van and return to drive it, the power seatback has reclined itself about an inch or so. Now, for whatever reason, Wardlaw didn't think anything of this. He just got in, moved the seat back into position and went on his merry way. Christy noticed this too, but thought her husband was the culprit. What's more, this is the very same problem the grocery-store woman experienced, who was delighted that she wasn't alone, since her dealer "thinks she's a nutcase imagining a poltergeist." After this discovery, Wardlaw paid close attention and decided that this is definitely not a figment of anyone's imagination. We'll have this looked into on our next dealer visit.

Finally (we promise), despite the van's versatility (magic third-row seat and easily removable captain's chairs), its superior handling, independent rear suspension, and responsive brakes, the Wardlaws are going to buy a Toyota Sienna. For starters, dealers are still gouging $1500 over MSRP in L.A. (where the Wardlaws are moving), and there's still a waiting list. Plus, many dealers didn't return their phone calls, requests for more information, or even respond to online purchase requests. Then, when Chris and Christy went to go test-drive the Sienna, "Christy the Camry-lover was smitten." Even though the Sienna is smaller and less powerful, with fewer interesting features than the Odyssey, the Sienna LE meets the Wardlaw's basic van priorities. It's safe and reliable, fits easily in their garage, has doors on both sides and captain's chairs, has a powerful engine that allows the van to get out of its own way in a hurry, and dealers are selling them for a nominal fee over invoice in the L.A. market. They also thought the interior was more richly constructed with better quality materials than the Honda. And just because the Toyota doesn't have the magic seat is not reason enough for the Wardlaws to forego it.

So, the Wardlaw odyssey continues in the Sienna, as they prepare for the big move to California next month.

Total Odometer Reading: 13,605
Best Fuel Economy: 23.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 12.5 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Magically reclining seatback. Shattered bug deflector.