Road Tests: Long-Term Test

It's now officially springtime (hurray!), and the lease of our Honda Odyssey is almost up (boo!). Due to a heavy influx of other test cars and our desire to minimize mileage (we're past the 40,000-mile lease limit), the Odyssey rolled little and gathered moss for March.

Senior Editor Brent Romans was our first driver this month. He happily reports that the Odyssey drives virtually the same as it did when he first drove the vehicle over a year and a half ago. Other than the rattle that we mentioned in last month's update, Brent says he was impressed that the van continues to have a tight body structure, accurate steering, adequate power and a supremely versatile interior.

These traits were also easily identifiable on an '01 Odyssey we procured in March for a minivan comparison test. We pitted the Honda against a Ford Windstar, a Chrysler Town & Country, a Mazda MPV, a Pontiac Montana and a Toyota Sienna. While we haven't determined the winner yet (look for the test to appear on our site later this spring), it looks to be a tight race between the Odyssey and the Town & Country. The T&C offers more power and a more involving driving experience, but it lacks the all-important disappearing third-row seat, a feature that Honda popularized when the redesigned Odyssey came out in '99. (Actually, the '95-'98 Odyssey had this feature, too, but nobody noticed!)

We did have one slight mishap with our '99 this month. We accidentally drove over a piece of metal while cruising on the freeway. The metal punched a hole in the sidewall of the right-front Michelin MX4 215/65R16 tire. Technical Editor Miles Cook, the driver at the time of the incident, reports that the minivan was stable during the experience and he was able to pull off to the side of the road safely. Miles was initially perplexed about the location of the spare tire, as the disappearing third-row seat precludes placing the tire here. After a quick scan of the owner's manual, Miles determined that it was stored in an area directly behind the two front seats and underneath the carpeting. To access it, he had to slide the seats all the way forward and lift up the carpeting and access door. Installing the spare was a simple process. The next day Cook drove the Odyssey to a local tire shop, procured a replacement and had it installed. He was on his way in less than half an hour after parting with $136.30 for the tire, mounting, balancing and tax.

Our final driver this month was Research Editor Erin Riches. She offered up the following commentary: "I thoroughly enjoy the stable, controlled ride that our long-termer delivers. Certainly the Odyssey feels large -- and it is large (interior space is unparalleled) -- yet its girth is easy to manage. In most situations, it feels rather like a car. I think the steering is remarkably tight and responsive for a vehicle of this size -- many of the pavement-biased, midsize SUVs can't match this precision (an Odyssey driver would seem to have a much better chance when a crash avoidance maneuver is required). The turning radius is decent, too.

"I really like this V6 (though I've never had more than three people in the van at a time). Yes, it's coupled to a strangely conservative transmission, but it's quiet at 80-90 mph. And it has plenty of stamina even though it's not allowed to rev very much. Entering the freeway or pulling into 50-mph traffic isn't as easy as it could be, though, because the transmission is so eager to upshift before the engine builds up sufficient pull."

The transmission in the '01 Odyssey we had seemed to be cured of these ills, furthering our belief that this is one of the best minivans you can buy currently. We're certainly going to be sad when our blue barn is no longer a part of the long-term fleet.

Current Odometer: 41,828
Best Fuel Economy: 18.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.3 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: $136 (replacement Michelin MX4 215/65R16 tire, mounting and balancing fees)
Problems: Loud rattle from rear window area