Editors' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2000

Small Van

Winner: Honda Odyssey

Just when it was beginning to look like Chrysler had an unbreakable stranglehold on the minivan market, Honda punts them, and everyone else, into oblivion with its all-new Odyssey. If it were just a matter of having that great 3.5-liter VTEC engine, complete with 210 horsepower and 229 foot-pounds of torque, the Odyssey would not be our choice for this category. And the dual power sliding doors on the EX models, while potentially convenient, didn't sway us immediately to the Honda camp either. But once inside, where we could drop the third-row seat into the floor and remove both second-row seats (all in less than 60 seconds), it became apparent where the future of minivans was going, and that Honda was already there. The Odyssey also offers safety, with top scores in frontal-impact, side-impact, and offset-impact crash testing. A stellar engine, functional and roomy interior, along with benchmark safety and Honda quality at a great price. Sorry Chrysler, your reign has ended.