I talked to a Honda spokesman about that, and he pointed out that the Odyssey gets the highest marks from the federal government in front and side crash tests. One thing that does bother me is the lack of air-bag protection for the second and third rows. She: There’s very little to gripe about on the 2003 Odyssey. You can’t fold the seat into the floor until you remove them, but there doesn’t seem to be a really convenient place to stow them. I never know what to do with the three headrests on that rear bench seat. Perhaps a power folding seat mechanism would solve that problem - and push the Odyssey well ahead of the Sienna. The same could be said for Honda’s clever folding third-row seat, which stows into the floor, but is heavy and difficult to lift back up. That last item would be helpful for those who find the tailgate too heavy and difficult to pull down. And H onda doesn’t offer a power-operated tailgate - yet. But unlike some competitors, you can’t get the Odyssey with all-wheel drive. Right now, there isn’t much that you can’t get on the Odyssey. The Sienna raises the bar in some areas, but I’ll bet it won’t be long before Honda matches or exceeds them. He: That probably explains why we saw so many Honda engineers crawling over the new 2004 Toyota Sienna at the Detroit auto show. Honda didn’t invent them, but they wisely copied them from their competition Another new feature - the grocery-bag hooks built into the back of the third seat. The new Odyssey now makes 240 horsepower, which is more than enough power for everyday tasks. She: Honda also added a five-speed automatic transmission, which improves performance and fuel efficiency, and the 3.5-liter V-6 engine received 20 more horsepower. He: Even though our test model didn’t have the DVD entertainment system, we had the optional navigation system, which is one of the best and easiest to use on the market. It’s probably the smartest $1,500 a family will ever spend. She: Can you even imagine owning a minivan these days without a rear-seat entertainment system? That’s one of the features that Honda added on the 2003 Odyssey. It’s truly light-years ahead of those early minivans that we owned. But I couldn’t help but be impressed by the amenities, the power and the overall comfort in the Odyssey. In some ways, this is almost too much vehicle for a couple whose kids have flown the coop. He: I’m not so sure that empty nesters like ourselves are the right demographic. This is a perfect vehicle for families of all ages. I spent the better part of a weekend in the Odyssey with both my parents, and they raved about it, especially the power sliding side doors and the easy accessibility to the second row. I thought it was interesting that my dad was shopping recently for a Mercury Villager because it would be perfect for hauling everything from his golf equipment to his grandchildren. Since our kids are now in their twenties, I had no one to test the 2003 Odyssey on, except for my parents. She: We owned three minivans while our kids were growing up, and they were excellent family vehicles, in terms of the package.
Our test model, a well-equipped Odyssey EX, had a sticker of $30,860. The company has responded with a 2003 edition that’s been improved in many ways and continues to appeal with such benchmark features as a fold-flat third seat. So the heat is on Honda, whose Odyssey has been at or near the top of the segment in recent years. Three of the class leaders - Toyota Sienna, Ford Windstar and Nissan Quest - are being redesigned this year, with Mercury introducing a brand-new model called Monterey. That makes life a little difficult for families comparison-shopping more than a dozen entries from such stalwarts as Chrysler, Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota, as well as relative newcomers like Kia.
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