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Honda has been hard at work on a new Odyssey minivan. They want you to notice this one with it’s unique styling and a utopia of mom (and dad) friendly features. But is it enough to sway buyers out of a stylish crossover?

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with minivans. Maybe the memories of driving from Michigan to Seattle in a Ford Aerostar have biased my thinking. Maybe it is that I feel every minivan should handle like the Mazda5 instead of a bathtub with wheels. Well, seventeen months ago I became a father. I found myself trying to carry a baby, a diaper bag, and open the door to my sedan. It dawned on me why power sliding doors have so much appeal. Much to the appreciation of my wife, I am now getting some love back for minivans. Not enough to own one just yet but the 2011 Odyssey sure makes a good case for one.

I recently spent a few hours with the 2011 Odyssey, traversing the back roads of Michigan. I didn’t have a carload of screaming kids or groceries that were melting in the trunk. It was just me attempting to carve up some corners. The Odyssey inspired confidence while driving compared to other minivans but it was raining and the low-rolling resistance tires chirped and battled with the traction control as they attempted to stick to the wet pavement. No worries, I never mistook this 4,400 pound van for a Porsche 911. The Odyssey didn’t excite me or increase my pulse rate like a 911 would but I think that is what Honda had in mind in case you have a load of screaming kid cargo. Relaxation is key. The Odyssey is the only full-size minivan to ride on an independent suspension at all four corners. The rear suspension doesn’t hop or wiggle on rough roads. This allowed for a compliant and comfortable ride on some of Michigan’s most pothole-ridden roads. With a treatment of noise-reducing acoustic glass and Honda’s Active Noise Cancellation, the interior was quiet enough to have a normal conversation with the third row occupants or to just enjoy some peace and quiet.
The new for 2011 MY Odyssey Touring Elite has an interior that looks like it was lifted out of an Acura MDX. The instrument panel is all about functionality. It doesn’t have the sea of Chiclet-sized buttons like the Accord. It’s fairly simple, intuitive, and loaded with features. The steering wheel on the other hand was not so intuitive. There were over 16 different functions that could be performed on it and I found myself having to take my eyes off the road to look at the wheel. Had I driven it for a week I might have learned but I would have preferred ease of use over functionality. A small quibble but I was trying to picture five screaming kids in the back of the Odyssey at the same time.

Like I previously mentioned, the Touring Elite model is new for 2011. It boasts a discrete 5.1 surround sound system with 650 watts of power to blast Hannah Montana to the whole neighborhood. There is a huge panoramic display with HDMI input for rear seat passengers that should keep the second and third rows content. I climbed into the torture row, I mean third row, to check out the space. Even at 6’4″, I had so much legroom leftover I could almost cross my legs. There are more storage nooks and crannies than I could count and enough cupholders to hydrate the entire soccer team. Check out the picture above. No need to cry over spilled milk in your minivan. That hole on the left side is for a one gallon container of milk! Honda pulled another trick out of their hat for 2011 with an improved Magic Seat that folds flat into the floor with just one single pull of a strap.
The new lightning bolt design along the bottom of the windows looks better on darker colored paint jobs. The back starts to look busy with the sliding door track and the lighting bolt pattern. The lightning bolt design has two functions. The first being that it differentiates the Odyssey from any other minivan, giving it easily recognizable looks. The second function is that it lowers the window so small children can see outside while sitting in the third row and reduces the feeling of sitting in a cave.

I was slightly disappointed with a few options missing from the Touring Elite model, notably rain sensing wipers, all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise, air conditioned seats, dual or panoramic sunroof, keyless start and entry, LED taillights, and some bling for the Touring Elite exterior. Base models start at $28,580 and the Touring Elite model starts at $43,250 (destination is extra). In that territory you can start talking about the Ford Flex with EcoBoost and AWD or then even a Mercedes R-Class isn’t too far off the radar. A loaded Sienna Limited with all-wheel drive comes in a hair under $40,000 and offers many of the missing features I mentioned. The mid-grade Odyssey EX-L models preset better value and less temptation to look at the twin-turbo Flex or the wallet-draining R-Class.
It’s hard to go wrong with any minivan today but Honda has squeezed 28 MPG on the highway and that can add up quickly taking Johnny to soccer practice. Toyota’s best effort is 24 MPG and you have to make do with a 2.7L 4-cylinder. Kudos to Honda for being able to offer V6 power and best-in-class fuel economy while offering up a few more horsepower, bringing the total to 248 HP for 2011.

If you’re looking to cart around up to five baby seats or a sheet of drywall, this minivan can do it. It offers versatility, space, luxury, and comfort that leaves no one longing to sit in the front seat anymore. So much research was done on this new Odyssey that universities should take note. Everything was thought of, from the effort to pull open the door handle to the ability to move the middle row of seats outboard to fit the largest baby seats on the market. Nothing seems to have been left untouched.
The next few months will prove the most interesting as Chrysler is ready to introduce a freshened minivan and Nissan will introduce an all-new Quest. The 2010 Honda Odyssey won AutoPacific’s 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for the minivan segment. Can it hang on to that title for another year? The 2011 Odyssey has raised the bar but is it high enough? Sales start in October 2010 so we shall soon find out.