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Jalopnik review of the Odyssey - this guy's not a fan...

4K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  Our Odyssey 
#1 ·
Saw this come up in my news feed this morning. Searched, but didn't find that this review had come up in the forums here:

The Only Honda Odyssey Review You?ll Ever Need to Read. 

I must confess, fit and finish weren't high points on my 3rd gen Odyssey and the times I've checked out the 4th gen, it didn't seem to have made much progress. Still, it's hard to beat the utility of a minvan, though I do think the guy has some fair points that minivan makers are able to get away with things that they wouldn't in a car or SUV.
 
#2 ·
To make the story short, the guy who make the write-up is so infamous with a lot of haters on HIM, anyway comparing to the other manufacturers he mentioned it was a way far from the Ody. Orange to Lemon talking about European cars vs Jap. Techs. It's so or not so that upon that link he mentioned everything about the weak point of the Ody. Some good parts but mostly down side. Long discussion to be made by the down flows of the Ody.
MORE IMPORTANTLY I LOVE MY 2011 Ody LX
I'm keeping this 15yrs. Or more.
 
#3 ·
I actually enjoyed reading the review for some reason. I agree the fit and finish issues are something that needs to be addressed. However, all of my friends' minivans I've seen are routinely "heavily used" on the inside from kids. I remember when my dad bought our family's minivan, a 1995 Ford Windstar, with atrocious fit and finish and high decibel squeaky plastics. It didn't matter, my younger siblings and cousins trashed the interior of that van, but its utility was unbeatable.

I guess for the size of the vehicle, something needs to be done to keep the costs low?
 
#4 ·
I've only owned one vehicle in 40 years the press liked.....a C7 Corvette. I loved my two Mercury Villagers that I put 300,000 miles on each one . ...the press hated those. They stopped production which turned me to an Odyssey. I'll have around 150,000 on it when I retire at Christmas so it will live a relaxed life as a winter vehicle to go south in and haul a little lumber or tow a trailer once in a while. The press can say what they want, I know what I like! :DD
 
#6 · (Edited)
The guy clearly is missing about what makes the vehicle special. If Honda really wanted him to get a van, why they didn't get him into a TE is beyond me.

The fit and finish seems pretty reasonable to me, and I think the intent with the van is to be durable enough that kids can abuse it and it still looks good. It would be silly to put in fancy wood etc. in the rear. I have been saying for quite some time that someone should make a premium minivan. You could definitely sell the crap out of a MSRP $50K van. MB lost the R-class in the USA (new version coming to China), but it failed miserably since it didn't do anything well. MB actually I think could pull off a legit minivan with power sliding doors, etc. without screwing up its brand. After all, they sell A-class these days.
 
#7 ·
I have been saying for quite some time that someone should make a premium minivan. You could definitely sell the crap out of a MSRP $50K van. MB lost the R-class in the USA (new version coming to China), but it failed miserably since it didn't do anything well. MB actually I think could pull off a legit minivan with power sliding doors, etc. without screwing up its brand. After all, they sell A-class these days.
I still like the idea of an Acura grade version of the Odyssey. I once saw a suggestion that, while Acura itself shouldn't sell a minivan, a trim level of the Odyssey "designed by Acura" or some such with a lot of the goodies of the MDX would be a winner.
 
#8 ·
Great idea! Frankly, there's nothing really athletic about a MDX anyway.

I really think any major manufacturer who can effectively do this will make a killing. I do think that the 17 will have collision mitigation braking, active lane assist and adaptive cruise control. It's really too bad this latest 16 I picked up today doesn't. We get warnings we're about to be in an accident rather than actually avoiding them.
 
#9 ·
I can't say I disagree with a lot of what that reviewer says either. That said, some things are really subjective (like not liking the styling) and everyone's entitled to their opinion. He doesn't like it? That's fine. I don't mind it at all.

The exposed styrofoam in the door jambs is totally amateurish and ridiculous. I can't believe Honda is not embarrassed by leaving such a unfinished space visible in a not-at-all-inexpensive vehicle like the Odyssey. This is a $30k to $50k "premium" van, not some jalopy or beater you're selling to teenagers.

The stereo controls and the way the upper screen is utilized do suck; why does so little area of such a large screen get properly utilized? The song titles and artist name that are too long don't even scroll across what little screen space is used. I would disagree with his assessment of the LaneWatch system though - you can see more than just the side of the van, and while properly set side mirrors can do the job just as well, I don't mind having the extra eye handy.

I'd also disagree with his assessment of the fuel economy. I've had a surprisingly good experience as far as that goes with our Ody - I'm quite pleased.

His line about being the best of a mediocre bunch? Maybe Honda is riding that philosophy with the Odyssey? I wonder whether the new Chryslers coming soon or a redesigned Sienna or maybe the new Kia will light a fire under Honda's rear end with the upcoming Odyssey redesign?
 
#12 ·
I enjoyed the write-up, good style. My two cents:

The looks: Just opinion, but I think it looks as good as a minivan can. When it came out, way better than Sienna. New sienna facelift - still beats it but not as much.

The center stack: I have a 2011 Touring, and I am thankful it still had the simple buttons (rather than touchscreen) for audio sources, and actually the temp control knobs are smaller and easier to use than the current edition, IMO. Also it still had the wheel to navigate menus and punch in addresses for navi. This is a safer and easier way to use navi while in motion.

Fit and finish: If you are coming from a high-end maker, I guess you might notice it. I have not noticed anything I was really unhappy about so far.

Lift gate: Lol, yes I've bumped my head many times. Just a few inches more, and a huge percentage more of the population could clear it while standing.

Space: Very good. With the second row out, I have transported a full length sofa including packaging, with the door closed. Also a king size mattress (rolled a bit like a pita).

Cylinder management: I have not noticed this problems of rough transition. The ECO is on and off all the time, and to me it is seamless. At one point I did have a rough time with shifting, but this was remedied with a service bulletin addressing a software problem unique to Touring/Elite.
 
#14 ·
This is not an objective review - it's merely an extension of 'mini-van hate'. Who gives a damn what this cat 'likes or doesn't like'? The Honda mini-van is today's Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon - an upscale people/cargo hauler, but light years beyond the large station wagon in every respect. Plenty of people never liked station wagons either. My money is on vehicles like mini-vans and CUVs basically ending the reign of the 'car'. For example, we have a full-sized pickup, a mini-van and a CUV. I simply have no use for a 'car' anymore. Certain classes of cars on opposite ends of the spectrum will probably surge in popularity, such as high-performance coupes and sedans and high-efficiency ultra-compacts (alternate fuel/alternate method of propulsion).
 
#16 ·
My money is on vehicles like mini-vans and CUVs basically ending the reign of the 'car'.
Ugh. I just don't "get" a CUV. A CUV pretends to be a van, but isn't big enough or let kids get in and out easily, it pretends to be a SUV, but it can't really off-road well or be big enough, it pretends to be a car, but can't handle well. I suppose if I could have only one vehicle, a CUV or Wagon makes sense. That said, when I have one - four people in the car without lots of cargo, there's no vehicle I'd want other than a sedan.
 
#15 ·
The guy would not like any minivan. But I like this guys comment: rivesatruck_notaredneck Ash78, now an infamous van hater
10/06/15 10:59pm "My roommate is an engineer but still drives the 2005? Odyssey his patents gave him in college. We have used that van in ways that honda had never intended. Yes, it will fit 4x8 sheets of plywood. Yes, it will offroad surprisingly well. Yes, you CAN lose 500 rounds of ammunition in the various storage compartments, for more than a year. It is almost incredibly fast for a car the size of a small house, ad it will easily tow a quad trailer or a 24 foot bayliner. The skid plates sometimes like to leave when you drive too quickly on dirt roads, but apparently it doesnt require oil changes. Its a great pickup truck, but i cant speak to its efficacy as a van."
 
#18 ·
I don't agree with that for just two people. To each their own though!

Definitely great for 3 or more.
 
#19 ·
Regarding the review mentioned: I hope that is not the usual experience of others with that model year of Odyssey. Our '09 Odyssey is a pleasure to drive, 2/4/7 passengers. The '09 build quality is top notch in the Honda manner that is expected. Cheers!
 
#20 ·
Too many fallacies in Jalopnik's article to list them all, so I will select just one example:

"The Odyssey is somewhat disappointing coming from a VW, who are arguably the most engineering-focused mainstream carmaker on the planet"

Recent revelations about VW's TDi engines would seem to undermine their alleged engineering prowess.

Dave
 
#21 ·
Good call. As you can see from my signature, I think Honda and VW are both great. Generally speaking, the Japanese firms take the cake when it comes to reliability engineering while the Germans and some others get it for advanced new feature breakthroughs that may be finicky. A friend bought the V10 M5 when it came out (maybe year 2), and it was absolutely awesome, except for in the dozens of times when it would simply refuse to work properly. I really think Honda nailed the balance designed for its target market for the Odyssey, perhaps except for its frustrating electronics at times.

I want something different in the S6 I'll be hopping into shortly than I want for carting 3 kids in comfort and safety around the country, and I'm still excited to get into a loaded Odyssey every time because it best fits the purpose for which it is intended.
 
#22 ·
I'm a VW / Audi fan as well (disclaimer - I work for them). But having said that, there is not a single vehicle they make that I would rather have than the Ody. Ours is a fabulous device for carting people and their stuff. Nothing else even comes close. When we go anywhere, we simply toss the stuff in the back and drive. I'm never worried about what we're bringing or how much we are bringing. Yet the sucker still gets fantastic fuel economy - even with the VCMuzzler installed!

Yes, it isn't perfect (the dash plastics that are different drive me crazy) and the audio / Nav controls are a bit counter intuitive. But hey, its all good now that I've got it figured out. Wife absolutely loves it because it looks different than all the other vans (she says its way more interesting looking). And its quiet and comfortable to boot. What more could you ask for really?
 
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