With the latest Odyssey selling at a price of almost RM240,000 a used 16 year old unit had still a lot going for it. As you’d expect of a Honda, this MPV is different. For example, it has four swing doors. Because it uses a modified Accord chassis, the Odyssey has one of the most sophisticated suspension systems of any MPV. All Honda passenger cars have what Honda calls a double wishbone suspension, instead of the more common – and cheaper – MacPherson struts. The advantage of the Honda system is that it minimizes undesirable wheel movements during cornering. This enhances the car like drivability that’s a must for front-drive MPVs.
The Odyssey’s engine is a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder, the same engine used in the Accord line but retuned slightly for this application – a little more peak horse-power and a little extra torque, it gets you away from stoplights and helps you haul heavy loads. The 4-speed automatic transmission is essentially the same as the one used in the Accord, offering smooth shifting and the Honda Grade Logic computer programming. Safety features, too, are up-to-the-minute. The Odyssey has 2 airbags and 4-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock included as standard equipment.
It’s a little bigger than the Nissan Serena but shorter, a tad smaller than the VW Sharan and about the same as the Toyota Estima. It will seat six or seven passengers in comfort. The standard arrangement is for seven with a bench seat in the middle row – and it’s a versatile setup. The middle bench will fold up flat against the backs of the front bucket seats, and the rear seat can be folded down into a well in the rear cargo area, yielding a nearly flat floor.
If you want to convert the Odyssey for sleeping the night when the wife throws you out, you can fold the middle and rear seats down to make a bed. You can also flip the rear seat onto its back, creating a bench handy for picnics.
Something else that’s typical of Honda’s attention to detail is the Odyssey’s small-object storage. There are two good-sized glove boxes and a center storage bin up front, plus cup holders and storage pockets built into the armrests at all the outside seating positions.
The Odyssey comes with a wealth of standard features that would be extra in a lot of other MPVs – front and rear air conditioning, ICE system and power everything, a power sunroof, and alloy wheels to just skim the top of the list. The performance of its 4-cylinder engine may surprise you – unless you happen to be acquainted with the Accord.
Asking price ranges from RM32,000 to almost RM40K may seem steep but if you find one that has been looked after well, it will serve you for another 5 years without a hitch just like its brother the Accord.
