1995 Honda Odyssey LX

Entering the minivan fray late with the '95 Odyssey, Honda took a daring approach to the blossoming market segment by essentially giving an Accord wagon a vertical stretch, combining key car and minivan attributes in one unique package. Based on the Accord powertrain and front suspension, and wearing traditional hinged rear doors in place of the more common sliders, the unibody Odyssey offers little-league parents a comfortable transition from sedans to the world of minivans.

We eagerly arranged putting this new car/minivan hybrid through a year-long test. Ordering an Odyssey is simple: It's available in only LX and premium EX forms. Following traditional Honda model designations, the LX denotes a moderate level of popular power goodies. In the Odyssey's case, this includes power windows/mirrors/door locks, front and rear air conditioning, cruise control, and a four-speaker AM/FM/cassette stereo. Keeping an eye on the bottom line, we added only floormats ($99) and a roof rack ($225), elevating the base $23,625 price to $24,344, including destination charges.

Had we bucked up for the top-of-the-line EX model, we would have enjoyed a power sunroof, keyless-entry remote system, alloy wheels, body-color side molding, map lights, a 20-watt AM/FM/cassette six-speaker audio system, and a driver's seat with power height adjustment.

Both LX and EX models are motivated by a 2.2-liter/140-horsepower SOHC four-cylinder engine culled from the Accord and revised for minivan duties. Despite being tuned for increased midrange torque, we wish these 140 Shetland ponies were instead athletic thoroughbreds snorting with more passing power. An unladen Odyssey rolls from zero to 60 mph in 10.3 hard-working seconds, competitive with other V-6-equipped minivans. Nevertheless, a significant portion of our surveyed owners want a V-6 for heavy-hauling use, and so do we. The Odyssey's lack of power was the chief complaint expressed in the surveys, supported by more than 25 percent of respondents specifically craving a bigger engine. Only 20.5 percent of those responding rated the Odyssey's acceleration as excellent; however, a hearty 50.3 percent judged it to be good.

During acceleration, the rough-edged inline-four lacks the sophisticated, refined character typical of Honda's automotive engines. Motoring up a 7000-foot mountain with a full complement of passengers and luggage, one of our editors reported that the Odyssey was quite strained and produced more than its share of high-rpm engine clatter. And once at the top, the Odyssey's performance was drastically affected by the thin air.

On the other hand, while the front-drive Odyssey may not be a powerhouse, it does offer a strong compromise of adequate around-town acceleration and thrifty fuel economy, with a 22.5-mpg average reported by surveyed owners.

Along with an Accord engine came a sedanlike ride, made possible by the sophisticated four-wheel double-wishbone suspension. This space-efficient design incorporates upper and lower control arms, coil springs, shock absorbers, and anti-roll bars to produce a comfortable ride with responsive handling. The Odyssey squirmed through our 600-foot slalom at 61.4 mph, stacking up well against the Chevrolet Venture (61.0 mph) and Dodge Caravan (62.0 mph). A strong showing was also made around the 200-foot skidpad, where the Odyssey managed 0.74 g of lateral acceleration.

Instrumented measurements aside, 98.7 percent of survey respondents felt the Odyssey's handling was above average, no doubt influenced by the positive steering feel and relatively compact dimensions. Numerous owners expressed similar sentiments; as an Illinois woman wrote, "I like the fact that it's a minivan that definitely drives like a car."