Stylish venturer
ULYSSES OF ancient Greece managed to cram a 10-year voyage, devoted wife, cunning suitors, bewitching sirens, pigs and assorted gods and goddesses into his Odyssey. Honda has managed to pack seven seats and a 2.4-litre engine into its third-generation MPV version.
Honda describes its Odyssey as appealing to the 'executive' market, but you wouldn't be alone in thinking that the car appeals to those who can't quite admit that they drive an MPV.
Buying your first MPV is almost a rite of passage into middle age and the demands of a growing family. The Odyssey could quite easily carry a brace of children, assorted grandparents, food for a month, one of those fabulous three-wheeled prams so beloved of jogging supermodel mothers, and still have room for the dog. The interior has enough leather to keep even the pickiest hide-lover happy, the driving seat is comfortable and easily adjustable, and the walnut dashboard has a strokeable curve to it. The gear shift is centrally mounted and has a promising space-age look that matches the beautiful instrument panel, whose subtle blue lights take the misery out of having to watch for speed cameras at 40km/h.
The adjustable steering wheel is also trimmed with walnut. Sadly, the handbrake has been relegated to a floor pedal, although this does allow space between the seats for cup-holders.
The Odyssey doesn't look like an MPV. Its cabin ceiling is lower than most seven-seaters, but the electric sunroof opens up and prevents you from feeling claustrophobic. There are two rows of rear seats, each with their own climate control, which should give hours of entertainment to inquisitive children. The angled reading lights let you read the South China Morning Post in comfort. Intriguingly, there are cubbyholes with a sliding cover below the door armrests, but they're not big enough to hold anything of interest, and could become 'black holes' for things you won't find until you sell the car. The third row of seats folds down automatically at the flick of a switch, which is fabulous, but setting out the second row needs effort and practice. Once both rows are flat and you are an exhausted heap, you'll find that there is also a plastic 'drawbridge' that sits over the seats to create a flat space. Smaller than similarly priced MPVs, the Odyssey is slightly more practical around town. It has a claimed turning circle of about 5.4 metres, which I test by taking wrong turns into a series of dead ends in Sai Kung. The rear parking sensor is invaluable but its 'beep' is half-hearted. If your children are loud, you might have a hard time hearing this one.
The Odyssey has 10 airbags, including a side 'curtain', and crush zones have been reinforced using the excitingly named 'G-Force Control Technology' protection at the sides, front, rear and roof. This technology has earned the Odyssey a full five stars for protection from frontal and side injury in US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests. Having been pleasantly surprised by the Honda Civic, I expect great things of the Odyssey. I'm disappointed by the gearbox's automatic mode which crawls through changes as swiftly as a swimmer might struggle through blancmange. Struggling up hills, I feel that I'm being overtaken by old ladies pushing carts. All is not lost though, Honda has pulled another Jekyll and Hyde trick. In manual mode, the car takes off. The steering is steady, and the Odyssey holds the road, despite the rain and high winds. It's slightly heavy at 1,658kg, but you get used to manoeuvring it in Hong Kong. The zip of Honda's stunning intelligent variable valve timing and lift electronic control (i-VTEC) engine allows you to drive an MPV as part of your grown-up persona but enjoy some acceleration at weekends.
The Odyssey is a winner. Shifting through the gears, the car really performs, sprinting to 60km/h in about 12 seconds on a hand timer. The power surge would be impressive in a smaller car but it's incredible for a people-mover. A lowered double wishbone suspension and centre of gravity minimises the swing in automatic mode and removes the fear of instability you experience in some MPVs. The Odyssey is slightly tail happy around corners in manual mode, but an MPV isn't a sports car, is it? The cruise control is invaluable in today's regulated driving environment. Once the speed is set, it can be increased or decreased from controls on the steering wheel, which is brilliant if your leg is getting a bit tired and you feel like a stretch.
You buy the Odyssey's body for the safety and size but the engine you buy for sheer pleasure. Ulysses would have been home 10 years earlier if he'd had one of these in his garage.
Tested: Honda Odyssey Supreme
What Drives it? A 160bhp, 2,354cc DOHC 16-valve, four cylinder i-VTEC LEV engine with programmed fuel injection and a five-speed automatic gearbox
Dimensions: 4.765 metres high by 1.8 metres wide x 1.55 metres high
How fast is it? Adequate, at 0-100km/h in 11.4 seconds
How much is it? The basic model's the Odyssey Prestige ($289,880); the Supreme ($319,880) version has a front and side-curtain airbag system; a power glass sunroof; leather seats; a powered third-row seat and Xenon lights
Available: Reliance Motors, Hong Kong, (tel: 2827 8622; Macau: [853] 835 678)
Alternatives: Mazda MPV, Nissan Serena and Honda Stepwagon
