Our new minivan - 1999 Honda Odyssey

After more than 3 months' waiting, our new minivan, the 1999 Honda Odyssey EX, finally arrived on Jan. 9. As of Feb. 7, it has 1300 miles on it. The experience has been more than satisfactory. I knew about all the goodies of this minivan before I got it. But one thing I couldn't know was how good the maneuvers and ride was. After 1000 miles' driving, I have to tell you it's excellent. Its ride is several times quieter and more smooth than my 1990 Accord sedan. I have driven a '97 Mercedes E320. I can tell you the Odyssey's ride and maneuver is as good as the E320, if not better. One thing I haven't really tried is how powerful it can get, since I am still breaking in the engine so I have been driving very gently. But still, it's already powerful enough for most situations. (The engine RPM has never exceeded 25K rpm so far.)

Feb. 7, 1999

The 1999 Honda Odyssey
The best minivan for 1999, easily.

Major differentiating features of the 1999 Honda Odyssey:

The most powerful mini-van ever made:

210 horse power
Torque: 229 lb-ft @ 4300 rpm
3.5 liter V6
SOHC 24-valve VTEC

Five doors; EX model has powered automatic sliding doors on both sides that can be opened with a remote control.
Second row seats are easily convertible between bench and 2 chaptain chairs
Magic 3rd row seat that folds down and "disappear" instantly.
Among the largest in exterior size (same as Ford Winstar and Dodge Grand Voyager)
Largest interior room (just slightly larger than Winstar & Grand Caravan)
Smooth ride, excellent maneuvers and agility. The drive is better than my 1990 Accord sedan. (I test drove it.)
4-wheel independent suspension

Other nice features:

Meets low emission vehicle (LEV) standard for light trucks
Traction control (EX)
Immobilizer Theft-Deterrent System (EX)
Remote entry system (EX)
Dual air bags
4- wheel ABS
Steel door beams
16" alloy wheels (EX)
Driver's Seat with 8-Way Power Adjustment (EX)
Two zone A/C with separate front and rear controls
Central automatic climate (temperature) control (EX)
CD player (EX)
Audio control on steering wheel (EX)
Cruise control
Built-in gararge door/light opener (HomeLink)
Power window, tailgate, rear quarter windor, lock, mirror.
All 7 seats have their own 3 point seat belt, auto-off reading light, and head rest.
Fold-away tray between the 2 front seats
9 cup holders
Front and rear 12-volt pwer outlets
Rails for roof rack (still need to buy the 2 Cross Bars) (EX)

Things I don't like about the new Odyssey (just to be fair:)

Automatic climate control controls only the front section.
Shape and texture of the seats are not attractive at all. Lack a look of luxury and style. No option for leather.
The EX has the CD player as a standard but no cassette deck, which costs $400 to get. Doesn't make sense.
Sound quality of the stereo can be better, considering the overall quality of the vehicle.
Color: none of the 5 colors available excites me. Mesa beige is better, but still...
Honda gives you only one remote entry key pad.
The cup holders on the fold-away tray between the driver and the passenger seat is too shallow. A regular size coffee mug can fall off easily if your hand hit it accidentally, even just slightly.
Driver's thigh easily hits the driver seat power adjustment lever when the driver is getting off, resulting in the seat being pushed back unexpectedly.
Driver's hand reaching to the audio ON/Vol button while the car is in drive tends to hit the speed shifting stick.
Car seats on the 2nd row can use tether only when the 3rd row seat is folded
Homelink buttons (built-in gararge opener remote control) are not illuminated.

More detailed spec, photos, and illustrations are available at http://www.honda1999.com/cars/odyssey/

Raved reviews: , Motor Trend Aug '98, www.auto.com, Car&Driver

Motor Trend Nov. '98: "Better and cheaper. What else do you want to know?"

Automobile Magazine Nov. '98:
"Our monogamous love affair with the Chrysler Corporation minivans has been a long and fruitful one, but it's over. We're still friends (and favor their advances over those of the Sienna and the Winstar), but we're saving ourselves for the Honda Odyssey. After all, it has the best back seat."
Ratings:
Motorweek: Best minivan for 1999

Availability and Price:

As of early January, my dealer in Boston has sold out for May. This means there is a 4+ months' waiting time. Many local dealers don't even have one in their showroom to show you. So, call before you visit your dealer. (Honda is making only 60,000 units for the American market in its 1st year. So there is a huge gap between suply and demand.)
Do not expect to pay lower than MSRP (sticker price). All you can shop around for is availability and color. I have heard on the net that dealers in west coast have added "adjusted market value" of up to $2,000 to this minivan.

Oddyssey EX in the color I am getting (mesa beige metallic):

3 views of Odyssey:

The 1999 Odyssey is not a re-design of the much smaller 1998 Odyssey. It's a different minivan.

The convertable 2nd row seat

The 3rd row seat can be folded underneath the floor and magically disappear.
This can be done easily by one person in 6 seconds.

Cargo area can accommodate one 4x6 plywood.
Both the 2nd and the 3rd row seats can be folded/removed by one person easily.

The 210 hp engine has a towing capacity up to 3,500 lb.

More great visuals, including 3-D rotating views (requires QuickTime pluggins), are available at http://www.honda1999.com/cars/odyssey/visuals.html