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10/07/2006
By EWAN KENNEDY
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The third-generation Honda Odyssey, launched in Australia midway through 2004, was already a much lower, sleeker machine than we have ever seen before in a seven-seat people mover. Yet, not content with that, Honda's designers have given it an even sportier look as part of a midlife makeover.
 Odyssey gets a new grille, revised shaping of the front and rear bumpers to beef them out and give them a bit more character. A cleaner frontal look is given by using indicators mounted in the door mirrors instead of in the rear surfaces of the front guards. There are new rear lights with a neat, clear appearance.
Inside, the Odyssey now has an integrated six-CD audio system that can handle MP3 recordings.
Even better news is that the price of the Odyssey remains unchanged, starting at just $38,790. This price freeze has partly been achieved by the continuing strength of the Australian dollar against the Japanese yen, but the fact that the people-mover market is intensely competitive no doubt came into Honda Australia's calculations as well.
In the $45,290 Luxury version of the Odyssey, the black leather trim is complemented by a trendy piano-black wood finish on the centre console.
Honda Odyssey is only a few centimetres higher than the Commodore or Falcon station wagon, yet the designers have squeezed a surprising amount of space into the cabin.
 Odyssey can carry seven adults in comfort in a two-three-two arrangement. A more practical arrangement would be four adults and three children. The flat floor means that three adults abreast in the centre-rear seat is achieved with less hassle than usual.
The swooping bonnet shape means that parking is all guesswork from the base of the windscreen forward, and some who drove our test Odyssey didn’t like it for that reason.
An interesting feature is the use of a power-folding rearmost seat in the upmarket Odyssey Luxury. A push of a button sees it fold down completely out of sight, leaving a flat floor.
With all seats in place there's still a moderate amount of luggage space behind the rearmost ones. Not a generous amount, but better than average.
 Performance from the 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is better than expected, but it does struggle if asked to carry a big load in hilly conditions. The tiptronic-type automatic helps the driver keep the engine in its best rev range.
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