2009 Honda Odyssey Review and Prices
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Price: $27,065 - $41,815
MPG: 17 / 25 / 20
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2009 Honda Odyssey Buying Advice
Minivans are bought from the inside out. This function-first/fashion-after approach means the difference in purchase price between models in any minivan line is largely a matter of cabin content. That’s largely true of the 2009 Honda Odyssey. Performance, styling, fuel economy and safety equipment are basically the same across the five-model Odyssey lineup. What differs is how they’re furnished inside, and Odyssey buyers – a well-to-do group by minivan standards -- tend to have a taste for a few frills.
That positions the 2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L model as the best value in this impressive lineup. Its $33,727 base price fits neatly between the $26,925 entry-level model and the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink $41,675 top-line Touring version. The “L” in EX-L stands for standard leather upholstery, a smart bet for its wipe-clean toughness when kids, muddy shoes, onion rings, and fruit-drink boxes are involved. For the grownups, the EX-L also comes with heated front seats, a power sunroof, and the high-tech, higher-fuel-economy version of Odyssey’s standard V-6 engine.
Should you buy a 2009 Honda Odyssey or wait for the 2010 Honda Odyssey? Only a couple of new exterior color choices distinguish a 2009 Odyssey from the 2008 model. That’s because the 2009 model year marks the last season for this generation of the Odyssey. The current version was introduced for 2005 and is due a full redesign for model-year 2010. That redesign will include new exterior styling, updated interior features, and most likely introduction of a high-mileage V-6 diesel engine (think 35-mpg highway) to go along with an updated gasoline V-6.
So if you can stretch your current Odyssey for another year, waiting for the redesigned 2010 model will net you styling and technology that’ll be up-to-date until at least 2013, when slight appearance and equipment revisions will be made to carry Odyssey through to about 2015 and the end of the next design cycle.
On the other hand, the 2009 Honda Odyssey remains atop the minivan class for driving pleasure, resale value, and in most measures of utility and comfort. It’s the thinking person’s alternative to a big, gas-swilling sport-utility vehicle. And best of all, as the 2009 model year rolls along, dealers are likely to be offering discounts when it comes time to clear out inventories to make room for the redesigned 2010 Honda Odysseys.
Minivans are the modern station wagons. They assumed the mantle of America’s Most Popular People Transporters in the 1980s and lost it to SUVs in the 1990s. This had less to do with function than with fashion.
Despite their relentless practicality, some shoppers shied from minivans because they feared being typecast as a “soccer mom” (or dad). Those buyers gravitated to the rugged image of the SUV. However, big SUVs have big fuel appetites, and sustained, steep gas prices have forced many buyers to rethink their rides and to reconsider their options – including minivans.
The Honda Odyssey is in the front row of the minivan class in most every measure one cares to apply.
2009 Honda Odyssey Changes back to top
There are no significant changes to the 2009 Honda Odyssey. Performance and passenger accommodations remain virtually identical to those of the 2008 model. Statements in this review about performance and accommodations are based on detailed test drives of the 2008 Honda Odyssey.
2009 Honda Odyssey Test Drive back to top
Driving the Honda Odyssey: Odyssey is fun to drive -- in a minivan sort of way. It offers two versions of the same V-6 engine. The one in LX and EX models makes 241 horsepower and carries an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 16/23.
The version in Odyssey EX-L and Touring models is rated at 244 horsepower and benefits from cylinder deactivation technology. Honda names its system Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). Sensors automatically and selectively deactivate two or three of the engine’s six cylinders during cruising and deceleration. The result is slightly better EPA estimates than the LX and EX models, at 17/25.
Either version of the Odyssey V-6 provides plenty of power for all daily driving duties, and the chassis gives these minivan a comfortable confidence on the road. The steering feel is solid and responsive, not numb, as is more typical of the breed.
The headrests in the second row seats create a blind spot in the driver’s rear, three-quarter view. Third-row seats don’t interfere with visibility directly aft -- unless they’re occupied.
Riding in the Honda Odyssey: Odyssey’s supple suspension makes for a very comfortable ride, worthy of the longest road trip.
The hallmark of the minivan is a flexible floor plan. With a minimal investment of time, the Odyssey can be configured to handle people, cargo, or nearly any combination thereof. LX models seat seven passengers in a 2-2-2 layout and have manual sliding side doors. Other Odysseys seat eight in a 2-3-3 layout and have power sliding side doors.
With a full complement of passengers aboard, Odyssey has room for an impressive 38.4 cubic feet of cargo behind the third-row seat. That row can also be folded flush with the floor when extra cargo room is needed, boosting cargo capacity to a whopping 91.1 cubic feet. Finally, by removing the second row seats, you can accommodate a positively cavernous, 147.4 cubic feet of gear. However, removing the seats is a two person job.
Cargo fares well, and so do people. Row three is big enough for adults, though better sized for kids, who being kids, will be limber enough to scramble in and out of the last row easily. Wide-opening sliding side doors make access to the second row a breeze. A storage bin integrated into the seat structure is standard on EX, EX-L and Touring models. Three Lower Anchors and tethers for Children (LATCH) child seats attachment systems are provided: two on the outboard positions of the second row and one in the middle of the third row.
Odyssey’s interior materials have a quality look and feel. Fit and finish of interior and exterior panels is top-notch.
Honda Odyssey dashboard and controls: As interior content increases, so does the degree of difficulty arranging controls in a logical layout. The dashboard displays on up-level Odyssey models group most switchgear by function. Some of this works well. For example, headlights and wipers are conventionally located on steering column stalks, and the switches for the dual, power sliding side doors are found on the dash to the left of the wheel.
Some arrangements are less successful. Models equipped with the rear seat DVD have CD/DVD and sound system controls located on two parallel parts of the central-dashboard section. The controls and the split-level approach are not very intuitive, and can be something of a distraction to operate while driving. Redundant controls on the steering wheel help the driver control the volume on sound selections and toggle back and forth amongst information displays. However, the Bluetooth link button is a little too easy to inadvertently hit with a winter-gloved hand.
Among nice touches: An "ECO" indicator light illuminates on the instrument panel when the vehicle is operating at an optimal level of fuel efficiency. And the navigation system is easier to operate than the norm these days.
2009 Honda Odyssey Prices back to top
Odyssey is offered in four main levels of trim. All have front-wheel drive, a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a five-speed automatic transmission. Also standard is a long list of safety features (see below) and three rows of seats. An available second-row jump seat increases passenger capacity to eight, from seven. The third-row seat folds into the floor.
The 2009 Honda Odyssey offers nine colors for a customer to choose from. These include Bali Blue Pearl, Dark Cherry Pearl, Mocha Metallic, Nighthawk Black Pearl, Ocean Mist Metallic, Silver Pearl Metallic, Slate Green, Metallic, Sterling Gray Metallic, and Taffeta White.
The 2009 Honda Odyssey lineup starts with the LX model priced at $26,925. (Prices quoted here are the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and include Honda’s mandatory $670 destination fee. Power mirrors, locks, and windows, remote keyless entry, cloth upholstery, and an auxiliary jack for connecting iPods and other digital audio devices are among the LX’s standard features.
EX models list for $30,025 and add such features as tri-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power driver and front passenger seats, power sliding side doors, a six-disc in-dash CD changer, steering-wheel audio controls, an outside temperature readout, and other items.
The 2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L lists for $33,725 and adds leather upholstery among other features. The EX-L is also available with a DVD rear-seat entertainment system for another $1,600 or so. Get the DVD and your EX-L is eligible for a $2,000 navigation system, which includes a rearview camera that projects the view behind on the navigation system’s 8-inch dashboard screen.
The top-line 2009 Odyssey Touring model lists for $41,075 and adds such features as a memory system for driver’s seat and outside mirrors, front- and rear-obstacle detection, power-adjustable pedals, and a power rear lift gate. Touring models also come with the DVD/navigation combination, and for an additional $600 are available with run-flat tires on special alloy wheels.
Odysseys are not available with a URL connection for iPods or similar devices. But Odysseys equipped with the navigation system include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink technology, a wireless telephone interface that uses the Odyssey’s audio system and a built-in microphone and allows the driver to make or receive cell-phone calls without handling their phone or taking their eyes off the road.
2009 Honda Odyssey Fuel Economy back to top
According to EPA estimates, the 3.5-liter V6 should get 16 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway. The 3.5 V6 with Variable Cylinder Management is rated at 17/25. All Odysseys used regular-grade fuel.
2009 Honda Odyssey Safety and Reliability back to top
Odyssey’s standard array of safety equipment includes active front-seat headrest restraints (designed to minimize whiplash in a rear collision), torso-protecting front side airbags, and head-protecting side curtain side airbags for all three rows designed to deploy in a side collision as well as when sensor detect an impending rollover. An antiskid system and anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake distribution are standard on all Odyssey models.
The Honda earned top marks (five stars) in federal government tests of frontal impact protection. Odyssey received a five-star rating for front seat, side-impact protection, and five stars for the rear. The rating in tests of rollover resistance was four stars out of five.
The Honda brand earns very solid marks for quality and reliability in ratings compiled by J.D. Power and Associates, the leading automotive consumer survey firm.
Odyssey owners surveyed rated their van just average for overall quality. Mechanical and powertrain quality were rated above average, but that was balanced by dissatisfaction with the design of the accessories. The Odyssey scored the maximum for overall dependability and powertrain dependability, though body and interior were just average in this regard.
2009 Honda Odyssey Release Date back to top
The 2009 Honda Odyssey release date is September 2008.
2009 Honda Odyssey Competition back to top
In addition to the Odyssey, the perennial sales leaders in the minivan segment are the Toyota Sienna and the Chrysler Town & Country and its sibling from Dodge, the Grand Caravan.
Sienna goes toe-to-toe with the Honda Odyssey in terms of a reputation for quality, though the Honda edges the Toyota in ratings for long-term dependability, according to the survey firm, J.D. Power and Associates. Sienna’s 3.5-liter V6 generates about 20 more horsepower than the Odyssey’s engine, and draws virtually identical EPA estimates for fuel economy, 17 city/23 highway. The availability of an all-wheel drive model gives the Sienna an edge in snow-belt markets.
In government crash tests, the Sienna scores a whisker below Odyssey, with a rating of four stars for frontal impact protection for the driver, versus the maximum five stars for the Honda. Both score four of a possible five stars for rollover resistance. The 2009 Toyota Sienna carries on a design introduced for 2004, but reports indicate an all-new Sienna is due for model-year 2010, possibly offering a gas-electric hybrid version.
Chrysler launched America’s minivan breed when it brought out the Dodge Caravan in 1984. Today, the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Chrysler Town & Country, which are the same vehicle except for minor trim differences, carry the flag as top domestic offerings in the segment. The Chrysler and Dodge minivans have the same government safety scores as the Odyssey and Sienna. However, the Chrysler has a lower rating for dependability and initial quality than does the Honda.
The Town & Country shines for its versatile interior packaging and abundance of available cabin entertainment choices. The options sheet includes dual DVD players, Sirius Backseat TV, and an infotainment/navigation system with 20-gigabyte hard drive for storing MP3 files. Also available is a feature Chrysler dubs Swivel ‘n Go. It enables the second-row bucket seats to rotate to face the third-row, and includes a fold-out table in between. These vans also have Stow ‘n Go seating to quickly configure the interior for people or cargo, with unused seats folding beneath the floor.
Town & Country and Grand Caravan were redesigned for model-year 2008 and will retain this basic look and engineering for several more years.