Long-Term Test: 1999 Honda Odyssey EX

Excitement over Honda's hot new Odyssey has not dwindled during the van's second month as a long-term test vehicle at Edmund's. During May, we were able to get some parents behind the wheel and some kids into the back to garner real-life family impressions of the minivan. Our senior programmer, a self-described "long-time Honda fan," piled her brood of teenagers into the Odyssey for a long-distance trip that carried the group from the shores of California to the casinos of Las Vegas. Two of the three drivers in the family pilot Hondas on a regular basis--the CR-V and the Accord, to be exact. The father drives a Nissan Quest-at least he does until he can trade it in for an Odyssey.

The Odyssey's 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6 VTEC, which achieves the environmentally friendly status of a low-emission vehicle, propelled the cargo-laden minivan easily on both city streets and highways. Drivers commented on excellent acceleration, even when climbing the hills of Mulholland Drive or traversing the higher elevations of Cajon Pass. Wind noise was noticeable at higher speeds, however. The drivers were also impressed with the intuitive steering, car-like ride, comfortable seats and excellent turning radius, which made parking in tight spots look like child's play.

All occupants found the van versatile, roomy and easy to load. The two back doors and the wide center aisle made climbing into the back seat simple for three growing teenagers. Folding the rear seat down for a flat storage area proved useful and the group appreciated the large well in the cargo area that holds grocery bags quite nicely. In typical Honda fashion, the interior controls are in all the right places and are made to be functional rather than flashy. The power sliding door, radio controls on the steering wheel and power seats delighted them, but the teens complained that the sound system wasn't up to par.

Another Odyssey driver used the van for transporting large boxes containing three computers, three monitors, three office chairs and a bunch of other office paraphernalia across town. Though the two middle seats had to be removed to accommodate this load, there was still cargo room to spare.

The main complaint so far revolves around the Odyssey's automatic sliding door. The idea is that the door keeps closing automatically unless there is an obstruction within 12 inches of the doorframe. Our staffer's brother, being the let's-see-how-safe-this-thing-really-is kind of person, set out to test the door's stopping ability. What he found was that it was very difficult for an adult to stop the door before it reaches the "almost closed" point, pretty much impossible for a small child to stop the door before it reaches the "almost closed" point, and if you are wider than 12 inches...ouch! You get squished. For those who don't want to mess around with this gadget, there is a button that disables the power sliding door, but doing so makes it difficult to open and close the heavy door manually.

Total Odometer Reading: 2,771
Best Fuel Economy: 25.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.8 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None

Two of our Los Angeles-based staffers shared driving time in the Honda Odyssey this month--one for simple around-town errands and one for a move to Orange County. The collective opinion? A van is a van is a van ... until you drive this one.

One driver, a self-described "gadget man," found the goodies on the Odyssey to be both nifty and functional. He said the automatic sliding doors were helpful when trying to load armfuls of grocery bags inside and proclaimed the disappearing rear seat the best thing since sliced bread. His short-legged wife enjoyed the combination of eight-way power driver's seat and tilt steering column because it allowed her to find the perfect seating position without being pushed too close to the wheel.

The only complaints about the van from this couple were that the remote keyless power sliding-door control was unpredictable and they wished the van had more passing power on the freeway. All drivers were happy with the handling of the van, which doesn't seem to handle like a van at all. Our manager of human resources also stepped inside the van this month, with a mountain of household goods to deliver to her new Orange County address. After dropping the back seat into the floor and removing the two middle seats, she was able to transport a large glass table and six dining chairs all in one trip--amazing.

Total Odometer Reading: 5,585
Best Fuel Economy: 20.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 18.0 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.

What is there left to say about the best damn minivan on the market that has not already been said? Well, a lot, apparently.

Keys to our long-term Honda Odyssey were passed through the hands of company employees like a hotcake this month--though everyone was sad to hand them off. The company president enjoyed having the van's doors open and close automatically during a chauffeured ride around town. Oceanside residents were impressed with the car's handling and visibility, especially given its large size. They also liked the automatic doors, which make loading and exiting easy, and prevent broken fingernails. Another driver found that because the Odyssey was so stylish, she and her husband snubbed the other minivans on the road.

Climate-control options are available for both front and rear passengers to select, which allows everyone to be comfortable. Large bins are convenient for storing knickknacks and creature comforts are abundant. Of course, everyone still loves the flip-down rear seat. But those with babies were less than thrilled with the car-seat accommodations. The second-row seatbelts are mounted up high and away from the seat, making it difficult to get a satisfactory level of restraint for the car seat. To avoid the issue, our managing editor strapped his small son's baby seat into the third row of the van.

Two editors took the van from L.A. to San Diego for a book edit this month. They were surprised at the van's responsiveness, how secure and solid it feels, and how it is able to thread through traffic easily due to excellent visibility and a strong V6 engine. Some chinks in our favorite minivan's armor did surface, however. Interior rumble at highway speeds seemed a bit excessive, even though reports claim that Honda's cabin is the quietest of all minivans. The transmission is slow to upshift at times; downshifting is also problematic and sometimes doesn't occur at all when it should. Detents in the shift mechanism are barely perceptible, making it possible to slip inadvertently from D4 into D3, and one driver complained that the brakes were too sensitive.

Other downfalls of the Odyssey include sub-par stereo sound quality with too-small buttons, rock-hard plastic along the upper portion of the door panel, and a dumb location of power outlet (at the bottom of the center stack near the floor). The distance between the outlet and the windshield is so great, in fact, that it upsets the sensitivity of radar detectors, unless they come with extra-long power cords. The middle folding tray needs a rubberized surface to hold items in place during stops and starts; we lost the cell phone three times before moving it into the cupholder. Seats were comfortable, but not plush, and our editor-in-chief noted that the dash and glove compartment intruded on the front passenger's legroom, though the driver's position is just fine. Also, the passenger cannot adjust the seat for height.

Overall, though, the van is a winner, with chiseled good looks, tight gap tolerances inside and out, and enough luxury appointments to keep families happy most of the time. Our vice president's brother and father of three is dying to buy one, but can't bring himself to pay the $3,000 over MSRP that the Odyssey is fetching these days. And so, like many, he waits.

Total Odometer Reading: 5,982
Best Fuel Economy: 20.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.8 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.

Company employees are still enjoying the utility of our long-term Honda Odyssey minivan. As the first minivan in our fleet of long-term cars, the Odyssey is faring exceptionally well. Those with children love it, those with large pets appreciate it, and even the single folk among us have nice things to say about it. This month, the vehicle matriculated through the hands of several staffers, proving that minivans--like pickup trucks--are vehicles everyone needs once in a while.

Almost every driver this month commented on the spacious and convenient interior of the Odyssey. At an out-of-town funeral, one staffer appreciated the Odyssey's seven-passenger carrying ability, which enabled several family members to ride together during the course of the weekend. Our currently unattached photo editor even went so far as to call the van "cool"--though he was quick to point out that he would never buy one, because a vehicle that screams, "I'm married with kids!" is not likely to attract many dates. But this thing is all about space ... space for people, toys, tailgate parties, even a lawnmower. Small storage spaces continue the theme, offering plenty of pockets and cubbies for storing all kinds of goodies. The removable middle seats are easy to take out and don't weigh too much, steering-wheel controls are functional, side mirrors are plenty large, and the fold-down armrests made one driver feel like Captain Kirk at the controls of the Enterprise. Another staffer complained about those very armrests, however, because he said having to push them up to fasten your seatbelt is a huge pain.

One editor noticed the usefulness of the flip-down tray between the driver and passenger seat, saying that his father would have loved it. On family road trips, his Dad would have been able to move into the rear seat instead of having to swing the arbitrary wand of punishment (usually a rolled-up newspaper) at the three troublemakers in the back in a feeble attempt to get them to behave.

Small irritations about the van included an oversized shifter that would occasionally block the HVAC and stereo controls, a pointy nose that made determining vehicle dimensions difficult, and an engine that doesn't accelerate fast enough to please some drivers. Two staffers mentioned the loud road noise that seeps into the cabin on the freeway, causing low-grade headaches and interrupting passenger conversations. Our photo editor also found that, even though the dual sliding doors are a nice feature, the beeping that occurs while the doors are closing becomes irritating after while. And, the automatic sliding mechanism takes much too long to move the doors into place; our driver said his grandma could do a 100-yard sprint faster than that-with her walker!

In Phoenix, our account executive took the Odyssey to Bell Honda for its 7,500-mile service. Prior to the service, the "maintenance required" light began flashing with increasing urgency as we approached the 7,500-mile mark. After hitting 7,500 miles, the light stayed lit--the perfect dummy feature for those who don't know squat about maintaining their vehicle. The folks at Bell Honda were courteous, professional and fast. The service was performed in less than an hour and included the following:

• oil and filter change
• replace drain plug washers
• inspect/top off all fluid levels
• inspect front brake pads, rotors, calipers, and hoses
• inspect and adjust rear brakes and parking brake
• inspect power-steering system
• inspect exhaust system
• inspect air cleaner
• inspect for fluid leaks
• inspect suspension and drive axle boot condition
• inspect windshield wiper blades and system operations
• rotate tires and adjust air pressure
• inspect all lights
• road test vehicle

Our Odyssey did take a brief one to Las Vegas, but otherwise spent most of its time serving families in need of its unique charms in L.A. Aesthetically, the Odyssey is perhaps the best-looking minivan on the market. As for beauty being more than sheetmetal deep, one staffer commented: "The Honda Odyssey is what I feel a minivan should be. It combines the utility of a minivan, ample storage and great cabin space, with a ride that is better than my Honda Accord."

Suspension, the stuff that makes for such a great ride, drew praise when it was time to turn the steering wheel as well. One driver said with surprise: "This doesn't feel like a minivan or truck. While the height allows you to see over cars, the roll and sway typical of minivans and taller trucks is pleasantly dampened. The handling and cornering abilities make this more like a car than the people-hauler it is."

Garnering universal praise this month were the auto-sliding rear doors. Mused one driver: "Thank goodness for the auto-sliding doors. I got so used to this useful feature, that when I rode in a Dodge Caravan, I expected the door to open, and was dismayed that I actually had to do the labor myself." Another staffer found that his 4-year-old son loved operating the automatic doors, while father appreciated the child safety-lock feature. We did find the remote difficult to use; the sequence to unlock the sliding doors is a bit tricky.

On our way to Vegas, we appreciated the smooth ride and effective climate-control system. The air conditioning promptly cooled the minivan in 100-plus temperatures, with the rear air serving as a welcome aid as well. The radio, though, didn't prove as easy to live with as the climate controls. Commented one driver: "The position of the gear lever on the steering column makes using the radio a chore. Whoever designed this must have thought that no one adjusts the volume of the radio while the car is in D4."

This month, thinner folk praised the seats, while burlier staffers registered some protest, wishing for larger, more supportive American variations. Other seat comments went to the easy-to-fold middle seats, which lay flat and allow access to the rear bench seat.

Gripes ranged from a useless center console tray, a hatch door that's difficult for shorter folk to reach, wiper blades that smear rather than remove water, and a lack of automatic headlights. The Odyssey's a great people-mover, and can be used as a cargo van with the seats removed. That, combined with its car-like road manners, makes it a favorite among our staffers with families, with one family man quipping, "I think I know what our next 'car' is going to be."

Current Odometer: 10,163
Best Fuel Economy: 22.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 11.3 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.

Our stylish Odyssey served two Los Angeles-based staffers this month, senior programmer Debby Katzir and Web developer Andy Chase, proving yet again that it can appeal to a diverse population.

Katzir was pleased to take possession, or repossession, of the Odyssey. This experience was just as good as the last. Coming off of a two-week stint with our long-term Jaguar, Katzir felt a greater sense of control with the Odyssey and said the seats were much more comfortable than the Jag's. Although the power driver's seat was easy to adjust, she (and her family) would appreciate a power passenger seat as well.

Our staffer mentioned that the van is a bit bumpier and noisier than it was when it left the dealer, but the ride is still solid. Katzir was impressed with the Odyssey's turning radius, which she found "amazing for such a large van, almost as good as my CR-V, and infinitely better than our Nissan Quest." Speaking of the Quest, the Katzirs are still planning to ditch it for an Odyssey, which her husband prefers "in every way."

Katzir was fond of the Odyssey's conveniences and gadgets, citing the folding third-row seat that makes it simple to haul large items. Although she likes the idea of the power sliding doors, it sometimes takes multiple attempts with the remote control to get them to open or close. Another minor doodad complaint is the location of the power outlet, which Katzir says is too close to the floorboards and should be raised to a more convenient level on the dash.

While the van was in Katzir's possession, we received notice of a safety recall regarding the sliding doors. We learned that in some Odysseys the doors were not latching properly and could fly open during movement. Not a good thing.

We took the Odyssey to Robertson Honda in North Hollywood for this service, and while it was there another safety recall came up on their computer. This one involves the resonator chamber, which, in cold, wet weather, could trap water. When this trapped water begins to evaporate, it could be drawn into the throttle body and turn to ice, which could cause the throttle to stick in an open position. This service involved drilling two additional drain holes in the bottom of the resonator. Although our California-registered Odyssey isn't required to have this fixed it was done anyway, in case of travel or relocation to colder climates. We were satisfied with Robertson Honda -- they got both services done in less than a day and even chauffeured our staffer home when the van was dropped off.

Our Odyssey's body has been taking some abuse as of late. A few months back, a mysterious vertical gash appeared on the left side of the rear bumper. Well, now Mr. Gash has some friends. Right around the corner, on the left-rear quarter panel, is a fresh dent with some scratches and foreign paint, acquired from a white mystery vehicle while the van was parked. This left us wondering not only about the quality of the Odyssey's sheetmetal, but if this is one individual's or group's conspiracy to follow our Odyssey around Los Angeles and injure it.

Web warrior Andy Chase finally realized what all the Odyssey hype among Edmunds.com's staffers, and the general public, was about. Chase said the van handled, uh, well (we just can't bear to call it "c$#-like" one more time) and, for its size and shape, is quite responsive. He added that the suspension smoothes out the minor road flaws without totally removing feedback.

Like Katzir, Chase had mixed feelings about the van's gadgetry. One the one hand, he loved the power sliding doors, but wondered if the mechanism will stand the test of time, "automatic features are always cool, but they're also just one more thing that can break down." After driving the van for two weeks, Chase felt he hadn't used even half of the gizmos, since the only passengers were Chase, his girlfriend, and their 80-pound Greyhound. (Trooper did learn how to operate the fold-down seat, however, and found the cargo area quite accommodating.) Chase felt that all these nifty features were "wasted on a 20-something like myself, with no kids and not much call to drive lots of people around." Apparently, Chase isn't the only one who feels he's a fish out of water in the Honda. VP Lev Stark commented to Chase, "You look really out of place driving that minivan." No one else on staff would comment on the record, but we'll sum up with four words: long hair and goatee.

Chase did log a practical complaint about the minivan. He thought it was big. Not humongous, but big enough that it made it difficult for him to find parking on his busy street, and when parking, he said the pointed front end made it hard to gauge how much space one has in front.

"This was my first experience driving a minivan of any kind," wrote Chase, "and I have the feeling that it has set me up for disappointment if I ever find myself driving another manufacturer's offering. I can't say that I want to run out and buy one, but if I ever find myself in a situation where I need a minivan, the Odyssey will be the first one I look at." By then, we imagine our Web dude may have cut that hair, gotten married, had some kids and bought a house. Then there will be no more image problems, no more street parking problems, and Trooper will have taught him how to use all of the Odyssey's gadgetry.

Until then, get this guy into the Xterra.

Total Odometer Reading: 11,474
Best Fuel Economy: 19.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 11.5 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Recall for sliding doors. Recall for resonator chamber.

Editor-in-chief Chris Wardlaw drove our Honda Odyssey this month, and, much like Homer, had an epic's worth of words about this vehicle.

Wardlaw journeyed from L.A. to Denver, and arrived home with a sore back from the lack of lumbar support and an injured left elbow from the rock-hard plastic on the upper edge of the door panel and the thinly padded door panel armrest. Ah, the sacrifices auto journalists make for the sake of the story.

During his trip, Wardlaw came to some profound conclusions. First, he decided he can't stand the Odyssey's transmission. He complained of slushy detents between gears and a balky shift lever causing him to shift from reverse into D3 rather than D4. And when it finally does make it to D4, the shift lever blocks access to the volume control on the stereo. Moreover, the grade-logic control system causes major weight transfer problems on twisting downhill runs. "Repeatedly as I came down to Denver out of the Rocky Mountains, the grade-logic control kicked in when I was on the brakes, mid-turn, cruising with traffic at about 75 mph. The accompanying lurch as engine braking supplemented brake pedal pressure was unnerving, unpredictable, and quite irritating. After a couple of these surprises, I shifted down into D3 and left it there until I had reached the end of the steep grades." Wardlaw suggested getting rid of grade-logic technology altogether, clearly defining detents between gears, and tossing out D3 and replacing it with an overdrive on/off button, so the driver can determine when engine braking should be utilized. Wardlaw did mention that one good thing about grade-logic technology in the minivan is that it held lower gears as he climbed Vail Pass doing 60 mph, which was considerably faster than much of the traffic.

Wardlaw was also impressed with the Odyssey's highway travel. "Going with the flow" of traffic at 90 mph, the Odyssey was confident and quiet, save for excessive wind noise. Wardlaw even hit the triple digits once or twice, without even realizing it until he checked the speedometer. He praised the minivan's "lovely VTEC engine" for its ability to hum on the highway (though at 210 horsepower when run on premium, it lacks the low-end grunt for around-town errands), and the class-exclusive rear independent suspension, which improves ride and handling.

Inside the cabin, Wardlaw found the ergonomics to be decent, and liked the fact that the cruise control system remains activated even if the vehicle is shut off and restarted. The sound system is acceptable, and does a good job of masking racket from broken pavement that can make the cabin get rather loud. The center tray is pretty useless, says Wardlaw, as the surface isn't rubberized so anything on there goes flying when the vehicle stops or starts. Also annoying were the pull-out dash cupholders that don't ratchet for various-sized drinks, and the center cupholders that are too shallow to hold a 32-ounce water bottle upright.

Nighttime is the right time, except in the Odyssey. Apparently the things that need illumination are not illuminated, and the things that don't require illumination are illuminated. Let us elaborate. Two controls that are completely blocked from view by the steering wheel are the cruise and traction control buttons. However, these handy tools are illuminated at night. Nifty -- if you can crane your head around to find them. Likewise, the power door closing switches are lit, but right beneath them you'll find dark power mirror switches.

But Wardlaw, ever inventive, has a solution. Since traction control is used infrequently by most people, it doesn't need a light. Second, since cruise remains active indefinitely after being turned on, this button is also rarely used. Solution? Move the cruise control on/off switch to the steering wheel-mounted cruise controls. Ah, ha! We have genius among us. Not only that, Wardlaw suggests moving the illumination for the door closing buttons to the power mirror controls. Why, you wonder? Well, "since getting this van...I've always closed the power doors by either yanking the handle or using the remote key fob. Only once or twice have I used the dash controls. Yet, each time I drive the van after Christy has gone somewhere, I must fiddle with the mirrors. Thus, the illumination would be more appreciated for the control I use all the time (power mirrors) than for the control I almost never use (power door switches)." And come on Honda, at the very least let's light up the driver's door panel controls for windows and locks. Thank you, Mr. Fix It.

And natural illumination can also be a problem in our Odyssey -- when driving into direct sunlight, the glossy plastic dash throws a reflection onto the windshield that's so bright it obliterates parts of the forward view. "This cannot be safe," resolved Wardlaw.

But wait, there's more. When we got our front-loaded Odyssey, our dealer had installed a "stupid $295 cargo mat" and a $395 bug deflector. Well, our ill-fitting cargo mat that serves no apparent purpose (since our van came from the factory with a tray already installed) was just about trashed because it hampers the ability to fold the seat neatly into the floor. And that bug deflector? Shattered by the strength of our hero's hands as he went to shut the hood. This will also be removed permanently at the next dealer visit.

Speaking of dealer visits, next time we go to Woodland Hills Honda Wardlaw wants us to be sure and thank them for not installing the front license plate frame. The frame and hardware came without instructions because the dealer is supposed to install it in states that require a front tag. So Wardlaw tried to do it himself, only to find that the screws provided were too small. He'll have to go to a hardware store to find the right-sized screws, but we're sure he'll be able to take care of the problem.

Another enigma that cropped up this month was brought to our attention by a fellow Odysseyer in Denver. This particular woman and grocery-shopper, who shall remain nameless, was driving an EX much like ours and asked Mrs. Wardlaw if she'd noticed any problem with the driver's seat. Christy said, in fact, that she had noticed something odd, and then, when relating this story to Chris, he also said that he had noticed something odd.

Sometimes, not always but on occasion, after we leave the van and return to drive it, the power seatback has reclined itself about an inch or so. Now, for whatever reason, Wardlaw didn't think anything of this. He just got in, moved the seat back into position and went on his merry way. Christy noticed this too, but thought her husband was the culprit. What's more, this is the very same problem the grocery-store woman experienced, who was delighted that she wasn't alone, since her dealer "thinks she's a nutcase imagining a poltergeist." After this discovery, Wardlaw paid close attention and decided that this is definitely not a figment of anyone's imagination. We'll have this looked into on our next dealer visit.

Finally (we promise), despite the van's versatility (magic third-row seat and easily removable captain's chairs), its superior handling, independent rear suspension, and responsive brakes, the Wardlaws are going to buy a Toyota Sienna. For starters, dealers are still gouging $1500 over MSRP in L.A. (where the Wardlaws are moving), and there's still a waiting list. Plus, many dealers didn't return their phone calls, requests for more information, or even respond to online purchase requests. Then, when Chris and Christy went to go test-drive the Sienna, "Christy the Camry-lover was smitten." Even though the Sienna is smaller and less powerful, with fewer interesting features than the Odyssey, the Sienna LE meets the Wardlaw's basic van priorities. It's safe and reliable, fits easily in their garage, has doors on both sides and captain's chairs, has a powerful engine that allows the van to get out of its own way in a hurry, and dealers are selling them for a nominal fee over invoice in the L.A. market. They also thought the interior was more richly constructed with better quality materials than the Honda. And just because the Toyota doesn't have the magic seat is not reason enough for the Wardlaws to forego it.

So, the Wardlaw odyssey continues in the Sienna, as they prepare for the big move to California next month.

Total Odometer Reading: 13,605
Best Fuel Economy: 23.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 12.5 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Magically reclining seatback. Shattered bug deflector.

Though far from perfect, Chris Wardlaw has determined that the Odyssey is the best minivan on the market. Now that his wife owns a 2000 Toyota Sienna (his wife owns it, mind you, not him), "the contrast between competency (Honda) and compromise (Toyota) is crystal clear. I can only say that I wish we'd gone ahead and paid the premium commanded by the dealers for the Odyssey LX and left our Sienna LE on the Toyota dealer's lot."

Why the change of heart, you ask? Chris writes, "Well, for one, the Sienna's seats are heavier and harder to remove, there's no "magic seat," the front seats are uncomfortable (and don't move back far enough in the track), the second row's legroom suffers when the third-row seats are tumbled forward in an effort to duplicate the Honda's cavernous cargo hold, and the Toyota has a much wider turning circle.

"Where Toyota scores big points are in powertrain and quality areas. The smooth V6 is responsive and quiet, and the Sienna is more fleet of foot than the Odyssey. Also, the cabin is quieter at speed, and everything inside is constructed of fabrics, plastics and vinyls one cut above the quality offered in the Honda. Ergonomics, despite the low-mounted Sienna stereo, are a wash.

"The Odyssey handles and stops better, though only track testing could confirm this impression. Plus, the Honda gets better crash scores overall and is the nicer-looking van. In my opinion, the Odyssey could stand improvement, but it's nonetheless the current star of the minivan class."

The Odyssey spent the beginning of the month moving Wardlaw and the fam from Denver to Los Angeles. They left Denver during a blizzard, making it as far as Walsenburg "as wind and snow ravaged the Front Range of the Rockies." Before they decided it was unsafe to journey on, the Odyssey sped through the blanket of windblown precipitation without a whimper, even though it was loaded up to capacity with the family's belongings. The wipers worked well at keeping the windshield clear and resisted icing successfully, and the defroster easily kept the acres of glass condensation-free. However, the rear wiper was a bit troublesome; the stream of fluid that cleans dirty glass should be a spray, because it does a lousy job of coating the window with cleaner. And our wiper hops on the surface of the glass when returning to its stowed position, which means that the last stroke leaves a bunch of muck on the window. You should know that our ed-in-chief is not a fan of muck.

Post-blizzard, the Wardlaws prepared to soldier on and the car fired up instantly. Another nice touch is the automatic climate controls that, when set to "auto," won't blow air into the cabin until the engine is warm enough to produce warm air. This was appreciated "because most morons would crank the heat full blast even if nothing but cold air rushed out of the system." Wardlaw confesses that he is one of those morons. Chris was mighty comfy in the Odyssey this time 'round, even though previous trips had left him with a sore back from a lack of lumbar support. His only real criticism about the interior has to do with the lack of power adjustment for the passenger seat and a hard plastic glove box door that obstructs passenger legroom.

At a stopover in Santa Fe, the Wardlaws had the benefit of the Odyssey's seven-passenger seating capacity since they didn't need to leave the third-row bench in the garage to fit all of their stuff for the trip. Chris called the folding "magic seat," "one of the best minivan features available, and Honda's been quietly offering it since 1995."

Once back in Los Angeles, business sensation Grant Whitmore was given the wonderful opportunity to drive the Odyssey, provided he went to the dealer to pick it up from its 15,000-mile service. No big deal, thought Whitmore, as he caught a ride to Honda of Santa Monica.

First off, the cashier rang us up, handed over the invoices and ran Whitmore's credit card without asking who he was. Now, we all know Grant is a trustworthy, kind individual, but how did this cashier know that he wasn't some sort of shady car bandit? He certainly doesn't look like associate editor Liz Kim, whose name the vehicle was under.

After a momentary pause, Whitmore discovered just how much the "routine" service amounted to. We were charged $211.00 for parts, oil and lubricants, waste disposal, and labor. The itemized invoice revealed that this hefty cost was mostly due to the shop's hourly labor rate, which alone totaled $159.

Next, Whitmore noticed that an estimate for body repair work was not included in the paperwork. This was odd, since he remembered being told that Honda of Santa Monica was going to give us an estimate for the scrape on the rear quarter panel and the slice in the rear bumper cover. Whitmore then took a closer look at the invoice and saw, "Technician recommends take to M2 Collision Center for proper body repair estimate." This did not go over well with Whitmore: "Wow, what service! Seriously, when I have taken cars into dealerships for repair estimates before, they have always had a collision center pay them a visit, or have taken the car over themselves...For Honda of Santa Monica to know that this is something we wanted done, and to not do it, shows a lack of customer service that ticks me off."

And that wasn't the only thing that ticked him off. Our invoice said our bug guard had been removed, but it hadn't. (Recall last month that our Herculean editor-in-chief had shattered it with his bare hands when shutting the hood.) Whitmore went back inside, tracked down the service writer, and discovered that they just didn't know if we wanted it on or off, so they just left it on. "That makes sense," wrote Whitmore, "when in doubt doing nothing is always better than trying to fix the situation. How about a phone call to Liz? That might have cleared up the confusion. After I showed him the line on the invoice that said 'remove bug guard,' he agreed to have it done before I left."

And then the fun really started, with Whitmore watching three guys trying to remove this broken piece of plastic from the front of the hood, which apparently was secured with a combination of screw clamps and crazy glue. After 20 minutes of prying, the bug guard was gone, but there were patches of sticky, foamy stuff on either side of the hood. "Hector (service writer) looks up at me expectantly to see if this is acceptable, and I slowly shake my head left and right." Off went the Odyssey for a detail, and Whitmore took a load off in the waiting area.

While waiting, Whitmore noticed a series of peculiar meetings occurring "between one of the lot boys and a number of shady-looking characters who appear as though they've come straight from an episode of 'Cops.'" After a loud confrontation between a cab driver and the lot attendant about the cabbie's missing 'stuff,' (wonder what that may be) and much profanity, Grant began looking for possible places to run for cover if the bullets started to fly. "Fortunately," writes Grant, "their conflict-management skills were such that they were able to resolve their dispute without resorting to violence."

Fifteen nerve-wracking minutes later, the Odyssey was returned without gunk, and Whitmore could get back to work (after waiting for over an hour for a vehicle that should have been ready upon his arrival). By the way, when we took delivery of the Odyssey we asked Woodland Hills Honda if they would be so kind and remove the bug guard. They claimed it couldn't be done since the paint might get damaged from the adhesive used to affix the guard to the hood. Well, the deflector is gone, the paint looks fine, and we have one more gripe for Woodland Hills Honda.

Once the Odyssey was ready to hit the road again, managing editor Karl Brauer filled it up with a folding crib, stroller, several large bags of luggage and toys, and some very special Y2K supplies -- like water, food, and photo albums. Oh, and he also brought along wife Stacie and 18-month-old son, Kirk. They headed north, from Los Angeles to Templeton, Calif., to escape the New Year's craziness for some quiet time with relatives. Brauer was impressed with the van's "monstrous" cargo hold and found it hard to imagine that anyone would feel it was insufficient.

Transporting a baby, however, is not a simple task in the Odyssey. Basically, the second row seats (which would be the optimal row for the baby -- closest to mom and dad) are not well-suited for child seats, since one cannot put either seat truly in the center of the second-row area. "You can only put the right passenger seat slightly in from the right passenger side door. This makes me nervous about side collisions, despite the Odyssey's high safety ratings." Even when you do move the second-row seats together, you have to use the three-point, C-pillar mounted seatbelts to hold the baby seat in place. And using shoulder belts to secure baby seats is no picnic, since the "shoulder strap tries to pull the seat up and tip it over when tightening the straps." What's worse, however, is that once the seat is locked down, the straps coming off the C-pillar completely block access to the cargo/third seat area. So, that is why, in a nutshell, that the Brauers put Kirk in the third-row seating area. (Whew!)

When Stacie had to climb in back for her son, she found it easy, thanks to the drop-down center tray, while both Karl and Stacie agreed it's useless for holding drinks or anything else, due to lame cupholders and a shallow tray. When Stacie was back in the third row, in order for the Brauers to communicate they had to holler, even with the radio off. "Lots of 'What? WHAT?'" wrote Karl, who said this was due to the echo chamber created in the van when traveling over 70 mph, where road noise becomes amplified due to the van's open cabin and square shape. But, Karl said this was "good preparation for our future as an old married couple."

Other interior issues had to do with a lack of legroom for Brauer's left leg, especially when operating the cruise control. He found that the usual advantage to using cruise (being able to stretch and move your legs during long trips) wasn't found, since the front wheel wells on the Odyssey cut into the front passenger foot wells. Also, the positioning of the emergency brake pedal didn't help matters; Brauer said it could potentially smash his shin during stretching moves. We say, stop doing yoga while driving, Brauer.

He was also annoyed by the seatback angle, with doesn't get upright enough for him, so he's left with the option of tilting the entire seat forward, which reduces his legroom and makes him feel like he's going to be dumped on the floor, or tilting it back and feeling like he has less control over the van because of the "Barcalounger" seating position. "I have to harp on every Honda I drive with this problem, because almost every model they build suffers from it (The S2000 didn't have this issue, thankfully!)."

Interior gauges were found to be large and easy to read, but the fuel gauge didn't show a full tank after two fill-ups. Apparently, other Odyssey drivers have noticed this problem as well, and we'll get it checked out the next time it's serviced. Brauer also tested the limits of driving on "E." On the way back from Templeton the gauge indicated that it didn't have enough fuel for the whole ride home, but when it got to just over "E" it stopped moving for a long distance. By the time it started dropping again, the Brauers were almost home. "Stacie loves it when I drive on 'E,' by the way. Especially at night with Kirk in the car."

All told, piloting the Odyssey "is about as fun as a minivan can be," wrote Brauer, who says that acceleration, steering, braking and handling are all the best in its class. Whitmore, however, noted that our brakes are still making an odd noise, and seem to pull to the right when depressed quickly, and that third gear seems to offer little pulling power. He also thought it was strange that the brakes are 60 percent worn after only 15,000 miles.

Still, the Odyssey is a great buy -- you get massive cargo room, safety, versatility and people-carrying ability for $26,000 ($28,000 for a 2000 with nav system). But, of course, this is only theoretical -- the long waiting lists and dealer price gouging hang like dark clouds above the Odyssey, almost covering the silver lining. Almost.

Total Odometer Reading: 17,939
Best Fuel Economy: 26.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 16 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $211.00
Problems: Inaccurate fuel gauge.

Unlike most recent Odyssey drivers, Brent Romans has no wife, no kiddies, no kiddie crap, and no furniture to move across country. He's a single guy livin' it up in SoCal (by the way, he's got a high-paying auto journalist job too, if you're interested), drivin' round in a minivan. Despite his lack of need for this machine, it was hard for Romans to find fault with the vehicle. And you don't know how much that means, because you don't know Brent. This is one tough customer. "Just by the sheer fact that I don't mind driving it means that the Honda is a pretty impressive vehicle. In general, I don't like minivans. Don't like SUVs, either. I'm an equal-opportunity hater."

Romans reported that the V6 engine impressed him, saying it had plenty of torque and horsepower. One thing he noticed was when he left the shifter in D4 under full acceleration, the shift points happened before redline. Furthermore, the column-mounted shifter needs more work. Romans said, "The detents are vague and it is very easy to get D3 or D2 instead of D4." As other staffers have recommended, an "overdrive off" button instead of D3 would be much better. Romans said it would make passing maneuvers much easier, "Just click a button instead of trying to hunt around for the proper detent on the shift pattern." Also noted was an overly sensitive brake pedal upon initial application.

Although there is supposed to be a button for manual override of the dual power sliding doors, Romans never found it, but he did like the doors' convenience. "At one point, I parked the minivan in a tight parking spot. Opening the front door would have dinged the car next to me, so I popped the rear driver-side door and clambered in. It was impressively easy to then get into the driver seat." However, Romans noted that they are slow to both open and close, and are finicky about being locked or unlocked. Also, "If they are locked and you hit the "open" key fob button, the doors beep annoyingly at you."

Romans found the HO (Romans-speak for Honda Odyssey) to have a good turning radius, and thought that the sloping hood provides a good view of the road, but makes it harder to judge where the end of the minivan is for parking.

And so. Another month of delight with the Odyssey comes to an end.

Total Odometer Reading: 18,493
Best Fuel Economy: 14.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.8 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.

For the month of February, our '99 Honda Odyssey was once again in the hands of Senior feature editor Brent Romans. Yes, the same Brent who has no wife, no kids (that he knows of), and no pets.

As you would expect, Brent has little need for Honda's big minivan. However, he noticed that his friends did. Rather than having to drive their cars, these friends would nominate Brent as the designated driver. This was extremely popular for excursions to local watering holes, as it freed them up to consume their favorite drinks without the responsibility of driving.

Despite grumbling about having to schlep these "friends" around, Brent did admit that the Honda was perfectly up to the task of being a taxi. The power sliding doors continued to work their magic, allowing easy, if somewhat slow, access to the middle-row captain's chairs and the rear bench seat. Brent also noted that the hole created by leaving the rear seat up is perfect for carrying groceries, as it prevents the bags from sliding around and spilling their contents.

But as the days wore on, Brent became much more anxious to ditch the Odyssey. This was primarily due to the "minivan stigma." At first, Brent didn't think he would worry about it. A minivan is a logical method of transportation, no?

But sure enough, after a few instances of having women look at him while driving the Honda, Brent worried about what the minivan said of him. Married with kids? Yikes! Or how about: driving his mom's minivan? That's even worse. Either way, the Honda was the equivalent of a giant zit for a single guy in Los Angeles trying to impress.

From the practical and reliable aspect, the Honda continued to work fine. Brent did complain about the shifter again, especially after briefly driving our long-term GMC Sierra pickup. "Note to Honda: Here's the excellent console shifter from our GMC Sierra pickup. Copy it," Brent said. Otherwise, he didn't notice any new mechanical problems.

Next month, we plan to (finally) have the body damage on the left-rear quarter panel and rear bumper fixed, as well have many of the minor problems (such as the fuel gauge) looked at.

Total Odometer Reading: 19,184
Best Fuel Economy: 18.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.0 mpg
Body Damage Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.

What is it about this thing? Our Honda Odyssey must have some sort of abnormal gravitational pull. It's the only way to explain its string of bodily mishaps.

Once again, our minivan has obtained body damage. During the month of March, one of our editorial staff members (who shall remain nameless) took the Odyssey to a local grocery store. When this person finished shopping, they hopped back into the Honda and started to back out of the parking space.

Too bad they didn't check the mirrors carefully enough. This particular person who shall remain nameless backed up into another car that was driving down the parking row. The left rear corner of the Odyssey contacted the driver's door of the other car. Oops.

As you would expect with such slow speeds, the damage was minor and nobody was hurt. The contact was enough to crack the Honda's taillight and scuff its paint, however. If there is a silver lining to all of this, it's that it happened before the Honda's scheduled service for repairs to all of the previous body damage.

Before the incident, the Odyssey was rolling along just fine. It continued to garner praise from the people who drove it, with flexibility and size being the top attributes. Our photo editor particularly liked the instrument panel, praising the excellent ergonomics and easy-to-use stereo and climate controls.

Our photo editor does not like the power doors, however. For our fast-moving shutterbug and his load of camera gear, the Honda's doors are just too slow. He also said the passenger-side door became balky at one point, and refused to close even though the vehicle was parked and not in gear. That problem has not surfaced again (it could have been user error), but we will keep an eye out for further incidents.

We hope to have our bruised-and-battered minivan back in time for April. When you check in next month, the fresh damage should be repaired, as should the dented left-rear quarter panel and the slashed rear bumper.

Total Odometer Reading: 19,552
Best Fuel Economy: 18.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.5 mpg
Body Damage Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.

This month our happy little minivan cramped yet another swingin' staffer's style and underwent some reconstructive surgery. We also encountered some difficulty with securing tires for this popular family caravan. Our editorial assistant, Erin Riches, was put in charge of getting the Odyssey fixed up like new and reported the following:

"All of the damage from three separate incidents (see previous updates) was concentrated at the Odyssey's left rear. There was a sizeable dent in the rear left quarter, a large tear in the plastic rear bumper and a broken taillight. I delivered the Odyssey to Auto Body Masters on Monday, March 6th and explained the damages and the insurance arrangements.

"Auto Body Masters completed the work late Friday afternoon, and we picked up the Odyssey the following Monday. The bumper and the left taillight were replaced. The dent on the left rear was pounded out, and the area was repainted, etc. Five days seems like a reasonable amount of time to spend on the work the Odyssey needed."

Erin got to take another field trip with the Oddie due to a manufacturer's recall. She gave the following account:

"We received a notice from Honda that our 1999 Odyssey had a defective section of wiring harness that may be rubbed during engine movement. This rubbing may place undue wear on the harness that may cause a short. Such a short, the letter explained, could at worst cause engine failure or electrical system failure, or on a more localized level, antilock brake or windshield wiper failure. The letter instructed us to bring the Odyssey into any authorized Honda dealer for free repair - apparently the procedure takes less than an hour, but it was suggested that we allow dealers half a day. I called Miller Honda in Culver City on Monday afternoon and made an appointment to bring the Odyssey in at about 11:30 Tuesday morning.

"After delivering the van to Miller Honda, I asked for a shuttle back to work, but was told that the shuttle was currently out. I could wait for it to return, or if I wanted to wait, the repair would only take 40 minutes. I decided to leave both options open. Twenty minutes later, they told me that the shuttle was back or I could wait 30 minutes for the repair to be finished. Since the wait time had already increased from 40 minutes to 50 minutes and since I saw other customers complaining privately and/or loudly about unforeseen delays, I decided to take the shuttle. It was a smart decision - the Odyssey was not ready until 1:30 p.m.

"The repair for the wiring harness is as follows: If the wiring harness is damaged when the mechanic inspects it, the dealer replaces it. If the wiring harness is not damaged (as with our Odyssey), the mechanic fits the harness with a plastic sleeve to protect against rubbing and subsequent electrical shorts.

"Miller Honda may have a tendency to underestimate how long a particular service will take. If we return, we should allow plenty of time," Erin concluded.

Our hip, young and single shutterbug, Scott Jacobs, had the pleasure of cruising around town in the oh-so-sexy Odyssey again this month. He had the following to say:

"Driving the Oddie is a humbling experience. I'm a single guy trying to make my own way down here in L.A., having fun and all. But getting into that van just kills that whole single guy image. Not only did it kill the single guy image, but it's not all that fun to drive unless given a purpose...I was disappointed by the V6. It just didn't feel all that powerful. The brakes felt a little mushy, the steering is a little loose, and the van dips when braking. All minor quibbles considering it is a van."

One of our drivers forgot to turn off the interior dome light in the Odyssey one night. Fortunately, the battery was not dead the next morning. What did we learn form the experience? Our Oddie is not equipped with battery rundown protection, which would have turned the light off automatically.

We also found occasion to replace two of the Odyssey's tires during the last 30 days; we discovered chunks missing from the sidewalls of both of the front tires (we don't know how this occurred, but we suspect someone of going over sizable potholes a little too abruptly). This task was not nearly as simple as one might think. Apparently, there is great demand for the Odyssey's factory-installed Firestone 215/65 R16 all season tires at the moment. It would have taken a week to have them shipped to Stokes Tire Pros in Santa Monica, so we just had them replaced with Michelin MX4s instead.

Right now, our lovable family-hauler is on its way to Detroit, to fulfill the needs of editor John Clor and his illustrious family. Stay tuned for more adventures.

Current Odometer: 19,922
Best Fuel Economy: 14.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.7 mpg
Maintenance Costs: $238.50 to replace tires.
Body Repair Costs: $1202.92
Problems: Recall on defective section of wiring harness.

This month our Long Term Odyssey had left the staff in Santa Monica and traveled east to spend some time with our Detroit editor and his family. But unlike all our previous Edmunds.com long term units that were forced to endure having a staffer pilot them from L.A. all the way to Detroit, the Honda got a ride -- it was shipped cross-country. That's right, the combination of the time and cost for an editor to be out of the office and drive a long-termer from the Left Coast to the Midwest simply didn't fit into the schedule this time. It arrived in the Motor City safe and sound, with only a coating of dirt to show that it had weathered the trip.

The Clor family -- veteran owners of three different minivans over the years -- was looking forward to its time in the Odyssey, given the Honda's market popularity and reputation for quality. But after a few days' adjustment period for both drivers and passengers to become familiar with the features and controls, the same kinds of concerns that have been appearing in our logbook to date had begun to surface again. Yes, the gear selection lever is far too close to the dash and slips far too easily from gear to gear. And yes, the transmission seems to hold and hunt in all the wrong driving situations, negating any power in the Honda's engine and making this minivan feel downright lethargic while maneuvering in traffic.

But there were other things the Clor family noticed that soured their initial impressions of the Odyssey. First off, when driving at highway speeds, they noticed the Honda is very noisy inside (and this from a family who owns an old Ford Windstar). A combination of wind noise and road boom from the rear cargo hold make talking or listening to music at normal volume levels impossible. Add to that some serious hum from the front tires (possibly because they are non-factory spec replacement rubber), and you find yourself in a surprisingly loud driving environment.

Secondly, while the fold-away rear seat is certainly one of the most convenient features to ever come along in a minivan, the same cannot be said of the power sliding doors. As they are either too slow or too balky to be considered user-friendly, the move to manual doors would be a logical place to save cost on this van. And the Clors also found that while the flip-up center tray between the front seats is a good idea, it fails in execution. For one thing, the top is too shallow to keep items like CD jewel cases from sliding off, and for another, when the rear portion is extended toward the center-row seats, it becomes too unstable, forcing pop to splash out of the cans when riding in the cupholders.

Beyond such nits to pick was a more serious service problem: the failure of the rear hatch locking mechanism. One day, after loading one of the Clor boys' goaltender equipment into the back of the Odyssey after a spring hockey league game, the rear hatch was closed -- and stayed that way. Neither hitting the power unlock button on the key fob or door panel, nor manually unlocking the hatch by pulling up on the lock button would allow it to open again. And no amount of force exerted on the release handle would free the hatch. So the Clors called a local Honda dealership for some professional help.

Detroit Editor John Clor talked to Gil Ibarra, the assistant service manager at Jeffrey Acura-Honda in nearby Roseville, Mich. Ibarra sounded friendly, asked a few questions about the problem and suggested the Odyssey be brought in for service. Clor arrived about an hour after the call, and Gil himself greeted him at the write-up area.

After being shown the problem, Ibarra explained that the door must be taken apart to see why the latch was stuck. He asked if the van had been in an accident, because in that case the repair might be at fault and it would not be covered under the Honda warranty. When Clor explained that any body repairs done on the Odyssey had not involved the rear hatch, Ibarra seemed confident that a fix would be covered as a warranty item. He asked if he could keep the van overnight, if necessary, to complete repairs. Clor said, "Sure," then declined an offer of shuttle service for a ride home, as Mrs. Clor waited in her Windstar outside. Clor was promised a phone call when the problem was found, signed a work order and left the dealership pleased that he was treated well.

By late afternoon that same day, Ibarra called Clor to tell him the problem was found to be that the power lock lever had fallen off the lock mechanism, likely because the retaining clip was not fully snapped into place. Ibarra said the Odyssey was now done and ready for pickup, free of charge. Clor decided to head back to the dealership before closing time and check out the work. Upon arrival, he was greeted quickly, shown where the Odyssey was parked, then directed to the cashier's window to pick up his keys. He walked out to the van scant moments later. Clor went through a few lock/unlock cycles, tested the rear hatch twice, and was satisfied that the dealer technicians did their job. The next day, Jeffrey Acura-Honda dealership called Clor to make sure the work was done to his satisfaction.

So far, Clor is very pleased with the service experience with the Honda, but not so sure he'd choose to buy what so far is a noisy and ill-shifting minivan for his family's daily use. The Clors are looking forward to putting the Odyssey through the most strenuous of minivan tests - the family vacation. We'll get that report later this summer. Until then, Clor promises that the Honda is sure to get all the family hauling and grocery-shopping duty it can handle.

Current Odometer: 21,401
Best Fuel Economy: 19.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.4 mpg
Maintenance Costs: None
Body Repair Costs: None
Problems: Stuck rear hatch locking mechanism.

There's no greater test of a minivan than the typical family summer vacation. So when our Detroit Editor, John Clor, had the opportunity to pack up the whole family and drive them down to the inaugural EdmundsLIVE event in Atlanta earlier this month, he jumped at the chance.

For one thing, Clor wanted to see if he could finally find favor with the Odyssey, whose stay in Michigan has yet to win him over. For another, his family would get an opportunity to test-drive the rest of the country's best-selling minivans at the EdmundsLIVE event, which should give them all fresh perspective.

At issue for Clor has been power delivery in the Honda, which he says lacks sufficient low-end grunt to suit his driving style. Then there's the amount of wind howl, road boom and tire roar entering the cabin, which Clor feels is all too prevalent at speeds beyond 50 miles per hour.

While the Honda enjoys one of the highest horsepower numbers in its class, Clor believes the automatic transmission's gearing and shift points conspire to rob this otherwise smooth V6 of any ability to deliver much seat-of-your-pants pull. And he thinks the noise problem could be dialed out in subsequent models with a little bit of sound engineering and some strategically placed insulation.

So Clor set out down I-75 to Atlanta with his wife and two boys in tow, as well as all of their gear for a weeklong road trip. The first thing they noticed about the Honda in full vacation mode was that the rear hold could handle the entire cargo load, including a cooler, even with the third-row seat in place. Of course, the Odyssey's stowable rear seat (easily this van's most useable feature) affords an extra-deep rear load area that swallows even full-size suitcases. And having that rear seat available when driving with only four people aboard allows for an escape to the "wayback" -- a place where you can find a change of scenery or some room to stretch out and catch a quick snooze.

There were other notable advantages to traversing the interstate in an Odyssey, including an easy-to-use cruise control system, a very handy fold-up snack tray between the front seats, and a fair amount of extra legroom for passengers in second-row seating. And oh, averaging better than 20 miles per gallon (even with speeds up around 75 mph) proved a pleasant surprise, especially given the cost of fuel these days.

But the interior noise problem was ever-present. Sure, you just needed to talk a little louder or crank up the stereo a little more -- it's only that after double-digit hours of steady driving, such volume levels can get annoying. And another issue with the dual power sliding side doors had surfaced on this trip -- this being ill-timed opening and closing when turning off the vehicle or during attempts to lock the van remotely. Such activity would freeze a door in mid-position until either restarting the vehicle or manually forcing the door to the "full open" position to reset the cycle. From Clor's perspective, the initial cost and occasional aggravation of power sliding doors aren't worth what little convenience advantage they offer.

Once at EdmundsLIVE, the family indeed took the opportunity to test-drive all the minivans and most of the SUVs in the event, and came away with a new appreciation for the overall capabilities of the Odyssey. While its seats aren't the most comfortable on the planet, its combination of roominess, smoothness and features give this popular Honda minivan a leadership role among even the newest of competitors.

Before heading back northward to Michigan, the Clors decided to try and cool off from their sticky stay in "Hotlanta," so they pointed the Honda east for a quick dip in the Atlantic Ocean at Surfside City, S.C. The next day, they cut across the Carolinas into the mountains of Virginia before settling down for the night in Paintsville, Ky. The Odyssey took it all in stride, feeling confident even while snaking along the back-road byways into Kentucky, and surefooted even while sloshing through drenching thunderstorms. When they finally crossed back through the Detroit city limits, the Clor family had rolled up 2,550 miles in the Odyssey over seven days of driving.

While playing well the role of Clark Griswold in his own version of National Lampoon's Vacation this summer, Clor is now satisfied that the Honda Odyssey can easily fill the bill of the "American Family Truckster" as the quintessential travel vehicle. He's still not sure he'd trade in his old Windstar on one, mind you. But some of that is now due to his family's fond experience driving SUVs at EdmundsLIVE. Looks like their family's time with minivans may be coming to an end.

Current Odometer: 27,401
Best Fuel Economy: 23.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 16.7 mpg
Maintenance Costs: None.
Body Repair Costs: None.
Problems: None.

If it could talk, Edmunds.com's long-term Honda Odyssey minivan would tell you that it's awfully glad to be leaving the Midwest. Its three-month stint with Detroit editor John Clor and family didn't do very much to improve its ever-growing reputation as the best minivan money can buy. And to add a final insult to injury, the Odyssey suffered a cracked windshield during its last days in the Motor City, courtesy of a golf-ball size rock (likely a piece of crumbling Detroit freeway) that was launched from a rear tire of — you guessed it, a Dodge Caravan.

Life can be cruel in a blue-collar town. And life for a minivan with an active family can be equally as difficult — as our Odyssey discovered. This family happened to include a well-seasoned auto-journalist dad; an on-the-go lead-footed mom; and two rough-and-tumble boys, aged 12 and 14, who can screw up an iron ball. What's more, the Honda had to endure all sorts of real-world family-type activity — from serving as a shuttle during the spring ice hockey season (both boys are goaltenders), to logging three driving vacations (no, errant Pringles don't stay fresh under the seats), to serving as Costco shopping spree hauler and Home Depot delivery van (lots of room back there).

In the end, the Odyssey was praised for its spacious and well-laid-out interior, great gas mileage — and oh, that fold-away, third-row seat! Much like having sliding doors on BOTH sides, how does ANY minivan owner possibly get along without this seat feature? Stuff to haul? Flip the third-row seatback forward, pull the latch and tug on the strap - away it goes, all tucked neatly into a flat floor. People to haul? Reverse the procedure, and space for three more passengers magically arrives. With nothing to lift out and store in the garage, this "magic" seat feature is the bomb.

But our big, blue Honda also suffered ridicule for its lackluster mid-range power delivery and ill-timed transmission shift points during spirited, around-town driving. It also didn't win many friends with the amount of wind howl, road boom and tire roar entering the cabin, which seemed all too prevalent at speeds beyond 50 miles per hour. Then there was the matter of those confounding power sliding doors, which were slow, cumbersome and apt to simply stop if you just looked at them the wrong way. Well, OK maybe they're not THAT sensitive — but they would quit if you inadvertently pushed twice on the key fob button before the open/close cycle began, or happened to accidentally touch the door handle at any time during operation. Better off without them, the Clors say.

In any case, the Odyssey worked long and hard during its stay in Detroit. About the only reward it got in return was some excellent service from Jeffrey Acura/Honda in suburban Roseville, Mich. Our service advisor, Gil Ibarra, proved both friendly and efficient on each visit, and really impressed us on the last day our van was in town — a day on which the Odyssey was pampered with the factory's 30,000-mile service interval.

First off, we called on the same day we wanted the service performed, but Ibarra said that no appointment was necessary — "just bring it on down before noon" and he could still get it done for us by day's end. (Now, either he squeezed us in, or Honda's reliability is as good as its reputation and his mechanics are as busy as Maytag repairmen.) Secondly, after writing it up and noticing the aforementioned cracked windshield, Ibarra even tried to get same-day service on the glass replacement for us. And he almost succeeded — had the glass been in stock at the Detroit-area warehouse. But hey, that's more than we asked for, and we were happy just to get the 30K work done before our editor-in-chief pointed the Odyssey westward for the drive back to Santa Monica.

The bad news is, we shelled out a whopping $251.89 for that 30K service job. Honda said the work included changing the engine oil and filter, as well as the transmission fluid, air filter, spark plugs, brake fluid and engine coolant. Not only that, but a valve adjustment was supposedly included (though we can't imagine why) and the tires were rotated and pressures brought up to factory specs. Our windshield wiper blades were replaced, and a complete inspection of all other mechanical systems was done. (Funny, but they rated the front brake pads as having 55 percent of their life left — despite just replacing them back at 23,000 miles!) Even engine compression was checked.

By being brought back up to tip-top condition (not to mention the scrubbing the Clors gave it before its departure), the Odyssey, we were sure, would handle the drive back to Edmunds.com's home office in California without a whimper. It's just that in the few months it was in the Midwest, our Odyssey racked up some $450 in normal-wear service charges — which is a little more than we'd expect to pay in the typical Honda ownership experience.

Now, the Odyssey will get to live out its lease time in the Golden State, no doubt very happy that it won't have to deal with that Clor family again — and those goshawful Detroit-area roads. Upon the van's departure, Clor asked his family how they'd rate their time with the big Honda. One of his sons probably summed it up best when he said: "Oh, it was nice, and it had some nice features. But geez, dad, it's just a minivan ... hey — what's for dinner?"

So there you have it. Clor says it's pretty much the same way he felt about his own father's 1954 Ford station wagon back when he was a kid. It's just good to know that the young people of today still have their priorities straight.

Current Odometer: 30,303
Best Fuel Economy: 23.6 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.3 mpg
Maintenance Costs: $251.89 (30,000-mile service)
Body Repair Costs: None.
Problems: None

Our technical editor, Scott Memmer, has been anxious to spend a full month in our long-term "Oddy" since it returned from the capable hands of Detroit editor John Clor and his crew of hockey-playing, high-sticking, body-checking ruffians. Marty McSorley's got nuthin on the Clor boys.

Memmer has another reason for wanting to spend some seat time in the Odyssey: he's the unhappy owner of a 1989 Dodge Caravan, has spent thousands just keeping the vehicle alive, and has vowed to never buy another Chrysler minivan. (Apparently so have a lot of other Americans, since Chrysler's sales in the category have remained in the toilet for more than a year now. At last report Chrysler's minivan sales were down a whopping 37 percent! At this writing, the company is offering $3,000 rebates or 0.9 percent financing on selected models.)

"So what's all the excitement about anyway?" Memmer asks. "Who gets excited about minivans anymore?"

Well, his wife, for one. Rhonda had the chance to spend some time in the Oddy when our technical editor was sent packing to the East Coast on a business trip. With two teenage daughters in tow, not to mention their friends and various accessories (backpacks, purses, beach chairs, makeup, CDs, Walkmans, Discmans, etc.), our technical editor's wife had a chance to put the Odyssey through its paces.

"I like this van a lot," Rhonda said. "Even though it's much larger than our Caravan, it handles the road much better. The dual sliding doors are a great feature. The girls love the matching bucket seats in the middle seat row instead of the bench seat we have in our van."

It should be mentioned that Rhonda is a professional keyboard player who occasionally needs to cart her equipment to and from gigs. "This van has ample room for all my equipment," Rhonda noted. "Even with the gear loaded, there's plenty of room for everyone to sit."

Our Odyssey also received high marks from our technical editor for its many creature comforts: huge windshield with great visibility, more than ample legroom for all passengers, comfortable driving position with versatile adjustments for the driver's seat, not to mention the car-like ride and ease of maneuvering. Maybe it really is the best minivan in the world.

To dispute that claim, Memmer would point to any number of miscues. Let's start with one of the most glaring, an issue that has been singled out by almost every Edmunds.com editor who's gotten behind the wheel of the Odyssey: the horrible location of the gearshift lever.

Actually, Memmer felt this design goof was so important that he's included a photo of it (see above) to illustrate his point. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, maybe this photo will help those who haven't been behind the wheel of a Honda Odyssey see how aggravating this design miscue is.

Note that the gearshift lever blocks the entire left side of the center console, so if you have any ambitions of seeing the A/C controls or the radio, you're SOL. Note, too, that this photo was taken head-on. You can imagine how much more annoying this is from the driver's perspective, especially a tall driver like Memmer, who is 6 foot 1. "Not exactly Phi Beta Kappa design work" is how our tech editor describes it. "This is especially surprising from a manufacturer like Honda, a company that makes some of the most ergonomic interior spaces in the industry. The Honda Accord, for instance, is the essence of simplicity and function. What were they thinking?"

As if that weren't enough, the shifter, as several other editors have noted, has weak detents, so that you frequently overshoot your desired gear and have to "backtrack" to find the correct gear. This can be especially entertaining when executing a three-point turn, with an audience of L.A.'s finest (and most impatient) commuters studying your neck like Lady MacBeth with a meat cleaver.

Other irksome details in the Odyssey centered around the noisy cabin. Although Memmer didn't find this as trying as some other Edmunds.com editors have, he did note the excessive road, wind and tire noise. This, coupled with an anemic stereo that barely covered the road and tire boom at times, made for some trying — and loud — times. For example, he bought a copy of the classic CD "Who's Next" and cranked it as loud as he could, but even Keith Moon's thunderous drumming couldn't completely cover the Odyssey's excessive interior noise level. That being said, Memmer still feels the Oddy is an excellent value overall, and he'll live with the cabin noise if he can have that rear fold-down third seat till death do them part.

Memmer also didn't mind the somewhat gutless performance of the Honda powertrain. Granted, it doesn't get up and go the way, say, our GMC Sierra or even our Jeep Grand Cherokee does, and, true, it lacks midrange grunt, but it also doesn't suck down fuel the way those vehicles do. This is a solid, dependable, spacious people mover; Memmer enjoyed his time with it. Don't be surprised if one appears in our tech editor's driveway in the next twelve months.

Our editor-in-chief, Chris Wardlaw, spent a lot of wheel time in the Odyssey this month too, piloting it from Detroit back to its home in sunny So Cal. Wardlaw has been in the Oddy many times since we leased it a year and a half ago and his impressions continue to change.

Among his comments: "Lack of power compared to Jeep's V8, which is to be expected, but the truly weak low-end torque and poorly matched transmission shift points were blatantly obvious."

He continued to harp on some of the points we've covered here, as in "road rumble is rather irritating" and "sound system is weak."

He also harangued a variation on Memmer's gearshift theme, citing its "floppy stalks and crappy gear selector that always manages to find D3 instead of D4 when shifting from park or reverse."

On the plus side, Wardlaw waxed euphoric on the Odyssey's "cavernous accommodations for four people and a tremendous amount of their belongings." He, as Memmer, noted the wonderful view through the huge windshield, saying, "The super low cowl and tall driving position create outstanding forward visibility." Wardlaw also praised the Odyssey's ability to thwart heavy thunderstorms in the Midwest.

Nonetheless, our editor-in-chief sounded a note of warning for the folks at Honda, where the minivan crown sits unsteadily on their heads. He concluded by saying, "Since recently taking a 1,000-mile trip in my personal 2000 Toyota Sienna, the Honda doesn't stand quite so tall in my opinion when taking cabin trimmings and dealer gouging into consideration. Unless they manage to upgrade the interior materials, add some low-end torque and offer more features than a silly navigation system, Honda is slowly letting its lock on 'best minivan' slip."

In other words, Honda: It's a competitive marketplace; we look for improvements in the next generation.

We had a few minor service issues crop up in the Odyssey this last month. First, Memmer had to have the windshield replaced after its trip to the Midwest. He called AAA Auto Glass in West Los Angeles, who quoted him a price of $275, tax included, and told him they could do the job remotely. All well and good. Then AAA called back and said the price would be $340, since Memmer had requested PPG glass, which is the factory replacement. Still OK. But when the "installer" arrived in a dilapidated old pickup and asked Memmer to help him hold the new windshield in place while he glued it, our tech editor had had enough. He cancelled the appointment.

Our second company proved more fruitful. Safelite Auto Glass, with locations throughout the L.A. basin, installed a new windshield (PPG, no less) at Memmer's home on a sunny summer morning in the San Fernando Valley. And they didn't even ask Memmer to hold the glass while they glued it! Total installation time: 45 minutes. Total cost: $352.12, tax included.

Our Oddy also took a nail in the passenger rear tire, which Memmer had plugged and repaired for 10 bucks.

Our tech editor really enjoyed his time spent in our long-term Odyssey. "It's a great family car," he enthuses. He encourages serious shoppers to take a closer look at this van, which has great crash scores and a ton of features. As Honda ramps up production, prices should drop out of the stratosphere and into a more real-world level.

Total Odometer Reading: 34,929
Best Fuel Economy: 20.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 19.3 mpg
Body Damage: None.
Maintenance Costs: $362.12 (nail in right tire; cracked windshield)
Problems: None.