Consumer Reports Test complete: 2011 Honda Odyssey EX-L

“Mocked as Uncool, the Minivan Rises Again,” proclaims the headline in the recent New York Times’ business section. Long maligned for their dowdy image and shunted to the sidelines as buyers were attracted to SUVs, minivans are experiencing something of a sales resurgence.

Maybe buyers are rediscovering the appeal of minivans: no other vehicle offers their combination of passenger and cargo space, drivability, refinement, and fuel economy. It’s also entirely likely that sales are up because there is fresh product. Every player in the market has been redesigned or updated in the last 18 months.

That includes the Honda Odyssey, currently the top-selling minivan. Trying to appeal to a new generation of buyers who previously wouldn’t be caught dead in a minivan, the redesigned Odyssey has much more swoopy styling and some new interior features. But as our test shows, a minivan that is now more interesting to look at isn’t necessarily more entertaining to drive.

Watch the video for highlights from our testing, and visit the Honda Odyssey model overview page for complete pricing, reliability, road test, and more.

—Tom Mutchler

Source;
Consumer Reports