Honda Odyssey
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The Honda Odyssey is a vehicle manufactured by Honda. In North America it is manufactured as a minivan. In the world market, it is manufactured as an MPV.
North American Market
First generation (1995-1998)
The Odyssey was introduced in 1995 as a compact minivan with four swing-open doors as on most sedans rather than the conventional sliding door design. The basic vehicle was shared between the Japanese and North American markets. The Odyssey was also the first minivan to have a flat-folding third row seat. Built on the Accord platform and using a 4-cylinder engine like the Accord's, many critics thought the interior was too small and the engine underpowered despite an engine size increase in 1998. Consumers agreed and the first generation Odyssey was not a sales success.The first generation Odyssey came in two trim levels LX and upscale EX. The LX could fit seven with two front buckets, a three-seat middle bench, and a 2-seat third row bench. The EX came with two second row captain's chairs.
The Odyssey was rebadged as the Isuzu Oasis, which is now discontinued. This unusual sharing of vehicles resulted from a lack of SUVs in Honda's lineup. Isuzu got from Honda the Odyssey and renamed it the Oasis. Honda got from Isuzu the Rodeo and renamed it the Passport. Acura got the Trooper and renamed it the SLX.
The Odyssey was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1995.
Second generation (1999-2004)
The American Odyssey was sold under the name Honda Lagreat in Japan from 1998 to 2004, with the smaller Japanese Odyssey continuing in Japan and numerous export markets. For the American van, class-leading power led to good acceleration, however transmission technology failed to keep pace with engine power. The 4-speed automatic transmission in 1999 to 2001 models and the 5-speed automatic in 2002 to 2004 models had significant problems with transmission reliability for 1999, 2001, and 2002. The oil jet recall for some 5-speed automatic transmissions did not address or solve the main cause of breakdown. As in the similar transmissions of the Acura TL and MDX, failure of the transmission's third gear clutch pack and other parts remained a problem even after the oil jet recall. Also, road noise issues, rattles, power door failures and added dealer markup weighed against this powerful and large family cruiser. The Odyssey became the second-best selling minivan after the Dodge Caravan.
Third generation (2005-present)
The American Odyssey was redesigned for the second time and released in September 2004 as a 2005 model. Production moved from Alliston, Ontario, Canada, to Lincoln, Alabama and the Alliston line was retooled to build the Ridgeline. It continued on the global light truck platform remaining different from the Japanese domestic market Odyssey. It retained from the previous model the basic chassis with front strut suspension and multi-link rear suspension and was only marginally larger and heavier. It continued with a 3.5 L V6 engine. EX-L and Touring models have i-VTEC with Variable Cylinder Management. The Odyssey added "PAX" run flat tires only in the new Touring model, a lazy susan storage bin in the floor where the spare tire used to be in the previous model, eight passenger seating with limited availability, and a 60/40 fold flat seat (like the Toyota Sienna's). PAX tires suffer from short life and limited availability. PAX snow tires and wheels cost $1600 for a set of four increasing the high price of ownership. Dealers are supposed to have a spare PAX tire available as a quick replacement for the customer's damaged PAX tires. But dealers too often do not know about the free replacement policy during the first 50% of tread life or do not stock the PAX tire. The PAX owner may be without a usable tire in case of tire damage because PAX cannot be repaired with normal tire mounting and repair equipment. Costs for the Odyssey rise quickly in higher line models. The highest level Touring model with sales tax and destination charge rises to over $40,000 US. 2005-2006 models can have problems with windshield related wind noise, loud exhaust resonance noise, and power steering pump problems. Nevertheless, Odyssey will continue to rake in profits for dealers and the manufacturer.Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) and International Market
First Generation (1995-1999)
The first generation JDM Odyssey is the same as the North American version.Second Generation (2000-2004)
In 2000, a new, larger "second generation" Odyssey appeared in Japan and Australia. However, this new Odyssey was actually a major upgrade of the first generation Odyssey, and not a completely new model. As a result, its overall shape and appearance were similar to the first generation Odyssey. Still, it was 85 mm longer and 10 mm wider than the previous model. The base model continued with a 2.3 L 4-cylinder engine, but the most exciting addition was an optional 3.0 L VTEC V6 engine producing 201 hp (154 kW). The 2000 Odyssey was the first Honda to receive a 5-speed automatic transmission, which also featured another first - a manual shift (semi-automatic) mode. The interior was completely new. The old automatic column shifter was moved to a unique central position on the dash. Digital climate controls replaced the old manual controls, and were situated below the audio system controls. Luxurious woodgrain trim appeared on all models, while V6-L models received leather for the first time. In January 2003, the Odyssey received a mild restyle. It received new, larger Honda emblems for the front and rear, clear-lens taillights (replacing amber), and a larger grille with 4 chrome strips instead of 3. Pricing was reduced by US$2,000 (US$55,990) for the 4-cylinder, and US$4,000 for the V6 (US$59,850). In the Australian market, the new Odyssey proved more popular than its predecessor, at least initially. However, in 2002, sales hit an all-time low, and in 2003, sales of only 649 units were almost one-third that of 2000.Third generation (2004-present)
The third generation Japanese-built Odyssey was the first full redesign of the Odyssey since its introduction in 1995. Going on sale in Japan in late 2003, and in Australia and many other countries in 2004, it continued with a 4-door body style, with a much sleeker, lower, and more car-like appearance. The new Odyssey came with the Honda K24 engine, a 2.4 L unit producing 158 hp (118 kW); this is the same engine used in the CR-V and Accord. Curiously, the V6 engine was dropped completely. However, this has not stopped the new Odyssey from becoming a sales success. In Australia, the Odyssey achieved its best-ever sales year in 2005, and has outsold the Toyota Tarago for the first time.
External links
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