Cars - Honda Odyssey

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	Cars - Honda Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey is a minivan manufactured by Honda.

First Generation (1995-1998)

It was introduced in 1995 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 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 Odyssey was rebadged as the Isuzu Oasis, which is now discontinued. These older small vans still live on as New York City taxis under Isuzu and Honda nameplates. This unusual sharing of vehicles resulted from a lack of SUV's 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)

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 very similar to the first generation Odyssey. Still, it was 85mm longer and 10mm wider than the previous model. The base model continued with a 2.3L 4-cylinder engine, but the most exciting addition was an optional 3.0L 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. 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 a new, larger Honda emblem front and rear, clear lens tail lights (replacing amber), and a larger grille with 4 chrome strips instead of 3. Pricing was reduced by $2,000 ($55,990) for the 4-cylinder, and $4,000 for the V6 ($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.

In 1999, the US-market Odyssey was totally revamped to be larger, more conventional, and totally different from the Japanese domestic market Odyssey. It used the global light truck platform. The fold-flat third row seat was no longer novel, but a more modern appearance and larger dimensions allowed the van to better compete with other minivans. In 2002, it received upgrades such as leather, rear entertanment system, and a class-leading 240 hp (179 kW) 3.5 L engine. The US-market Odyssey was sold under the name Honda Lagreat in Japan from 1998 to 2004, with the smaller Japanese domestic market Odyssey continuing in Japan and numerous export markets. For the US market van, class leading power led to good acceleration, however transmission technology failed to keep pace with engine power. The 4 speed automatic transmission in the 1999-2001 model and the 5 speed automatic in the 2002-2004 had significant problems with worst in class 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. 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 and added dealer markup weighed against this large family cruiser.

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 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 2.4L 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, Odyssey has achieved its best-ever sales year in 2005, and has outsold the Toyota Tarago for the first time.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Honda Odyssey ]

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Cars - Honda Odyssey

First Generation (1995-1998)

Second Generation (1999-2004)

Third Generation (2004-Present)

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