The news everyone has been waiting for is finally here! I am ecstatic to share my views of the 2011 Honda Odyssey, which will be available at dealerships on September 30th. The 2011 Honda Odyssey is The Ultimate Family Vehicle, hands down. It is not the boxy, boring minivan of days past – it is a chic, powerful machine with a style all it’s own. Aesthetics are only part of the appeal of the 2011 Honday Odyssey – the attention to detail, comfort, and top notch safety features make it a well-rounded vehicle for families and individuals alike.
In late August, I was invited to the 2011 Honda Odyssey Press Introduction in La Jolla, California, to view, test-drive and learn about the 2011 Honda Odyssey. I arrived about noon at the beautiful Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, where I was escorted to the hospitality suite to check in. After a relaxing afternoon in my lovely room, I headed to the Welcome Dinner and Vehicle Discovery in the La Jolla Ballroom, where myself and about twenty other bloggers were able to view three of the the 2011 Honda Odyssey trim levels up close. Honda representatives, designers and engineers and were on hand to demonstrate the numerous features, and were eager to answer our questions.
New on the 2011 Honda Odyssey are the sleek windows. It was explained to us that this is the “lightning-bolt” belt line which allows for improved outward visibility from the third row. I am intrigued with this feature, as the passengers in the third row {especially small children – even those in car seats} will be able to see surroundings other than the inside of the vehicle. In my experience, happy, entertained children are essential for peaceful traveling on long road trips.
Improvements of the 2011 Honda Odyssey {from prior years, which were impressive}, include enhanced aerodynamic shape with a lower roof line which contributes to class-leading highway fuel economy, while the improved interior packaging maintains similar vertical functionality as the previous model. The 2011 Odyssey is incredibly roomy – one feature I first noticed and admired. It can comfortably seat 8 passengers {or seven for in the LX trim}, and in EX trims and above, there is 3-mode second-row seating which enhances comfort and convenience. The driver’s seat is surrounded by instruments and controls which are designed to help enhance driver comfort, especially on long trips.
ODYSSEY HIGHLIGHTS:
- Eight-passenger minivan {seven passengers Odyssey LX}
- Distinctive exterior styling with rear-tapered monovolume shape and “lightning-bolt” belt line for improved outward visibility from the third row
- Functional seating improvements include second-row wide mode and simplified operation of 60/40 split 3rd-Row magic Seat
- A class-leading five LATCH positions for child restraint seats {four positions LX}
- 3.5 liter i-VTEC V-6 engine with 248 horsepower {+4} and 250 lb-ft. of torque {+5/+10**}
- Six-speed automatic transmission {Honda first} standard on Odyssey Touring
- EPA city/highway fuel economy* of 19/28 mph {Odyssey Touring, +2/+3} and 18/27 mpg {Odyssey LX and EX, +2/+4}
- Standard safety: Front, front-side and side-curtain airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, ABS, Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure
- Wheelbase {in} 118.1, Length {in} 202.9, Height {in} 68.4, Width {in} 79.2
{*Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle. **2010 VTEC {non-VCM} engine on LX and EX.}
I was curious about the pricing for the different trim packages, and I am pleasantly surprised, as even if you are choosing the LX, you are getting so much for so little. Pricing for the 2011 Honda* Odyssey is as follows:
Odyssey LX $27,800
Odyssey EX $30,950
Odyssey EX-L $34,450
Odyssey EX-L Rear Entertainment $36,050
Odyssey EX-L Navi $36,450
Odyssey Touring $40,755
Odyssey Touring Elite $43,250
*MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $780 destination charge and
options.
My first impressions of the 2011 Honda Odyssey were very positive!
*This is one of a series of posts, all which were part of the same event with Honda.
Robyn Wright of Robyn's Online World
I like that so many cars now have the stuff built in to connect child seats more securely now. When T was little they didn’t have that (or were just starting to come out with it).
Sue D T
FY I: ILATCH became required and was universally used in new cars after 2003.
LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. It’s also known as ISOFIX in Europe and LUAS (Lower Universal Anchorage System) in Canada.
Sue D T
lLatch was a mistake….I first didn”t capitalize it and the lower case L stayed~ Sorry 🙂
Eric
What do you currently drive? We have an ’02 Odyssey and love it. We have seen reviews from moms that drive domestic but my wife has been looking for a comparison to an older Odyssey. She is not real kean on the new styling. If anyone has links to bloggers that tested it that are current Odyssey owners send the link please.
Mrs. Cox
Okay, now that is a something I could see our family in for long road trips… Very sleek and modern appeal to it.
Jennifer-admin
Oh absolutely. It is incredibly comfy and just has so many great features!
Mel
Wow, that looks really nice! We’re going to be looking for a new car around tax time and I kind of want a mini van. We had one once and I loved it. This one seems more of like an SUV style so I bet the man would love it!
Sue D T
There is also the Pilot with all the same amenities and also comes with a fold down 3rd row seat set. We have both the van, (2000) still doing swell with over 100000 mi. and a 2006 Pilot. Didn’t go for the video in back, but now wish we had. All our g’children have it and don’t want to go anywhere with us and our “OLD TIMEY” DVD system that we have to fit on the back of the seats. Well scuse me.
Jennifer-admin
LOL!! Seriously. Sheesh – when I was a kid we didn’t have tv’s or dvd systems in our cars at all (gasp!).
CPSDarren
Great review! Looking forward to the rest of the series. Was interesting to be the only daddy blogger among 20 mommy bloggers at the event, but great meeting everyone. Also love your blog layout, I just switched to Genesis/Lifestyle on my other blog.
Jennifer-admin
Thanks for the compliments. You were fun to have there, and I must say you are one brave man to be around all the women. We loved you though!
Nicole May
I want one! I’ve got 2 young boys and am still driving my 2000 Civic. We fit–for now . . .
Jessica Nunemaker
Hm. A mini-van eh?
I never was such a fan…but that looks really nice! I wouldn’t ever buy a brand new car but maybe when we need to replace ours in a few years we’ll give it a looksie.
JAN
These are gorgeous! I had a Honda Accord – Hondas rock! This gets surprisingly good mileage! sammiejanL40 at aol dot com
April J
Wow! This minivan sounds so nice! I always swore that I’d never buy a minivan, but these are like luxury cars now! My kids would love it!! So, if I ever do break down and buy a minivan, I think it would be the Honda Odyssey!!
Jackie
Ohhh! I love Honda! This Odyssey looks AWESOME!!!! Can’t wait to read more of your posts on it!
Julia
I love that it seats 8 I really need that but Yuck, not sure I like the new look. Can’t wait to hear more.
Mark
I have a 2005 Odyssey and my wife has a 2009 Odyssey. The 2011 looks a little odd to me (specificaly the rear section behind the back doors) but maybe after I see it in person I will partake!
Jennifer-admin
I think you might fall in love when you see the interior…it is amazing!
XmasDolly
I have a 1997 Odyssey, Honda and I love my car. I’m sure when we’re ready to get a new one we’ll either get the same or one very similar. This one was a mother-in-law’s and she loved it too!
Terri P.
Minivans have certainly come a long way since the became popular so many years ago. Your review is very interesting. I’ve always thought Honda was a great car manufacturer and I believe they’ve proved their reliability by now. This 2011 Odyssey looks super. The enhanced aerodynamic shape really adds a lot, not only to the fuel economy, but to the overall appeal of the vehicle. Thanks!
Eva
The review was informative, thank you.