A colleague of mine said a funny thing the other day. After having driven a really cool sports sedan in the not so distant past,

Still almost premium, the Honda Odyssey is well-appointed and performance-oriented for a minivan. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

I rolled into work in a 2010 Honda Odyssey Touring minivan. Despite this sports sedan having had a great exhaust note, tons of power and pretty cool features, all characteristics that would whet the palette of diehard car nuts like he and I, his reaction to the sedan pails in comparison to the Odyssey. His words were, and I quote, “Oh man, this is the sweetest van ever. If I won the lottery, this is what I would buy for my wife.” Why did I find that so funny? Well, first of all, he would buy it for his wife and not for himself, despite its sweetness. The stereotype lives on… Second of all, with all the money one could potentially win, he would pick the Odyssey as his wife’s chariot. 

Ok, I know it sounds like I’m pooh-poohing the Odyssey, but I’m really not. After contemplating his words, I started to understand why the appeal for this particular vehicle

A new Odyssey is on the way, but Honda's van is still amongst the best of this breed. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

was so strong. I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t just a stereotyping thing, because this is the kind of vehicle that women (and men) with kids would want! I’m a woman, but without kids, so the sports sedan would be my first choice. But ask me again in a few years and I’m sure I’ll be dying to get into something without body-hugging seats and a neighbour-waking exhaust, not to mention something with easier access to the back seats when in tight shopping mall parking stalls. 

Having spent some good, quality time behind the wheel, I started to draw more conclusions; funny how that happens to journalists. It seats eight-ok that’s not a conclusion but a fact-but it seats eight quite comfortably at that, and there’s a decent

Oh ya, it's long! (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

amount of legroom for adults who get stuck in the third row. Its optional all-leather interior would make it easy to clean up messes or spills by kids (or my husband after a trip to Dairy Queen), yet it feels plush and is oh-so comfortable. Second, it doesn’t drive like an eight-seat vehicle. Despite its size, the Odyssey is very easy to maneuver, has a very livable suspension, and doesn’t feel sluggish thanks to its 3.5-litre, 24-valve, SOHC, i-VTEC V6, which produces 244 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque and comes mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.

I was pleasantly surprised that the turning radius wasn’t too bad for such a large vehicle

Nice interior, especially in top-tier trim. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

either, and that the power steering wasn’t overly stiff, something I wasn’t too fond of in either the Ridgeline or the Pilot.

Other notable qualities of the Odyssey include its decent visibility out the sides and the rear. Even with the rear headrests all the way up, I was still able to see out the back window. What also helps when it comes to finding out what’s going on behind or around me is the rearview camera that the Touring comes standard with. What’s more, there are parking sensors in the front as well as in the rear that beep when something is relatively close. The beeping can sometimes be a little annoying, but then again the feature can be disabled with the push of a button.

Parking assist aside, the

Navigation is extra, but worth it if you're directionally challenged. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

Odyssey is no doubt a safe vehicle. With such features as 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBD paired to a set of P235/60 R17 all-season tires and 17” alloy wheels, traction and braking are top notch. Other features such as Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and an Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure add to the confidence level, so no matter what kind of precious cargo is inside it’s bound to be kept as safe as possible. 
 
Some creature comforts that make this Touring model ultra livable include a navigational system, XM satellite radio, Bluetooth and, of course, the electronic babysitter also known as the rear DVD player. There is also a tri-zone automatic climate

Luxurious seating for up to eight. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

control system so whether passengers like it hot or like it cold, it’s every row of passengers for themselves.
 
But all the wonderful standard and safety features that come with the top-of-the-line Odyssey Touring also come with the price tag to match. The MSRP for this model is $51,280. Now, it doesn’t take a lottery winner to be able to afford an Odyssey since the base model MSRP is $33,280, but the Touring trim will be a stretch for many families. Thank goodness fuel economy is pretty reasonable as it uses an estimated 12.3L/100km in the city and 7.8L/100km on the highway. 
 
To use the enthusiastic words of my colleague, the 2010 Honda Odyssey Touring is in fact a pretty “sweet” minivan. Although it received no new upgrades for the 2010 model year, it remains a hit with the public. And for those who are waiting to see what good things come with this popular eight-seater when it gets renewed, the concept version of the next-generation Honda Odyssey minivan will make its debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show in early February.

Interior

Exterior

Mechanical

Safety

Dimensions

Misc

(J003) Standard Metallic Paint

(J005) Standard Gloss Paint