2002 Honda Odyssey – First Drive Review – Car Hutt Reviews

Okay, so Dodge and Ford both sell more minivans than Honda, but we still rate the Odyssey as the best of the breed. That’s why we declared it a winner in our first-annual “5Best Trucks” competition. We’re not alone: A lot of other magazines and consumer service companies have recognized the Odyssey with awards and accolades of their own.

So you’d think Honda would be content now to let the three-year-young vehicle surf in on its wave of glory while engineers beaver away behind closed doors replacing it with a better new Odyssey for model year ’04 or ’05. Well, think again.

For 2002 Honda has added a bunch of new details to the Odyssey, including a more powerful engine, a five-speed automatic transmission, revised suspension calibrations, updated exterior styling, interior convenience features, and as options, leather seating and the category’s first factory-fitted DVD entertainment center.

To pump more power from the 3.5-liter V-6, Honda borrowed the Acura MDX’s larger-diameter, two-stage intake system and freer-flowing exhaust to reduce resistance. The MDX’s three-rocker VTEC variable valve timing and lift system extends and enhances the engine’s range, and a bigger-bore throttle body, larger-diameter valves, and an increased compression ratio (from 9.4:1 to 10.0:1) do their part to bump horsepower from 210 to 240 at 5500 rpm and boost torque from 229 to 242 pound-feet at 4500 rpm. That’s the same power and three fewer pound-feet on regular fuel than the MDX puts out drinking premium.

Honda found a way to add an extra gear to the transmission without altering the housing or internals, and it now offers shorter gear ratios in the first four gears for better acceleration and towing, and a fifth gear taller than the previous fourth gear for quieter and more economical cruising.

Noting criticisms of the previous Odyssey’s ride, which could be a little choppy when driven with less than a full load, Honda’s engineers went back for another look and made changes. They reduced the front anti-roll-bar diameter, increased spring rates all around, and retuned the shock-damping characteristics. The result is a somewhat improved ride without much loss from the previous Odyssey’s nimble – for a minivan – handling.