Honda has studied the minivan and the reasons people buy them to such a degree that the 2006 Honda Odyssey, a carryover design from 2005, shown here, may just be the most well executed and well thought out minivan on the market. It's that good.
The 2006 Honda Odyssey is a well executed and well thought-out minivan and a significant improvement over the previous iteration of the Odyssey, which was retired with the 2004 model year.
There are two trim levels available for the Odyssey: LX and EX. There are standard and optional features galore. The bottom line is that optioning out a 2006 Honda Odyssey will take some time just to cover every possible extra you may want to include on yours.
Choosing the engine for your Odyssey will be less time consuming, as there are two choices. There's a 244 horsepower V6 connected to a 5-speed automatic transmission. Order an upmarket EX model or the touring package and the V6 comes with Honda's variable cylinder management feature, which disables three of the engine's six cylinders during cruising or deceleration. This feature can increase overall gas mileage by 12 percent, and that gives the Odyssey an EPA rating of 19 miles per gallon city and 25 miles per gallon highway.
There's a full complement of safety features on the Odyssey, from four-wheel anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution to three-row side curtain airbags with roll-over sensors. Touring models come with run-flat tires and a tire-pressure monitoring system.
The MSRP for the 2006 Honda Odyssey in EX trim is $28,395, and for that price, you're getting a fully equipped Odyssey with a vast array of standard features.
Honda didn't invent the minivan; in fact, Honda rarely invents any new automotive breakthrough vehicles. But time and again, they take someone else's idea and bring it ever closer to perfection. The 2006 Odyssey is the latest example of that.