2005 Honda Odyssey

A new "ultra premium" Touring model features Michelin PAX run-flat tires, a power liftgate, tri-zone automatic climate control, and plenty of other extras. Equivalent to having 17.5-inch wheels, the PAX tires can go 125 miles when fully flat, at up to 50 mph.


Engineers also sought to blend the acceleration of a 4.0-liter engine with the fuel economy of a 3.0-liter. Their answer: a new 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 with Variable Cam Management (VCM). Based on changing driving conditions, this V-6 automatically switches between six- and three-cylinder operation.

Even if nothing else changed, the Odyssey's new optional voice-recognition nav system makes it an unchallenged leader.

Installed in Touring and EX Leather models, the VCM engine develops 255 horsepower (up 15) and 250 lb.-ft. of torque (up 8), using regular gasoline. The EPA fuel-economy estimate is 20-mpg city and 28-mpg highway. Odyssey LX and EX models use a regular 3.5-liter V-6, which promises 19/25 mpg.


Although both versions of the V-6 engine perform energetically, acceleration is milder for passing or merging than when starting off from a standstill. There's no way to tell when the VCM engine goes between three- and six-cylinder operation. Gear changes from the five-speed automatic-transmission are quick and crisp—barely discernible at moderate throttle push, and not bothersome even when accelerating hard.