2009 Honda Odyssey Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Yep, I'd buy the car again. by djjnutatgmail.c1o2m3m

Reliability & durability

Overall, 9 out of 10.

Handling

Amazingly responsive for a mini-van, with a short turning radius that seemed even better than my '08 Accord, although I never really measured the radii.

Powertrain performance

Cruising at 2000RPM seemed effortless (OK, more driving in the "granny lane" than I used to, but who likes white-knuckled driving trying to maintain 80 MPH in the 70 MPH limit in SC). Yet when the "punch/floor it mode" kicks in to get out of a jam, the Odyssey has the power (6 cyl).

Cargo capacity

With the second row of seats removed and the third row stowed, the cargo volume is impressive. We performed the equivalent of "moving a college kid and his stuff" several times over 2-3000 miles - no weight measurements, but "loaded".

Interior styling

With grandchildren, and the "stuff they carry with them", spills and cleanup generally weren't a problem because of the leather interior. It was easily maintained with minimal leather treatment a couple of times a year. Here in "famously hot" Columbia SC and no garage, the interior held up really well.

Quietness

Driving a "big box" at highway speeds, all closed up with the AC on, is noisy.

Front seat support & comfort

Why can't manufacturers make the passenger seat as comfortable with as many adjustments as the driver's side?

Materials & workmanship

Rplacement of the rotors at one point seemed to be the better choice after turning the rotors once, following a slight shimmy on braking at high speeds.

Fuel economy

Driven sensibly at 60-65, fuel economy seemed excellent, but step-wise, for every 5 mph over, fuel economy seemed to drop precipitously. However, the "ECO" function, in which 3 cylinders "drop out" when not needed, seemed to work well, assuming good momentum at the moment. So I can't complain too much.

Dealer location

The dealer always seems to be on the other side of town...

Past personal experience

Overall, I would buy the car again; and had planned to drive the car into the ground (>300,000 miles). But I sold the car at 84,000 before parts started to need preventive maintenance replacement, like hoses. I did replace serpentine belts and timing chain at 75,000 simply because I learned the hard way, and let a Volvo S-80, the best and most comfortable car I ever owned, go to ruin because I did not understand the importance of replacing the timing chain/pulley, although I had ~200,000 miles on the car at the time.