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New Honda Odyssey Introduction Up until recently, Honda had always operated on a furious redesign cycle. Just moments after an all-new car's release, designers would get right back to work spending sleepless nights working on its replacement, always due in exactly four years. It didn't matter how good the current car seemed to be, because messages like "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" do not resonate in Tokyo. Take the Odyssey. With the right size, right power, the world's most convenient third-row bench, and running on parts built to the higher standards of passenger cars (instead of trucks), the outgoing model was the first minivan to nail the formula. Because every competitor lacked at least one of those qualities, the Odyssey seemed to be the natural leader. But out of force of habit, Honda couldn't let it live for more than six years, so we have a fresh Odyssey for 2005. Two words that never meshed well are "agile" and "minivan," but what set the original Odyssey apart was that it could at least be called agile for a minivan. Honda was the first to stick a four-wheel independent suspension under a van - something that, 21 years after the minivan's invention, half the members in the class still lack. As on its passenger cars, Honda tuned that suspension tightly. The vocal engine, decent tire grip, and busy ride quality make it feel connected to the road, and the turning radius is nearly as tight as a sedan's. Like the Accord it's based on, the Odyssey gives the feeling that it can be tossed around corners a bit. Taking it up on the offer ruins the illusion, however, mostly because the capsizing feeling that comes with any aggressive turn reminds you of how high you're perched. That, plus too-slow steering, plus the Odyssey's not-so-mini measurements, make mountain runs a nervous affair. It's probably best to be content with the Odyssey's feel in the city, and best to keep it there.