The Honda Odyssey and its minivan competitors - Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan and Toyota Sienna - are often touted as family vehicles.

In television commercials, the Odyssey is showcased with a mother or father transporting the neighborhood youth soccer team to practice or with a family packing up for a summer camping trip.

But what if a large family isn't part of the equation? Is a minivan still a prudent choice?

With the 2004 Honda Odyssey, a strong case can be ma ...
Author: James Raia
Click here to read the rest of this article...

The first time I came to a stoplight, the car was so quiet I thought the engine had stalled. I tried to restart the car, but the engine was already on, and I advanced when the light changed in my favor.

But the same thing happened at the next spotlight and again at the third red light I reached.

It wasn't like I was driving a "high-tech" vehicle and didn't know how properly operate it. Rather, it was "only" a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid -- the first hybrid I've had as a weekly test dr ...
Author: James Raia
Click here to read the rest of this article...

The trunk was open when one friend walked by and the hood was popped open when two other friends meandered by.

"If I took off my front wheel, OK maybe both wheels, I could get my bike in the trunk, no problem," one friend said. "That's a spacious trunk for a mid-sized car."

My two other friends were more impressed with the powerful and efficiently designed engine.

"Look where everything is; it's easy access, for sure," he said. "Even if you know nothing about cars, you can f ...
Author: James Raia
Click here to read the rest of this article...