Best People Mover

Story by Chris Bishop

Transport for a throng has taken a turn for the better.

The aptly named Odyssey could finally alter the perception of people movers as the pariahs of Australian motoring.

On road, this impressive hauler is more car than carrier. Honda's ride, handling, braking and smoothness/quietness engineers should take a bow.

With a cargo of burly blokes and a challenging climb, the Odyssey's 2.4-litre heart revved eagerly and pulled strongly. The automatic is true to form and there's a neat, sequential gearshift as back-up. Only rivals with big V6s can top its performance. Clever packaging within the sleek shape liberates ample passenger space, storage and cargo flexibility. It moves people with ease.

But the company behind The Power of Dreams slogan must have been napping when it came time to think about moving young children.

There are five child restraint points in impractical places.

Put infants in Odyssey's second row and the child restraint top tether straps would obstruct third row occupants. Ditto for the back row anchor points, which would hamper boot flexibility. Anchor points fittings above the third row might need to be removed when carrying tall passengers here, to avoid contact with their heads.

A space-saver spare tyre is another negative.

Full Details: www.australiasbestcars.com.au.