The Ultimate Minvan: Cars.com Crowns the Honda Odyssey

CHICAGO--May 23, 2011: Cars.com, an online resource for new and used car buyers, announced today that the Honda Odyssey is the winner of its first-ever Ultimate Minivan Shootout. The site took six redesigned 2011 minivans under $45,000 and put them through a series of rigorous head-to-head challenges to determine which one was the best of the pack. The 2011 Honda Odyssey took the title for its styling, comfort and overall ride.

"Minivans haven't always been so cool; in fact, some car shoppers have shied away from them," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com's editor-in-chief. "The reality is that today's minivans are sleek, practical and drive very well, which fulfills the needs of many families.  Looking at the Honda Odyssey, its overall package of innovative features, design and a great ride propelled it ahead of its competitors. The $42,000 price tag might seem steep, but the features that the consumer gets for that money are unbeatable."

Cars.com, USA Today, Motorweek and an Atlanta-area family of five tested the vehicles over a period of three days.  The first day consisted of 175 miles of highway driving to determine the true gas mileage for each van. On the second day, the experts took turns driving each of the six minivans evaluating ride, comfort, handling, style and functionality. On the final day, the local family evaluated the minivans from a car shopper's perspective to determine which features and design aspects were most important to them.  

"We wanted to put these minivans through real-life tests with input not just from the experts but from a family with children," said Olsen. "This shootout takes into consideration the important insight of what the family thought was a good minivan and which one truly met their needs, because their opinions are important and reflect what all minivan shoppers would want."

Vans tested in the Cars.com Ultimate Minivan Shootout included the 2011 Chrysler Town & Country priced at $40,835, the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan priced at $34,055, the 2011 Honda Odyssey priced at $42,250, the 2011 Nissan Quest priced at $38,040, the 2011 Toyota Sienna priced at $41,144, and the 2011 Volkswagen Routan priced at $34,750.