The current generation Odyssey has persisted as one of the best value propositions in the market, and this has been a huge factor in its continued demand. While the competition is finally starting to catch up to and (in some ways) surpass it, the Odyssey doggedly maintains its leadership role. The Sienna offers some tangible advances in terms of luxury, comfort, and overall refinement, but it still trails in terms of chassis dynamics and drivetrain refinement. It's also fairly pricey. The Quest, on the other hand, comes closer to matching the Odyssey in terms of chassis and drivetrain measures, but falls short in several key areas of execution.

How do you take the class benchmark and make it better? Nobody ever said life was easy, but the life of a Honda engineer must really have its days. Fortunately they've had six years to innovate and they will undoubtedly raise the bar once again. Several areas where we would like to see some improvement include:

• NVH - Road noise and wind noise both need to be improved
• Seating - seating comfort could be improved for long distance driving - If they steal the design from the latest Accord they'll be doing just fine.
• Drivetrain - little needs to be changed - more horsepower is always good, but this van isn't really lacking in that department. A "sportshift" mode for the transmission would be a nice touch as would the option of VTM all wheel drive (this should eliminate any torque steer). Honda has already announced that VSA will be standard in all of their light truck and minivan products by the end of calendar year 2006. It's a safe bet to assume that the '05 Odyssey will get VSA.
• Style - The exterior needs only evolutionary changes. The interior is mostly good but the dashboard and center stack could use some more flavor.
• Entertainment - DVD entertainment system should include AC power points and a 6 DVD stacker for its price. For the audio system, a better topline system should be offered. MP3 playback, RDS, and an auxiliary input jack would be nice too.
• Chassis - Stronger brakes are needed. For pulling more "gees" uprated wheels, tires, and a rear swaybar would work wonders as well. Why not offer an "Si" model? I'm serious...
• Comfort/convenience - An available 3-zone climate control system, reading lights for outboard seating positions. Power sliding doors require better logic.
• Safety - Honda's already stated that all of their models will be fitted with standard front side airbags, side-curtain airbags and anti-lock brakes by calendar year 2006. You can bet the all-new Odyssey will benefit from these promises. Also, Honda's also already announced that the Odyssey will be one of their first vehicles to offer advanced crash compatibility engineering.

Creature comforts are easy to include - the main barrier is cost. As we all know, Honda is very cost conscious and we fully expect them to be cautious when messing with the featureset

Styling is a very subjective matter, yet the Odyssey's conservative crisp exterior lines have worn extremely well in my opinion. As such, I expect to see subtle refinements for the next generation Odyssey; it could easily survive with minor detail improvements. One such improvement might be concealing the tracks for the sliding doors.

What is our recommendation? Well, if you need a minivan and you're the typical TOV reader, we think that the Odyssey is still the top choice, offering class-leading driving dynamics, a great drivetrain, comfortable and useful accommodations, and a great price (check out the current promotion in the TOV's dealer network). If you're in no rush, you can expect more of the same for the upcoming '05 Odyssey (due in the fall), but expect to pay at least MSRP for a while. If you're helping your in-laws shop out a minivan (as I am), and they've been driving American luxo-barges all their lives, then they would probably find more to like in the Sienna, as it more faithfully replicates the driving ambiance of a Lincoln Towncar.

Additional Information:

• If you haven't already seen it yet, check out our Visit to Honda's Lincoln Alabama Plant, where the Odyssey is built.
• Ready to buy a 2004 Odyssey? Don't miss the TOV's Dealer Network 2004 Odyssey Promotion