2009 Honda Odyssey

The 2005-2010 Honda Odyssey is the third generation of the minivan, built on a stiffer platform with a lower floor and a wider body. It is powered by the 3.5-liter J35 V6, fitted with Variable Cylinder Management on higher trims, paired with a five-speed automatic driving the front wheels. Power sliding doors and a power tailgate were available, and the flat-folding third row carried over from the previous generation.

This generation improved on its predecessor in refinement and crash performance, and introduced a wide-mode second row that could spread three child seats across. Variable Cylinder Management was added for fuel economy on EX-L and Touring trims and became the most-discussed ownership topic. The fourth generation that followed in 2011 adopted the distinctive lightning-bolt beltline.

For used buyers, the third-generation Odyssey is a very practical van with better transmission durability than the generation before it. Variable Cylinder Management is associated with spark plug fouling, elevated oil consumption, and vibration from worn motor mounts, and many owners disable it. Torque converter shudder is a related complaint on affected vans. Power sliding door motors and cables are a routine repair. A well-maintained non-VCM trim avoids the generation's main headache entirely.