2011 Honda Odyssey Bests Field in Mileage Challenge

On Monday, Cars.com will unveil its latest Shootout, the Ultimate Minivan Challenge. We pit six recently redesigned and updated minivans against each other in a series of tests.

We can’t reveal the final results here, but we will let you in on which car won out in gas mileage: the 2011 Honda Odyssey. It shouldn’t be a surprise, as the Odyssey has the best EPA ratings of 19/28 mpg city/highway. But in real-world driving — mostly highway — it returned 25.9 mpg. The Volkswagen Routan, which is EPA-rated at 17/25 mpg, came in second, returning 25.1 mpg.

Check back Monday to see the results from rest of the field, which comprised the Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna.

Comments

I am out testing minivans this weekend, so I am interested to see the results. I assume it is the Odyssey Touring that recorded the mileage you mention. Have you also done mileage testing for the Odyssey EX? While the better mileage of the Touring is attractive, it is annoying that you have to jump from the $35K EX-L to the $40K Touring just to gain 1 mpg cty/hwy.

I would think the Caravan, Town & Country and Routan would tie for 2nd, aren't they the same minivans anyway? Chrysler needs to discontinue the Caravan OR Town & Country, there is no need for both.

I currently drive a 2006 Honda Accord EX-L V6 sedan, of course i know under the new epa ratings number would b lower but by the time that car went on sale EPA rated at 20/29 city/highway. In real world driving I'm getting like 15-16 mpg city and 25-26 mpg highway. I saw one time 28 mpg highway but it was raining on I-95 and traffic was at about 50-60 mph

Even better news: TRADE-IN values keep going up and this van should be getting top dollar as a trade-in especially the 2009s and 2010s!! Awesome!!

If I just bought a Routan (or the Chrysler twins) and I was getting 25.1 mpg I would be happy. If I just bought the Odyssey (and you know I would have paid more for it) and I was only getting 25.9 mpg I would be pretty upset.

xrs2009

You can keep on trying to obtain the mileage while going triple digit speed. (Sarcasm intended)

Has the transmission imploded yet?

People who have money and prefer quality buy the Ody. Poor people and Avis get stuck with the Chrysler products.

charlie, you clearly have not experienced the hellish fury of mother nature vs a town and country. The name doesn't do it justice, town and country-heck I can take that to outer space!

The odyssey feels like being tied to a lead brick going up and down small rolling hills. It is as if it is dragging you straight down to hell with transmission blowout as a means that it hopes to get to heaven.

The only minivan I am confident in enough to do any city driving in is a caravan/t and country.

Freaken honda whines that the seats in the town and country's second row is not fun to sit in and that's why they don't have fold flat seats. Those seats are more than fine, not a bad seat in the house if you ask me. I ride my friends around in style with the second row down with enough leg room for mutant NBA players.