Unusual Little Vans: 1996 Honda Odyssey vs 2007 Mazda 5

Happy Friday, Autopians! Boy, am I glad to see the backside of this week. I didn’t feel like doing a shootout this week, so instead, I’ve just got a couple of strange little minivans for you. They’re just the thing for a quick weekend getaway with five or six of your closest friends.

But before we hit the road, we should see who won yesterday’s ’80s battle of the bands. It looks like the L7 ran away with it. I can see the appeal, but personally, if I’m going through all the trouble of freshening up an ’80s BMW, it’s going to be a stickshift. I’ll take the “slow” Camaro instead… and peel off the cringey bumper sticker before I even drive home.

Oh, and by the way, at least one of you understood what the best music video ever to feature a square-body Panther was. For the rest of you: listen all y’all, it’s a Sabotage. (Quick aside, speaking of “Sabotage” and bumper stickers, since it’s Friday, and what else have you got to do? One of the best bumper stickers I ever saw was on a Mitsubishi Mirage, right above the nameplate on the back. It just said “OH MY GOD IT’S A”. I wish I could have gotten a photo; it was glorious.)

We like minivans around here, as you may have noticed. Mostly, we like cheap beat-to-hell minivans. But sometimes, a mere Caravan or Astro just won’t do. Even a stickshift Aerostar is too plebian. Sometimes you need to get weird. But, you know, good weird, not Vanagon weird. Don’t worry; I have just the thing. Or things, rather. Here they are.

1996 Honda Odyssey – $2,900

Engine/drivetrain: 2.2 liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Oregon City, OR

Odometer reading: 184,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

Honda was late to the minivan party, and from what I’ve read, upper management had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the market. The first Odyssey was developed by an “underground” team, and what they came up with was nothing like any other minivan on the market. Based on the Accord, and featuring four regular front-hinged doors rather than sliding rear doors, the Odyssey was a bit of a flop. The people who love them really love them, and tend not to put them up for sale, making this a rare listing indeed.

The first-gen Odyssey shared its drivetrain with the contemporary Accord, meaning a 2.2 liter four-cylinder paired with an overdrive automatic, column-shifted in a slight nod to more traditional vans. This one runs and drives well, and recently had its valve cover gasket replaced. The seller says the air conditioning still works fine, which is a nice bonus in a cheap car.

It’s in nice condition inside, especially for the mileage. Minivans this age are often trashed inside, but this one looks pretty good. The carpet is a bit discolored, but the seat upholstery is in nice condition. In fact, the middle seat hardly looks used at all. The rear seat on these folds into the floor, for additional cargo space; I imagine it’s pristine as well.

Outside, it looks pretty good. There’s a little bit of clearcoat peeling, but it’s mostly shiny, and more importantly, not rusty. Honda still had a nasty rust problem into the 90s, and it’s not uncommon to see Accords of this era with significant rust in the rear wheel arches. I don’t see any signs of that here, but a look underneath is not a bad idea.

2007 Mazda 5 Sport – $2,450

Engine/drivetrain: 2.3 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Portland, OR

Odometer reading: 153,000 miles

Operational status: Doesn’t say, but I’m going to presume it at least runs and drives

Mazda marched to its own drummer in the early days of the minivan as well. The first-generation MPV was rear-wheel-drive, and had conventional doors like the early Odyssey. Later MPVs followed the transverse V6/two sliding doors formula established by the Dodge Caravan and copied by everyone else. But minivans grew throughout the 1990s and early 200s, and weren’t so “mini” anymore. There was room in the market for a smaller offering. Enter the Mazda 5 (or, officially, Mazda5, but I hate how that looks).

Officially a “wagon” according to Mazda, ane meant to compete against other tall wagons like the Toyota Matrix, the 5 has sliding doors on both sides, as well as three rows of seats. I’d call that a van. It’s powered by the ubiquitous MZR four-cylinder engine, in this case powering the front wheels through a five-speed automatic with a manual gate on the shifter. But who ever bothers? If you want a stick, get a stick. For this, just throw it in D and be done with it.

This 5 is for sale at one of the dozens of used car lots up and down Southeast 82nd Avenue here in Portland, and this particular dealership is going out of business. You could probably throw a lowball offer at them and score a deal on this car, if you walk in and wave cash in their faces. However, don’t expect any maintenance history; assume the worst, and give it a good going-over when you get it home.

It looks OK, both inside and out, but the hubcaps are missing in action. I appreciate the fact that they didn’t slap some ugly plastic Wal-Mart wheel covers on it; honestly I’d rather have the plain steelies. It also comes with a Thule roof rack, which I personally would immediately remove and sell; I’m not a fan.

So that’s it for this week! For next week’s showdowns, I’m open to suggestions. Are there particular cars you’d like me to look for? Specific cars I should feature? Places I should look? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)