Minivans: the best models are refined, luxurious, and loaded with features.(Growing Up)

The redesigned 2005 Honda Odyssey regained the top spot in our minivan ratings by edging out the excellent Toyota Sienna, our previous top pick.

The Odyssey and Sienna are leading an evolution in the minivan category In addition to being comfortable, space-efficient vehicles that are ideal for family use, they now offer many of the attributes of midlevel luxury cars, including smooth, quick powertrains; quiet, well-constructed interiors; good driving dynamics; and an array of the latest features and technology.

Minivan demographics are evolving. Historically, slightly more than 60 percent of the primary drivers of minivans were women, 85 percent of whom had children, according to Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research. Now, about half the primary drivers are men and only 60 percent of those men have children. In other words, more people are deciding that a minivan meets their driving needs regardless of whether or not they have children.

We've found minivans to be a good alternative to large SUVs. They're less expensive, get better mileage, generally ride and handle better, and provide easier access to the third-row seat.

We bought well-equipped versions of the Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Saturn Relay, and Toyota Sienna. Prices ranged from $30,895 for the Saturn to $34,909 for the Toyota. The Odyssey, Sienna, and Grand Caravan are recommended. We don't have reliability data on the new Relay, but the Venture, on which it is based, has average reliability (On page 59, we've also included an Auto-Test Extra report on the new Buick LaCrosse.)

The Odyssey and Sienna finished in a near tie. The Odyssey had an edge in braking and emergency handling, although the Sienna has a quieter, more comfortable ride and a little more cargo space.

As part of its redesign, the Honda Odyssey got a slightly more powerful engine, standard electronic stability control, and a split folding third-row seat instead of the previous one-piece design. The 255-hp, 3.5-1iter V6 in our EX-L version has a variable-displacement system that shuts off three cylinders when the vehicle is cruising on a light load, but activates all six cylinders when more power is needed. With this system, the Odyssey had a 1 mpg edge in highway fuel economy over the Sienna (28 vs. 27), but 1 mpg worse in the city, meaning both averaged 19 mpg.