Kelley Blue Book Names Honda Odyssey '2011 Best Redesigned Vehicle'

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IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 16, 2010 -- Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, a provider of new car and used car information, today announces the 2011 Honda Odyssey has been named 2011 Best Redesigned Vehicle.  The kbb.com editors praise the 2011 Honda Odyssey engineers and designers for successfully tackling the difficult task of improving and redesigning an already very-successful, hot-selling model that is widely regarded as the pinnacle of its class.

"The 2011 Honda Odyssey improves on its predecessor in every way imaginable, offering a better-looking, more contemporary exterior design, a sumptuous interior stuffed with innovative features, and class-leading fuel economy, " said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.  "Its safety, refinement, resale value and trouble-free nature are combined with a surprising level of fun-to-drive, so it is not difficult to see why Honda refers to the 2011 Odyssey as the 'ultimate in family transportation.'"  

The Best Redesigned Vehicle accolade honors the vehicle that best demonstrates improvement and superiority relative to its predecessor and competitors.  In judging, the kbb.com editors consider exterior and interior styling, technology, comfort and convenience features, performance/capability, driving dynamics, safety, fuel economy, overall refinement and, of course, value.  

Few products reflect the accelerating pace of change more than the automobile.  Whereas many of yesterday's new models were not much more than styling updates, today's redesigns are more often leaps and bounds ahead of their predecessors in every way.  Accordingly, it takes an exceptional product to be named Kelley Blue Book's Best Redesigned Vehicle.  

A variety of new or improved design innovations contributed to the 2011 Honda Odyssey capturing the Best Redesigned Vehicle honors from the kbb.com editors this year.  Its lower roofline and improved aerodynamics are keys to the 2011 Odyssey's class-leading highway fuel economy, while the wider stance not only enhances its exterior appearance, but also translates into significantly more useable interior space.  The Odyssey's innovative features are legend, and this time the split third-row Magic Seat is joined by a three-mode second row that greatly improves passenger comfort.  

Not only is the Odyssey equipped with a robust array of active and passive safety features, but it also has a total of five LATCH child-seat attachment points, the most on any currently available vehicle.  The kids also will appreciate the available rear entertainment system with a 16.2-inch ultra-wide split-screen display with HDMI video input.  Other added features include the available 'cool box,' front bag hook and flip-up trash bag ring, all of which illustrate the fact that Honda designers thought long and hard about users' needs as they conceived the new vehicle.

Dozens of vehicles were redesigned for the 2011 model-year.  In addition to the award-winning 2011 Honda Odyssey, rounding out the top 10 finalists for kbb.com's 2011 Best Redesigned Vehicle were (in alphabetical order) the BMW X3, Ford Explorer, Hyundai Sonata, Infiniti M, Jaguar XJ, Kia Optima, Porsche Cayenne, Toyota Sienna and Volvo S60.  

The year 2011 marks the second time in eight years that a Honda model has taken the Best Redesigned Vehicle title.  Ford took top honors in 2004 for the F-150, 2005 for the Mustang, 2009 for the F-150 again, and 2010 for the Taurus.  Honda broke Ford's initial streak in 2006 with the redesigned Civic coupe and sedan, and Chevrolet won back-to-back in 2007 and 2008 with the Silverado full-size pickup and Malibu sedan, respectively.

Vehicles usually are redesigned every four to five years, although some brands wait longer to redesign their models.  

"Each model year, auto manufacturers continually raise the bar in providing consumers with top-notch vehicle technologies, performance and design," said Nerad.  "With the Best Redesigned Vehicle accolade, we honor the models that exceed all expectations."  

For more information about the 2011 Best Redesigned Vehicle and the top 10 finalists, visit http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/2011-best-redesigned-vehicle.  

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, visit www.kbb.com/media, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), or like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb. 

About Kelley Blue Book ( www.kbb.com )

Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, has provided vehicle buyers and sellers with the new- and used-vehicle information they need to accomplish their goals with confidence.  The company's top-rated website, www.kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, including the Fair Purchase Price, which reports what buyers are paying for new cars.  The company also reports vehicle pricing and values via products and services, including software products and the famous Blue Book® Official Guide.  According to the C.A. Walker Research Solutions, Inc. - 2009 Spring Automotive Website Usefulness Study, kbb.com is the most useful automotive information website among new- and used-vehicle shoppers, and half of online vehicle shoppers visit kbb.com.  Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com also is a W3 Silver Award winner, sanctioned by the International Academy of Visual Arts.  Kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, used car values, car reviews, new cars for sale, used cars for sale, and car dealer locations.