Cars.com announced Wednesday that the Honda Odyssey was named the winner of its Ultimate Minivan Shootout.

During the site’s first-ever minivan competition, it took six redesigned 2011 minivans under $45,000 and let them battle it out in a series of challenges, determining which one was “the best of the pack.”

The 2011 Odyssey came out ahead due to its styling, comfort and overall ride, Cars.com officials noted.

"Minivans haven’t always been so cool; in fact, some car shoppers have shied away from them," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com’s editor-in-chief.

"The reality is that today’s minivans are sleek, practical and drive very well, which fulfills the needs of many families. Looking at the Honda Odyssey, its overall package of innovative features, design and a great ride propelled it ahead of its competitors. The $42,000 price tag might seem steep, but the features that the consumer gets for that money are unbeatable,” Olsen stressed.

During the competition, Cars.com, USA Today and Motorweek representatives, along with an Atlanta-area family of five, tested the vehicles over a period of three days.

The first day’s events challenged the minivans on the highway, where judges determined the true gas mileage for each model over the span of 175 miles.

On the second day, it was the experts turn to try the six out. Expert drivers took turns driving each of the models, while evaluating and judging in the areas of comfort, handling style and functionality, to name a few.

On the third and last day, the Atlanta-area family studied the models from the viewpoint of a car shopper, focusing on which features and design aspects were most important to them.

"We wanted to put these minivans through real-life tests with input not just from the experts but from a family with children," said Olsen.

"This shootout takes into consideration the important insight of what the family thought was a good minivan and which one truly met their needs because their opinions are important and reflect what all minivan shoppers would want," he concluded.

Vans tested in the Cars.com Ultimate Minivan Shootout included:

— 2011 Chrysler Town & Country priced at $40,835.
—2011 Dodge Grand Caravan priced at $34,055.
—2011 Honda Odyssey priced at $42,250.
—2011 Nissan Quest priced at $38,040.
—2011 Toyota Sienna priced at $41,144.
—2011 Volkswagen Routan priced at $34,750.