WASHINGTON — The minivan isn’t really the most exciting vehicle to grace the roads, but they are family friendly and able to haul up to eight people and carry cargo. I recently put some miles on an Odyssey Touring Elite doing what it does best — hauling the children home from a trip.
I always find that when picking up our children, especially from the grandparents, they come back with much more than they went with. Luckily, the Honda has plenty of space for four.
The Odyssey has a good deal of interior space — the third row of seats quickly folds into the rear floor well, allowing for the needed space. I didn’t feel cramped in this vehicle on the 270 mile trip home. The heated leather front seats are comfortable for those longer trips, something I can’t always say for the Hondas I’ve driven. Both second and third rows can handle adults, although it’s best to use the second row of seats where there’s good space even for longer trips.
There are some softer touch materials in places, but mostly harder plastics throughout the cabin. One of the nifty items is the Honda Vac that is hidden in the rear cargo area. The hose will reach all over the van, so you can keep the big Honda cleaned up inside.
The Honda Odyssey Touring Elite is the top trim level, and is priced at around $45,000, which seems steep until you look at what a smaller crossover goes for. The minivan isn’t usually a style leader either, but Honda has tried to spruce up the looks a bit. The 18-inch wheels try their best to fill the wheel wells of the Odyssey. There is even chrome trim around the side windows. The rear side windows slope down and are at different levels than the rest of the side glass. It’s really trying to not look like the minivan it is, though the large rear gives it away.
Driving the Odyssey with its peppy 3.5 liter V6 is a bit of a pleasant surprise. It had no problem staying with the pack on the road, and the six-speed automatic did a good job of keeping the V6 in the power when needed. It quickly goes for a higher gear for fuel economy when it could. This is a large vehicle that’s pretty wide, but it does a good job of maneuvering easily. It does take a bit of driving to get used to parking in tight spaces and adjusting to the size. The ride is good but there is some body lean when in tighter turns. It’s not a back road master, so don’t go pushing it unless you want sick kids in the back seats. However, it does a good job soaking up bumps and providing a mostly quiet ride.
The fuel economy wasn’t bad for a minivan. I averaged 25.3 mpg over 450 miles of mixed driving, which is better than the 22 mpg the sticker says.
The Honda Odyssey Touring Elite is a roomy minivan with plenty of seating and space for most buyers in the market. With a leather interior and the tech features that buyers are looking for, plus an onboard Vac, the Odyssey could be the right minivan for your family.
Editor’s note: Mike Parris is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association. The vehicles are provided by STI, FMI or Event Solutions for the purpose of this review.
