There
were vans, microbuses and other types of multi-passenger
vehicles. Then Matra of France came up with the minivan
concept, so the Renault Espace vehicle was born and
became an instant success on the marketplace. That same
concept infiltrated the U.S. market via the AMC division
picked up by Chrysler, and even people far from being
a motorhead have heard of the Dodge Caravan or the Chrysler
Voyager/Town & Country. These siblings became the
ones to beat, and now every manufacturer features a
version or more of a minivan.
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Honda
has picked up the ball in the minivan game and is offering
the Odyssey, which was a fine vehicle in previous generations
but nowhere near what it has become. We loved our fully
loaded tester, which capped at $34,610 with a base price
of $25,000. It drives effortlessly in the city and is
completely comfortable on the highway. We managed to
get close to 500 miles on 17.5 gallons with a good load
out of a 255 horsepower V6! Our hats to the engineers
and their Variable Cylinder Management system that shuts
unused cylinders. We got going to 90 MPH without notice
nor lack of power. The car is certified ULEV2 and will
go to 100,000 miles before it needs a tune up.
Electronics
abound: a cool navigation system with voice recognition,
a rearview camera for easy parking, a busy entertainment
package with XM satellite radio, a rear DVD system with
wireless surround-sound headphones, 6 Disc in-dash CD
audio system and Homelink. The vehicle even boasts a
storage space with a Lazy Susan within the floor area
to make access to your accoutrements easier. All of
a sudden, the lives of parents and children have improved
tremendously.
The
cabin is spacious, pleasant and comfortable. Converting
the third row of seats to cargo is instant and easy.
Side doors are remote-controlled, electronic and continue
to operate should you switch from park. Plus there are
more cup holders than drinks you could think of. And
the automatic climate control zone will keep everyone
at the right temperature.
Warranty/Service:
CARB-Certified ULEV2, 100K+ miles, no scheduled tune-ups
(under normal conditions).
Related Content:
Check out the 2015 Honda Odyssey 5-Door Touring Elite
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