Cargazing
By Derek Price
Last time I drove the Honda Odyssey minivan, I fell in love with its newest feature: a built-in vacuum cleaner called the HondaVac.
I just had one gripe about it. You could only get the HondaVac if you bought the pricey, fancy-pants Touring Elite trim level for around $45,000. And if I bought a brand-new, top-of-the-line luxury van like that, I’d be mortified to think of my kids spilling messy crumbs and grinding up Cheerios into the carpet with a ferocity that required a permanent vacuum.
“I’m hoping Honda makes it an option on more affordable trim levels in the future,” I wrote at the time.
Well, wish granted.
For 2016, Honda has introduced a much more affordably priced trim level that’s perfect for families with young children. It’s called the Special Edition, or SE, and is priced around $34,000 to make it much more attainable for average-income families.
It comes with what I consider the three must-have features for a workaday family van: the vacuum cleaner, rear-seat video screens and a 115-volt outlet to power your electronics. And because it doesn’t come with some pricey, high-end amenities like leather seats, a navigation system and power lift gate, it costs a whopping $11,000 less than the loaded-up Touring Elite luxury van.
It just makes sense and was exactly what I asked for.
Honda has rolled out a new Special Edition Odyssey that offers value pricing for 2016. It has several features popular with families, including a rear-seat video system, for around $34,000.
So, in case any other car companies are listening to me:
— Ferrari, please make a two-seat roadster that competes with the Boxster and Z4. I would love you forever.
— Alfa Romeo, please make a minivan that has some personality design-wise. A track-day suspension package would make it Daddy Heaven.
— Nissan, please bring back a modern version of the 240Z.
— Ford, for heaven’s sake, please stop teasing us and bring a new Bronco to market. And when you do, let OJ Simpson do the unveiling.
As for the Odyssey, the biggest surprise of my week-long test drive was just how quiet it’s gotten in comparison to the previous generation. My wife drives a last-generation Odyssey, and compared to this new one it sounds like a bass drum line playing Stravinsky in a hurricane.
Until Alfa comes out with my dream van (fat chance), the Odyssey remains the sportiest driving minivan on the market. It offers good acceleration, braking and steering feel in a segment that, for whatever reason, seems to assume drivers don’t care about that sort of thing.
Honda’s hottest new family-friendly feature, a built-in vacuum cleaner called the HondaVac, is included in the affordably priced Odyssey Special Edition for 2016.
It’s got some stiff new competition, though, in the all-new Chrysler Pacifica minivan that just came out. The new Chrysler is such a step up from old Chrysler vans that it’s worth taking a look at, and I think the Chrysler is the best driving van on the market right now — something I’ve never been able to say before this year — although considerably mushier riding than the sportier Honda.
If you’re buying based on reputation, though, it’s hard to top the Odyssey. Honda’s van has long stood for longevity and dependability, and that translates into crazy-high resale values on the used-car market. That’s something to think about in the long term.
Overall, I think making the HondaVac available in a more affordable trim level is the perfect move for the Odyssey. This new Special Edition has the features most families want and comes at a price most families can actually afford.
You’ve got to love that combination.
At a Glance
What was tested?
2016 Honda Odyssey SE ($33,650). Options: None. Price as tested (including $900 destination charge): $34,550
Wheelbase: 118.1 in.
Length: 202.9 in.
Width: 79.2 in.
Height: 68.4 in.
Engine: 3.5-liter V6 (248 hp, 250 ft.-lbs.)
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 19 city, 28 highway
RATINGS
Style: 6
Performance: 7
Price: 9
Handling: 7
Ride: 6
Comfort: 7
Quality: 9
Overall: 8
Video Review:
2016 Honda Odyssey
bit.ly/16odyssey
Why buy it?
The new Special Edition Odyssey is perhaps the best value on the minivan market right now. It offers a built-in vacuum cleaner and rear-seat entertainment system for around $33,000, and it has a stellar reputation that translates into high values on the used-car market when it’s time to trade it in.