2018 Honda Odyssey
We all know the mini van is the ultimate mom vehicle when kids are in tow and big weekly schedules need to be conquered. The Honda Odyssey, noted to be approximately under $35,000, is one van we highly recommend despite the increasing trend of families purchasing three-row crossover SUVs. The minivan market is still highly competitive and still a comfortable one for moms alike. The 2018 Odyssey promises more convenience, more technology and more versatility (which we all need in our daily lives am I right?). The best of all? It’s mostly made of steel which keeps the family safer than most vehicles on the road.
The 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan shed nearly 96 pounds using higher-strength steels, aluminum and magnesium. The only magnesium on the Odyssey is the “steering hanger beam”, which is otherwise known as the instrument panel beam and yes there is aluminum but it’s mainly held to the hood and front and rear bumper reinforcements. Other than that, everything else is noted to be made of good old fashioned conventional steel.
How does it look? The overall look hasn’t changed much from previous designs but some changes are quite noticeable. There are new LED head- and taillights and the grille has a new look! It’s sleek and stylish and has a few new small curves here and there but overall, it’s still an obvious fancy minivan.
Earlier versions of the Honda Odyssey had a center section that was removable for the second-row seats, which allowed seats for three or individual chairs for two. The new 2018 Odyssey takes their versatility even further. Now, the middle section can be positioned even farther forward. When the center section is removed, the outboard seats can be cuddled up together with the availability to both slide toward the center. This allows families easier access to the third row. Honda’s trademark name for this multi-position second row is Magic Slide seats. These are standard on all available models.
Another category for growth is one we all can’t seem to live without these days…technology. The new Odyssey debuts several technologies for communicating with passengers in the back two rows. One is CabinWatch where an infrared camera is located in the overhead rear-seat-entertainment system and can provide the driver and front passenger with a view of the happenings in back. The captured image is projected on the dashboard’s central display screen, and pinch-and-zoom capability allows the owner to zoom in on his/her rear-seat passenger.
If your child likes headphones then you know communicating with a headphones-wearing pre-teen or teen can be frustrating at times. The new CabinTalk system is designed to rid of Mom’s frustration. With CabinTalk, the driver can speak into the microphone and be heard via the rear speakers or even the headphones plugged into the rear-seat entertainment system.
What else is new? The instrument cluster up front now houses a 7.0-inch color TFT screen, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen audio system. The Odyssey also has heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and wireless device charging! Last but not least, the HondaVac made a come back to suck up those goldfish between the seats. Whew! It’s a load of fun driving the Odyssey and the best of all, it fits the entire family comfortably and a couple of friends too!
