HONDA’S NEW ODYSSEY A ‘FABULOUS VEHICLE’
Mother of twins says 2018 model swayed the stigma she associated with minivans
Dionne Dillabaugh understands a minivan is a practical family hauler, but she thinks the vehicles carry a bit of a stigma.
“They’re just so ‘mom,’” she said after spending a week with a new 2018 Honda Odyssey Touring model. “I mean, I tend to think many people do express themselves by what they drive, and I’ve always considered a van to be conservative.”
Not without a sense of irony, Dillabaugh is a mom. With her husband, Darren, the couple has young and active twins. Now six years old, Avery and Grayson spent their youngest years being carried around in either Dionne’s 2011 Audi Q5 or Darren’s 2012 Ford F150.
“A lot of my friends have minivans,” Dillabaugh added. “And one friend drives a Honda Odyssey. I was told my tester would be the Cadillac of minivans.”
This is Honda’s fifth-generation van, with the original version having been first introduced in 1994. The Odyssey has come a long way since then. The van now features a new 3.5-litre SOHC direct-injected V-6 engine that makes 280 horsepower, which is 32 more than the outgoing model. Honda offers six trim levels, from base LX to top-of-the-line Touring. All are equipped with the same engine and nine-speed automatic transmission, with the exception of the Touring, which is upgraded with a 10-speed automatic that further improves combined city/ highway fuel economy to 10.6 L/100 km.
The eight-passenger van wears all-new sheet metal. Compared to the 2017 model, it is longer, narrower and taller but the wheelbase remains the same.
Even with the Odyssey’s refreshed external architecture, Dillabaugh said she couldn’t find anything really captivating about the design when she arrived to pick it up — not even the twotone 19-inch aluminum wheels. In fairness, it was dark and a wicked snowstorm had landed on Calgary’s doorstep.
That wasn’t disconcerting for Dillabaugh. She learned to drive in this city and is used to the vagaries of Alberta’s winter weather. After getting her licence at 17, Dillabaugh drove her parents’ Nissan Maxima and new VW Beetle. Her first car was a used 1986 Honda CRX that she drove until 2001. That’s when she bought a new Neon, followed by a Jeep TJ Sport and then the Audi.
In the next year or two, Dillabaugh said she and Darren would likely be looking to upgrade the Q5. The twins play hockey (thankfully, on the same team), and that means a larger vehicle to haul their gear. Will a minivan be on their list when it comes time to shop?
The Odyssey did its best to sway the family.
After getting into the van, Dillabaugh was confronted with what she described as an unusual gearshift control system with console-mounted buttons.
“I’m glad I was shown how to use it,” Dillabaugh said. “I’m sure I could have figured it out, because it’s not really difficult to use, but I’d have had to sit there for a minute.”
After learning the intricacies of how to put the van in gear, Dillabaugh set out to adjust the 12-way power driver’s seat and the mirrors to her liking. She found all controls for these adjustments were intuitive and easy to use.
The heated leather seat warmed up very quickly, as did the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Dillabaugh remarked that interior fit and finish was “great” and said it felt near luxury.
Dillabaugh said the engine performed without fault, and there was always enough power on tap to drive the front wheels through the 10-speed transmission.
All of Dillabaugh’s time in the Honda was spent driving on snow and ice-covered streets. Neither she nor her husband ever felt uncomfortable with the handling or the traction. Also, the van never felt cumbersome. In fact, in parking lot situations, Dillabaugh was impressed with how easily the vehicle could be manoeuvred into a tight space.
That’s when the power sliding side doors enchanted Dillabaugh, as they were easy to open for the kids without fear of bumping the neighbouring vehicle.
“Those doors would have made a tremendous difference when the kids were much younger,” she said. “And I really liked the fact I could open the doors or the power rear liftgate from the key fob, or by pressing a button while sitting in the front seat.”
The Touring model is packed with technology aimed at keeping an entire family happy, including an in-vehicle PA system and rear-seat monitor. Avery and Grayson “were in dreamland” with what Honda refers to as its Advanced Rear Entertainment System, which includes wireless headphones and 10.2-inch highresolution screen.
“I’ve never had such quiet drives,” Dillabaugh said of the systems that kept the kids entertained. “We did discover Apple CarPlay, and I got my phone connected with no trouble and I did appreciate that feature.”
She concluded, “I really enjoyed driving the Odyssey; it is a fabulous vehicle. But, I’m not a hard minivan convert.
“I think the thing is that since I only have two kids I can still easily get the features I need (minus the sliding side doors) in an SUV or crossover, which I feel is just a little more stylish.”