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Honda Test Drive: The best car for any group's Odyssey

Honda Test Drive: The best car for any group's Odyssey

(Adam Manwill)


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Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

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If you ask the average person what comes to mind when you say "minivan," you’ll probably get a response along the lines of "mom car." While that may have been true for minivans in the past, it couldn’t be farther from the truth of today’s minivans, particularly the 2020 Honda Odyssey.

I test drove the 2020 Honda Odyssey Touring for a few days this month, and as a single woman without children, I was impressed.

Safety like no other

No matter who’s in your car, whether it be kids, friends, or the church youth group, you want to make sure they feel safe and comfortable. With the 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, you can rest assured that you and your passengers will be safe and sound driving around in the 2020 Honda Odyssey.

Features like the automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blindspot detection and lane assist give you added assurance that your car can help keep you on track when sudden changes happen or when you get distracted from the road.

I loved the gentle lane assist feature—it softly vibrates the steering wheel to let you know you’re not completely in the lane, and then guides the car back into the lane. If you’re switching lanes and using a turn signal, you won’t have to worry about this feature kicking in.

Emily Swenson
Emily Swenson

Smooth sailing

The ride itself is one of the most comfortable and smooth rides I’ve ever experienced. In my community, we have a large speedbump that is unavoidable and altogether dreaded. My roommates and I each have different methods of clearing the speedbump that we think make it a smoother ride, but none of these methods are actually effective.

When I pulled into the neighborhood with the Odyssey, I braced myself for the bump—but I barely registered it. This car rides so smoothly that the horrid speed bump felt like a rock in the road.

The steering is also luxurious—when I got back into my own car after the test drive, I thought I had the parking brake on when I started driving. Compared to the glide of the Odyssey, my car felt like something was actually wrong with it!

Like the smaller car I drive every day, the Odyssey also has an impressive turn radius. I didn’t have to maneuver into my garage next to my roommate’s car with a sweaty brow and white knuckles on the steering wheel. I simply turned into the parking slot and that was it. No extensive turning and reversing to make it fit.

Interior bells and whistles

The features inside the car are where this gets fun. At the front, you have a large touchscreen for all of your technology needs. It comes packed with the convenience of Apple CarPlay, navigation, music and more. If you choose to use the Apple CarPlay, you can have the car read your texts out loud as they roll in, and you can voice your response so you’ll never take your eyes off the road.

The large screen, plenty of controls and push-button gear shift.
The large screen, plenty of controls and push-button gear shift.

There is also a small screen just below the odometer and fuel gauge that can be customized as well—you can see what song is playing, the navigation directions, and more. I liked this, because it was still relatively close to my line of sight—I didn’t have to look over to the middle of the car to see the song or the next turn.

There’s no shortage of power options in the Honda Odyssey. In the car I drove, there was a standard outlet (like you’d find in your home) as well as USB ports and cigarette lighters throughout the car. This is incredibly convenient for kids who use tablets in the car or adults who always need a phone charge.

Climate control is something I love since I am most comfortable with at least a small breeze of cool air running at all times. However, I realize I am not in the majority when it comes to constant air conditioning. The driver and passenger can choose their own climate settings, as well as the people in the back. But if the kids play around too much with the AC controls, you can take control from the front seat. The options are endless when it comes to parental control.

Along this same vein, the 2020 Odyssey remote allows you to warm up or cool down your car remotely, so when you get in nobody will burn their legs on the hot seats or shiver until the car warms up.

My favorite features

Vacuum included

As a clean freak, I was in love with the shop vac built into the back of the car. It has different accessories so you can clean any part of the car with ease. The hose is long enough to stretch to the front, as well!

The vacuum in the back of the car wraps up nicely into the side of the car.
The vacuum in the back of the car wraps up nicely into the side of the car.

Auto-locking

If you’re a forgetful person like me, you probably wonder about 20 times per day if you locked the car. That’s even more annoying when you realize you might have forgotten to lock it when you’re already inside the store or the house or at the top of the trailhead.

One of the best features (in my opinion) is the auto-locking feature; you just take your key fob with you when you get out of the car, and once you’re five feet away, it will lock with a beep. If you forget your keys in your car, the car will not lock with them inside.

Plenty of storage

This minivan is ready for any adventure you have planned. Whether you’re getting a group together for a camping trip, you’re taking the kids on a road trip, or you’re getting ready to move, you can fit it all in this car.

The deep storage in the back will help you fit all of the Costco groceries or vacation bags, and if needed, the third and second rows fold down to help you fit more. I like to take my mountain bike out and around the state, and it could easily fit in the back of the van with the third row of seats folded down.

I could honestly continue on with the many thoughtful features included in the 2020 Honda Odyssey, but it’s truly something you have to test drive for yourself. To learn more about the customization options, check out the Honda website.

Experience the smooth, safe and fun ride that is the 2020 Honda Odyssey. Find your local Honda dealer today to test drive one and see for yourself why this minivan is made for any group’s Odyssey.

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Emily Swenson

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