The Ride: 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite
The Price: $44,030.00
Seats: 8
I'll be the first to admit, my adoration for the 2011 Honda Odyssey was not love at first sight. In fact, I have yet to meet a minivan I would call attractive. Truth. However, as soon as I snuggled into the plush, leather heated driver's seat, and listened as my kids buckled themselves in quickly and peacefully engaged themselves in a couple of hours of sinfully-silent movie-watching, Odysseys sultry seduction scheme began.
Here are just a few features that had me begging for more:
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| Built in trash bag holder! |
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| Place for the purse! And room to store it in the center console too! |
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| Slim screen can play two movies/games at once without disrupting your view from the rear-view mirror. |
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Cup holders everywhere! |
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| Room to roam. No kicking the back of Mama's seat in the Odyssey. |
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| Count 'em four sets of LATCH connectors here... that means four car seats can be buckled in safely in Odyssey. |
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| Shades on all four rear windows - all four! |
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| Roomy third row - even for adults. Notice the cup-holders and accessory plug-ins? |
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| Easy to use headphones for when you DON'T want to hear their movies and games. And they turn on automatically when the kids put them on. |
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| Remove the center seat from the second row and voila! Instant pass-thru. |
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Loads of space - LOADS! This extra-deep cargo area held unbelievable amounts of stuff. To add to my adoration, the Honda Odyssey was as comfortable as it was convenient. Automatic heated and adjustable seats with ample lumbar support made this Mama feel right at home - better than home actually, my couch isn't heated. Ahhhh, heated seats. The one thing that can mirror the warm-rosy feeling you get from that happy glass of wine at the end of a long day. Great for those aching muscles. With comfort and convenience covered, let's talk performance - what does it feel like to drive the Odyssey? Perhaps my husband would be a better person to ask since HE is the one who tacked a speeding ticket onto our turkey-day travels. Yep, Odyssey is quick, but smooth- quick, not roller-coaster-quick. Braking was also smooth, but what was most refreshing with Odyssey's drive feel was the handling. Odyssey cornered very well with little to no top-heavy tilting during sharp or never-ending corners. That is new and notable in the minivan class. Now, I know this review may seem "gushy" to some. But the 2011 Odyssey is truly fantastic. Some may even be so inspired by it they decide to start a family just for an excuse to buy one. Now, I am not predicting the 2011 Honda Odyssey will start a baby-boom or anything. What I am promising, however, is that any hubby who manages to produce this stunning piece of metal over the holidays will certainly be getting a lil' extra himself this season. Just sayin'... |
