Voted the number one minivan by numerous sources, the 2016 Honda Odyssey brings a smooth and powerful ride, interior versatility and ingenuity, comfort and convenience and the latest in safety technology. While many other comparable minivans excel in some categories, the Odyssey is the complete package plus a few unique and useful features.
ENGINE & DRIVE
Equipped with a 3.5L six cylinder engine producing 248hp, the 2016 Honda Odyssey has more than enough passenger and cargo hauling power even with a full load. While other comparables have more powerful engines, the Odyssey has a happy medium between power and efficiency, posting consumption rates of 10.6 L/100km combined. Our 100km test of city driving yielded 12.6 L/100km. On longer road trips, the 2016 Odyssey keeps consumption levels at a minimum by shutting of engine cylinders when coasting and power isn’t required.
Overall, the 2016 Honda Odyssey drives smooth and comfortably with a low and wide stance to give a more confident, car-like handling, while passengers benefit from all the latest technology and sensors to keep things safe. Honda’s Active Noise cancellation makes the interior serene and relaxed, while an available acoustic windshield makes the interior even more quiet.
INTERIOR & EXTERIOR
A timeless, modern exterior adorns the 2016 Honda Odyssey and showcases a rear roofline spoiler, side accent lines, fog lights, an LED tail light bar and chrome trim. While effort has been put into making the exterior pleasing, in the end it still looks like a minivan and there’s no shame in that.
The real inspiration was clearly devoted to the functional and versatile interior. With spacious seating for up to 8 passengers and fully adjustable seating configurations, the 2016 Odyssey can accommodate virtually any combination of passenger and cargo quite comfortably. The middle row seats slide horizontally for added leg and hip space, while the middle seat slides forward up to 6 inches to allow room for up to 3 child seats in just the middle row (plus 2 more in the third row). The middle row seats are also removable to maximize the cargo carrying capacity for larger items. The third row seats fold flat with the effortless pull of a strap in a 60/40 combination. Even the front center console is removable for extra cargo carrying capacity.
The roomy interior fits adults quite comfortably, even in the third row! And there’s still plenty of cargo space even with the third row seats in use. When compared to a large SUV like the 2016 Honda Pilot, the cargo area is almost twice the volume when third row seats are in use. The ample storage compartments throughout the Odyssey allow items to be stored away for sight keeping the interior nice and tidy. To keep things even more tidy, the 2016 Honda Odyssey comes with an optional built in vacuum that stows away in the rear cargo area. It comes with various nozzle accessories and reaches all the way to the front. This thoughtful feature helps keep a clean vehicle even with messy kids!
A minivan isn’t complete without sliding side passenger doors and the 2016 Odyssey provides power sliding doors and a power rear lift gate which can all be opened and closed by the driver with buttons on the dash.
The simple and minimalistic dash includes two display screens and is adorned with black and chrome highlights. I found the control system for the dash displays could use a bit of improvement to keep things simple and optimized. I did like the old school volume control knob instead of the new touch toggle volume control on most other Honda vehicles. The 2016 Honda Odyssey also brings an intense and powerful 650W, 12 speaker, 5.1 surround sound audio system.
A 3 zone climate control with vents throughout helps to keep all passengers comfortable. There’s also an optional center mounted display for rear passenger entertainment. This super widescreen acts like a dual screen and allows separate content viewing (it can display a movie and video game at the same time, side by side) for rear passengers.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The 2016 Honda Odyssey is an extremely well thought out minivan with many welcomed but unexpected features. The 2016 Odyssey’s smooth and comfortable ride, spacious and functional interior with plenty of storage space for cargo makes for it an ideal choice for road trips as well as every day use.
With a full redesign expected to occur for the 2017 model, if you like what you see you better grab one while you can, especially since the 2016 Honda Odyssey starts at only $30,790.
