2020 Honda Odyssey: Don't get another crossover, buy one of these instead

Why do you people keep buying so many damn crossovers. If you want cargo capacity and seating space, you should really get one of these. [MUSIC] Now, I do not know what committee determine that minivans are uncool, but I would like to give them a stern talking to when it comes to efficiently hauling people or payload nothing is better, A minivan and arguably the best of the breed today is Honda Odyssey. Always a solid choice. This nameplate has now been around for a quarter century and five generations. It's grown so much since the first version came out in 1995, with its swinging doors and four cylinder engine. [SOUND] To commemorate this birthday, Honda has introduced a special 25th anniversary package. Now, this is a dealer installed option that should be available on all versions of the Odyssey from base LX model all the way up to the range thumping Elite version here. This package includes things like chrome plated roof rails, body side moldings and lower door garnishes. You also get illuminated seal plates. And unique fender badges, plus a special key fab. [MUSIC] All this new goody goodness costs $1,500 on its own. Or 2,800 bucks With the available 19-inch wheel package also new for the 2020 model year engine stops start and a 10 speed automatic transmission are standard across the Odyssey line up moving along depending on how its configured The Odyssey has room for seven or eight people. So go ahead toss those contraceptives in the trash. The third row seats are comfortable for adults, which is a major win. Plus there are air events and cup holders for passengers traveling in economy class. As for the second row, it's also quite nice both spacious and plush. The seats also have a nifty trick up their sleeve. Where's the center section remove these outer buckets actually slide from side to side. Now, this makes it much easier to access the third row or keep tabs on a child sitting in a seat here or just sit closer to your neighbor. In typical fashion, the Odyssey is loaded with storage cubbies from the front door panels. To the center console. To behind the rear most seats, there are more nooks and crannies than a loaf of sourdough bread. Power ports are also a plenty and there's even a wireless charging pad. When it's time to haul payload rather than passengers this van also excels. The back most seats tuck away in one smooth motion giving you a mostly flat floor. The only problem is the second row seats are a total pain to remove, they're nearly 70 pounds each according to my bathroom scale and they're super awkward to extract or install at least when they're out. The Odyssey should be able to accommodate four by eight sheets of building material. These may be slightly more comfortable, but in my opinion Chrysler's stow and go system is far superior. Those second row seats fold right into the floor completely out of the way. Now I've gotta go reinstall these silly things. [BLANK_AUDIO] But before I herniate myself check this out, touring and elite models come with an integrated vacuum cleaner. This thing is surprisingly effective at sucking up dirt or cracker crumbs, maybe even cleaning up a crime scene. [SOUND] Beyond the hand Ivac Elite models also get standard leather seating surfaces and an 11 speaker audio system. There's also a blu ray DVD player for rear seat passengers and tries on climate control. Plus the front seats are heated and ventilated. An infotainment system with an eight inch display integrated navigation and support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also included. This thing even has a volume knob that we're tuning dial is still MIA There are two other features of note here in the Odyssey. One is called Cabin Watch the other Cabin Talk. Now the former lets you keep tabs on people that are riding in the back seats. It's got a small video camera mounted up in the headliner. It's a. Pretty cool little feature. The other one is like an in vehicle PA system that also let you talk with people riding in the way back without raising your voice. [BLANK_AUDIO] But you know what does scream? The engine. No, it's not loud or unrefined, but this Honda makes a nice snarly sound when it's working hard. [SOUND] [BLANK_AUDIO] The only power plant offered in this not so many van is a three point five liter V six. It is rated at a healthy 280 horses with 262 pound feet of torque. As I mentioned earlier, it is matched exclusively to a 10 speed automatic transmission. Features like direct injection and cylinder deactivation help improve fuel economy, active engine mounts also keep things smooth when you're not running on all six pots, but no matter the model You should expect 19 miles per gallon in city driving 28 on the highway and 22 MPG combined. Now in mixed fairly heavy footed driving, I've managed around 22 and a half MPG, which is really pretty good. As for technology EX and higher models get Honda Sensing. That's the automakers excellent suite of advanced driver AIDS. Now this includes things like adaptive cruise control, Lane Keeping Assist, road departure mitigation, and more. Car. The adaptive cruise control works quite well, as does the lane-keeping system. If you do cross a line, the vehicle will flash a warning at you in the instrument cluster, and then it will nudge the steering wheel a little bit just to get you back into the center of the lane. This Odyssey is also equipped with blind spot monitoring, LED headlamps with automatic high-beams, power-folding side view mirrors Rain sensing wipers a feature that is particularly useful on this miserable cold and drizzly day. And electronic parking brake is standard across the range as is one of my new favorite features automatic brake hold. So basically when the vehicle is stopped, you don't have to keep putting pressure on the brake pedal it will automatically hold the vehicle stationary. Super helpful. Now as for performance the honesty accelerates with remarkable ease. No, it's not particularly fast, but it's quicker than you might expect for something this chunky. That [INAUDIBLE] in transmission makes the most of this vehicles' available power and it's usually quite smooth, though it is a bit reluctant to drop gears so if you wanna accelerate, if you wanna pass some slower moving vehicles you have really gotta dip into the accelerator to get it to drop a gear or five. [MUSIC] Another feather in the Odysseys cap our chart tapping crash test scores. If you plan on getting into a wreck, this thing should not be about Secure as a bank vault now I would love to crash this thing. I mean, the video would get dozens and dozens of views I'm sure the [UNKNOWN] Probably wouldn't like that very much. So check out this footage from IIHS look at that impact wow. [MUSIC] So after this in depth look at the 2020 Honda Odyssey have I convinced you to get one yet? Now, I certainly hope you'll consider one. This vehicle is safe and efficient. It also drives well it's comfortable, spacious and comes loaded with technology for families and even other folks and couldn't be an ideal option. As for pricing, this range toping model here stickers for $48,415. However, if you ain't that fancy, you can drive away in a base LX version for less than 32 grand. And yes, both of those prices do include, 1,095 in destination charges. For more videos, the latest automotive news and to read my full review of this Honda head on over to the road show.com. [MUSIC]