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2018 Honda Odyssey Elite

2018 Honda Odyssey Elite
Melanie Hair Cut and Dark

By: Melanie Droz Shawcroft

Kid in a Candy Store

One would think it would be difficult to bounce back to a 6th-grade teacher, wife, and mom of two boys after a weekend with the girls, and one would be right! However, driving the 2018 Honda Odyssey Elite made it a smooth, exciting transition.

I was lucky enough to have the chance to stay home with the baby a couple days this week, but we were still responsible for bringing his big brother to school. Each morning, we jumped in the Odyssey using the remote engine start, dual power sliding doors, and hands-free access power tailgate. I was literally able to carry the baby, a stroller and Berrett’s backpack because my hands were completely free. Since the mornings are chilly, we were able to warm up with the tri-zone automatic climate control, heated steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats. The 2018 Honda Odyssey Elite can make any mom’s morning routine easier and more comfortable – there are also more than enough cup holders for coffee.

My 6-year-old was like a kid in a candy store all week when he got to take a ride in the Odyssey. He wanted to put the 2nd and 3rd-row sunshades up and down, he would go from sitting in the 60/40 fold-down 3rd row to the magic slide 2nd-row seats, and he especially enjoyed the Blue-Ray/DVD rear entertainment system with wireless headsets. He could drown out the noise of his little brother and watch PBS Kids, even if we were just driving a mile to his school. He definitely didn’t want to drown us out when we brought him Barro’s Pizza for lunch one day. He was showing off his brother just like I was showing off the Odyssey to all the other moms. The power moonroof with tilt feature, 19” alloy wheels, rear privacy glass and power folding door mirrors were enough to impress.

I was also impressed with the performance and safety of the 2018 Odyssey. With my normal weekend rituals of picking up the boys, quickly running into the store for a birthday gift and attending a 7-year-old’s birthday party, the Odyssey’s 280hp, 3.5-liter VTEC V8 engine got me where I needed to go quickly. With 19/28 mpg, we had plenty of fuel for our typical errands and with the 10-speed automatic transmission, paddle shifters and electric power steering, we felt a bit like a racecar at times. Even though I felt unstoppable, Honda knows better which is why the Odyssey is packed with safety features. The Collision Mitigation braking system with forward collision warning kept me from landing in someone’s backseat while getting on the freeway headed to the Science Center. With LATCH, VSA, ABS, EBD, FCW, LDW and LKAS, there is no scientific equation that can compete with the plethora of safety acronyms in the Odyssey.

It wasn’t all about the kids with the Odyssey this weekend. My husband and I enjoyed taking it to his work holiday party Saturday night. Although we didn’t walk away winning one of the enormous gift bags that were raffled off at the party, there were plenty of features in the minivan to be grateful for – premium audio system with 11 speakers, display audio with Honda Navigation, multi-view rear camera and illuminated visor vanity mirrors – just to name a few.   With an MSRP $46,670, the 2018 Honda Odyssey Elite is a perfect vehicle for this wife, mom, and 6th-grade teacher.

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