Honda's Minivan Hip Replacement

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Part three in our ongoing series features Honda’s Odyssey, and makes “hipper than thou” minivan marketing an official trend (remember kids, you need three to make a trend). Post-irony never saw this one coming…

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • MRL325i MRL325i on Oct 19, 2010

    No factory roof rack/rails on these things. Way to remove utility, Honda.

  • Findude Findude on Oct 19, 2010

    Never mind the ad, just look at that Odyssey. I have a 2002 Odyssey, bought new, which is probably the best car I've ever owned. It is certainly not the one I loved the most (it's near the bottom of that list), but I begrudge it a healthy respect for being very good at what it does. But, a couple of days ago I had a chance to drive a mid 1970's VW bus with a Westfalia camper package. I came back home and took a good look at the interior of the Odyssey. Imagine what I could do with a serious pop-up top on that thing. . . . . . Of course, the VW bus was two feet shorter and about a foot taller and the front crumple zone consisted of your shins. But still, why aren't the minivan makers of today partnering with some coach builder (Westfalia or Riviera or one of those) to offer families a minivan that comfortably sleeps four? Food for thought.

  • MRL325i MRL325i on Oct 19, 2010

    "But still, why aren’t the minivan makers of today partnering with some coach builder (Westfalia or Riviera or one of those) to offer families a minivan that comfortably sleeps four?" Because the makers have convinced too many that a minivan is a dorkmobile, so that would only add to the dork factor. Poncho tried it with the Azztec. I see many more Combi/Wetphalias around than those things. It is funny how they are trying to make minivans cool.

  • VanillaDude VanillaDude on Oct 20, 2010

    The reason for the SUV boom was the minivan. Minivans suck. I have been stuck with one for five years and loath it. It does the jobs it is tasked to do, but it is about as exciting to own and drive as a toilet. I am holding off replacing my wagon because if I get a new vehicle, my wife will stick me with daily life with this monstrocity because my family should always get the newest safest vehicle, and right now, it is this craptastic minivan. It tries. It really does. It has loads of comfy touches. It is silent. It is often complimented by other minivan driving parental drones. There is nothing wrong with it except for the fact that having one is like eating pretty sandwiches made of cardboard. You driving soul goes into a coma. Your testoserone plunges, and you swear you start to lactate and begin to wear white sneakers with mom jeans. These ad agencies are jacking with us. They know the truth. Minivans are rolling purses and about as interesting as making a Checker taxi cab a sports car by pasting rally stripes and a spoiler on it. So keep this Honda or Toyota or Dodge "man-van" crap out of my face. $40,000?! No way would I ever spend that much money on a product this stupifyingly dull. Ad agencies cannot just tell these minivan manufacturers that drivers have caught on to these machines as being rolling sensory deprivation tanks.

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