Ace of Base: 2018 Honda Odyssey LX

Just about every sporting event I’ve ever attended – whether it’s hockey, baseball, or car racing – has been enjoyed from the cheap seats. Boiling it down to one or two reasons, I was either too cheap or too tardy to secure tickets closer to the action. Nevertheless, I always enjoyed it.

Honda’s newest take on the family hauler, and Tim Cain’s favorite topic, also has a set of cheap seats. It’s called the LX. Let’s see if they are closer to the sky lounge or penalty box.

Every 2018 Odyssey comes equipped with Honda’s 3.5-liter V6 making 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft torque. In this variant, the LX, it is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission, as it also is in the next two trim levels. The 10-speed auto doesn’t appear until the top two models – the Touring and Elite.

Space inside is vast, and the van can tow 3,000 lbs. This figure is notably five hundred pounds shy of a base model Toyota Sienna but still well within the dry weight of several styles of family camping trailer. That extra quarter-ton of capacity shows up on the two high-zoot models with the 10-speed automatic.

The Odyssey LX includes the expected-at-this-price rearview camera but, surprisingly, it is a multi-angle affair allowing views of directly astern, top down, and wide angle. There is an eight-way power seat for the driver while the front-seat passenger is relegated to a four-way chair. They are not heated on the base model.

Air conditioning (with automatic climate control), cruise, and an adjustable steering column are all standard on the LX, as one would expect for vehicle retailing near thirty thousand dollars. Push button start eliminates the inevitable fumbling for keys after the marathon of installing Junior into his car seat, while rear-seat heater ducts ensure all hands don’t bake/freeze depending on the outside temperature.

Eagle-eyed shoppers will be able to spot base Odysseys on their dealer’s lot by way of that model’s black door handles; every other trim has chrome openers. The sole color not on the greyscale is at least a good one: Obsidian Blue. Shades of Deep Scarlet and natty Forest Mist don’t appear until the EX. 18-inch rims shod with 235/60 rubber aren’t small, so make sure to budget for replacements when the time comes.

Honda’s base Odyssey LX stickers at $29,990, $240 more than a base Sienna offering 16 extra horsepower and a brace of overhead cams compared to the Honda’s SOHC. The four grand walk to an EX model adds Honda’s suite of “sensing” tools, providing lane-keeping technology and adaptive cruise control, among other driving nannies. Honda’s trick Magic Slide second-row seats aren’t on the base model, either, nor are power sliding doors.

Ace of Base, then? Not totally, especially given the hike to an EX brings the aforementioned goodies plus a better infotainment system including Sirius radio and Apple CarPlay. Still, four thousand dollars is nothing to sneeze at, and buyers of the least-expensive Honda minivan will still get to enjoy its solid construction and super resale value. Perhaps life in the cheap seats isn’t so bad after all.

[Image: Honda]

Not every base model has aced it. The ones which have? They help make the automotive landscape a lot better. Any others you can think of, B&B? Let us know in the comments. Naturally, feel free to eviscerate our selection.

The model above is shown in American dollars with American options and trim, absent of destination charges. As always, your dealer may sell for less.