Just reading that title you might have scenes from “Rocky” playing in your head or think of the last boxing match you saw.  For the Odyssey it’s certainly a boxing match each and every year to stave off the likes of the Grand Caravan and the Town & Country from FCA along with the Kia Sedona and Toyota Sienna who are both always trying to get into the ring.  Even though these others may take some shots at the Odyssey this minivan continues to be the undisputed champ, giving families what they need from their van to enjoy a ride to the grocery store as much as a ride to a far off vacation destination.

What other minivans offer you an in-vehicle vacuum; none.  With this feature and the automatic sliding doors the Odyssey continues to show why it is a van that offers the right equipment and feeling to make it a great place for up to eight passengers enjoy the ride.  The model you get for 2016 is mostly unchanged from the 2015 only adding a new SE trim to go between the EX and EX-L.  This gives you a minivan you know is tested and come forward as the right choice.

One of the best things about the Odyssey is the use of space.  The third row is called a “Magic Seat” and offers a 60/40 split.  This seat will fold into the floor with one pull and the 2^nd row can slide outward to offer room for up to three child safety seats.  For those time when you need some places to put all the small items, there are lots of bins in this van for you to take advantage of along with several cup and bottle holders.  All the controls are easy to find and use, allowing the driver to keep their eyes on the road.

From the exterior, let’s face it, this is a minivan.  There is no disguising it, but the Odyssey does have some attractive character lines, a beautiful set of wheels and some chrome accents on the front and rear to offer an upgraded look.  The windows even have a “lightning-bolt” shape to them to give those in the rear a better view to the outside along with an intriguing appearance.  Even though this is a minivan, as far as they go, it’s one of the most attractive ever produced.

Driving is of course important and a minivan has the added responsibility of providing safety for little ones while giving them a smooth and comfortable ride.  The Odyssey takes its job seriously by giving you plenty of great safety features and offering a smooth ride suspension to ensure when you take that late night drive to put the babies back to sleep they are able to stay asleep.  The ride is smooth from the engine as well, giving you the right feeling of comfort in a minivan that can handle the rigors of any type of driving to be the best partner you can have on a long road trip.

One concern with many families is cost.  Because so many are on a tight budget a new vehicle is not always an affordable option, but the Odyssey certainly is.  At a base price that starts just above $30,000 the Honda Odyssey is a great value.  Moving up to the EX the price will start at $33,000 and the SE, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite will all ask for more money to reach a high of $45,500.  Even though this is higher than most other minivans the added features you enjoy are more than worth the cost.

One item that helps to keep costs under control is the fact the Odyssey is only powered by one engine regardless of the trim level.  This engine is a 3.5-liter V6 that has 248 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque.  With this engine matched with a six-speed automatic transmission the Odyssey will give you a fuel mileage of 19 city/28 hwy to enjoy.  This is actually the best fuel mileage in the class as the minivan makes use of the Variable Cylinder Management system which will shut down cylinders when not needed to improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

Other than being the best drive and offering the best fuel mileage the Odyssey has to give you some great features to justify the price.  The base model is the LX which comes with power front seats, a seven speaker audio system with the eight inch color screen, Bluetooth connectivity and a rearview camera.  Moving up to the EX gives you the eight-passenger seating, tri-zone climate controls, power sliding doors, push button starting and Honda’s LaneWatch camera system.  At higher trims the addition of leather is present along with blind spot monitoring and the HondaVAC.

Looking toward the options that can be added many are put into packages or offered as you move up trim levels.  Some of the stand-alone features include the backup sensors, the remote engine starting system, a trailer hitch, roof attachments, a tent, and 18-ich black alloy wheels for the Touring trims.  If you want to have leather seating for the EX you have to go to the EX-L and if you want the HondaVAC the SE and Touring Elite models are required to get this feature.  This makes it easy to understand when shopping and certainly gives you a fun list of equipment to consider adding to your Odyssey.

The two main features that were not discussed but are important include the interior functionality and the theater-like rear seat entertainment.  The function of the interior allows you more versatility than most SUVs especially with the ability to reconfigure the seating as needed.  The entertainment offers wireless headsets which often are only found on luxury models.  As you can easily see the Honda Odyssey is more than a minivan, it’s the perfect companion for your family for all outings regardless of duration or distance.  Stop by your Honda dealer and check out an Odyssey for your family today, you will be glad you did and so will your family.  See why this is still the champ when it comes to the minivan class.