For this week’s Showroom and Tell, we return once again to Leith Honda in Raleigh. Today we’ll look at the 2014 Honda Odyssey.
Designed for minivan drivers by minivan drivers, it balances a spacious, functional interior with a bold, updated exterior. The combination of a new front end and modern LED brake lights in the back make the Odyssey recognizable from any angle.
Look under the hood and you’ll see two things. First, a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine that produces 248 horsepower and, combined with a 6-speed automatic transmission, earns the Odyssey an EPA rating of 19/28 miles per gallon city/highway. That’s the performance you expect from a Honda with the efficiency you expect from any car. Second, Honda’s ACE body structure, which utilizes high-strength steel and a unique framework to enhance passenger safety by directing energy from collisions more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle.
The real draw of the 2014 Odyssey is inside. This is an eight-passenger van and it’s built for it. The second row is easily adjustable and features a wide-mode when you want extra space. All three seats in the middle row are easily removed and adjusted with only one hand. Similarly, the third row is Honda’s trademark Magic Seat, split sixty-forty and able to fold completely flat with a single fluid motion. All seats have fully adjustable headrests, a testament to Honda’s commitment to standard safety.
When it comes to technology, simply think of what you want and it’s probably available in the 2014 Odyssey. Keyless entry? Check. Push button start? Check. Blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning? Check. USB audio interface? Intelligent multi-information display? Check. Come on, get more creative! The Odyssey is available with a cool box for storing drinks, a multi-angle rearview angle with guidelines, handsfree Bluetooth link, the Honda Lanewatch passenger side camera, an ultrawide fold-down DVD display with HDMI capability, and the first ever built in vacuum cleaner. It’s a good thing we’re writing this because if we were talking right now, we would be out of breath.
With all the versatility and technology, it has a huge value, and when equipped with Forward Collision Warning, it earned a 2014 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ safety rating, the highest possible, so you and your precious cargo will have unprecedented protection.
If you’re interested in reading about how the 2014 Honda Odyssey drives, read our own test-drive experience. For a full brief on all the Odyssey’s features, treat yourself to our walkaround video below. If you have any other questions, you can leave them in the comments, email them to comments@leithmail.com, or stop by and ask at Leith Honda on Capital Boulevard.