Review Of Honda Odyssey SE - Now 2016 Honda Odyssey SE stands for 'Special Edition'. What makes this van so special? Well it's all the features you get, and you don't need to spend $60,000 to get them. First off, it has a DVD entertainment system with second row flip down screens. It also has XM Radio, and yes, we not making this up, it also comes with the Honda vacuum. That's right. In the trunk, it's got a vacuum! Of course a minivan is only as good as the engine that propels it. And this is a good one. This is the 3.5L Honda V6. It has V-Tech, and it puts out 248 horsepower to the front wheels, which is quite a lot of power, actually. But the really cool trick about this motor is the fact that it has cylinder deactivation technology. So what does that do? Well…what happens is that when you're just loafing along on the freeway, it only uses 3 cylinders, which is great good fuel economy. But, punch the throttle and instantly you get all six. That means it's both powerful and and economical. You're looking at 28 miles to the gallon on the freeway, 19 around town. So yes, I said this car comes with a vacuum cleaner. It's right in the back. They call it the HondaVAC. Check that out! It's amazing! Oh yeah, and it's also got tons of storage space back. If I want even more, I just flip those down, pull, pull again, keep it pulled. So much space! That right there is why you buy a van. In the back, lots of room because, of course, it's a van. We also get a pull-down entertainment system with wireless headphones. Second row passengers can also control their own airflow with these tiny little vents. A person who sits on the right gets their own little control panel right up there. Second row access is as easy as sliding the seat forward and stepping in. In the back here we get we own power outlet, headphones, as well as an RCA video input. It's really neat, it's kinda like my own little world back.
One of those little vents. In front, the feature list continues. Let's go ahead and power it on with the push button start. Now we always think this is kind of a weird place to put a transmission, but it actually makes sense. It's accessible, it's just right there. None of this reaching all over the place. Once a car powers on, we can clearly see a top screen and a bottom screen. The top one is information only. The bottom screen is a touch screen for me to be able to control things like my stereo, XM Radio… The great thing about a Honda Odyssey isn't just that it has a list of features, but that they've actively thought about how you want to use those features. Of course, a lot of people who buy vans also have kids. And kids in the back may not agree as to what they want to watch or the temperature that they want to be at. So to that ends, we have overrides up here. We hit a button, and we can set the rear temperature independently, which is really cool. We can also turn the fan off or on in the back, and when it comes to entertainment, though they have their own screen and their own remote, I can override whatever they're doing right here. I just hit a button and we have full control over the DVD system. Very cool. Very well thought out.
Now of course the useful thinking continues with massive cup holders, a large storage tray with a bin underneath that could eat probably 20 iPads. In front here, we have the slot for the DVD discs, we have another storage bin, and we have what appears to be a weather sealed USB port. We guess chaos happens in the front of the family van, so better keep those ports covered when not in use. we have a USB for iPhone or whatever, and below that we have a universal power jack. And below that is an auxiliary input if you have some other media player that you want to interface. Moving on over here, we have a steering wheel with it's a plastic steering wheel but it has a nice touch to it. We also have bluetooth hands free. We have control here for the stereo as well as for cruise control. Wiper control with a wiper in the rear, of course. And the gauge cluster is a more traditional setup with TAC on the left, speed-o on the right. Overall, this is a very comfortable, very familiar driving environment. Okay, enough going on about the details. Let's go ahead and take this van for a ride. Like I said before, you don't need to spend $60,000 for a van that comes nicely equipped.
As tested, this 2016 Odyssey SE is $34,225 including destination. So what are you giving up versus the other models? Most importantly, the SE doesn't come with every active safety option. Yes, it does have the really cool lane watch blind spot system, but to get forward collision litigation and lane departure warning, you need to upgrade to the EXL. Then there's the full driver and passenger blind spot system, which is only available on the fully loaded touring elite. Just something to keep in mind when you decide to price out one of your own. Beyond the obvious futility, there is something even more amazing about this vehicle- and that's the way it drives. If you had visions of rolling down the highway bobbing and bouncing like the vans of yesterday, the Odyssey will set you straight very quickly. This is a van that drives, well, like a car. Suspension and handling are excellent. This is especially amazing considering it weighs more than two tons. The bottom line is that if you've ever hunned the van lifestyle, maybe it's time to look again. This Honda Odyssey may just make you a believer. And that's our look at the 2016 Honda Odyssey SE. Thanks for read Review Of Honda Odyssey SE.
