Taking an Odyssey into 2016

January marks the beginning of a journey to a new year. Most of my friends create new year’s resolutions to guide their vision for the year. As for me, I also reflected on the logistical support I needed to make my envisioned journey for 2016 possible. After all, the figurative “journey” we experience each year is defined by the physical journeys we take each day. 

As I thought about a car to travel with in 2016, my attention was caught by the Honda Odyssey. While the name “Odyssey” is synonymous with the word “journey,” Honda’s luxurious minivan proved to me why it deserves to be associated with its namesake.

Traveling with the Odyssey made me feel pampered and comfortable.  Sure, 2016 didn’t make my problems disappear. I still had to deal with Metro Manila traffic and tons of paperwork, but I dealt with these issues in comfort inside the Odyssey. 

The Odyssey’s “Captain Cradle Seats” feature ottoman footrests and long-sliding, articulating backrest seats which make riding a relaxing experience. The last row of the Odyssey has three individually reclining leather seats, which can be folded to give more luggage space or to allow the second-row Captain Cradle Seats to be pushed back for super-wide leg space.

Top of the line technology features adorn the Odyssey. Among my favorites are its 7-inch touchscreen audio display with navigation, multiple ports for various needs (power ports, HDMI and USB ports, Bluetooth, iPhone and iPod connectivity) and 9-inch screen rear entertainment system with DVD player (really great for staying entertained in traffic or long-distance driving).

The Odyssey’s power sliding doors allowed me to board or alight the vehicle without having to touch the doors. I found this especially helpful on those days when I carried several things—i.e., a laptop and handbag in one hand, a briefcase of documents and a pack of snacks in the other. (Yes, I’m one of those people who insist that I can do without a helping hand, and I have a habit of walking around like a Christmas tree dangling with several items)

The Odyssey runs on Honda’s new Earth Dreams 2.4-litre DOHC i-VTEC system and Earth Dreams Technology Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with paddle shifters. Based on my first-hand experience, the handling is light and responsive for drivers (which I found to be impressive for a minivan) while the ride for passengers is smooth and stable. 

The Odyssey’s Econ Mode lets the driver manipulate throttle, transmission, and air-conditioning settings for improved fuel consumption.

All in all, the Odyssey showed that each journey can be a pleasant experience. 

We can expect 2016 to be, as in all other years, accompanied by challenges and problems. We can’t expect life to be easier or external conditions to be better as time passes, and that is what new year’s resolutions are for—to help us improve the things within our control to make our journey for the new year better.

As for our physical journeys, we can’t expect traffic to suddenly disappear or distances to shorten, but we can do something to make our everyday trip more comfortable and more enjoyable. Having the right car can help us achieve that. In my experience, the Honda Odyssey is the type of car that will make you look forward to each new journey…one that will make you want to take an Odyssey into 2016.