As a child I had always been fascinated with cars — I blame that on my late dad who loved cars. In the house where we used to live, the wall in the hallway had built-in shelves where my dad displayed the scale model cars he loved and one day wished he would own. So, from the day I was born, until I was in my mid-20s it was these cars that greeted me as I opened the door of my room each morning.
My father died in 1995, and the following year I got my first job offer in a newspaper. I was 33 years old at the time. The job offered to me was to write about cars. It was a happy and sad time for me: happy because I knew my dad would approve and sad because he would never see what I had gotten into. And we would never have the lengthy conversations we did about which car was the best at the moment and which cars we would like to own.
This explains my love for cars, SUVs, APVs and test drives. There is nothing more thrilling for me than sitting behind the wheel and taking a long journey to wherever. The length of the journey is the reward — the destination, not always a bonus.
So, when I got the opportunity to test drive the 2012 Honda Odyssey recently, I wasted no time in scouring for the best destination.
“Let’s take this trip to Baguio,” co Lifestyle sub-editor collegue Lai Reyes said to me, referring to the invite of Rosary Ysmael-Palanca to try out Forest Lodge.
“Sige,” I anwered. “And, since I have the Honda Odyssey for the weekend, join ako.”
It was early on Saturday morning, 2.30 a.m. to be exact, that we finally made the decision about who the final road trip group would include. After all, we were off to Baguio primarily to be part of the inauguration of Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay.
Chonx Tibajia made it known that she wanted to join us. That got lifestyle artists Jojo Gamboa and Jerry Tañegra green with envy.
“Sige na, sama din kami,” they chorused.
Perfect. Four sleepy adults and one wide-awake driver. Baguio here we come.
As soon as we were all settled in the 2012 Honda Odyssey minivan, everyone made sure that they got to the seat they wanted and were comfortable. For a five-hour drive, comfort comes first.
I called back to my passengers and asked them if they were all comfy in their seats.
“Yes, super,” came the excited chorus. “Let’s go!”
LET THE DRIVE BEGIN
Odyssey’s powerful 3.5-liter V6 engine seemed to be having an easy time as I maneuvered the Odyssey from Makati to Port Area and back to Makati before heading out to the NLEX. I learned to adjust to this minivan’s size as I took to the inner streets of Makati.
Once I hit the NLEX it was green and go as traffic was light and even if there was a slight downpour the streets weren’t slippery. Because it was almost 3 a.m., the trucks seemed to be headed into Manila.
Before everyone started loading into the Odyssey I adjusted the seats. The “Magic Seat” system in the Odyssey allowed me to effortlessly and quickly fold the third-row seats into the floor with the simple pull of a strap. I really liked how Honda has made adjusting the seats an easy thing to do for any size of driver. I tried it out just to check if the back row could be used as sort of a bed for sleeping.
The 2012 Honda Odyssey minivan knows how to make the most of its interior space, and puts every inch to good use. Take the second-row seat design that can slide outward to allow child safety seats to be placed side-by-side. Of course, I am not tall, but I am sure that a tall person would be happy with the leg room in the third row of seats.
The Odyssey minivan can accommodate up to eight passengers, with a center-row seat that can be moved forward which is good if you travel with kids because the seats can be moved closer to the driver-parent. Once everyone is packed in for the journey, the 2012 Honda Odyssey ‘s 16-inch widescreen entertainment system and 5.1 surround sound speakers should have no trouble keeping even the most impatient passenger quiet.
I was sure that my four officemates were a bit disappointed that this driver had a preference for driving in silence, and besides, the only music Jojo had with him was of a band called Wolfgang. Duh?
The drive was smooth and we finally made it to Baguio in silence as dawn began to break.
By the time we reached the winding roads of Marcos Highway it was 6 a.m. I was surrounded by silence because most of my passengers were sleeping. Even Lai who was seated beside me had dozed off.
I enjoyed the uphill drive as I felt the power of the Odyssey’s 3.5 V6 engine as I overtook a few slow-moving trucks.
This is the perfect time for me.
I opened the sunroof and got a feel of the cooler Baguio breeze. There was a fog that was clearing as the sun began to make its presence felt.
We finally arrived at Session Road in Baguio at about 7:30 a.m. First stop was the hotel where Jojo and Jerry would spend the day.
The narrow streets of Baguio were easy enough to maneuver through, even with the Odyssey, as smaller cars give way.
I noticed though that there were so many more one-way streets in the City of Pines and I had to drive cautiously for fear of making a wrong turn.
Finally, we arrived at Forest Lodge.
I dropped off Lai and Chonx at the lobby and asked them to check in ahead of me.
I parked the Odyssey in the spacious parking area.
I got out of the driver’s seat to admire this machine of beauty.
STOP AND LOOK
Before I joined Lai and Chonx in the Lodge I took a good look at the Odyssey.
I noticed how close this minivan is to the ground, making it move more fluidly. Honda designed the vehicle this way to give their minivan a low, wide appearance. I shut the doors with the key remote and admired what looked like a lightning bolt on the side of the back doors. This design makes the Odyssey a minivan I would like to own.
I walked around the Odyssey with all the doors opened and looked closely at the seating for seven passengers, 17-inch wheels and I smiled to myself. I imagined what it would be like if I took my five doggies on board. Cool.
The all-new Odyssey has obviously been developed as an ultimate family vehicle that combines new styling, class-leading performance, advance family safety, and ultimate utility as Honda claims.
As I walked away from the Odyssey I smile to myself — and looked forward with more excitement to the trip back to Manila.