Battle Wagon: The 2018 Honda Odyssey Elite

The 2018 Honda Odyssey Elite.

About that headline...

For all the talk about how the hottest segment of the market is in small crossovers (which is true), the tightest battle in the biz is between minivans.  Only a few thousand copies a year separate the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna and the Honda Odyssey.  The Pacifica being the newest design and an excellent interpretation of what a contemporary minivan should be, it's gained a slight advantage over the Sienna and Odyssey, which haven't seen a re-design since 2011.

Until now, that is.  The Sienna is still awaiting an update...but the new Odyssey is here now.  And it's more than ready for battle.

2016: A Cheaper Odyssey (The 2016 Honda Odyssey SE)

The 2016 Honda Odyssey.

Minivans have become expensive.  At least in fully tricked-out form.  The last time we drove a Honda Odyssey, it was the 2014 Touring Elite model.  Base price $44,450.  With destination and handling charges, a shade over $45,000.  A 2016 Touring Elite stickers at $44,750.

But what if you could get an Odyssey with some of the more popular options for about eleven grand less?

The One Feature That Makes The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite Worth Every Penny

The 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite.

"Cheap minivan" has become something of an oxymoron.  You're talking more than $25,000 to start for the base model of anything other than a Dodge Grand Caravan, a long-in-the-tooth design that can be had for the bargain-basement price of $20,595.

$28,825 (plus destination and handling) is what it takes to even say hello to the lowest of the five Honda Odyssey trim levels, the LX.  Leaping to the other end of the spectrum and getting a minivan with all the bells and whistles...the new-millenium equivalent of a loaded Country Squire...that's more. A lot more.

The base price of the 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite is...

Dodge Grand Caravan SXT Review

Ignorance is bliss.

During my week in the Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, I was won over...the user-friendliness, utility and ease of driving erased misgivings I had about the materials inside being a cut or so below that of a Honda Odyssey.

It was delivered without a window sticker, so I checked the Dodge website. Base price $27,825. Reasonable, bordering on a bargain.

I knew it was loaded...but I didn't realize how loaded until I asked for a copy of the sticker. This minivan had more than $13,000 in options...jacking the bottom line all the way up to $41,385. No longer reasonable nor a bargain.

So what could I live without if I were playing with my own money?

Honda Recalls 412,000 Odysseys and Elements

Honda is recalling 412,000 Odyssey minivans and Element SUVs from 2007 and 2008 for a soft brake pedal. Honda says not all of them have the problem, but they're recalling them all to "assure all customers their vehicles are performing correctly."

Full news release from Honda regarding the recall here.