A New Addition: 2006 Honda Odyssey

We first shopped for a minivan back in 2002 when we were expecting our third child. We looked at several different models, but chose a black Mazda MPV with a body kit mostly because of the way it handled and because of the way it looked. Also, at the time, the Honda dealers were very reluctant to move off of MSRP. The MPV seemed to have most of the same features of the Honda Odyssey in a compact size for a better price. Of course, I underestimated the depth of my shallowness and soon discovered that I couldn't get over the fact that it was a minivan and we traded-in the MPV soon afterwards.

Things have changed a lot in four years. The Sequoia that I had so much fun in is gone. Mazda MPVs have suffered poor reliability. The minivan market seems to be oversaturated and sales are slowing. The Honda Odyssey is now in it's 3rd generation with a 244 hp engine and has the reputation of being the best handling minivan. Honda Canada is offering big incentives like 1.9% financing and $2390 cash back for it's year-end clearance. On top of that, I've accepted the fact that we are a minivan family--there's no denying it--we are expecting our fourth child!

So we have a new addition in the garage. It's a 2006 Honda Odyssey Touring in Nighthawk Black Pearl with black leather. With all the bells and whistles like a Rear Entertainment System, an Alpine GPS navigation system with voice recognition, a rear-view backup camera with front and rear parking sensors, and a power lift gate, I figure it has enough buttons and doo-dads to keep me occupied. Oh, yeah, there are 17 cup holders, too!

We have no plans to sell the STI, but when the new baby arrives, it will no longer be our full-time family-mobile. The two vehicles actually complement each other well. The Odyssey is smooth, quiet, luxurious and we can cruise in comfort. The STI has the raw power and a 6-speed manual that reminds me what driving is all about. The Burgman continues to be my full-time commuter vehicle.

Anyway, we picked up the van last Thursday and already found a new game to play: What can we say wrong to get the computer to do what we want? My kids love this! The best one so far: "Radio, ninety-poo point five F.M." :lol: