As a society, we have moved way past the dark years where we thought minivans were lame. They aren’t lame, and I’d like to take this time to apologize that they were ever made to feel that way. These days the van game has come strong with the camper van craze. There are so many objectively cool vans that it has become woefully easy to disregard the deep cuts from great Vandom. The 2021 Honda Odyssey shall not be overlooked any longer. 

That’s right! I have been quiet for too long. I am speaking up on behalf of the Honda Odyssey. You don’t have to have a $250,000 overlanding monster to enjoy the van life. Hell, you don’t even need a fancy Mercedes Sprinter conversion; the 2021 Honda Odyssey is there for you and has far more room than we saw coming. 

The 2021 Honda Odyssey cargo space

Autoblog tested the 2021 Honda Odyssey and realized it was a minivan. I’m kidding. Even though they are well aware of the Honda Odyssey’s purpose, its size and interior space still amazed the tester. 

As Autoblog tested, the Hyundai Palisade had been the best luggage storage for any three-row; the Odyssey blew it away. The Palisade could fit four large suitcases–cute. Honda says the Odyssey has a cavernous 32.8 cubic feet of trunk space. 

Road Trip monster 

The Odyssey is obviously a child carting superstar, but that’s not all it’s good for. The 2021 Odyssey is loaded with minivan-specific tech features. The thing is loaded with cameras, sensors, storage, and adjustable configurations. 

The 2021 Honda Odyssey comes with a 3.5-liter V6 making a highway-crushing 280 hp. The minivan also gets great fuel-economy for how massive it is. We are talking about 28 mpg on the highway thanks to the 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Elite and Touring models have a slew of cameras that give the driver a bird’s eye view of the back wing of the Honda. The back seats also have a variety of compartments and bag hook in the way back to keep things secure on your travels. 

The 2021 Honda Odyssey is straight-up comfortable 

The high-end-trim levels come with a new facelift and new, darker Shark Grey wheels. The new perforated leather seats in the front and second row. One of the coolest features is the HondaVac system that serves to suck up all manner of dirt, road-trip snack crumbs, and leaves. 

Look, I know every single one of these features is designed for kids. I’m trying hard to make them seem more adventure friendly and cool. The truth is, the hooks are grocery bags, the cameras are to check on babies, and the vacuum is to clean up cheerios after they’ve been smashed into the carpet. But I maintain that all those features CAN be adventure-supporting things. Also, kids like adventures, too. The Odyssey has your back. 

The Honda Odyssey is a strong move

Kids or no kids, this newest version of the Honda Odyssey rivals every large crossover and SUV in comfort, tech, safety, and space. In some of those categories, the Honda Odyssey destroys many SUVs. I understand that the Odyssey may not look as tough or help you pretend that it can go way off-road, but it is a strong move.