Used 2017 Honda Odyssey Touring Minivan Review

We get it. You've got a family now. You need a bigger car. You've considered SUVs, crossovers, even large sedans. Just anything — anything — but a minivan. You swore you'd never be that parent. You would hang onto style and grace even into parenthood, and a minivan just doesn't fit that scheme. We've been there. Trouble is, you're dismissing a world of convenience, comfort and contentment by rejecting the mighty minivan. And few vans come mightier than the 2017 Honda Odyssey.

Three-row crossovers look great, sure, but those third-row seats are often cramped and don't leave much space for luggage. The Odyssey's third row can comfortably seat two adults and leaves 38.4 cubic feet behind them for luggage and kid stuff. The second-row seats tumble forward for easy access, and the middle second-row seat even slides forward so front passengers can tend little ones in a car seat. And the Odyssey's smooth V6 engine returns an EPA-estimated 22 combined mpg, which is as good as it gets for a regular minivan these days.

These qualities are a sampling of what makes the Odyssey among the best buys in the class. On the downside, restrictive trim levels and options can make the Odyssey one of the pricier vans around, and it's worth noting that this is the last year for this particular generation (a new Odyssey arrives for the 2018 model year with engine, feature and design upgrades). But if you crave space, lots of it, and serene family motoring, you owe it to yourself to consider the Odyssey. Your younger self would approve.

Notably, we picked the 2017 Honda Odyssey as one of Edmunds' Best Used Cars.

The 2017 Honda Odyssey is offered in six trim levels: LX, EX, SE, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite. First in the batting order is the LX, which delivers maximum versatility for minimum dollar. Frills are few but still include power seats and accessories and Bluetooth phone and audio. The EX bumps it up with more convenience and tech, and the SE adds a few more useful parental touches. Think of the EX-L as a better-trimmed EX with leather upholstery, while the Touring and Touring Elite drizzle on further incremental premium and near-luxury touches.

All Odyssey models come with a 3.5-liter V6 engine (248 horsepower, 250 pound-feet of torque) and a six-speed automatic transmission. The LX's standard features include 17-inch steel wheels, rear privacy glass, dual-zone air-conditioning, power front seats, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, an 8-inch infotainment display, Bluetooth, a rearview camera and a seven-speaker audio system.

The eight-passenger EX comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, power-sliding side doors, keyless entry and ignition, tri-zone automatic climate control, a removable front center console, the LaneWatch blind-spot camera system and an additional 7-inch touchscreen with HondaLink smartphone app integration.

The SE includes a 115-volt household-style power outlet, an integrated vacuum cleaner, satellite radio and a rear-seat entertainment system.

The EX-L gives up the SE's additional features (except satellite radio) but adds a power liftgate, forward collision and lane departure warning systems, a sunroof, a chilled storage box, leather seating (front and outboard second row) and heated front seats.

Options include a navigation system with an upgraded rearview camera or a rear-seat entertainment system with the 115-volt power outlet. These two systems can't be ordered together on the EX-L.

The Touring model adds 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, front and rear parking sensors, driver-seat memory settings, the 115-volt power outlet, retractable third-row sunshades and a fold-down armrest for the third row. Both the navigation and rear-seat entertainment systems are also standard.

Finally, the Touring Elite adds xenon headlights, a regular blind-spot monitoring system (the blind-spot camera is nixed), the vacuum, an upgraded rear-seat entertainment system (with a widescreen video monitor and HDMI input) and a premium 12-speaker, surround-sound audio system with HD radio.