2012 Minivan Buyer's Guide

by Martha Hindes

Road & Travel Magazine Names the Honda Odyssey
2012 International Minivan of the Year

And the winner is...

We all know the reputation minivans have, don't we? And the mountain of fodder they've regularly contributed to Grade B stand up comics. You've probably heard variations on the themes. The much maligned mom-mobile that comes with the territory after a first trip to the maternity ward. The blah transport anyone from six to 16 can't wait to grow out of. The hippo on wheels that dominates the high speed lane, in perpetually slow motion.

In testing minivans for Road & Travel Magazine's 2012 Minivan Buyer's Guide we quickly understood just how much these vehicles can offer, and why they have become a smug symbol of smarts in a world often dominated by left brain, lead footed road warriors. During test drives, we kept finding some of the most inventive ideas ever thought of for vehicles. We discovered there's as much cargo space as provided by a pickup truck bed -- and all of it inside and protected from the rain. And we learned minivans no longer lag along on underfunded engine power but at times can blow the doors off some unsuspecting competition when jumping away from a red light.

Despite fierce rivalry from inventive competitors, we choose the 2012 Honda Odyssey as International Minivan of the Year in the minivan variety pack challenge. Not only is its appearance updated and handsome, and it handles well with authority, but we're still recalling the wealth of ingenious add-ons that kick it over the top.

See pricing and specs for all 2012 minivans at Automotive.com    Full Story