Our 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan has only been with us for 2–months, but we’ve already racked up 4,000–miles, had the seats arranged in every configuration possible, and loaded it full of equipment for our annual trek south to our winter testing facility. 

This family truckster may not win anyone over on its exterior design, but that clumsy styling is just a clever disguise; as spending any time at all inside the cabin, reveals the Odyssey is really a luxury-sedan in mom-mobile’s clothing.

At least in this well-outfitted Elite; where heated steering wheel, ventilated seats, and premium audio are all standard.

Early reports are positive, with the 3.5-liter V6 averaging a fine 23.7 miles-per-gallon so far.

We’ve put just over 6,000-miles on this 2018 Honda Odyssey since it arrived in December. And it speaks volumes about how things are going when the only complaint in our log book over that time, is in regards to the cup holders. It seems one of our constantly hydrating staff members can’t seem to find a substantial water bottle or coffee mug that properly fits them; first world problem indeed. Otherwise, it’s been smooth sailing, whether we’re daily commuting or weekend getawaying; the 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 has provided smooth and seamless power. 

Aided by an equally good-natured 10-speed automatic transmission, we’re averaging 22.4 miles-per-gallon. And we still love the numerous storage options seemingly everywhere in the cabin, as well as space galore for hauling just about anything. With warm weather arriving, vacation season is about to kick in full, and the Odyssey will no doubt be a big part of that. 

In just five months’ time, we’re at the 10,000-mile mark in our Honda Odyssey minivan. Everyone thinks they’re above the “lowly” minivan, until they need to move something big, or take a basketball team to a post-victory party; and then they’re not so worried about the mom-mobile image.

The fact that the Odyssey’s 2^nd row seats don’t fold into the floor like the Chrysler Pacifica is well documented; but the seatbacks in our Elite tester don’t even fold flat, requiring you to remove them to haul long, bulky items. And, boy are they heavy. And while we’ve also commented before on the 3.5-liter V6’s great power, and are on record as not being fans of the push-button transmission control; we’ve heard no complaints yet, about the 10-speed automatic’s operation itself. It’s been smooth all the way.

Long term mileage has stayed fairly consistent, up a tick this go-around to 23.8 miles-per-gallon.

 

Another 2,500-miles added to our 2018 Honda Odyssey’s odometer.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again; minivans truly are the most practical vehicles out there. What other vehicle allows you to haul 7 or 8-adults in comfort one minute, and after folding and removing seats, haul full sheets of plywood or an 80-inch flat screen the next; all while being so easy to drive and park, you wouldn’t think twice about letting your neighbor borrow it for a few hours. 

While doing all of that and more, we’re averaging 23.3 miles-per-gallon from a 3.5-liter V6 that delivers power better than many V8’s from not long ago. Yes, there are many ways to “haul” in this family truckster.  

As for our 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan, this summer has been a busy one. We managed to travel another 4,500-miles since our last report, bringing its 7-month total to 13,900-miles. 

And we also made our first unscheduled trip to the dealer. We were getting some pulsing through the brake pedal, which was quickly remedied by a resurfacing of the rotors; no charge to us. 

Nothing else has gotten in the way of our enjoyment of this quiet and an quite luxurious cruiser. The 3.5-liter V6 engine continues to deliver gutsy performance, making uphill chores not so chorish. All while delivering 25.7 miles-per-gallon.

Visibility is great; and all of the tech. features are working just fine, including the much easier to use Garmin-based navigation system.   

We’ve covered 18,000-miles of mostly highways in the 8-months that this 2018 Honda Odyssey has been in our fleet. And as expected, this summer has been a busy one, taking us on odysseys up and down the East Coast. 

We’ve had interesting weather around here, epic rainstorms… extreme heat… and the Odyssey has handled it all in stride. 

We still enjoy the highly refined, almost luxury car experience; as well as all of the power from the 3.5-liter V6. Mileage is averaging a fine 25.6 miles-per-gallon, and it nudges 30 on long hauls.

But long or short haul, lightly loaded or packed to the gills, the Odyssey remains a great ride for a family on the move.    

Time with our 2018 Honda Odyssey is also winding down. We’re 9-months in, and the odometer has measured a healthy 21,500-miles. More than healthy, is our uptick in fuel economy, now sitting at 26.2 miles-per-gallon. 

It succeeds mightily at doing what minivans are designed to do, haul a big family around with great comfort, and once you remove and fold the rear seats, load lots of Costco sized cargo. 

Do we miss the all-wheel-drive and ground clearance of a crossover when the weather and roads turn bad? Sure, but it hasn’t stopped us from racking up the all kinds of miles in the Odyssey. 

“Most people are shocked when we mention a minivan in our list of favorite cars, but the Honda Odyssey has absolutely earned its spot. The miles we put on it this summer came mostly from vacation road trips; a number of those on flat highways to Maryland’s eastern shore, hence the increased fuel economy. It’s comfortable for the driver and the passengers, plus there’s so much usable space, we found ourselves bringing along completely unnecessary items.”

The summer travel season is now well-passed, but that hasn’t stopped our 2018 Honda Odyssey from racking up the miles. 

In 11-months’ time, the odometer sits at just over 25,000-miles. If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is. Factor in the…shall we say heavy-handed or footed nature of some of the drivers around here, and it’s amazing how well this Odyssey is holding up. 

Our 26.0 miles-per-gallon average is perhaps even more noteworthy, as power from the 3.5-liter V6 continues to be strong, no matter how many people or how much cargo we’re hauling. 

Most folks refuse to believe it, but the humble minivan is a much better choice for most families than the SUV they’re currently driving. 

We only have a few more weeks to keep driving and enjoying this one. 

Our year is almost up with this 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan, the most useful vehicle type of all time. With a few small exceptions, the Odyssey’s stay with us has been exceptional! Just like we are used to from Honda. It certainly “ran like a deer” over these last 26,000 miles of very hard use. 

Through all the road trips both long and short, seat comfort remains a true high point, and not just for the driver. Second row seats are equally comfortable; and that means less complaining from the brood in back.

There were a few nits to pick when the Odyssey first arrived, and we recently had a loose fuel filler assembly replaced under warranty. 

But, it’s been nothing but praise over the last few months; and average fuel economy has remained steady at 25.8 miles-per-gallon of regular, with over 30 during highway cruising.

Time to wrap up our time with the 2018 Honda Odyssey. This Elite-trimmed party for eight was a popular choice for road trips; evidenced by traveling 30,800-miles over just 13 months.  

In an automotive landscape that seems to have every possible automotive niche filled, sometimes you just need a minivan. And whether you are hauling the neighborhood’s brood; or just your own family with all of their gear, the Odyssey never disappointed. We even averaged a great 25.4 miles-per-gallon.

Other highlights were the exceptional ride, comfortable long haul seats, and near luxury-car refinement; not to mention the interior flexibility that truly makes minivans the Swiss Army knives of the automotive world. The Odyssey will be greatly missed. 

Volkswagen has thrown little updates at the 7th generation Jetta every couple years just to keep it fresh. And every time they’ve done that, we’ve had a GLI Long Term tester. Well, now this 2025 GLI Autobahn just rolled onto our lot, so let’s dive into the details.

The Jetta updates start outside with some alterations to front and rear styling. The lower grille is taller and here on the GLI there’s large mesh and the red accent now spans the entire width while the rear receives VW’s light bar treatment. The Kings Red with Deep Black roof costs an extra $455 while the GLI black package with painted 18-inch wheels, side mirror caps and a lip spoiler adds $650.

Inside, the dash has been revised pulling the 8-inch touchscreen out to give a table-style appearance and the passenger side sees a new design where the air vent seemingly spans the whole dash. The GLI gets a leather wrapped heated steering wheel as well as heated and ventilated front seats as standard.

This six-speed manual is a no cost option and it still connects to a GLI-specific 2-liter turbo 4-cylinder with 228 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft of torque. All-told, this 2025 Volkswagen Jett GLI Autobahn stickers for $35,045 after destination.

We’ve only rowed through the gears a couple of times, but we’ll have our first official update soon. In the meantime, reach out to us with all your questions and comments right here at MotorWeek.

This update on our Volkswagen Jetta GLI is a shorty; but, not for a lack of drive time, having added 1,300 miles onto the odometer in just a couple weeks.

That’s mostly highway, with a fair chunk spent “one-two-one” shifting in heavy Washington D.C. traffic, leading us to an observed 29.7 mpg, near the EPA’s 30 mpg combined rating. Our regular unleaded fuel economy may have also suffered thanks to our leaded right feet, as we’ve had proper fun gettin’ on it when we could.

Getting on the power generates some satisfying results from this GLI’s torquey turbo-four. We love the sporty weight of this clutch pedal, and the shifter feels nice and solid for spirited driving. Now, if we’re really hammering and we’re trying to rattle off lightning fast shifts, the throws feel a tad bit long, but as long as we’re precise, it’s very rewarding.

Our 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid long-term arrived just in time for some significant snowfall here in the Mid-Atlantic, and while we didn’t exactly drive through the deep stuff, we spent plenty of time on snow covered roads and it performed quite admirably considering we’re just working with front-wheel-drive here.

This is the first time Kia has put a hybrid powertrain in their minivan, and it promises up to 33-Combined MPG. But that cold weather has us off to a very slow start, as our average over the first 4,500 miles of driving is just 26.7 mpg. Still, that’s above average for a vehicle this size and way better than the 22.6 we got in the V6-powered Carnival a few years back.

The Carnival Hybrid uses an upgraded version of the Sorento SUV’s setup which pairs a 1.6-liter turbo-four engine with a larger 54-kW electric motor to produce a combined output of 242 horsepower, 15 more than the Sorento.

“The V6 powered Carnival certainly has plenty of get up and go, but the electric boost from this hybrid system adds just a little bit more. And despite the power still going only to the front wheels, it feels like it gets to the ground more efficiently. That’s to say we’re spending less time spinning our wheels here than we did in our previous long-term Carnival.”

Trying to leave winter to the salt trucks, our 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid has been on the move to warmer climates. We’ve put 7,000 miles on Kia’s latest sliding side-door Multi-Purpose Vehicle in just two months.

This Hybrid may work with 45 fewer horsepower than the standard V6, but torque output is a stout 271 lb-ft, getting to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. And it can spin up the front tires just as easily as the V6. But clearly, we’ve been keeping burnouts to a minimum as fuel economy is on the rise, now 29.0 mpg.

After logging a lot of early highway miles, this Carnival is now entering its around-town, daily-driver era. So far, the switch from battery-power to gas-power and then back to battery-power has been relatively seamless. There’s a quick burst of electric torque, which is just enough to get things rolling from a stop, before that gas engine fires up, which has played no small part in boosting our fuel economy.