Two Good Drives of Different Sizes
One of my normal tests for any vehicle is how well it handles our standard packing for a long weekend away, a trip we make regularly to visit our grandson in Connecticut.
Our gear generally consists of two suitcases, a combination backpack/camera bag, laptop, several tote bags, booster seat, and several bags of groceries.
Over the extended July 4 weekend, our vacation test car was a 2013 Fiat 500C Abarth Cabrio, the performance-convertible version of the Fiat 500. Price tag (with destination and options) was $53,600.
The fun factor, cuteness factor, and driving experience of the Fiat are right at the top of the charts. However, the carrying capacity leaves much to be desired. After carefully packing the trunk several times, we put the top down and filled the back seat (er rear shelf) from above instead of trying to squeeze through the space left with the front seats folded forward. We headed to Connecticut having barely found room to stow this average load, the stuff that normally fits easily in the trunk of a mid-size car.
It was a fun drive, enough so that I took the long way through the hills and back roads to enjoy the 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir engine and five-speed, heavy duty manual transmission. They worked superbly as did the tuned raspy exhaust and sport-tuned suspension.
On the way, we got a call from our daughter: Could we pick up our grandson at daycare?
Well, we could pick him up, but there would be no place to put him.
Solution: Drive to their house. Unpack some of our gear, then backtrack a mile and fetch him.
That worked.
However, when he clambered in back, he announced: “Hey, there’s no room for my feet!’’ We managed to find enough legroom for an almost-6-year-old by having Mrs. G pull the passenger’s seat all the way forward.
Many a week goes by without a test car’s rear seat getting a real test.
Not this time. At our weekly bowling league, teammate Terry Quinn asked if we could give her a ride home from Exeter, NH, to Amesbury, MA.
“Sure,’’ we said, followed quickly by, “uhhh … did you see the size of what we’re driving?’’
“Oh, I can get in there,’’ she said. And so she did, nimbly getting in back, again with Mrs. G’s seat all the way forward. When it came time to get out, all she needed was a hand to grab so she could pull herself out, an amazing feat and one that caused an observer to ask: “Is that one of those cars the clowns use in the circus?’’
Part II of the Vacation Trip Test was to load up a vehicle with a week’s worth of vacation gear and food for a group of five at a Cape Cod rental.
The Fiat 500C was out of its league when faced with this task.
After a few calls, we arranged a test trade, the Fiat for a 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan.
You can get into a base Odyssey LX for $29,655 (including destination), but there are seven available trim levels. Our test model was a top-of-the-line Touring Elite with a sticker price of $45,280.
Besides a full array of safety features, it had leather seats and a rear entertainment system with wireless headsets. It can seat six adults in comfort, eight in a pinch with an easy-to-access third row.
With the third-row seats up, there’s a deep well behind the seats, enough to hold a week’s worth of groceries. We folded those seats flat, a simple task accomplished by pulling a pair of straps. Then there was room for all of our gear … and more.
In addition, the Odyssey had two features that you don’t see everyday. One was a built-in vacuum cleaner with a hose that stretches far enough to clean the entire vehicle. They system has enough strength to remove all the spilled sand from feet, towels, chairs, and umbrellas after a day at the beach. The second feature is a simple addition to the passenger side of the center console, a purse hook.
Mrs. G gave the purse hook full approval, and I got to thoroughly test the vacuum.
The new Odyssey is just hitting dealer showrooms.
All trim levels have the 3.5-liter V-6 with six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel-drive. Available on the top levels is forward collision and lane departure warnings.
The new Odyssey bumps up fuel economy by a mpg in both city (19) and highway (28) driving. We found the seats, ride, and accouterments comfortable on a pair of back-to-back, three-hour trips.
On our final trip, we were headed to the Cape on July 7, the day of the 25-mile traffic backup of drivers trying to leave the area at the end of the holiday weekend.
Oh well, we figured, the Odyssey will be a comfortable vehicle if we get stuck in similar traffic going home next Sunday.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to find out.
The next day we got a call: “Honda needs that van back.’’
Fortunately, the vacuum had it cleaned up nicely for the exchange.
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