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The Honda Odyssey is a fine example of the popular minivan vehicle. It is ideal for carrying the whole family, the shopping, the family dog or your tools of trade.

The Odyssey is powered by a V6 3. 5 L engine which produces 244 hp. The EX-L and the Touring models also feature cylinder deactivation during cruising, which reduces fuel consumption on the open road. There is no need to be concerned about noticing a loss of power though, because you barely notice the device has cut in when you are driving.

The good fuel economy is a feature of the Odyssey. The EPA rating is 17 miles per gallon around town and 25 miles per gallon along the highways. Combine this with beautiful handling, responsive steering and a tight turning circle and you have a vehicle that drives more like a luxury vehicle than a minivan.

Not only does the Odyssey perform well, it also looks good and has a great road presence; not at all like many minivans driving around. There were some changes to the exterior of the car for the 2008 model; the whole front end received a makeover and a memory function was added to the side mirrors for safety and convenience.

The new features continue on the inside, to add to the unique driving experience. The rear view mirror has a reversing camera for easy reverse parking; the front and middle doors are power assisted, even in the base model, and all Odysseys come with MP3 and CD player, airconditioning, cruise control and an adjustable steering wheel.

The EX range has a powered driver seat and sliding doors, alloy wheels, additional storage and fully zoned climate control. The EX-L range adds leather trim, sunroof, heated front seats, satellite radio and a DVD to keep the passengers in the back entertained. Top of the range Touring also has Bluetooth, an upgraded audio unit and adjustable pedals for extra comfort.

Safety is so important in vehicles today and Honda has excelled in this area with the 2008 Odyssey. Standard safety features include traction and stability control, anti-lock braking and brake assist, and front and side airbags. The Odyssey performed brilliantly in front and side crash tests with both the NHTSA and the IIHS, scoring the top rating with both organizations. You and your family will travel safer in the Honda Odyssey.

Have you noticed all of the fine cars across the world? One car that we just have to tell you about is the Mazda MPV. You see, it seems as if there are many car enthusiasts out there and they just have to have a piece of these hot wheels. In 1989, a revolution occurred in the wonderful word of automation; the rough weather, rough road friendly minivan arrived in America. Established players could only stand by and watch while the Mazda MPV had everyone applauding.

Design was at the heart of its innovation; its compact size coupled with customary flap doors as opposed to the sliding doors featured in competitor drives set this machine apart. It was powered by an optional V6 engineer four-cylinder with rear wheel drive being standard. Competition responded aggressively with improved maneuverability, versatility and engine power and the Mazda MPV faltered, loosing all its initial fire and promise.

In 2000, a second edition machine was released. This new seven passenger, minivan with front-wheel drive was still smaller than its competition boasting an array of new family friendly features.

The second-generation machines that entered the new millennium set out to prove that size did matter; the new front wheel drive, seven-seat minivan was still more compact than the competition while boasting new features.

Flexible multi configurable seating designs and a first in class roll down window mechanism in sliding doors were bold innovations reminiscent of its early spirit. Maneuverability, flexibility and design were the driving forces of this machine.

The second row passenger seats came with an innovative slide feature offering bench configuration. Another convenience feature was presented in the form of a fold down mechanism in the third row seats, which could also be rotated round to face the rear of the minivan when the tailgate was open. The seating system did however have one drawback, cargo space. The lack of it was a disadvantage in its positioning as the perfect family carrier.

While the improvements were many and significant with features like keyless entry, convenient slide open doors, CD entertainment systems, cruise control, individually heated mirrors and passenger seat air conditioning this new installment of the MPV continued to disappoint the key performance area of engine power. In the years that followed numerous steps were taken to improve the power of the vehicle however this remained an area in which competition was stronger. The power upgrades in 2002 included a 3. 0liter 200HP V6 and automatic five-speed transmission, 17inch alloys, upgraded break systems, improved suspension tuning and power side-slide door mechanisms. Then again in 2003 a family entertainment theater system by way of a DVD player was introduced as an optional feature. The Mazda MPV had found its niche; versatile space management, entertainment and space efficient design features keeps it relevant to the family market.