pet connection

I’m a lifelong member of the Bad Back Club. It’s not something that I’m proud of, but it’s the painful reality.

Every now and then, usually when it’s the least convenient for my schedule, the club comes to order by sending a sharp pain shooting from the base of my spine to my head, followed by a tremendous tightening of the lower back muscles in an attempt to keep my body as rigid as possible so as not to be subjected to any further pain.

This is not a club I would wish even my archest of enemies to join.

So the idea of lifting something — such as a couple of heavy, leather covered captains chairs — in and out of the back of a minivan just doesn’t appeal to me. Given the choice, I’d either leave the seats in the vehicle, or take them out for good. There would be no switching back and forth, going with seats one day, and without the next.

That’s what irks me about the 2008 Honda Odyssey. While the manufacturer’s designers clearly put a lot of time and attention into this vehicle, they fell short on the one thing that would qualify the Odyssey for great DogCar status: Seats that fold flat.

While the third row of seats — called “Magic Seats” by Honda — fold nicely and easily flat into a deep well in the floor, the second row does not. You can fold the seats down with back portion on top of seat cushion, but no further. So in order to achieve a flat surface capable of support crates or barriers, one needs to unlatch the second row seats — which include a little mini-seat and storage compartment called a “Plus One” — and store them in the garage, basement or attic until they might be needed again.

This just isn’t as convenient as other minivans on the market today.

When it comes to designing DogCars, Honda clearly knows what it is doing. This is evidenced by the fact that the Honda Element was named as DogCar of the Year. But without disappearing seats, the Odyssey appears to be a bit better suited for passengers of the two-legged variety.

Look for a full review of the Odyssey soon.