Parents will welcome the Honda Odyssey minivan's coolest feature — an onboard vacuum cleaner

Honda Odyssey

Minivans are often stigmatized as boring vehicles designed to haul around families, but the stigma is unfair. Yes, a lot of parents drive their kids around in minivans. But that's because minivans are perfectly designed for the job.

Easy-sliding doors, lots of places to plug in and recharge devices, seating for up to eight people, ample cargo space, dozens of cupholders, and decent fuel economy without sacrificing power — what's not to love for a family of four, five, or more?

Over the decades, the minivan has been steadily improved, and these days many families see the segment as a two-horse race between the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna, with the new Chrysler Pacifica often in the conversation as well.

Here's what happens to those vehicles once they enter daily duty: they endure a parade of horribles when it comes to dirt, sand, crud, and spilled goldfish crackers. I owned a 2007 Honda Odyssey and had to go to the car wash for a vacuuming at least twice a month.

For the 2014 model year, Honda addressed minivan owners' pain by adding a storable, onboard vacuum cleaner as an option. (It adds $2,500 to the price of the top trim level, bundled with a premium sound system).

We recently reviewed the latest Odyssey. Here' what we thought of the HondaVac.