Best Honda Vehicles for Naples Beach Days, Weekend Trips & Everyday Utility
Naples and Southwest Florida are unparalleled as a recreational paradise, particularly given the region’s easy access to tons of beaches, several elite golf courses, and many other attractions within a quick day or weekend road trip. At the same time, certain things are non-negotiable in a vehicle, including its ability to transport your whole family comfortably, its willingness to get certain jobs done, and the number of things it can carry. There’s no better way to juggle all of those requirements than with the legendary reliability and capability of a Honda, though choosing a specific Honda model can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why Germain Honda of Naples assembled this guide that attempts to help you answer the most fundamental question about vehicle ownership: which one does exactly what you need it to do? Ready to learn more or see your favorites up close? Get in touch, because we’d love to help you out!
Best Honda for Beach Gear
Honda HR-V
Advantages:
- Adaptable size can seamlessly transition from work to play
- Available all-wheel drive
- Robust collection of standard tech and assistance features
One of the best things about living in Southwest Florida, of course, is that visiting the beach doesn’t have to be a major event. It can be done casually, on a weeknight or around other plans. So while vacationers from elsewhere might need a gigantic vehicle to account for everything when heading towards the ocean, locals have the luxury of routine. The HR-V is perfect in that regard as a subcompact SUV that can move seamlessly from a commute to carrying a cooler and an umbrella to an afternoon of fun. It also has available all-wheel drive, should the terrain be a bit tougher than a parking lot, and an available one-touch power moonroof for those times when “going to the beach” means “laying in your car and enjoying the sun.”
Best Honda for Families
Honda Odyssey
Advantages:
- Comfortable seating for eight
- Adaptable for cargo transportation, including a maximum 155.8 cubic feet of space
- Features designed to keep all three rows engaged and connected
The Honda Odyssey is truly legendary as a family vehicle. For starters, there’s its classic minivan styling, optimized to seat up to eight people, with its innovative Magic Slide® second-row seating making access to the third row simple and comfortable. Of course, simply having capacity is one thing, providing each passenger with a great travel experience is another entirely. The Odyssey does a superb job accommodating everyone with things like a 12.8-inch rear entertainment system dedicated to the back two rows, while features like CabinWatch® and CabinTalk® help keep the front row connected to the rest of the vehicle. Each Odyssey also comes equipped with the Honda Sensing® suite of driver assistance tools, making it both incredibly comfortable and as safe as possible.
Best Honda for Fuel-Efficient Road Trips
CR-V and CR-V Hybrid
Advantages:
- Best fuel efficiency of any Honda SUV
- Roomy for its size, including both cargo and passenger space
- Deep collection of standard comfort and assistance features
Outside of the Honda sedans and hatchbacks, the CR-V offers the best fuel mileage of any model with a traditional gas-powered engine, as the base models in a two-wheel drive configuration get 30 combined miles per gallon (28 city and 33 highway). The CR-V Hybrid, naturally, does even better, with 40 combined miles per gallon (43 city and 36 highway) on two-wheel drive trims, and 37 (40 city and 34 highway) on most all-wheel drive options. Of course, there are plenty of reasons to drive a CR-V beyond efficiency, including a standard maximum 76.5 cubic feet of cargo space, 71.8 cubic feet in the hybrids, to help you bring everything you need on that road trip. Its standard adaptive cruise control is another thing that might come in quite handy along your journey.
Best Honda for Cargo Space
Honda Pilot
Advantages:
- Most interior space of any Honda SUV
- Underfloor storage and reversible floor in the rear cargo area
- Programmable power tailgate, an invaluable feature when carrying heavy items
The Honda Odyssey offers the most interior cargo space of any Honda vehicle, with a whopping 155.8 cubic feet when all rear seats are removed. However, when limiting the conversation to SUVs, it’s the Honda Pilot that takes first place, with up to 113.7 cubic feet to store camping equipment, furniture, moving boxes, or just about anything else. Of course, it’s not just sheer volume that makes the Pilot so impressive, it’s also the number of storage-optimized features it includes. The rear cargo area, behind the third row, includes two of the most significant features, as a removable section of floor can help hide valuables or isolate wet equipment. That floor is also reversible, with one side featuring plastic as protection against dripping coolers.
Best Honda for Weekend Projects
Honda Passport
Advantages:
- Available easy-to-clean leatherette seating
- Large capacities for both towing and cargo
- Power lift tailgate with hands-free access and walk-away close
Though the Honda Passport’s reputation is that of an off-road demon — one it can certainly back up through its standard and available features and equipment — it’s also incredibly useful for more routine work and household projects. Its 5,000-pound towing capacity is plenty to carry around equipment, if required, and flattening its rear seats yields up to 104.6 cubic feet of space for wood, pails, tools, and whatever else might be needed when running back and forth from your favorite big box home supply store. Of course, once the job is done, feel free to find a trail somewhere and take advantage of the Passport’s incredibly fun capabilities.
Best Honda for Buyers Who Want Truck Utility Without Going Oversized
Honda Ridgeline
Advantages:
- Versatile and unique dual-action tailgate
- Trail-ready hardware, including available TrailSport trim
- Wider truck bed and more payload capacity than competitors like the Nissan Frontier and Ford Maverick
Some people buy trucks for the aesthetic, while others just need to get things done while having a little fun along the way. If you fall into the latter category, you’ll love the Honda Ridgeline. It offers everything you truly need from a pickup, beginning with its 3.5-liter V6 engine that generates 280 horsepower and 262 LB-FT of torque. Its 5,000 pounds of towing capacity are enough for most small and mid-sized needs, and its 33.9 cubic foot bed helps support a payload of more than 1,500 pounds. Alongside all of that, the Ridgeline can be fully equipped for adventure, with the available TrailSport trim including an off-road tuned suspension, and all trim levels boasting an Intelligent Variable Torque Management™ (i-VTM4®) AWD System, as well as Intelligent Traction Management.