Maybe you’ve seen the commercials for the new Honda Odyssey minivan that tout its new on-board vacuum cleaner. Sure, you could haul out a Shop-Vac periodically to clean out your car, but what what if you could suck up those Cheerios right after your toddler drops them, no matter where you are? The new Odyssey offers a canister vacuum wired right into the vehicle so you can do just that.

The vac runs off the van’s power system, which gives you about eight minutes of cleaning time with the engine off, and theoretically unlimited cleaning time as long as the engine is running. It probably compares unfavorably to a separate vac, though, right? Not necessarily. Our rice-strewing colleagues over at Consumer Reports put the built-in device through tests alongside two hand vacuums and one canister model that did well in their tests. In terms of speed and ability to pick up stuff (pet hair, dry rice, sand, and of course cereal) the van vac performed comparably to the models that don’t come with cars.

However, it’s a matter of cost. The vacuum only comes with the top-of-the line model, which also includes a 12-speaker sound system and costs $45,000. You could skip all of that and buy a cheaper van, then pay $65 for that top-rated Dustbuster. You can probably live with spending some quarters instead if you need to clean out your car while on the road.

See, and I got through this whole post without a single “really sucks” pun. WAIT. CRAP.

Honda Odyssey’s onboard vacuum cleans up [Consumer Reports]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.