![]() Once we got past the giggles, the camera-based CabinWatch proved useful, while the microphone-based CabinTalk was just silly.Īt first, CabinWatch seemed like a gimmick. New in the Honda Odyssey this year are CabinWatch and CabinTalk, two optional systems designed for the monitoring of and communication between passengers. A Van Full of Gadgets Makes the Miles Melt Away ![]() Of note: The Sienna is the only minivan with available all-wheel drive, and the Pacifica is the only minivan with a hybrid powertrain (it’s a plug-in). That’s up a smidge from last year and higher than the base Pacifica (18/28/22), Sedona (18/25/21) and Sienna (19/27/22). The 2018 Honda Odyssey is EPA-rated at 19/28/22 mpg city/highway/combined. At least a handy button on the control panel disables it. Another fuel-saving feature, auto stop-start, could likewise use some polish while shutoffs are subtle, it shudders crudely upon restart. Response time is snail-like, and you feel every bit of the van’s 4,300 pounds off the line. The drivetrain’s Eco mode should be avoided it alters accelerator response and transmission tuning to save fuel. Again, the Pacifica is perkier from a stop and has more midrange grunt, but the Odyssey is no longer poky. I tested the 10-speed in the top Elite trim, and aside from the occasional awkward shift at low speeds, it’s quick and smooth. The 3.5-liter V-6 returns for 2018, but horsepower is up and the Odyssey feels more responsive thanks in part to two new transmissions: base models get a nine-speed automatic and uplevel trims get a 10-speed. It also has a more grounded, natural steering response. There’s less body motion over bumps and less lean in corners, and the suspension has a more controlled feel than the previous generation. While the Odyssey’s ride and handling still feel clumsy compared with the more athletic Chrysler Pacifica, they’re improved over the 2017. The 2018 model is quieter and has more pep, so you’ll no longer feel like a sea captain behind the wheel. The previous van was a chore to drive it was loud, slow and handled like a barge. ![]() Road trips with my family of five are memorable, but in that horrible stomach flu kind of way they often turn foul after miles of crabby kids and uncomfortable parents.Ĭue the new Honda Odyssey. The Road-Trip TestĪ parenting article I recently read concluded with this: “Life with little ones goes fast take trips, make memories.” It competes against the Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Sedona and Toyota Sienna compare their specs here. The new Odyssey wears a more chiseled body - a welcome update to its old concrete-slab-like styling - and gets a slick new multimedia system and improved handling. Honda addressed all of that with the 2018 redesign. The previous-generation Honda Odyssey sunk in the Ultimate Minivan Challenge thanks to unwieldy handling, a confusing multimedia system and blah looks. Minivans are the ultimate family vehicle, tailor-made to carry the most demanding and untidiest of creatures - kids - but to this point Honda has not had the ultimate minivan. Versus the competition: The Kia Sedona and Chrysler Pacifica have more style inside and out, and while the Odyssey bests the Sedona in features, it can’t quite match the Pacifica’s winning blend of comfortable road manners and family-friendly goodies. Practically perfect in every way, it dazzles with improved road manners, an intuitive new multimedia system and more creature comforts than a bottomless carpetbag. ![]() Doubt this is the case everywhere, but just something to consider.The verdict: Like Mary Poppins, the 2018 Odyssey is a capable, enchanting family helper. My friend bought an EX-L (different dealership though) but had to wait a few months for it to arrive. Might make EX-L's a little harder to negotiate on the price. it seemed like there were more Touring's available than EX-L's, at least in our area. We got about $2,300 under MSRP (plus life-time oil changes!) We haven't even revealed the RES to our young kids yet fearing they would always ask for it lol maybe show it off during our first big roadtrip. Ideally, I wish we could have just added the parking sensor as an upgrade to the EX-L. We live in a fairly congested area and wanted the parking sensor to help since this would be me and my wife's first time driving something bigger than an SUV. The only deciding factor was the parking sensor. We just purchased the 2023 Touring last week after debating between that and the EX-L.
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