2018 Honda Odyssey Pros and Cons

2018 Honda Odyssey Pros and Cons

Honda‘s had a great run with the Odyssey minivan and the latest version has been updated to better suit the needs of minivan customers.

The 2018 Honda Odyssey is all new and was the first model to sport Honda’s 10-speed automatic transmission. It also introduces a host of technological and utility based features that help set it apart from other players in the segment. Make sure to check out our review, but here is a brief look at the pros and cons of one of North America’s most popular people carriers.

ALSO SEE: 2018 Honda Odyssey Earns Highest Safety Ratings from Both Agencies

2018 Honda Odyssey Pros and Cons

Pros

Exemplary Performance and Handling: The Odyssey transports passengers and all their luggage in comfort, but this minivan is not content with just being a people mover. The way it rides and handles is not too far off from a typical crossover. The 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine and 9 or 10-speed automatic transmissions hustle this vehicle to a sub-six second zero-to-60-mph time and does so with an agility and composure that belies the vehicle’s size.

Classy Styling (for a Minivan): No one’s expecting a minivan to turn heads, but the Odyssey avoids looking boring and has some bold character lines integrated into its sheet metal. Complementing the overall modern look is a trendy floating roof effect. It’s a design that’s fancy enough to get some attention but not so much as to come off as trying too hard.

ALSO SEE: 2018 Honda Odyssey vs Chrysler Pacifica Comparison Test

Big On Safety: Having a vehicle that constantly ferries your precious ones means you will have safety on the brain regularly. The Odyssey excels in this area and recently got awarded the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, which is the highest honor for safety standards in the U.S. In addition, Honda’s smart sensing suite of driver assistance tech including collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control have your family’s back too and make the drive less stressful.

Very Reliable: This is a Honda so ownership will likely be filled with lesser unscheduled trips to the dealer, access to a robust dealer network across the nation, and a powertrain combo that will last for a long time.

ALSO SEE: 2018 Honda Odyssey Review

2018 Honda Odyssey Pros and Cons

Handy Family Friendly Features: There are a host of available technological and functional features which make the Odyssey more than your average minivan. A newly introduced Magic Slide seating system has outboard second-row seats that don’t only move up and back, but also side to side. You can also slide a seat in toward the middle of the vehicle, and all the way forward, to open up extra-easy access to the third row. A cabin control app through a smartphone allows passengers to adjust the front audio system, rear entertainment system and rear climate control. Finally, a smartphone inspired brand new infotainment system sports a tile-based user interface enabling you to organize the positions of your favorite apps in the order you prefer. Of course, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard with the system and an available built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot connection can be activated at just the touch of a button.

Cons

More Expensive Than the Competition: The Odyssey comes with a few unique features that might justify its price premium over the rest of the competition, but for those buyers looking for the best value for money, the premium may serve as a disadvantage when stacked up against cheaper vehicle options.

Not a Fuel Sipper: The Odyssey’s combined fuel economy of 22 mpg is respectable, but a competitor like the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid can manage up to 32 mpg on a combined cycle. Something to consider when shopping around.

Second-Row Seats Cumbersome to Remove: Removing the second-row seats in the Odyssey requires quite a bit of effort — they don’t neatly stow away like in the Pacifica. Drivers would have to remove the entire bench, but the seats themselves are not exactly light either. Anyone who needs to do this regularly will get frustrated with the tiring process eventually.

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