2020 Honda Odyssey

Honda has forever been a top contender in this range with a perfect blend of power, comfort, and dependability. It locks horns with its long-time rivals: Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, and Kia Sedona. Let’s see how it fares against the lot. Now it is equipped with a3.5 litre V-6 powerful engine, that ruptures out a horsepower 280 with a torque rate of 262 lb-ft. It has a big mass volume, however, drives like a smaller vehicle, with buttery smooth turns. You get more enhanced cargo space and passenger carrying versatility with Honda' s unique magic sliding seats.

Honda Odyssey’s comes in 6 trims LX, EX, EX-L, Touring and, Elite. The price ranges from $30,690 bucks for the base trim all the way to the highest model which comes at $47,325.  All trims are powered by the same 3.5L V6 which pumps out 280 horses and 262 pound-feet of torque. The 9-speed automatic transmission has been dumped and is now replaced by a new 10-speed automatic. There are no major changes amongst the trims, so buying your Odyssey will come down to matching your budget with the type of features you want.

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One should consider buying EX model or trim higher than the base as it has fewer more options available than the LX model, for instance, the radar adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, Honda' s autonomous braking system called collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation system. The higher model also offers you the four front LED lights and two fog lights.

The 2020 Odyssey comes with a decent 3.5L V6 engine which is shared among all the trims. The engine is silent and smooth, the way all minivan engines should be. All the trims are mated to a 1-speed automatic transmission as standard. Honda has not fiddled with the engine in the Odyssey but has bought novelties where required. There’s nothing really special about either gearbox but they are pretty decent for what they do. There are steering-mounted paddle shifters as well for manual control.

The engine is smooth, refined and convincing enough for the car, in fact, it pulls pretty well indeed. The power delivery from the naturally aspirated V6 engine is smooth and linear and surprisingly, the engine is willing to rev.

The Odyssey goes against the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna and the Kia Sedona. All these cars are very similar on paper with similar power and torque figures, all from naturally aspirated V6 engines. The Honda and Chrysler use 10 -speed and  9-speed automatic transmission respectively while Toyota and Kia uses an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Acceleration

 Honda Odyssey glides smoothly off the line, through gears. On the city streets and in parking lots it becomes manageable, just like a smaller vehicle. Not only does this car works wonder in the city, even on the highways it moves swiftly and is quite controllable. 

The driver will also notice car' s enhanced drivability when this car is carrying a full load of cargo and passengers, base model doesn' t comes with a lot of versions but the Touring and Elite versions come with a new, slick 10-speed automatic transmission, a world-first in front-wheel-drive according to Honda. A swift acceleration around the town. 

All of the minivans produce emissions in the range of 8-plus tonnes which is well within the limits. The Chrysler Pacifica comes a close second in terms of acceleration with 7.4 seconds. It is followed by the Toyota Sienna and Kia Sedona. 

Ride and Handling

Handling of the car is easy and sound, controls well in the city as well as on the highway. It changes direction a lot more crisply while piloting it, you wouldn' t realize it having three rows in the back. Odyssey' s steering is extremely precise, which offers a comfortable ride, with virtual feedback. However the new Chrysler Pacifica offers the same, but Odyssey pulls ahead way firmer and handles greatly around the corners even through transitions. It has a four-wheel independent suspension, which is the cause for a smooth balanced ride and minimal lean through turns. Everything well tied to a perfectly weighted multi-functional steering wheel. 

it’s a large car but when it comes to driving dynamics, the car is surprisingly good. For starters, it has good ride quality and the cabin is very refined and silent. It soaks up undulations on the road very well and your family would be very comfortable in the Odyssey even for longer rides. Also, the Odyssey is surprisingly well balanced. You can carry more speeds into a corner than you can imagine in a minivan and the Odyssey will do fine. The suspension is well-tuned to minimize body roll and keep the cabin comfortable.

Braking

The brake paddle is on the softer side and can easily stop the car, a minivan couldn’t ask for more. Although its breaking distance is not as great as other minivans, the Odyssey stops from 60 mph at 184 feet, slightly longer than the competitors.

Chrysler Pacifica has the largest brakes of the lot but that doesn’t necessarily translate to better braking performance. Kia Sedona has the smallest set of the lot. 

Clearly, the last year’s fuel specs were replicated for the current year as well. With a city mileage of 19 mpg and highway mileage of 28 mpg, the fuel economy remains intact in all the trims. However, the higher trims of Touring and Elite perform a little better, but it's not a game-changer.

The figures are better than those of the Toyota and Kia and quite similar to those of the Chrysler. The fuel economy figures are quite respectable indeed. 

Having enough room for multiple people in a single ride leads to the inception of the minivan theory and the Odyssey is true to the concept. The 2nd row and 3rd-row seats are the most spacious areas ever seen in the minivan universe. The second-row seats slide and recline to enhance comfort or make way for the 3rd-row seating and cargo area. Hauling and loading cargo and a cabin full of passengers from one place to another is minivan' s primary function, which odyssey does with a poise. Its second and third-row seats are amongst the roomiest in the segment. Its second-row seats are very comfy when compared with Pacifica.

Throw in some tech ingenuities and odyssey' s stylish class in the cabin is a perfect fit for the family. 2nd rows offer plush cushions and chairs that recline. The most comfortable seating you would ever ask for, the EX-L trim can accommodate up to 8 people with a great leg as well as headspace. Even in long distances you wouldn' t get tired of sitting in the same position, 2018' s odyssey has really done justice to comfy, hassle-free rides. It gets 4/5 ratings for its added comfortable long run rides.

The first row is the comfiest for all the vans both things start to change from the second row on. Chrysler has done a good job of providing us with the most spacious and comfortable second-row seats in this category. The Pacifica has foldable seats that completely vanish when folded, unlike the bulged out ones in the Honda. Toyota Sienna and Kia Sedona stay at the end of the list with the minimum flexible interior space and comfort of the lot.

Spill-Resistance cloth upholstery and an eight-way power-adjustable driver' s seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel. There is plenty of legroom as well as headroom, 12-way power-adjustable driver' s seat with memory settings, power sliding doors, and magic slide second-row seats, which adjust laterally, backward and forward in five different positions. A quality that would be literally loved by the kids of the family.

• Easy to use Infotainment system
• Vast cargo space, luggage efficient
• Old-school navigation system
• Voice recognition system
• Active moon roof
• Spacious and really comfortable seats

Infotainment System

The Odyssey's infotainment system is very responsive and easy to use, even for the parents. Although its USB port response is a bit stingy than the rival minivans. Available features include an 8-inch touchscreen (except for the base LX trim), which literally converts into a smartphone' s screen, thus creating easy usability. With the old system being laggy and unresponsive this one comes with an active Bluetooth and Android Auto, Apple Car Play. Other features include Cabin Control (which lets you send destinations to the Odyssey's navigation system and control the rear-seat entertainment system and climate settings with your smartphone),

Infotainment Features

• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
• Wireless smartphone charging
• Mobile hotspot
• Rear entertainment system (which plays Blu-Ray discs and has built-in apps)
• A 115-volt power outlet
• Sattelite radio
• USB Ports

Cargo Capacity

Odyssey might be well-styled but is a big box on the wheels. Its square shape and a low load floor mean a more cargo space, but some rival minivans do it better with less hassle, as you don' t have to put in, back-straining efforts to remove the seats.

There is 38.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row of seats, 92 cubic feet behind the second row, and 158 cubic feet behind the first row. When compared to the previous iterations the 2020 model has more room behind the third and first rows, but slightly less room behind the second row. 

Toyota tops the list with 39.1 cubic feet of cargo space. And ironically the Pacifica appears in at the end of the list.

Times have changed minivans are bathed in style and the 2020 Odyssey is Honda’s attempt for the same. Although it's not the prettiest minivan in the market today. Minivans are designed to be stylish these days, with odyssey you wouldn' t complain as its magical sliding doors and hatch, although it' s flanks are busy with creases. Its exterior dimensions are vast and nimble nature keeps the van unwieldy. Being a large vehicle it doesn' t seem to cause any problems while manoeuvring, being 17 feet long and 6.5 feet wide it nary feels heavy and is capable of squeezing itself at the parking lots.

The roof also gets a floating effect because of a blacked-out portion in the C-pillar. The 18-inch alloy wheels have also been well planned. It does not look very good at the rear quarter though. The tail lamps look too large and are not very well designed. There’s a chrome band connecting the two tail lamps on both sides and there’s a spoiler as well. It looks quite dull and not very charming. But looks are a biased thing and you might be able to look beyond it as well.

Chrysler Pacifica is much more beautiful than the Honda. It is longer, wider and taller than the Honda and even weighs 24 pounds less. Toyota Sienna is the cramped up of the lot and shockingly the heaviest as well. Kia Sedona slots itself in the dead centre of the lot.

Exterior Features

• Halogen Headlights with auto-off 
• Active Shutter Grille
• Rear Privacy glass
• Taillights with Integrated LED light bars
• Roofline Spoiler with Integrated brake light
• Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers
• 18-inch silver painted alloy wheels
• All season tires

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the non-profit, independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluate vehicles for crashworthiness in the United States. NHTSA assigns cars an overall rating out of five stars. IIHS uses a different kind of tests, grades cars on a scale of Good to Poor, and awards the vehicles that perform best across its tests with Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ honours, the latter of which requires that the subject' s automated forward-collision-braking system performing well.

With its wide-opening rear doors, it' s best for families with young children, rear-facing infant seats installed with zero hassles. Fitting of second-row seats into third ones requires efforts but Honda has made tethering for three seats in the way back easier. Honda' s standard safety features are available in all but not in the base LX trim, the bundle includes automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beam headlamps, to name under a few assists.

Safety Features

• Vehicle Stability Assist(VSA)
• Anti-Lock braking System(ABS)
• Electronic Brake Distribution(EBD)
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System(TPMS)
• Daytime Running Lights(DRL)
• 3-point seat belts at all seats
• Front 3-point seat belts with Automatic Tensioning System

Chrysler Pacifica vs Honda Odyssey

In a horsepower tug of war, the Pacifica will easily trump the Odyssey with its 7 additional horses. But power is not the main reason to buy a minivan, cargo is the heart of the matter here. The Pacifica runs low on cargo volume which earns Odyssey a clear advantage. In terms of efficiency, Chrysler kills the Honda by becoming the most efficient in the lot. The fact that people are boarded with the same cargo hauler also brings in customers to Chrysler’s showroom which is a competitive deal in terms of the price.

Toyota Sienna Vs Honda Odyssey

Toyota Sienna is the most petite minivan of the lot. This serves in handling and manoeuvrability but aches a lot in its primary usage, Hauling people and cargo. It has the most uncomfortable up interior of the lot and with a higher price tag, it doesn’t impress. It is high on performance and also has a good feature list. But it sinks to provide the delicate equilibrium which honda has accomplished with the Odyssey. 

Kia Sedona Vs Honda Odyssey

Sedona is a very chic looking van, the interiors feel special and it appears with a lot of features for the money. The cabin is really clean and silent but performance is not so much its forte. Also, the Sedona feels uneasy over undulations. It is smaller than the opponents and hence has a little lesser space than the competitors for both load and passengers. That said, the Honda is still the more reliable driver’s van and it’s also bigger with greater practicality. The Kia is a little cheaper than the Honda and if downright size and driving dynamics are not so much your concern then the Kia makes an exceptional buy. Otherwise, the Honda Odyssey is worth the little extra money for a bigger and better driver’s van.

Honda raises the bar for the minivan community with this Odyssey. An upgraded infotainment system aced safety ratings, and enchanting seating experience will provide the extreme solace of personal space to the onboard people. The ship’s captain can keep an eye on its crew with the new parent support feature. The only bad thing about this car is the painful way of second seat removal to gain the optimum cargo space utility.

Most importantly and probably not so important for a van, it drives far stabler than its competitors and is also the most active among the lot. The interiors are very capacious and very versatile to suit carrying people or cargo. There are lots of storage places all around.