Since becoming a family of 5, it’s become very evident that we have outgrown many vehicles. As much as we love SUVs, not all of them will fit us. Recently we had the opportunity to test drive the 2020 Honda Odyssey Touring for two weeks. It basically became an extension of our family in that short amount of time. Even our kids were saying “Do we have to give it back?”, we get why people love this vehicle!
What’s changed with the 2020 Honda Odyssey? Well, the trim line is unchanged from 2019. You still have a 3.5 Liter and V6 Engine. For 2020, all tim levels now have the 10 speed automatic transmission. The interio and exterior have also not seen any changes. Depending on the trim level the Honda Odyssey has power-sliding doors, remote entry, remote start, Honda Sensing safety features, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, blind spot information, CabinWatch, Magic Slide 2nd-row Seat, a rear entertainment system and other features.
We are to the point with our family of five where we truly understand why families make the switch to being minivan owners. Honda has done a great job in creating a family friendly vehicle. It’s something they’ve been doing for about 25 years now. The cabin is spacious, the seats are comfy, the kids can be entertained and plenty of storage space and little places to put things. Theres a spot to put my purse even. Thats right, there is a purse hook on the passenger side seat in the front. Which can also double as a garbage bag holder. We also really appreciated that under the center consols was a drawer that can slide out and have any DVDs and Blu rays stored there.
While we’re at it, what about the gas milage… The Odyssey was averaging 11.5 L/100 km while we were testing it. This is comparable to our 2009 Honda CRV. It has a 73.8 L gas tank.
HOW DOES IT HANDLE
Thanks to Vancouver winter weather we got to drive this through snow, rain and normal road conditions all within a week. The Odyssey has options for Sport and Snow which do help with the handling. Going through the snow though was my one hesitation because the Odyessey is front-wheel drive. There are definitely pros and cons to front-wheel, rear-wheel, and all-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive tends to be a bit cheaper and more gas efficient since you’re only powering two wheels.
While driving in the snow, slush, and ice we had recently we could really feel the difference with being in a front-wheel drive. We are used to a vehicle that is all-wheel drive and that traction it has in this sort of weather. You could feel the back wheels slipping and struggling. While my husband said our all-wheel drive was struggling in areas too, it was not having as hard of a time as the Odyssey. Now, it could have been the winter tires on the vehicle, but overall this is a a known handling issue when it comes to front-wheel drive vehicles.
Is this a deal-braker? We’re honestly torn about this. Not being rear-wheel or all-wheel drive is what gives the back seats and storage area all its space. Change that the Odyssey to all-wheel drive and you’ll have space disappear. Do I feel better driving in these weather conditions with all-wheel drive. Yes. It does leave us wondering if the Honda Pilot would be the better option for us due to the weather we have where we live.
As for speed and feeling the shifting. The Honda Odyssey Touring has a 10 speed automatic transmission. It does not feel like it is constantly shifting and searching for the right gear. In other words, it is doing this much more smoothly than previous year models. We also felt it had decent power both for getting moving at lights or when going up hills and mountains. There was plenty of power.
WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HONDA ODYSSEY
We asked over on our Instagram if there was anything you wanted to specifically know about in regards to the Honda Odyssey Touring. You all did not hesitate to tell us what you wanted to know. Many of you had the same questions. So here we go…
WHAT IS THE STORAGE SPACE LIKE?
This question was the most asked. You wanted to know what the storage space and packing space was like in the boot of the Odyssey. We are very impressed with how much we were able to get in there! There are 32.8 cubic square feet behind the third row. When putting down the third-row seats there are 86.6 cubic square feet of space.
It was surprising to open the hatch the first time and see how deep the back was. This allowed us to pack a fair bit back there. We managed to get enough stuff for a family of 3 back there, including our UPPAbaby Vista stroller! We were even able to still see out the back. We have no doubt that it would handle a Costco grocery run with no problem. The kids all still had leg room because nothing was packed in around them.
We would love to see Honda give the option to buy a hard divider like what used to be in Honda CRVs. There’s been a trend to soft dividers, but a hard divider allows more configuration options for packing. It also gives a built-in change table. Yes, I am sidetracking a bit, this would be an incredible feature to have as a parent with little ones in diapers. We found that when we were out and about it was difficult to change diapers in the Odyssey. We would use the floor of the Odyssey and put our changing pad down, our backs paid the price though for bending over so low each time. An accessory option to have a solid “shelf” that can handle up to 40lbs or 50lbs at about waist level, in the boot would be a game-changer. It also allows a place to hide items underneath if needed when out and about.
HOW DID WE ARRANGE THE CAR SEATS?
Our kids were in a high back booster, a five-point harness seat, and we used an infant bucket seat while driving the Odyssey. We were not able to get a nice install with all 3 of those seats across the second row. It may have worked if we had our oldest sit in the small travel booster we own, but we prefer using the highback for her comfort and for more safety.
Instead of doing 3 across, we took out the middle seat of the second row and put the magic slide feature to use sliding both full-size seats all the way over to one side. This gave a large space for our older two kids to get in and out of the back. We then had our oldest in the highback behind the second row to one side, as she is able to buckle herself and we double check she is buckled into her seat correctly. Our middle child was then on the other side of the third row where we could easily reach her through the space used to access the third row. This allowed us to be able to easily reach her and do up her five-point harness. Our youngest was in the infant bucket seat in the second row in the middle. An adult was then able to sit beside her when needed. Which was pretty much always because she is not a fan of car rides and being in the car seat right now.
HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO MANEUVER?
You’d think with a larger vehicle that it would be difficult to maneuver. Not so with the Honda Odyssey. If anything, it was a whole lot easier than the first car I owned which was a tiny little hatchback that had no power steering. I was very impressed with how I was able to get around in packed parking lots, backing in and out of spots. It does not feel like a massive vehicle.
The Honda LaneWatch blind-spot display, blind spot information system, and multi-angle rearview camera are all a huge help. While driving this through the holiday system these tech features were a huge help. The top-down feature of the rearview camera just might be my favourite because when you switch the camera to that you can really see just how much room you have instead of assuming. LaneWatch provides a live video feed from a camera that is on the passenger side-mirror. This helps to see a bigger area than just the mirror itself if you are wanting to double-check things. With Honda’s BSI system radar-based indicator lights help to notify the driver that a vehicle or something is in your blind-spot. If the vehicle is in reverse you will also get a warning.
All of these features are a great help because no driver is perfect, distractions happen and things get missed. Having these in a vehicle truly helps keep everyone safe that extra bit. All of the technology in this vehicle really helps and makes a difference.
THE VACUUM
Yes, there is a vacuum in the 2020 Honda Odyssey Touring model. It is called the HondaVAC. Whoever had this brilliant idea at Honda, thank you! It has a replaceable filter, canister bag, and nozzle accessories. It is promoted as being able to reach all the way to the front seats. I did not find this to be true without a bit of a struggle. I would love to see the hose be a bit longer so that you can reach the front seats and the floor mats. I find the driver side especially gets so dirty. Add in kids, snacks, going for hikes, and field trips to places like the pumpkin patch and we all know how messy a vehicle can get. Not having to lug a vacuum outside to the vehicle is so nice. Plus, I was also able to use it to clean up the kid’s car seats. The HondaVAC is comparable to a dust-buster vacuum in strength. You are not getting an industrial-strength shop vacuum. The vacuum does its job and makes a difference in keeping the vehicle clean.
The Honda Odyssey truly is a vehicle with families in mind. As families grow, Honda keeps changing up the Odyssey to meet the needs for families. We were really impressed which is what made it difficult for us to take it back after our time test driving it.
IF YOU HAVE A HONDA ODYSSEY, WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT IT?
