It has been a little bit since have been able to share about a vehicle here. We were so excited to hear from Honda and be asked to try out the 2022 Honda Odyssey. With our growing family soon to be 6, we are deep into trying to figure out what vehicle we want to switch to. Our little CRV will not be able to fit our whole family soon. Bring on the minivan test drive! Plus, we wanted to know exactly what was new since the last time we tried out an Odyssey.
The 2022 Honda Odyssey comes with a capable V6 engine and a feature-loaded interior. It offers great space in the second-row and even the third-row for kids and adults alike. The Odyssey is available in LX, EX, Touring, EX-L, and Elite trim levels. Under the hood, we are presented with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that churns out 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque and is married to a newly released 10-speed automatic transmission. What we love with Honda is that they don’t skimp on the safety features which include the following and more:
WHAT’S NEW WITH THE ODYSSEY
This is always what we want to know right away, what’s new with the Odyssey for 2022? Parents everywhere may be sad to hear, but an integrated vacuum is no longer an option. I was kind of sad as soon as I realized it was not there, however you do get another compartment in the back for storing things. You also now have the colour choice of Radiant Red Metallic II. I actually really love the red and blue colour options available for the Odyssey. Why not have some fun and make it easier to spot your vehicle in a parking lot full of black, silver, and white vehicles. Honda has also stayed up to date with its technology in the vehicle. But beyond this, I have to be honest and say, it felt like the same Odyssey we last drove.
TIME FOR SOME CHANGE
Honda, I’m begging and pleading with you. The Odyssey needs an update. Not an update when it comes to interior and exterior looks (though we still have a suggestion for the inside). No. It’s time for a hybrid option. It’s needed. With the cost of gas these days, we need the hybrid option to bring families back to wanting a minivan. The big goal for Honda is to have 100% of sales be electric and fuel cell vehicles by 2040. Hate to be honest, but this is too late. While other companies are offering large SUVs and minivans with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric options we are still waiting on a larger vehicle option from Honda. The fuel economy is reported to be at 12.2/8.5/10.6 L (city/hwy/combined) per 100 Km, this is not what we experienced on our test drive at all. We were averaging 14-15 L/100 Km and that is not okay in our books.
DO WE STILL LOVE THE ODYSSEY?
Yes. There are still many things we love about the Odyssey and with our family expanding to 4 kids soon it’s on our list of possible vehicles we are considering. The biggest feature we still love is the Magic Slide Seats. The Odyssey is the only vehicle in the Honda lineup that has this feature, and it is a great one. With the second row of seats, you can customize the layout of your car. The seats move side to side laterally. You can have 3 across, or you can take out the middle seat entirely and have the two seats completely separated. Want easier access to the back? Put the two seats all the way to one side, making it a breeze getting into the 3rd row. You can even put the two seats in buddy mode and have them more in the middle of the 2nd row. Plus, the seats in the second row slide forward and back. Have a little one that you want to be able to reach easily from the passenger seat in the front… slide their seat forward.
There is also still the CabinTalk feature, which is probably my favourite, family-friendly feature. Why? It works with the CabinWatch feature. You can easily see your kids in the back two rows and talk to them at the same time. No need to be yelling in order to be heard in the third row. Want to know if your rear-facing baby is okay? No problem. You can see them on the screen at the front of the car.
There is also still lots of cargo space in the back of the Odyssey. The Odyssey offers 32 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats and 88 cubic feet of space when the third-row seatback is folded down. Plenty of room to pack for a family road trip, or to get a stroller and some kid’s bikes in the back if going to a park. This does bring us to another thing we really want to see changed in the Odyssey and in other vehicles from the Honda lineup. As parents with littles, often we end up having to change a diaper or two in the car when out. It’s almost impossible in the Odyssey. The rear of the vehicle dips down and if you put a baby in there you are bending over awkwardly. We would love to see a solid cover over this that can even be adjustable to different heights and that supports up to 30 lbs or more of weight. Imagine being able to move the cover up to use as a divider in the back and also use it as a diaper change zone? We actually have something like this in our 2009 Honda CRV and we get stopped often and asked about it. Honda, I think it’s time you brought this back and implemented it in the Odyssey, CRV and the Pilot.
The Honda Odyssey still remains a great option when looking for vehicles to accommodate a growing family or a smaller family wanting spacious options.
