The fifth generation of the Honda Odyssey is one of the greatest hits of the segment ever since its initial launch back in 2018. The comfortable and spacious cabin, gorgeous design language, and the punchy powertrain were some of the main USPs of this minivan, helping it come out as one of the best-selling monikers of the segment.Offered for a base MSRP of $33,515, nothing major has been changed for this 2022 iteration, and it still retains all the characters of the older model years, while implementing some of the much-needed updates for today. As a result, it now comes with a new color palette and a few other cosmetic changes. A long list of standard interior and safety features are on board too. Competing with the Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival, and Toyota Sienna, here are 10 things you need to know before getting the 2022 Honda Odyssey.
10 Punchy Performance For A Minivan
The 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 motor of the outgoing 2021 model is present with no changes on this 2022 version as well. This is one of the smoothest and most refined motors of the segment and is capable of producing a healthy 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, making it more powerful than the Toyota Siena and Kia Carnival.
The motor is eager to accelerate in any gear and even when hauling your entire family, this minivan doesn't feel lethargic. The excellent mid-range acceleration makes it an effortless freeway cruiser. With a 0-60 mph time of 7.1 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 15.5 seconds, it is faster than the Chrysler Pacifica too.
9 Perfect Transmission For A Family Cruiser
The V6 motor comes mated to a 10-speed torque converter automatic transmission with the shift by wire and manual mode with paddle shifters. This transmission is more than enough to provide impressive gas mileage as well as effortless acceleration, both of which are of high importance for a family hauler.
When driving through the freeways, the transmission is very eager to upshift to the tenth gear, which does help tremendously in saving quite a lot of fuel. However, floor it and the transmission never misses a beat and gives the correct gear every time. It shifts adequately fast and is very smooth in operation as well.
8 Returns Decent Gas Mileage
One of the main reasons that make the 2022 Honda Odyssey even more attractive is the superb gas mileage it returns. This is partly due to a well-tuned engine with i-VTEC and a ridiculous 10-speed automatic gearbox, both of which help give it fuel sipping capabilities, both in the cities and freeways. Variable cylinder management system is on board too.
As a result, the Odyssey returns 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. With combined gas mileage of 22 mpg, it offers a combined tank range of close to 370 miles with the help of its 19.5-gallon fuel tank. However, the Toyota Sienna which comes with a plug-in hybrid system managed to give out the best in class combined gas mileage and tank range.
7 Good Interior Quality
The interior of the 2022 Honda Odyssey has nothing much to complain about. Most parts of the dashboard and door cards come covered with soft-touch plastics, which makes it look and feel very premium. The fit and finish are superb and there are no uneven panel gaps anywhere as well.
There are also leather inserts that are neatly placed onto the interior, making it a bit more premium than some rivals. The leather upholstery of the higher trim configurations feels plush, and the contrastive stitching helps the cabin to stand out. The clicky feeling switchgear, silver and chrome inserts, etc feel well put together too.
6 The 8" Infotainment System Comes With All The Features
Apart from the lowest LX trim which is offered for a base MSRP of $33,515, all the other trims come with the 8" Digital Audio touchscreen infotainment system. This is an impressive unit that comes with almost all the features as standard. The features list includes all the connectivity features such as Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, mobile hotspot, HondaLink, and many more as standard.
Many entertainment features like SiriusXM radio, AUX support, media streaming, USB ports, CabinTalk in-car PA system, etc are offered as well. The interface turned out to be pretty intuitive, with no major lags or stutters to report. The learning curve is minimal. The audio quality through the 11-speaker audio system turned out to be pretty decent, too.
5 Spacious Cabin
The cabin of the 2022 Honda Odyssey turned out to be very spacious, similar to the outgoing model year. The front-seat passenger and driver are going to appreciate the superb headroom and legroom on offer. The shoulder room is wide enough too. Apart from that, the seats offer excellent side bolstering, under-thigh support, and lower back support.
The same applies to the second and third rows as well. Even though the second-row space of the Odyssey isn't as good as the Chrysler Pacifica, it is not congested by any means. However, when it comes to the third row, the 23.1" of legroom is much superior to all the rivals. Other features like Magic Slide seats, HVAC ducts for all passengers, etc are offered too.
4 Comes Loaded With Safety Features
Ever since the arrival of the fifth-generation Honda Odyssey into the American market, this minivan has managed to come out as an impressive proposition in terms of safety. It has always received accolades from the NHTSA and IIHS for its top-notch crash safety performance, and the same ethos is carried forward to this 2022 iteration as well.
The same solid construction with high tensile steel and aluminum makes it feel tough. Along with that, all the regular and advanced safety and driver-assistance features like automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, etc come standard too. This helped it get a 5-star overall crash safety rating in the NHTSA crash test and the top safety pick + title from IIHS.
3 Ride Quality Is A Bit Harsh
When driven at a leisurely pace through the cities, the 2022 Honda Odyssey turned out to be very comfortable. This minivan comes with strut front suspension and trailing arm rear suspension with coil springs and anti-roll bars. The suspension is tuned to the softer side and that is what makes it very comfortable at slow speeds.
However, as the speeds rise during highway driving, the ride quality is not the best of the segment. There is a bit of vertical movement, which can be easily felt from the third-row seat. This makes the ride a bit tiring and uncomfortable. The soft setup contributes to body roll too. In comparison, the Chrysler Pacifica had a more composed ride quality.
2 Sharp Braking Performance
The front end comes with 12.6" rotors and the rear gets 13" rotors, both of which are smaller than the rivals like the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna. However, even with a smaller rotor setup and a heavier curb weight of 4,603 lbs, the braking performance of the Odyssey was found to be satisfactory.
The braking hardware offered an impressive initial bite. The braking progression was more than adequate, too. However, the brakes felt a bit wooden, especially in comparison to the Kia Carnival. Nevertheless, the features like ventilated rotors, ABS with EBD, etc help this minivan to come out with a decent 60-0 mph braking distance of 125 feet.
1 Exterior Design Looks Elegant
The conventional minivan design of the 2022 Honda Odyssey doesn't look boring, and that is one of its biggest USPs. Even with more than 4 years of being in production with no major design changes, the Odyssey still looks handsome with its imposing front end and the masculine side profile with multiple character lines.
For this 2022 iteration, Honda has also given the radian red metallic II color palette, which gels well with the overall design. Apart from that, the seven exterior colors, LED headlights and taillights, 19" alloy wheels wrapped in 235 section tires, and the chrome moldings help the Odyssey to come out as one of the best-looking offerings of the segment.