Five Reasons the 2022 Honda Odyssey Captures the Flag, Again

There’s an old game called Capture the Flag. If you can get the flag, you are king of the hill. It seems like the Honda Odyssey has been playing this game with other minivans and capturing the flag year after year from automotive journalists and minivan buyers. What about this year?

The Odyssey has strong competition from the Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica. There are Kia and Dodge competitors as well. Of course, it also must compete with the three-row SUVs of every brand, including its own.

To climb to the top of the hill and capture the flag, it’s got to do everything right in five key categories. Can it do it?

Spaciousness

Many three-row SUVs look bigger on the outside than they are on the inside. Many others have tiny third rows. The Odyssey claims remarkable spaciousness with second row seating that has almost as much legroom as the front seat. Then the third third row has enough legroom that teenagers and adults can handle some time back there.

The middle-row Super Mode pushes the seats to one side for easier access. In Buddy Mode, the two seats can be secured together leaving room on either side. The second-row middle seat, when included, is big enough for a car seat. That allows up to three babies and toddlers on the middle row, closer to Mom and Dad.

Cargo Capacity

If you look at how the cargo hold is configured in most SUVs and minivans, there’s not enough space for luggage for those 6, 7 or 8 family members. That’s a big drawback. The 2022 Honda Odyssey manages to have almost 40 cubic feet with all seats upright and in use. That’s about the same size as the Honda CR-V although the space is more vertical than horizontal.

Convenience

A minivan generally manages a few more conveniences than its SUV rivals. Honda figured this out years ago and still offers its vacuum system. It also offers a camera system that lets Mom watch the kids on the back row. It lets Dad speak to the kids without raising his voice thanks to a microphone system.

Driver Friendly

A minivan is sometimes saddled with a bad reputation for how it treats the driver. The Odyssey challenges that with a 280-horsepower engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission. Parents have plenty of power to deal with tough highway situations.

Driver assistance systems provide a touch of automation as well as helpful warnings. The parent driver can feel a bit more relaxed when there’s a blind spot monitor, lane assistance, road departure assistance, and automatic forward braking ready to help out.

Pricing

The Odyssey manages to provide seating for up to 8 in a price range that is more affordable than many of its SUV competitors. Obviously that appeals to parents who are already stretching their dollars to the limit.

With all this in mind, it seems the 2022 Honda Odyssey is poised to continue its position as a favorite among parents.