2017 Honda Odyssey

The base trim starts at $29,850 and is not the most lucrative choice to make. Investing $4000 more will land you a more functional model with a plethora of standard features. These upgrades have landed Honda in the same territory as the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna.

The 2017 odyssey gains an all-star rating from both the NHTSA and the IIHS which make it an ideal pick under the safety regime.

With its wide opening rear doors and hassle-free rear-facing infant seats, it’s best for the families with young children. Odyssey’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 a few.

• Lane departure warning

• Road departure mitigation system
• Forward collision warning
• Collision mitigation warning system

“Lightning bolt-style window line and all, at least the Honda Odyssey is trying. Style isn't the first consideration of minivan buyers—it ranks down there with easy to find roll cage mounting points—but at least the 2017 Honda Odyssey doesn't penalize buyers”- The Car Connection

Dimensions and Weight

Times have changed minivans are bathed in style and the 2017 Odyssey is Honda’s attempt for the same. Although it's not the prettiest minivan in the market today. The car shares a total length of 118.1 inches, the width of 79 inches, and a billed height of 84 inches. These numbers might sound intimidating for a hatchback driver but behind the wheel, the Odyssey feels like a normal car. The decent steering and smartly built structure make maneuvering easy in the city’s packed roads.

Dimensions	Honda Odyssey(EX)	Toyota Sienna	Chrysler Pacifica
Wheelbase	118.1 in	119.3	121.6
Length	202.9 in	200.2	203.6
Height	68.4 inch	78.1	89.9
Width	79.3 in	68.9	79.6
Track-Front	68.1 in	67.7	68.3
Track-Rear	68.2 in	67.7	68.3
Curb weight	4470 lbs	4375-4705	4330 lbs
Ground Clearance	5.8	6.2	5.1

Considering the overall look, Pacifica is the real winner in the lot. Odyssey’s dimensions are identical to the Pacifica and fall short in terms of height, giving Pacifica a larger headroom space. Still it's 170 lbs. lighter than the Pacifica. The Toyota Sienna might be a jolly ride but is shorter in all 3 parameters, limiting the space utility minivans are known for.

Exterior Features

• 17-inch Alloy wheels

• Stylish siding door
• Automatic side rear lights
• Active stylish body design.
• Longer in minivans than rest of the present ones.

Agility is a surprising trait in a minivan, but the Odyssey delivers, and its ride isn’t compromised as a result. The Odyssey is quick, too, but its braking performance is slightly below average- Caranddriver.com

The 2017 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. Slight bubbling of the engine could be heard as the rpm spikes while sprinting. The engine is mated with a standard 9-speed automatic transmission which is untouched for the trim levels of LX, EX, EX-L, and EX-L with Navi and RES. The top 2 trims of Touring and Elite are paired with a brand new 10-speed automatic transmission which generates an additional 32 hp from the 2017 model.

Car	Honda Odyssey	Toyota Sienna	Chrysler Pacifica
MSRP	$29,850	$32,540	$28,995
Engine	3.5L, V-6	3.5L, V-6	3.6L, V-6
Transmission	10-speed automatic, FWD	8-speed automatic, FWD	9-speed automatic, FWD
Power	280 hp	296 hp	287 hp

The engine specs remain constant in all three cars. The difference lies in the transmission with the top 2 trims sharing a 10-speed transmission followed by the Chrysler’s 9-speed automatic and Sienna’s 8-speed automatic. The torque and horsepower remain same for the trio as well.

Acceleration

The extra 32 hp boost gives the new Odyssey a sufficient acceleration. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in a 6.6 second time. However, the new Odyssey performs mediocre in the quarter-mile run with its 15.2-second performance.

Car	Honda Odyssey	Toyota Sienna	Chrysler Pacifica
Time for 0-60 mph	6.6	6.9	7.3
Engine	3.5L	3.5L	3.6L
Quarter-mile @90mph	15.2	15.2	15.8

Acceleration is not a promising comparison factor for this one, all cars share a similar 0-60 mph timing. The same goes for the quarter mile run.

Handling and Braking

2017 Honda Odyssey is comfortable and precise, through the car faces a little body roll. It also has a responsive steering which handles sharp turns well making the overall ride an enjoyable experience.

Car	Honda Odyssey	Toyota Sienna	Chrysler Pacifica
Front	12.6	12.9	13
Rear	13	12.2	13
Curb Weight	4581	4590	4600
60-0	184	181	177

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.

“The smartly designed cabin accommodates people and cargo with equal effectiveness. Superbly flexible seating layout makes the Odyssey highly configurable. There's even a vacuum cleaner on board in this top-trim mode”- Edmunds

Seating and Comfort-

Having enough room for multiple people in a single ride lead 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.

Car	Honda Odyssey	Toyota Sienna	Chrysler Pacifica
(Headroom/Shoulder room/Legroom) Seat 1	40.7/63.1/40.9	41/65/40.5	40.1/63.8/41.1
(Headroom/Shoulder room/Legroom) Seat 2	36.5/61.1/40.9	39.7/64.6/37.6	39.6/63/40.9
(Headroom/Shoulder room/Legroom) Seat 3	38.3/60/38.1	38.3/61.6/36.3	38.7/61.2/36.5

The Pacifier was impressive with its foldable 2nd-row seating but that functionality is absent in the Odyssey. The passengers have to remove the entire seat which is a hard and tedious task to do. Rest the seating is relaxed and uncompromised for personal space.

Cargo space

There is only so much you can do to style a minivan, originally, it’s still a big car with a lot of volumes. Its Magic Slide seating mechanism makes it a winner in comfort but is a clear obstacle for extending the cargo space.

Model	Honda Odyssey	Toyota Sienna	Chrysler Pacifica
Cargo Volume (ft.3)	158	150	140

There are 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 2017 Odyssey, the 2017 model has more room behind the third and first rows, but slightly less room behind the second row. The third row of seats easily folds flat to load large cargo. However, in Pacifier the second-row seat option bends in the floor leaving a rather smoother surface.

Infotainment system

The infotainment system comprises an 8-inch touch screen (except for the base LX trim), which literally converts into a smartphone’s screen, thus creating an easy usability. With the old system being laggy and unresponsive this one is intuitive and shift while changing menus.

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), Cabin Talk (which lets the driver communicate with the second- and third-row passengers using a microphone), Honda VAC (an in-vehicle vacuum), Cabin Watch (which uses a camera to provide a view of the second and third rows on the touch-screen display), Honda Link (which gives you remote access to your minivan), a Wi-Fi hotspot.

In Elite and Touring class there is an option of rear camera, where parents could have a close look at their child’s activities at the back.

Interior Features

• An easy to use Infotainment system
• A vast cargo space, luggage efficient
• An old school navigation system

• A voice recognition system
• An active moon roofs
• Spacious and really comfortable seats

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.

Ride (Engine & transmission)	Fuel economy-city (mpg)	Fuel economy-highway (mpg)	Fuel economy-combined (mpg)
Honda odyssey(Elite)	19	28	30
Chrysler Pacifica	18	28	31
Toyota Sienna	19	27	29
Kia Sedona	17	22	19

The Chrysler Pacifica outshine other minivans with its 31-mpg result. Odyssey and the competition manages to score similar numbers which are not that compelling but apt for a minivan.

Honda Odyssey’s comes in 6 trims LX, EX, EX-L, EX-L with Navi and RES, Touring and, Elite. The price ranges from 29,850 bucks for the base trim all the way to the highest model which comes at $45,325.

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. Other than that, all trims share the similar 3.5L V8 engine. The notable change comes with the transmission, with the first 4 trims mated with a 9-speed automatic transmission which converts to 10- the speed for the last 2 trims.

Trims	Honda LX	EX	SE	EX-L	Touring	Touring elite
MSRP	$ 29,850	$ 33,000	$ 33,950	$36,500	$42,755	$45,325
Features	Rearview camera with guidelines	Smart entry	Honda VAC built-in vacuum	Forward collision warning	18 inch alloy wheels	Ultrawide rear entertainment system
	8-Inch Multi-Information display	17-inch alloy wheels	Honda rear entertainment system	Lane Departure warning	Integrated third row sunshades	Blind spot entertainment system
	Bluetooth Hands free link one-motion 60/40 split 3rd-row magic seat	Second Row sunshades	115 volt-power outlet	Leather wrapped steering wheel	Driver’s seat with 10 way power adjustment.	Honda VAC (built in vacuum)
	USB Audio Interface	Honda Lane watch	Sirius XM-radio	Auto-dimming rear view mirror	One magic 60/40 rotation seat	650 watt premium audio system with 12 speakers
	Anti-Lock Braking system	Tri-Zone anti automatic climate control system		Centre stack lower storage bin with cool box	Power lumbar sport and two position memory
	Child proof rear door locks	Multi-function second-row center seat				HD radio

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The fact that Honda offers six trim levels on the Odyssey makes your choice even more difficult. However, for a budget buyer, you should go with the EX trim as there is no change in the powertrain though out the Odyssey lineup and this trim adds the maximum number of features without affecting the price that much.

Toyota Sienna vs Honda Odyssey

Being the segment leader isn’t that easy, you need to keep updating yourself and retain the place you have worked so hard to acquire. The Toyota Sienna can be called the next best thing after Odyssey and its 16 more horses make it a potential candidate to take the Odyssey’s place as the segment leader, though the low cargo volume keeps it from overthrowing Honda. Then you have the better fuel economy which Toyota is long known for. But again, being the segment leader is not just about delivering thing but to deliver them on the right price. This makes the Odyssey still the best there is.

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.

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.