Millennial Mom’s Review: Is the 2023 Honda Odyssey worth it?

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If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love minivans. I always have — even before I had kids — and I’m pretty sure I always will. Minivans are so practical and convenient, and they’re the ultimate family haulers.

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The Honda Odyssey was my original favourite, but there is some stiff competition in this dying segment that’s only left with five minivans in the Canadian market. The 2023 Honda Odyssey is a solid option if you’re in the market for a spacious ride, but is there anything about the Odyssey that makes it truly stand apart from the rest?

Why would anyone want a minivan?

It is what it is, right? It’s just a minivan, a simple one. The exterior screams minivan. It’s like the Odyssey’s begging me to become the “soccer mom” even though none of my kids are into soccer. There isn’t much I’d change about the way it looks because it isn’t meant to make any kind of fashion statement. However, if I could change one thing, it would be standard body-coloured door handles, which are currently only offered on the top trim — I just like it better when they match the vehicle.

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Speaking of those handles, the best part of a minivan are the sliding doors, and the several different ways to open them, one of the ways being the handle. But there’s also the open/close button that’s easily accessible to the second row passengers, who can also use the inner handles; there are the buttons beside the steering wheel; and there are separate buttons on the key fob for each side of the vehicle. What else do you need???

You don’t have to worry about parking in a tight(ish) spot, because unlike other vehicles where the door won’t open wide enough for me to lift and squeeze my youngest into the car and into her car seat, the doors slide open to easily and efficiently get to a child’s seat.

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How spacious is the Honda Odyssey?

A spacious interior is high on the list of needs for a minivan owner, and that means space in every row, as well as copious amounts of space in the trunk, even with the third row up. In the Honda Odyssey, with the third row up, you’ll get 929 litres of space, which is wayyy more than what you’d get in some three-row SUVs. You’ll have no problem fitting luggage, Costco hauls, strollers, or whatever else you can throw inside for an average day out with the family. If you’re intent on needing more space, with the third row folded flat, you’ll get 2,452 litres.

Back to that third row of seating; passengers back there still have ample legroom plus a USB charger in the third row. Step up into the second row and there’s access to two more USB chargers, as well as a clear view of the 10.2 inch screen that houses the rear seat entertainment, which unlike many other vehicles, is still synced to a Blu-ray player at the front of the cabin. I’m not usually a fan of rear seat entertainment, because the kids fight over who gets to pick the movie, but I do like the “How Much Farther” app that is connected to the navigation system at the front — it kept my kids occupied for quite some time.

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One interesting thing to note is that navigation is usable while you’re driving, which is something that many manufacturers choose to disable while the car is moving. It’s convenient if you’ve got someone in the front passenger seat who can punch in the destination while you’re driving, instead of having to come to a complete stop to look up the directions.

The second row in the Odyssey are dubbed ‘Magic Slide’ seats. There’s the option of having a smaller middle seat in between the two captain’s chairs in the second row, which allows the minivan to seat eight people. The middle seat can also be folded down to access cup holders, or it can be taken out completely, which is where the magic happens… and by that, I mean you can slide the outer seats together which gives third row passengers a simple way out of the vehicle, or slide them apart to separate a couple fighting kids.

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Moving forward again, the front seats are comfortable and power adjustable with standard heated front seats and heated steering wheel; ventilated front seats are only available in the top two trims. There’s also a ton of storage space which is exactly what I want and need! The centre console storage holds quite a bit, in addition to the USB port needed if you’re connecting your phone to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Side note: there’s a USB port right below the Blu-ray player, but that’s solely for charging a phone, which is weird since there’s a wireless phone charger right beside the centre console, which is likely where you’ll put your phone while it’s connected to CarPlay, but it’ll already be charging through the wire. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that up front, you probably don’t need a wireless charger or extra USB charging port. Let’s move on…

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The centre console doesn’t connect to anything, so there’s storage space to fit oddly-shaped baby bags or purses in that slot. But I’d be extremely cautious about what you place in that area — if an object might easily move, I’d reconsider storing it there as it’s dangerously possible to rolling into the driver’s foot area, potentially obstructing the pedals.

I’m not a fan of the button mode selectors but it’s not the worst thing in the world. I’ll gladly keep those buttons if it also means the continuation of HVAC buttons that are so simple to use — even though some of the functions are within the screen, it’s easy to get to with a tap of the “FRONT CLIMATE” button. The infotainment system is super basic and easy to use, especially if you’ve got CarPlay connected — my only quibble that neat freaks will share is that when it’s sunny, there’s a slight glare on the screen making fingerprints extremely noticeable.

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Is a minivan fun to drive?

So, if it looks like a minivan and has the practicality and spaciousness required of a minivan, then does that mean it drives like a minivan? Yes. It’s not the quickest to pick up speed when you’re driving on the highway, especially if you’re in Econ mode. But in this case, it really is form over function, right? It’s not the worst drive by any means — though I definitely wouldn’t call it fun — it’s quiet and smooth. Its standard 3.5L V6 puts out 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, via a 10-speed automatic transmission.

And if you’re wondering how the Honda Odyssey does on fuel, well, it has the fuel consumption of a minivan that isn’t the hybrid Sienna. The front-wheel drive Odyssey has an NRCan combined rating of 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres, which is right on par with the other minivans in this segment, save for that hybrid Sienna.

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Compare the specs of all available minivans in Canada

2023 Honda Odyssey Canadian pricing and competition

New minivan sales are dying, we know that. Yet, we still see countless minivans on the road. I’ll go on record as saying that the minivan crisis starts with its price. Sure, minivans aren’t cool — who, other than myself, wants to be seen driving a minivan? However, despite my love for minivans, I’m not in the minivan market for its stylish looks. I want it because it’s convenient and practical, and that generally means that I don’t want to be spending someone’s university tuition on a minivan. The Odyssey has a base price of $45,590. This tested Touring costs $56,790 and the top Black Edition trim, which is new for 2023 will cost over $60,000 when you add the destination fee of $2,000 and quite frankly, I can live without red ambient lighting.

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Personally, I don’t love any minivan enough to drop $60k on it, especially when it’ll largely be used by dirty kids who will trek snow and snacks into every crease. Used vehicle prices are high, but it’s still a lot lower than buying it brand new.

Price-wise, the 2023 Kia Carnival starts at $35,795 — a whole $10k less than a new Odyssey. It’s not my first choice for a minivan but if you’re looking for something brand new and family hauling is the main goal, then the Carnival has its advantages.

The true competition comes at the hands wheels of Honda’s longtime rival, and you really should test drive the Toyota Sienna. While we know Honda fans will stick with the Odyssey, it’s important to note that new Siennas are hybrid across the lineup and have similar pricing to the Odyssey, meaning you’ll save some money on gas.

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But maybe money isn’t an option. You want a fancy minivan and don’t care if your kids ruin it with dirty hands. Well, since North America isn’t getting the Lexus LM and we’ll probably never get our hands on Kim Kardashian’s custom Maybach minivan, there’s the Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle that costs upwards of $70,000 — there’s a hybrid version but the non-hybrid includes the Stow ’n Go seats, and that’s the most important part.

I guess, technically, there’s also the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz and it looks all sorts of amazing, but it’s not here yet. The retro-designed EV will be be offered with either five (a Canadian exclusive), six, or seven seats. We don’t have exact range figures or Canadian pricing yet, but it’s sure to be a game-changer in the minivan segment.

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Then again, maybe you just want to stick to the traditional basics, and if you want a basic minivan, you can’t go wrong with a Honda Odyssey. It has provided years of proven reliability for families around the world. Sure, minivans may be labelled as the “soccer mom” vehicle and they’re not the most modern looking — the van, not the mom — but they’re practical — both the van and the mom.

Final thoughts

During my week with the Odyssey, I had to do an airport drop off. As my friend hopped into the front passenger seat, she remarked, “Oh, you have your car this week,” referring to my 2014 Honda Odyssey, about which she was wrong. In nearly 10 years, the Odyssey hasn’t changed a whole lot in the intervening decade, but in the front cabin the most noticeable differences are probably the removal of the double screens (one of which is a touch screen). And while the centre console remains unconnected in both models, the older one has a lot more storage areas up front.

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If you’re in the market for a Honda Odyssey, it’s important to note that you’ve got a couple options to ponder:

No matter which option you choose, one thing is for certain — the kids will make a mess in it. And for that reason, it would be awesome if Honda could bring back the in-car vacuum. It won’t help minivan sales, but it’s still a really cool feature that I really miss.

Check out the latest Honda Odyssey model. Click here for more Millennial Mom’s Reviews.