2018 Honda Odyssey First Impressions
While it may be maligned by hipsters and those trying to gain favor with the cool crowd, anyone following a more utilitarian creed won’t dispute the minivan as the top choice when it comes to hauling around friends, family and kids’ sports gear. SUVs and crossovers finish a distant second in comparison. With a minivan, you get the convenience of sliding doors for easy entry/exit and a full three rows of seats along with decent cargo and storage space. Long known as a leader in the minivan space, the 2018 Honda Odyssey will boast further improvements and enhancements to cement its status at the top of the food chain for families next year.
Upgrades to expect in the 2018 Honda Odyssey include stiffer body, new engine and transmission, and more connectivity features. Other changes that might not gain attention from casual observers include a welcome change to a smooth console lid, eliminating the previous versions grooves which often held debris and crumbs, making cleaning the Odyssey a mission. Kudos to Honda for this thoughtful adjustment.
2018 Honda Odyssey Specifications And Pricing
The 2018 Odyssey trim levels start with the LX at a base price of $34,890 and move up to the top-of-the-line Touring edition at $50,290. The smart money will be on the EX trim at $38,090 EX with three different option packages available. Worth noting that the base 2018 model comes in almost $4,000 above this year’s model. Not much of a surprise considering new features such as emergency braking, cellphone integration and eight-passenger seating coming standard.
The Odyssey will still feature a 3.5-litre V6 engine but the 2018 model ups toe output to 280 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque with similar fuel economy. New tech will deactivate half the cylinders when full power isn’t required in most models with the Touring featuring full auto-stop when the car is stopped.
The transmission has been upgraded from six-speed to nine-speed in both LX and EX models.
New electric steering takes curves and corners with precision and balance for a very “un” minivan feel. Other cabin features include a deep storage box in the center console with the Touring model featuring a wireless charging pad. The eight-inch infotainment screen is standard with navigation available as an upgrade on the EX and standard on Touring. A returning feature that sucks – literally – is the on-board vacuum cleaner which is included in the EX and up.
Behind the cockpit, the second-row chairs slide sideways so you can separate warring children with ease. Especially helpful If one chair has a child seat as you can simply slide it over to access the third row.
Making your 2018 Honda Odyssey even smarter, it includes a phone app that allows you to remotely lock or start your car as well as check the tire pressure and locate it in a crowded parking lot. As many as seven phones can connect to the Odyssey’s internal network to control climate and download music with on-board WiFi available in the Touring. The 2018 Honda Odyssey also features CabinTalk which allows the driver’s voice to be broadcast to the rear through speakers or the rear entertainment system’s headphones. And of course, CabinWatch, which displays an image of what’s happening in back to the dashboard screen thanks to an infrared camera.
With sharper edges and a sliding-door rail that’s now hidden under the window, the 2018 Honda Odyssey has a better, sleeker and more modern overall look thanks to some design-savvy tweaks and adjustments that may seem minor individually but add up.
Specifications: 2017 Honda Odyssey
| Touring 4dr Minivan | |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin: | Japan |
| Sold in US: | Yes |
| Body Style: | Minivan |
| Engine Type: | V |
| Engine Cylinders: | 6 |
| Engine Displacement (cc): | 3500 |
| Engine Displacement (l): | 3.5 |
| Engine Displacement (cubic inches): | 214 |
| Engine Valves Per Cylinder: | 4 |
| Engine Valves: | 24 |
| Engine Max Power (HP): | 245 |
| Engine Max Power (PS): | 248 |
| Engine Max Power (kW): | 182 |
| Engine Max Torque (Nm): | 250 |
| Engine Max Torque (Lb-Ft): | 184 |
| Engine Max Torque (kgf-m): | 26 |
| Engine Compression Ratio: | 10.5 |
| Engine Fuel Type: | Regular Unleaded |
| Drive: | Front Wheel Driv |
| Transmission Type: | Automatic |
| Doors: | 4 |
| Weight (kg): | 4581 |
| Weight (lbs): | 10099 |
| Fuel Economy City(l/100km): | 19 |
| Fuel Economy City(mpg): | 12 |
| Fuel Economy HWY(l/100km): | 28 |
| Fuel Economy HWY(mpg): | 8 |
| Fuel Economy Mixed(l/100km): | 22 |
| Fuel Economy Mixed(mpg): | 11 |
| Fuel Capacity(l): | 21 |
| Fuel Capacity(g): | 5.5 |
View more 2018 model cars and trucks.
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