2022 Honda Odyssey: Because there’s a driver, too

2022 Kia Carnival SX Prestige vs. 2022 Toyota Sienna PLT AWD vs. 2022 Honda Odyssey Elite: The best way to haul a big family?

This week: Honda Odyssey

Price: $49,335. Forest Mist Metallic paint, $395.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver likes the “flexible cabin, standard driver-assistance tech, effortlessly practical,” but not that “removing the second-row seats requires muscle, firm ride on larger 19-inch wheels, rivals offer similar practicality and tech.”

Marketer’s pitch: “So versatile, it’s practically magic.”

Reality: The minivan that keeps the driver entertained.

Catching up: So far we’ve looked at the bargain new kid on the block Kia Carnival and the comfy hybrid-and-AWD Toyota Sienna.

» READ MORE: Newcomer Kia Carnival takes on minivan favorites Sienna and Odyssey

What’s new: Honda added some upgrades for 2021, including middle-row seats that are easier to remove and a freshened exterior, and those upgrades carry over into 2022.

Up to speed: The Odyssey is a motivated machine, with 280 horsepower coming from the 3.5-liter V-6. Especially in Sport mode, the minivan is the winner in acceleration, going from 0 to 60 in just 6.6 seconds, reports Motor Trend. It has a brisk feel in both Drive and Sport modes.

Shifty: That power is attached to Honda’s push-button transmission. The 10 gears work delightfully, but the buttons are not my thing. Complain though I might, the Honda folks seem stuck on it. (I try to help, but they’re a stubborn lot.) Paddle shifters allow for changing the 10 gears easily, but no shiftability is there to make the parent trip more fun.

Friends and stuff: Function before form or feeling here, folks. The Odyssey seats and materials feel very durable and no-nonsense, even though the seats were leather upgrades. I actually find the cloth seats in the 10-year-old Sturgis Family Sienna to be more plush.

Unfortunately, larger guests aren’t going to find the Odyssey a comfortable spot. The middle row seats are more snug than the others for legroom or foot room, and the seat size is on the small side and down near the floor.

Like the others, the Odyssey’s third row folds up neatly with a pull of the strap. Cargo space beats the others with 38.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 91 behind the second, and 155.7 behind the first row in the Elite model.

» READ MORE: Swiss army minivan: Toyota Sienna is practiced in practicality, but with a catch

Keeping warm and cool: Toggles control temperature and buttons handle blower location and speed.

Rear seat passengers may also be feeling a little stuffy, although we didn’t really have the time or the number of Sturgis kids available to put this theory to the test. Rear vents emerge from in front of the sliding doors and next to the third row armrests. Cool air from above would probably make this compartment much more summer-friendly.

Play some tunes: Honda evidently has a deal with music companies to keep parts of songs hidden unless they’re played on the Odyssey’s premium audio system with 11 speakers. That is the only way I can explain uncovering previously unheard-from instruments in songs I’ve been listening to for 20, 30, and even 40 years. I was stopped at an unfamiliar Wilmington intersection and thought, “Is someone playing accordion out there? Huh … no, it’s in this song I’ve heard three zillion times.”

Operation of the system is standard Honda, with a dial for volume and everything else in the touchscreen.

On the road: I slid this down here because you’re not worried about a minivan’s handling, are you? But if you are, if you want the driver to be even a minimal consideration, the Odyssey is the lone way to go. It’s actually a very easy-to-drive unit, without a lot of sway or body roll on the serpentine roads. You might even call it … fun. Plus, it’s really nice on the highway, and not at all rough.

Night shift: The headlamps in the Odyssey were dismal. I found the night driving to be exceedingly difficult. The map lights complicate matters because they’re quite bright and make driving and especially turning a scary prospect.

Fuel economy: The Odyssey averaged about 22 mpg even before I had it. I managed to keep it about the same.

Where it’s built: Lincoln, Ala.

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the Odyssey to be a 3 out of 5, down a tick from 2021′s 4.

In the end: If you want a minivan with a kicking stereo, great acceleration, and good handling, the Odyssey is your choice. And it also offers the most cargo hauling capacity.

I was all over the Sienna until the middle row seats got in the way of cargo. It offers great fuel economy and all-wheel drive for bad weather, and the most comfort for humans. I’d still probably opt for it, as the Chrysler Pacifica hybrid also loses Stow-and-Go seats to fit in the battery pack.

The new Carnival just doesn’t measure up — the Odyssey outcools it, while the Sienna outpracticals it. It is the bargain of the three, though.