2022 Honda Odyssey vs 2022 Toyota Sequoia

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was a minivan that catered to families with its practical design and thoughtful features. Its sliding side doors made it easy to load children into car seats, even in tight parking spaces, and its spacious third-row seating ensured comfort for all passengers, including adults. The Odyssey's cargo space was impressive, offering ample room for gear and groceries without the risk of items tumbling out when the liftgate was opened. Despite the minivan's utilitarian image, the Odyssey managed to incorporate a sense of style, particularly in the Touring trim with its dark grey 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels and kinked sliding doors that added character to its clean design.

Inside, the Odyssey's open-concept design provided a spacious and airy feel, with quality leather upholstery and a well-organized centre stack. The minivan's expansive windshield and small front quarter windows enhanced visibility, creating a fishbowl sensation for the driver. The Odyssey's interior was designed with practicality in mind, offering plenty of storage space and easy access to commonly used controls. Overall, the 2022 Honda Odyssey was a family-friendly vehicle that combined functionality with a touch of style.

The 2022 Toyota Sequoia, on the other hand, was a full-sized SUV that had been in production for 14 years without a major redesign. Its exterior design was a testament to timeless style, with modestly sized grilles, elegant wheel arches, and straight lines that gave it a commanding presence. The Sequoia's dimensions were substantial, with a height of 1,956 millimetres, a width of 2,030 mm, and a length of 5,210 mm, riding on a 3,099 mm wheelbase. Its ground clearance of 32 centimetres made it suitable for off-road adventures, while its 18-inch to 20-inch alloy wheels filled the wheel wells nicely.

Inside, the Sequoia's age was evident, with a dated dashboard design and a 7-inch touchscreen that paled in comparison to the larger screens found in modern SUVs. However, the interior was built to last, with high-quality materials and tight seams. The Sequoia's spacious cabin offered comfort for all passengers, with heated front seats and a three-zone climate control system. Despite its age, the Sequoia remained a capable and reliable SUV, with a robust body-on-frame construction and ample ground clearance for off-road excursions.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine that produced 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It featured a front-wheel-drive system and a 10-speed automatic transmission with pushbutton controls on the dashboard. While it lacked all-wheel drive and electrified powertrain options, the Odyssey offered a Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption estimate of 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. During a test drive, the Odyssey averaged 10.4 L/100 km, showcasing its efficiency.

The Odyssey's driving experience was enjoyable, with quick acceleration for highway merging and responsive handling on twisty roads. However, its brakes tended to heat up during repeated use on downhill grades, leading to pedal vibration and audible grumbling. Despite this, the Odyssey remained a delightful vehicle to drive, offering a balance of performance and practicality for families.

In contrast, the 2022 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a 5.7-litre i-Force V8 engine that delivered 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. It was paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and a lockable Torsen limited-slip centre differential for 4WD models. The Sequoia's truck roots contributed to its impressive payload capacity of up to 608 kilograms and a maximum towing capacity of 3,221 kilograms. However, its weight of nearly 2,721.5 kilograms resulted in higher fuel consumption ratings of 18.5 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 13.9 on the highway, and 16.4 combined.

Despite its heft, the Sequoia offered a smooth and stable ride on highways and was sure-footed on curvy roads. Its robust construction and ample ground clearance made it a competent off-roader, while its four-wheel independent double-wishbone suspension provided a controlled ride. The Sequoia's turning circle of 12.5 metres and excellent sightlines made it a practical choice for suburban driving.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered easy access with wide-opening doors and a lower ride height compared to most SUVs. Inside, the Odyssey Touring featured quality leather upholstery, supportive front seats with power adjustment, heating, and ventilation, and a tri-zone automatic climate control system. The minivan's interior was designed for practicality, with numerous storage spaces and an onboard vacuum cleaner for easy clean-up.

The Odyssey's second-row seats were comfortable, with plenty of legroom and the option to remove the centre section for added flexibility. The Magic Slide second-row seats allowed for easy access to the third row and enhanced safety for children in rear-facing car seats. The third-row seat was spacious and comfortable, with ample leg support and foot room for adults. The Odyssey offered 929 litres of cargo space behind the third row, which could be expanded to 2,452 litres by folding the third-row seat. Removing the second-row seats provided a maximum cargo volume of 3,984 litres.

The 2022 Toyota Sequoia prioritized passenger comfort with its spacious and roomy interior. All three rows offered plenty of headroom and legroom, with a three-zone climate control system catering to all passengers. The Sequoia's centre console and glove compartment provided ample storage space, while rear passengers enjoyed cup holders and access to power outlets.

The Sequoia's cargo compartment featured an auxiliary 12-volt outlet, making it ideal for tailgating and camping activities. It offered 535 litres of luggage space behind the third-row seats, which could be expanded to 1,886 litres with the third row folded. Folding both the second and third rows flat provided a generous 3,401 litres of cargo space, making the Sequoia a versatile choice for families with active lifestyles.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey Touring was equipped with a range of technology features, although its infotainment system was starting to show its age. It featured an 8-inch touchscreen display with satellite radio, Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Touring trim added HondaLink connected services, including WiFi hotspot access, and CabinWatch and CabinTalk technology for monitoring and communicating with rear-seat passengers.

The Odyssey's rear entertainment system included a 10.2-inch display screen with media playback options, but it was considered outdated compared to competitors. The Touring trim also featured an 11-speaker premium audio system and a wireless charging pad. However, the Odyssey's infotainment system lacked a tuning knob and required specific voice commands for navigation, making it less user-friendly than modern alternatives.

The 2022 Toyota Sequoia's infotainment system was also outdated, with a 7-inch touchscreen that felt clunky compared to competitors. It offered Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, along with Bluetooth connectivity. The Sequoia Platinum and TRD Pro trims added navigation and a 14-speaker JBL premium audio system.

While the Sequoia's technology under the hood lagged behind modern standards, Toyota updated the SUV's exterior lighting to LED and included a rear backup camera and parking sonar. However, the Sequoia lacked the electrification options and advanced powertrains found in newer vehicles, leaving it behind in terms of technological advancements.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was well-equipped with safety features, including the Honda Sensing suite, which offered adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The Odyssey also featured automatic high-beam headlights and a rear-seat reminder system. However, the Honda Sensing system lacked refinement, with occasional false warnings and abrupt responses.

The Odyssey earned an overall five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), highlighting its strong safety performance.

The 2022 Toyota Sequoia did not have crash-test ratings from NHTSA or IIHS, but it was equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense P suite, which included pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams. The Sequoia also featured a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert and the STAR safety system, which included stability control, traction control, and anti-lock brakes.

The Sequoia's safety features were comprehensive, with a full complement of airbags, LATCH connectors, crumple zones, and energy-dissipating interior trim. However, its lack of crash-test ratings made it difficult to assess its overall safety performance.