2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E vs 2022 Honda Odyssey

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was a minivan that catered to families with its practical design and thoughtful features. Its sliding side doors were a significant advantage, making it easier for parents to load toddlers into rear-facing child seats, especially in tight parking spaces. The Odyssey also offered a comfortable third-row seat, accommodating additional passengers like grandparents or carpool groups without hassle. With ample cargo space, the Odyssey could transform into a cargo hauler by folding down the third-row seat and removing the second-row seats, providing a capacity comparable to a Chevrolet Suburban. Despite its utilitarian nature, the Odyssey maintained a sense of style, with its kinked sliding doors and dark grey 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels on the Touring trim, adding a touch of flair to its classic minivan silhouette.

In contrast, the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E was a bold move by Ford, blending Mustang styling cues with a five-door electric crossover SUV. Its design, featuring galloping horse emblems, scowling headlights, and tri-bar taillights, paid homage to the legendary pony car while embracing modern electric vehicle aesthetics. The Mach-E's popularity was partly due to its visual connection to the Mustang heritage. The GT trim, in particular, stood out with its aggressive look, unique 20-inch wheels, and a dark front panel resembling a traditional grille. Inside, the Mach-E GT exuded luxury with artificial leather and synthetic suede upholstery, copper stitching, and a high-tech ambiance created by metallic and gloss-black trim. The Mach-E successfully combined style, quality, and technology, making it a compelling choice in the electric vehicle market.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It featured a front-wheel-drive system paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. While it lacked the all-wheel-drive and hybrid options available in competitors like the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna, 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. However, the brakes exhibited pedal vibration and audible grumble when descending hills, especially with a full load. Despite this, the Odyssey remained quick and responsive, providing an enjoyable driving experience.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E offered a range of powertrain options, with horsepower ranging from 266 to 480 and torque from 317 to 634 pound-feet. The Mach-E GT Performance Edition featured an extended-range battery and all-wheel-drive, producing 480 horsepower and 634 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. The official driving range was 418 kilometres. The Mach-E GT included Whisper, Engage, and Unbridled driving modes, with an exclusive Unbridled Extend mode for track use. The brakes provided consistent, fade-free performance, and the ride quality, while firm, was well-controlled. The Mach-E GT was efficient, achieving 22.9 kWh per 100 kilometres during testing, better than the official estimate of 25.6 kWh/100 km.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered easy access with wide-opening doors and a lower ride height. Inside, the Touring trim featured quality leather, power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, and a tri-zone automatic climate control system. Storage was abundant, with various compartments and a centre console tray. The second-row seats provided ample legroom and could be configured for different needs, including the Magic Slide feature for easier access to the third row. The third-row seat was comfortable for adults, and the Odyssey boasted 929 litres of cargo space behind it. Folding the third-row seat increased cargo capacity to 2,452 litres, and removing the second-row seats expanded it to 3,984 litres.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E, as a crossover SUV, offered seating for five and 965 litres of cargo space, including a front trunk. The GT Performance Edition featured performance seats with unique upholstery and a tiered centre console with ample storage. The rear seat accommodated three children or two adults comfortably, and the panoramic glass roof added an airy feel. The Mach-E provided 841 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, expandable to 1,691 litres with the seats folded. The front trunk added 133 litres of additional storage, designed for easy cleaning with a drain plug.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey Touring was equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, and smartphone connectivity. It included CabinWatch and CabinTalk technologies for monitoring and communicating with rear passengers. The rear entertainment system featured a 10.2-inch screen with media playback options. However, the infotainment system felt outdated, lacking a larger screen and a tuning knob. The navigation system required specific voice commands and was less intuitive than smartphone-based options.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E featured a 15.5-inch touchscreen with Ford's Sync 4A infotainment platform, offering wireless smartphone connectivity, navigation, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The system learned user habits and provided predictive suggestions. The Bang & Olufsen premium sound system delivered excellent audio quality. The Mach-E also included Phone As A Key technology, allowing smartphone-based vehicle access. While the system was comprehensive, it lacked a radio tuning knob and a dedicated driving mode button.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey came with Honda Sensing, which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. It also featured automatic high-beam headlights and a rear-seat reminder system. However, Honda Sensing lacked refinement, occasionally issuing false warnings or taking abrupt actions. The Odyssey earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E included Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0, featuring adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking. BlueCruise hands-free highway driving was available, with new features like lane-change and predictive speed assist. While BlueCruise performed well, it required constant monitoring. The Mach-E received top safety ratings from the IIHS and was a Top Safety Pick, but NHTSA ratings were incomplete.