2022 Honda Odyssey vs 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was a popular choice for families, offering the practicality and convenience that minivans are known for. Its sliding side doors made it easy to load and unload children, especially in tight parking spaces. The Odyssey provided a comfortable third-row seat, accommodating additional passengers like grandparents or carpool groups without hassle. With ample cargo space, it could rival the capacity of larger SUVs when the seats were folded or removed. Despite the limited number of minivans in the market, the Odyssey maintained a sense of style with its kinked sliding doors and dark grey 19-inch alloy wheels on the Touring trim. The interior featured quality leather upholstery and a user-friendly layout, although the centre stack's switchgear placement initially seemed haphazard.

In contrast, the 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid marked a significant departure from its predecessors with a more assertive and truck-like design. It was longer and wider, giving it a muscular stance. The CR-V retained its classic D-pillar taillights but updated them for a modern look. The Hybrid Touring trim featured black roof rails, mirrors, and wheels, enhancing its sporty appearance. Inside, the CR-V Hybrid followed the design direction of the 2022 Civic and 2023 HR-V, with a honeycomb grille and high-quality materials. The interior exuded a premium feel, with contrast stitching on the seats and steering wheel adding an attractive touch.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It featured a front-wheel-drive system and a 10-speed automatic transmission with pushbutton controls. While it lacked all-wheel drive and hybrid options, the Odyssey offered a Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption estimate of 10.6 L/100 km in combined driving. Despite its size, the Odyssey was enjoyable to drive, with responsive handling and quick acceleration. However, its brakes tended to heat up during downhill driving, leading to pedal vibration and audible grumbling.

The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid, on the other hand, offered a hybrid powertrain combining a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, producing 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. It featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a new Snow drive mode, alongside Sport, Normal, and Econ modes. The CR-V Hybrid's Real Time AWD system could send up to 50% of engine torque to the rear wheels. It also introduced a "B" shifter position for increased regenerative braking. The CR-V Hybrid boasted a fuel consumption estimate of 6.0 L/100 km in city driving, 6.9 on the highway, and 6.4 combined, making it more fuel-efficient than its non-hybrid counterparts.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered easy access with wide-opening doors and a lower ride height. Inside, it featured quality leather seats with power adjustment, heating, and ventilation. The tri-zone automatic climate control system ensured comfort for all passengers. The Odyssey excelled in storage space, with numerous compartments and a handy floor tray. Its Magic Slide second-row seats allowed for flexible configurations, making it easy to accommodate passengers and cargo. The third-row seat was comfortable for adults, and the Odyssey provided 929 litres of cargo space behind it. Folding the third-row seat expanded the cargo capacity to 2,452 litres, and removing the second-row seats created a massive 3,984 litres of space.

The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid benefited from its larger exterior, translating to more interior volume. It offered 1,028 litres of cargo space with the rear seats up and 2,030 litres with them folded. The Touring model featured a hands-free power tailgate, and all CR-Vs had wide-opening rear doors for easy access. Rear seat legroom increased to 1,042 millimetres, accommodating taller passengers comfortably. The CR-V Hybrid's interior included a cubby for smartphones, eight cupholders, and a console with best-in-class storage.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey Touring was equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, satellite radio, Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It featured CabinWatch and CabinTalk technology, allowing the driver to monitor and communicate with rear-seat passengers. The rear entertainment system included a 10.2-inch display and wireless headphones. However, the Odyssey's infotainment system was considered outdated, lacking a larger screen and a tuning knob. The embedded navigation system required specific voice commands and was less intuitive than smartphone-based navigation.

The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid featured a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display with physical volume and tuning knobs. The EX-L and Hybrid Touring trims had a 9-inch touchscreen with a volume knob. The CR-V Hybrid offered a comprehensive suite of features, including USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat. The Hybrid Touring trim added wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, and a 12-speaker Bose Premium audio system. The smart navigation system optimized fuel efficiency based on the route.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey came equipped with Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies. It included 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, Honda Sensing lacked refinement, occasionally issuing invalid warnings or taking abrupt actions. The blind-spot monitoring system's warning light was not ideally positioned, and the radar's range was limited. The Odyssey earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid offered a comprehensive set of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The Honda Sensing suite included improved collision mitigation, road-departure mitigation, and lane-keeping assist systems. New safety features for 2023 included traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, and low-speed braking control. The CR-V Hybrid also featured a blind-spot monitoring system, cross-traffic monitor, and rear-seat reminder. It received a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA.