2023 Lexus RX 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 standout, making it easy to load children into car seats even in tight parking spaces. The Odyssey offered a spacious and comfortable third-row seat, accommodating additional passengers like grandparents or carpool groups with ease. Its cargo space was impressive, rivaling that of larger SUVs when the seats were folded or removed. Despite its utilitarian nature, 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.

In contrast, the 2023 Lexus RX presented a more modern and sophisticated aesthetic. Built in Canada, the RX was shorter in height but broader and longer in wheelbase than its predecessor, offering a fresh yet familiar look. The signature spindle-style grille and upswept body sides gave it a sleek appearance, while the light-blade taillight design and block lettering added a sporty touch. Inside, the RX boasted a thoroughly modern interior with fewer buttons and a focus on digital instrumentation. The available 9.8-inch or 14-inch touchscreen display, along with natural voice-recognition technology, enhanced the driving experience. The RX's quality materials and thoughtful design elements, such as NuLuxe artificial leather and real wood trims, elevated its luxury appeal.

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 all-wheel drive and hybrid options, the Odyssey offered a Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption estimate of 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. During testing, it averaged 10.4 L/100 km. The Odyssey was enjoyable to drive, with quick acceleration and responsive handling, but its brakes tended to heat up on downhill grades, leading to pedal vibration and audible grumbling.

The 2023 Lexus RX 350, on the other hand, was equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder engine, producing 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. It came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive as standard in Canada. The RX 350 offered a smooth and comfortable ride, though the Executive trim displayed occasional torque steer and excess body motion. The F Sport 3 trim, with its adaptive damping suspension, provided a more secure and composed driving experience. The RX 350 AWD was estimated to average 9.9 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, with test results showing 10.5 L/100 km and 10.8 L/100 km.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered easy access with wide-opening doors and a lower ride height. Inside, it featured quality leather upholstery, supportive front seats with power adjustment, and a tri-zone automatic climate control system. The Odyssey excelled in storage space, with numerous compartments and a handy floor tray. Its Magic Slide second-row seats allowed for flexible configurations, enhancing passenger comfort and safety. The third-row seat was spacious enough for adults, and the cargo area provided 929 litres of space behind it. Folding the third-row seat increased cargo capacity to 2,452 litres, and removing the second-row seats offered a maximum of 3,984 litres.

The 2023 Lexus RX 350 provided a comfortable and sophisticated interior. The Executive trim featured semi-aniline premium leather upholstery, ten-way power-adjustable front seats, and a heated wood-and-leather steering wheel. The F Sport 3 trim offered sportier black NuLuxe simulated leather seats and Dark Graphite trim. Both trims provided exceptional comfort, though taller passengers might find headroom tight. The RX 350's cargo area measured 838 litres with the second row in place and 1,308 litres with it folded down, offering improved but still limited space compared to competitors.

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 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 more advanced features.

In contrast, the 2023 Lexus RX introduced the new Lexus Interface multimedia infotainment system with a 9.8-inch or 14-inch touchscreen display. It offered wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and various connected services. The Intelligent Assistant provided natural voice recognition, though it occasionally returned inaccurate results. The RX's infotainment system allowed for user profiles and streaming services, but it lacked the ability to view multiple data panels simultaneously. The 21-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system delivered excellent audio quality, and additional features included digital instrumentation, Digital Latch door handles, and a colour head-up display.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey came standard with Honda Sensing, a suite of safety features including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. It also had automatic high-beam headlights and a rear-seat reminder system. However, Honda Sensing lacked refinement, with occasional false warnings and abrupt responses. The Odyssey earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2023 Lexus RX featured Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, which included lane departure warning, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. New features included motorcycle detection, evasive steering assistance, and intersection turn assistance. The RX also offered semi-autonomous driving technologies like Proactive Driving Assist and Traffic Jam Assist. While LSS+ 3.0 was impressive, it had some issues, such as unmarked adaptive cruise controls and curve-speed reduction technology that could be improved.