2022 Honda Odyssey vs 2023 Mazda CX-50

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was a minivan that catered to families with its practical design and thoughtful features. Its sliding side doors were a boon for parents, making it easier to load children into car seats, especially in tight parking spaces. The Odyssey offered a spacious and comfortable third-row seat, accommodating additional passengers like grandparents or carpool groups without hassle. Its cargo space was impressive, with the ability to fold down seats to rival the capacity of a Chevrolet Suburban. Despite its utilitarian nature, the Odyssey maintained a sense of style, with kinked sliding doors and dark grey 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels on the Touring trim. The interior was open and functional, with leather upholstery and a well-organized centre stack, though it retained the unmistakable minivan feel with its expansive windshield and fishbowl-like visibility.

In contrast, the 2023 Mazda CX-50 exuded a rugged yet seductive charm, with its blunt nose, long hood, and rakish windshield. It combined Mazda's signature styling with newfound ruggedness, featuring fender swells, cladding, and skid plates. The CX-50's design elements, including a black grille and 20-inch alloy wheels, created an appealing exterior. The interior showcased Mazda's driver-focused design, with quality materials and a mix of analog and digital gauges. While the dashboard layout had some quirks, the overall look was polished. The CX-50's cabin was comfortable, with black leather and caramel-coloured accents, and it offered a terracotta upholstery option on higher trims. The CX-50's design was a testament to Mazda's ability to blend style and functionality in a compact crossover.

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 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 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. During testing, it averaged 10.4 L/100 km. The Odyssey's driving character was enjoyable, 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 Mazda CX-50 offered two engine options. The base GT model featured a 187 hp Skyactiv 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 186 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. It achieved fuel consumption figures of 9.7 L/100 km in the city, 7.9 on the highway, and 8.9 combined. The GT Turbo trim, with a turbocharged engine, produced between 227 hp and 256 hp, depending on the fuel used, and offered a towing capacity of up to 3,500 pounds. The turbo engine provided smooth acceleration and minimal turbo lag. The CX-50's Mi-Drive modes and G-Vectoring Control ensured natural vehicle behaviour, though the differences between drive modes were subtle. The CX-50's ride quality was firm, and it exhibited some torque steer during acceleration. Despite its SUV classification, the CX-50 felt more like a sporty station wagon on the road.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered easy access with wide-opening doors and a lower ride height. Inside, it featured quality leather, power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, and a tri-zone automatic climate control system. Storage space was abundant, with numerous compartments and a centre console tray. The second-row seats were comfortable, with options for sliding and removing sections for flexibility. The third-row seat was spacious, accommodating adults comfortably. The Odyssey provided 929 litres of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 2,452 litres with the third-row seat folded. Removing the second-row seats created a massive 3,984 litres of cargo space.

The 2023 Mazda CX-50 offered a well-equipped interior with power-adjustable heated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel. The dual-zone automatic climate control effectively maintained cabin comfort. The front seats were comfortable for long drives, though they could use more side bolstering. The rear seat was roomy, with rear air vents and charging ports. Storage space was adequate, though some opportunities for additional bins were missed. The CX-50 provided 889 litres of cargo space, with a long load floor and side bins for securing items. Maximum cargo space measured 1,595 litres, slightly less than the CX-5 due to the CX-50's lower roofline.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey Touring was equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It included navigation and HondaLink connected services with WiFi hotspot access. The Touring trim featured CabinWatch and CabinTalk technology, allowing the driver to monitor and communicate with rear passengers. The rear entertainment system had a 10.2-inch display, but it was considered outdated. The Odyssey's infotainment system was functional but lacked modern features like a larger screen and a tuning knob.

The 2023 Mazda CX-50 featured a Mazda Connect infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and Mazda Connected Services. It had a 10.25-inch display and offered touchscreen control for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system's user interface was occasionally frustrating, but the addition of touchscreen functionality was a step forward. The available Bose 12-speaker Centerpoint surround-sound system provided a satisfying audio experience. The CX-50 also offered an Active Driving Display, projecting important information within the driver's line of sight.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey came with Honda Sensing, a comprehensive suite of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. It also had automatic high-beam headlights and a rear-seat reminder system. The Odyssey earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. However, Honda Sensing's performance was sometimes abrupt, and the blind-spot monitoring system's warning light was not ideally positioned.

The 2023 Mazda CX-50 received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, with some headlight configurations falling short of the Top Safety Pick+ designation. It offered a comprehensive package of driving assistance systems, including active blind-spot monitoring, Traffic Jam Assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system. The CX-50's systems generally worked well, though the adaptive cruise control occasionally failed to recognize slower vehicles cutting in.