10 Reasons the 2018 Honda Odyssey is the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Van

2018 Honda Odyssey Profile ・ Photo by Honda

If you're reading this article, you don't need to be persuaded that minivans are exceptional family cars. You probably already realize that at a similar size and price to a full-size crossover, a minivan provides far more interior space plus the convenience of power sliding doors.

It's no surprise that the 2018 AutoWeb Buyer's Choice Award for Best Van was awarded to the Honda Odyssey, which was redesigned and significantly improved for the 2018 model year. While the exterior styling remains familiar, the changes were quite thorough: A host of cosmetic, mechanical and technological upgrades make this popular van more appealing than ever. Priced from $29,990, the 2018 Odyssey is a can't-miss vehicle.

10) It now has a hidden sliding door track.

We admit this trick isn't new to minivans. But for 2018, the Odyssey now hides its sliding door track against the rear window glass — avoiding an unsightly slice through the body of the car. That's just one of the many subtle ways that Honda has made the 2018 Odyssey more attractive than last year's model. It also features dressier LED lighting, a bolder chrome grille, larger taillights, along with new curved creases decorating the van's sides. The overall look of the 2018 Odyssey hasn't changed much from last year's model — but in our mind, that's a good thing. A low, wide stance has made recent Odysseys look sportier than competing minivans, and Honda wisely chose not to mess with success. Buying an Odyssey means getting what's arguably the best-looking van on the market.

Photo by Honda

9) Its built-in vacuum cleaner is a brilliant convenience feature.

The Odyssey wowed the minivan world with the HondaVAC when the feature debuted in 2014 — with the question of how no one thought of this previously. HondaVAC is a vacuum cleaner built into the car, with a hose long enough to reach anywhere in the cabin. Whether you need to clean up an emergency spill on the go, or just want to tidy up your Odyssey at any point when you're not in easy reach of a power outlet or cordless vacuum, HondaVAC stands at the ready.

The Odyssey is no longer the only minivan with a built-in vacuum cleaner. But it was the first, and HondaVAC is one of several tantalizing features that Honda offers on upper-trim versions of its latest minivan.

Photo by Honda

9) Its powertrains are powerful yet fuel-efficient.

Last year's Odyssey already attained respectable gas mileage for a big, eight-passenger family car. For 2018, Honda eked out further fuel savings — the Odyssey now has EPA ratings of 19 miles per gallon in the city, 28 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg overall.

The improved gas mileage is all the more impressive in light of the new Odyssey's bump in power. Its 3.5-liter V6 engine climbed from 248 horsepower last year to a hearty 280 hp for 2018. Its efficiency likely stems from its more advanced transmissions: a nine-speed automatic on most models and a 10-speed automatic on the top-trim Touring and Elite models. Additional gears can optimize efficiency by helping the vehicle always find the right ratio for a given circumstance — and the 2018 Odyssey's balance of acceleration and fuel efficiency puts that theory into practice. 

Photo by Honda

7) Snow Mode is a clever alternative to all-wheel drive.

Although the 2018 Honda Odyssey doesn't offer all-wheel drive, many buyers will find that the new Snow Mode is an even better fit. When this mode is selected, the van's transmission and throttle adopt revised settings that make it easier to drive gently — reducing the wheelspin that can otherwise result from a slippery snow-covered road.

While all-wheel drive can further improve traction in the worst conditions, Snow Mode facilitates winter driving with less complexity and expense. All-wheel drive not only costs more and reduces gas mileage, but it eats up interior space to create a connection between the engine and rear wheels.

Photo by Honda

6) Its safety record is superb.

The 2018 Honda Odyssey is the best-performing minivan overall in crash tests and other safety evaluations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It excelled even in the newly introduced IIHS passenger-side small-overlap crash test — a demanding new evaluation that's tripped up various vehicles.

Moreover, all Odysseys but the base LX model come with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including radar-based cruise control; a forward collision warning with emergency automatic braking; a lane-departure warning with automatic steering assistance; and a blind-spot monitoring system. Competing minivans either restrict these features to pricey trims or have less effective technology.

Photo by Honda

5) Its seats are magical.

Honda has been working magic with minivan seats ever since the third row of the original 1995 Odyssey disappeared into the floor. And the innovations haven't stopped. Honda has continued to polish its third-row folding, and in recent years that seat has vanished with increasing ease.

But the latest wizardry, new for 2018, comes from the Magic Slide function. The middle-row captain's chairs now adjust side-to-side instead of just fore-aft, allowing a variety of convenient positions. You can move an outboard seat to the center position and slide it forward — a boon for keeping a child within reach of the front seats, or for allowing easier third-row access.

Photo by Honda

4) There's tons of room inside.

The 2018 Honda Odyssey isn't unique among minivans for having a roomy interior, but it's a feature that continues to bear mentioning. The Odyssey can seat up to eight passengers in respectable comfort, even before everyone starts their magic adjustments. Even the third row is adult-friendly.

Meanwhile, for cargo, Honda quotes up to 38.6 cubic feet of space even behind the third-row seat. That's as much total cargo volume as you'd find in some small cars, and the Odyssey provides it without taking away a single seating position. Stow the third row into the floor and remove the middle-row chairs, and Honda says total volume can reach 158 cubic feet.

Photo by Honda

3) Its connectivity has improved.

Last year's Odyssey had an awkward infotainment setup with a touchscreen below a second display screen that was controlled by a knob. The 2018 model switches to just a touchscreen, but it alone can do more than last year's dual-screen setup. You can swipe through its three screens' worth of functions at the flick of a finger — smartphone-style — and it includes Android Auto or Apple CarPlay integration. That means that you can hook up your phone to the car and essentially operate certain phone apps through the car's screen, including GPS navigation.

The Touring and Elite models also offer a Wi-Fi hotspot, which promises to support up to seven devices and allow online video streaming on the van's entertainment system. And it's easy to recharge these devices, thanks to the Odyssey's three USB ports, three 12-volt outlets, 110-volt outlet and, on the Elite, even an available wireless charging pad.

Photo by Honda

2) It's even easy to communicate within the cabin.

It's impressive enough that the Odyssey offers so many ways to connect to the outside world. But where it really exceeds the class norm is for how well it facilitates communication among everyone inside the van. Although the Odyssey is a large, spacious vehicle, several clever features help keep everyone close at hand.

We especially love the CabinWatch feature. It's a camera that displays both rows of rear seats, capable even of checking on little ones in rear-facing car seats. You can see everyone at once — even at night — or zoom in on any area of the van. It's much easier than swiveling your head around and trying to guess what's happening in the far back. CabinWatch paired with CabinTalk, which amplifies the front-seat voices through the rear speakers or the entertainment system headphones. Meanwhile, rear passengers can use the CabinControl mobile app to adjust the van's stereo, entertainment system and climate control using a smartphone or tablet.

Photo by Honda

1) It has a comfortable yet sporty driving experience.

It wouldn't be impossible for some of Honda's competitors to catch up with the Odyssey's currently class-exclusive features. But we'd be surprised if any other minivan is going to drive this well. In addition to the strong V6 engine, the van boasts improved handling that's remarkably engaging for such a large vehicle.

Some past Odyssey generations have also demonstrated excellent handling, but it came at the expense of ride quality and cabin noise. No longer. The 2018 version cruises serenely, with a cushy and quiet ride. An active noise cancellation system comes standard, most models have sound-suppressing acoustic windshield glass, and our tested Elite extends that glass to the van's side windows.

The result is a balance of luxury and performance that would be impressive in nearly any type of vehicle — and all the more so in this hugely spacious, amenity-laden and competitively priced minivan.

Photo by Honda