Compare the 2019 Honda Odyssey vs 2018 Honda Odyssey

Serving Fredericksburg, VA, Spotsylvania, VA, and Washington, D.C.

There's no need to fix what isn't broken, and the Honda Odyssey, one of the most family-friendly transports on the road, certainly isn't in need of repair. The 2018 Odyssey comes with an extensive list of standard and optional features, and with six trims from which to choose, the buyer will have no problem finding a version that fits the bill. The 2018 Odyssey received a major overhaul that resulted in improved second-row seat functionality, a more powerful engine, and new optional high-tech and convenience features. The 2019 Honda Odyssey is on its way to showrooms, but very little tweaking has been performed to set this new model apart from the 2018 version. There are a few minor changes that will be described below.

Engine And Powertrain

The 2018 and 2019 Honda Odyssey models are powered by a 3.6L V6 engine rated at 280 horsepower. Few changes have been made to the powertrain. The Odyssey features:

• • Front-Wheel Drive (FWD)
• • Choice of 10-speed or 9-speed Automatic Transmission
• • Paddle Shifters

The 2019 model features the 9-speed transmission on the lower trims, and the Touring and Elite trims come with the 10-speed. There's no new engine choice for 2019, but the V6 provides plenty of power, and acceleration is actually quite good even when the vehicle is loaded with passengers and cargo. As of May 2018, no news has been announced concerning changes to the suspension system, which received an upgrade last year.

Interior Features

The 2019 Honda Odyssey is a very family-friendly minivan, and it's packed with convenience features, especially on the uplevel trims. The prominent features include:

• • CabinWatch
• • Cargo Area Vacuum Cleaner
• • Power Sliding Doors for easy entry
• • Tri-zone Automatic Climate Control on all but the base trim

These are included on most trims of the 2018 version as well, but Honda has included a few of the standard uplevel trim features as optional for the 2019 base version. These include heated front seats, smartphone app integration, a removable center seat, and second-row window sunshades. The standard screen display on the base trim is small at five inches, but the uplevel trims come with a larger 8-inch display screen.

Safety Systems

These haven't changed for 2019. Both the 2018 and 2019 Odyssey are equipped with the following standard safety features:

• • Front, Front-side, and Side-Curtain Airbags
• • The LATCH System of child seat tethers and anchors
• • Standard Rearview Camera

CabinWatch is standard on the Touring and Elite trims. This allows the driver to monitor via a camera what's going on with the kids without being distracted from what's happening on the road ahead. The Honda EX and above trims come with the Honda Sensing suite that includes lane-keeping assist, collision mitigation, road departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control.

Both the 2018 and 2019 Honda Odyssey models are well-rounded, passenger-friendly minivans, and both promise years of faithful service. Test drive an Odyssey today at Pohanka Honda of Fredericksburg, and be sure to ask about the arrival dates of the 2019 models.

*Based on 2019 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors.

**Based on 2018 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors.

***Road Departure Mitigation only alerts drivers when lane drift is detected without a turn signal in use and can apply mild steering torque to assist driver in maintaining proper lane position and/or brake pressure to slow the vehicle's departure from a detected lane. RDM may not detect all lane markings or lane departures; accuracy will vary based on weather, speed and road condition. System operation affected by extreme interior heat. Driver remains responsible for safely operating vehicle and avoiding collisions.

****FCW cannot detect all objects ahead and may not detect a given object; accuracy will vary based on weather, speed and other factors. System operation affected by extreme interior heat. FCW does not include a braking function. Driver remains responsible for safely operating vehicle and avoiding collisions.