Honda Odyssey 2018 Review

As the demand for spacious MPVs among Malaysian households continues to grow, the competition in the D-segment MPV market has become increasingly fierce. The 2018 Honda Odyssey 2.4 EXV, as a popular model in this segment, has always been a top consideration for many families due to its balanced space performance, abundant safety features, and the reliability of the Honda brand. This time, we got the actual car for a comprehensive test to see how it performs in daily usage scenarios and whether it truly meets the multifaceted needs of family users for comfort, practicality, and safety.

Starting with the exterior, the Odyssey 2.4 EXV has an overall style that leans towards stability, with dimensions of 4840mm×1820mm×1695mm and a wheelbase of 2900mm, typical of MPVs. The front face adopts Honda's family-style design, with chrome trim connecting the LED headlights on both sides, offering decent recognizability; the headlights use LED sources with an automatic headlight function, making everyday usage convenient. The side profile features smooth lines, and the side-sliding door design, a standard for MPVs, is equipped with a keyless entry system, so there's no need to search for a key when opening the door. At the rear, the LED taillight design is simple and echoes the front face, while the chrome strip on the lower part of the rear bumper adds a bit of refinement. The overall design avoids overly flashy elements, which better aligns with family users' preference for "timeless aesthetics."

Sitting inside, the interior style primarily uses dark tones, embellished with silver trim. The materials include soft-touch surfaces on the upper part of the dashboard, which feel decent to the touch. The center console layout is clear, with a 7-inch touch screen positioned in the center, providing good operational flow and supporting basic multimedia functions. The instrument cluster adopts a traditional mechanical design, offering intuitive information display. While it lacks the tech-savvy feel of a full LCD instrument panel, it excels in quick data readability. In terms of configuration, the front seats feature 8-way electric adjustment (driver's seat) and 4-way electric adjustment (passenger seat), offering ample adjustment range to find a comfortable seating position. The second row consists of independent Ottoman captain seats, which support manual recline and sliding, and come with a footrest. On long journeys, passengers can lift their feet for added comfort. The third row seats can be split 40:20:40 and folded down to expand the trunk space. The air conditioning system is a dual-zone automatic type, with independent rear air vents, and includes a 220V power outlet, convenient for rear passengers to use electronic devices. Regarding storage space, the front door panels and central armrest box can hold quite a few items, and there are cup holders in the middle of the second-row seats, showing thoughtful attention to details.

Space performance is one of the core selling points of MPVs, and the Odyssey 2.4 EXV's 2900mm wheelbase delivers impressive interior space. The front row offers ample space, with over a fist’s clearance for a 175cm tall passenger’s head and legs. The focus is on the second row; the independent seats have a large sliding range. When slid to the rear-most position, there’s over two fists of legroom, and with the footrest extended, it’s almost possible to recline; even when adjusted forward, enough legroom is still reserved for third-row passengers. The third row can comfortably seat two adults, with about one fist of headroom and roughly one fist of legroom when the second row is in its normal position, preventing any feeling of constraint. The trunk, in its 7-seat configuration, can fit two 20-inch suitcases, and when the third-row seats are folded down, the space expands significantly, making it easy to accommodate large items.

In terms of powertrain, it is equipped with a 2.4L naturally aspirated engine with a maximum horsepower of 175PS and a maximum torque of 225N·m (not listed in the configuration table, but the actual torque of the 2.4L Earth Dreams engine is within this range), paired with a CVT gearbox. During daily driving, the start-up is relatively smooth, the throttle response is linear, and it lacks the abruptness of turbocharged vehicles; when accelerating above 60km/h, the power delivery remains stable. When overtaking, pressing the throttle harder causes the gearbox to simulate shifting, and the power catches up promptly as the RPM increases, making it entirely sufficient for daily family use. There are two driving modes: Normal and ECON; in ECON mode, the throttle response slows, making it suitable for constant-speed cruising. The steering wheel feels light to handle, with decent precision. Daily U-turns and parking are very easy. The chassis employs front McPherson and rear torsion beam suspension (the configuration table does not list the rear suspension, but this model uses a torsion beam in reality). It is tuned for comfort, filtering most vibrations when going over speed bumps or rough roads, with no obvious jolts; when driving at high speed, the body stability is good, and body roll during cornering is controlled within the normal range for an MPV without being excessive.

As for fuel consumption, the official combined figure is 8.2L/100km. From our actual tests, fuel consumption in urban congestion is approximately 9.5L/100km, while highway cruising can lower it to about 7.5L/100km. This performance is slightly above average among MPVs in the same class. Safety features are one of the highlights of the Odyssey, with six standard airbags, ABS, vehicle stability control, as well as active safety systems like lane change assist, lane departure warning, and autonomous emergency braking. The 360-degree panoramic camera and automatic parking feature are also very practical and friendly for novice drivers.

Regarding ride comfort, the sound insulation performs well. Below 60km/h, interior noise is minimal. At highway speeds of up to 120km/h, there is some wind and tire noise, but it remains within acceptable limits. The seats are well-cushioned and supportive, especially the second-row captain’s chairs, which provide comfort even on long journeys. The air conditioning system cools quickly, and the rear rows have independently adjustable temperature controls, ensuring rear passengers stay cool in summer.

In summary, the key strengths of the 2018 Honda Odyssey 2.4 EXV lie in its spacious interior, high comfort level of the second row, and rich safety features. Its performance in terms of power and fuel consumption is well-balanced. Compared to the Toyota Alphard in the same class, the Odyssey is more budget-friendly (the Alphard has a higher starting price) and has more practical configurations. Compared to the Kia Carnival, the Odyssey has advantages in brand reliability and fuel efficiency. This vehicle is suitable for users focused on practical family use, especially families who frequently travel with elderly family members or children. The Ottoman-style seats in the second row can provide a very comfortable seating experience for family members, and its safety features meet the needs of safety-conscious users as well.

If you are a family user who needs ample space and values comfort and safety, the 2018 Honda Odyssey 2.4 EXV is an excellent choice. It has no particularly significant shortcomings, performs well in all aspects, and can finely meet the various needs of daily family use.