Honda Odyssey 2020 Philippines Review: The Goldilocks zone of minivans

Introduced in 1994, the Honda Odyssey was once a 5-door station wagon which then turned into a 5-door minivan in 2013. There are two variants of the Odyssey: a larger one for North American and a smaller one in Japan and other markets.

The original, first-generation Honda Odyssey

Despite being given the smaller ones, the Philippine version of the Odyssey is favored by a good number of Pinoys because of our close family ties. We like going out together and we like going on long trips together.

So, does the Honda Odyssey fit your description of a family vehicle? Let’s find out with Philkotse.com in our in-depth Honda Odyssey 2020 Philippines Review

2020 Honda Odyssey – Ultimate Family Minivan

The Honda Odyssey is undoubtedly large. But unlike the Chevrolet Suburban and the Toyota Land Cruiser, it’s not intimidating or anything like that. Instead, what we have is a practical van which weirdly enough, blends into the usual sea of cars here in Metro Manila. No, it isn’t boring per se but you do need to actually stand in front of the Odyssey to appreciate the pair of angular fog-light housing, the sharp halogen projector lamps, and the LED daytime running lamps.

Honda gave the Odyssey a modern, not so subtle look. For a minivan that is

Even the kind of features it comes with are leaning towards the “good to have” but not that exciting. There’s a rear windshield defogger, power-folding door mirrors, and of course, a rear wiper. The only thing that might be called exciting is the tailgate spoiler which has an LED high mount stop lamp.

Does it have the right number of duds to function as an executive vehicle? Well sure. The grille is chromed and the spoked wheels are classy, but all in all, the Odyssey, despite the very deep character lines, is better relegated as a vehicle for a large family. 2020 Honda Odyssey exterior looks the part too.

Not many unusual features from the side and on the rear

Also, if you’re thinking of modifying the Odyssey with things like a wing and a set of coil-overs, then we salute you because that’s REALLY hard to pull off.

>>> Relaled:

• Modified Honda Jazz: Tips and tricks to turn it into a blistering hot hatch
• Modified Honda Civic: Tips & tricks to get the chicks

While it seems like we’re dissing on the Honda Odyssey exterior design (we aren’t), we’ve got no complaints about its interior. It can fit up to eight people rather comfortably with massive amounts of leg-room and headroom.

In terms of on-board entertainment, the new Honda Odyssey is on the more basic side as it comes with a rather small but actually competent seven-inch touchscreen head-unit which has Bluetooth, a USB port and an HDMI port.

That infotainment system is then linked up to a decent sounding seven-piece speaker system. Passengers also have access to one 12-volt accessory socket on the front and one on the rear.

The seating arrangement is pretty malleable aboard the Odyssey but even the default setting is very spacious

 The driving is also made more comfortable and more convenient with the presence of a digital instrument cluster, smart entry with push to start, a very large and comfy armrest, and an 8-way power driver’s seat.

The highlight of the 2020 Honda Odyssey interior, like we’ve said, is its insane amount of space inside the vehicle. This is thanks to the Odyssey’s Fold Flat Magic seats which can be configured in a number of ways when you want it. Also notable is the Odyssey’s ease of entry.

Because it rides low to the ground and is equipped with a power sliding door, you and older folk will no longer grunt and sweat just to get aboard.

The dashboard is unmistakably Honda

Amazing right? Come to think of it, these features make the Honda Odyssey one of the best vehicles available in the Philippine market today for differently-abled people; it’s comfy, very accessible, and some notable guys here in Metro Manila can even install powered ramps or wheelchair lowering devices.

For a typical Filipino family though, the Odyssey can definitely provide enough space for kids and their mini-rampages.

>>> For your further reference: 

• 6 Best Family Friendly Vans in the Philippines
• Best vans for Filipino family: Compact minivans or Full-sized minivans?

Unlike the North American and previous versions, the current Odyssey available to Filipinos is powered by an Inline-4 DOHC i-VTEC.

Also, the new one is now equipped with a CVT instead of the previous one’s 5-speed automatic/V6 combo. Now because of the “downsizing” and the intended purpose of the Odyssey, we’ve no qualms about its current transmission type.

It’s more appropriate for a city front-wheel-drive, a city going vehicle. Though some Honda enthusiasts can still find a way to make this large, box of a car go faster.

The current 2020 Honda Odyssey engine, the Inline-4 DOHC i-VTEC with Earth Dreams Technology, can make up to 172 horsepower and 226 Nm.

To get pedantic, the 2020 Odyssey weighs at 1,851 kilograms. With that maximum power output, the Honda Odyssey 2020 has a power to weight ratio of 0.042 horsepower per kilogram which is…pretty alright for a large family car.

The Odyssey's inline-4 DOHC engine

In comparison to other minivans in the Philippine market, the Kia Carnival is marginally better in this regard with a power to weight ratio of 0.041 Hp per pound.

The Toyota Alphard, which has been considered (and still is) a full-blown sleeper car by many enthusiasts, has 0.059 which of course is explained by retaining a deliciously robust 3.5-liter V6/8-speed automatic combo.  

As with any modern Honda, the Odyssey is pretty well equipped. Unlike most minivans, the Odyssey does have side curtain airbags for all three rows.

2020 Honda Odyssey comes with front dual airbags and side airbags

Other safety equipment includes front dual airbags, side airbags, vehicle stability assist, hill start assist, ABS with EBD, an emergency stop signal, and a reversing camera. The EX-V Navi variant also comes with a multi-view camera, a smart parking system, parking sensors, blind-spot detection, and cross-traffic monitoring.

>>> Visit our cars for sale section to extend your options to more affordable car deals

Overall, we recommend the Honda Odyssey if you’re in the market for a spacious vehicle for your family, business, or just a roomy vehicle in general. Heck, with the versatile seating arrangements of the Odyssey, you can even use it for minor hauling.

Also, priced in-between the Kia Carnival and the Toyota Alphard, two of the Odyssey’s most popular competitors here in the Philippines.

2020 Honda Odyssey: The Goldilocks zone of minivans

That fact is reflected too in these minivans’ performance and their price. So, in short, the Odyssey is currently in the goldilocks zone of local minivans; it’s not that powerful but it’s just right.

Before heading off to the sunset, you should be aware that the Honda Odyssey is getting a major update. It's a refreshed version of the currently available model and it'll be unveiled at the 2020 New York Auto Show. 

>>> Read more in-depth car reviews on Philkotse.com