10 Reasons the 2019 Honda Odyssey Won the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Van Award

As tastes have turned more toward SUVs and crossover vehicles, minivans have lost some of their popularity over the past decade. It’s a shame because the minivan is an excellent way to transport a family in comfort and safety, and a good minivan can be -- <gasp!> -- fun to drive. The Honda Odyssey succeeds in all three categories: comfort, safety, and fun-to-drive, and it has been working toward this success for more than two decades.

The competition has thinned over the years, but still, there are a few minivans on the market, in addition to the Odyssey: Toyota Sienna; Dodge Grand Caravan; Chrysler Pacifica; and Kia Sedona. Though smaller than other segments, the competition is fierce among minivans and the Odyssey remains the favorite among AutoWeb shoppers.  Here are 10 Reasons the 2019 Honda Odyssey won the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Van Award.

Odyssey debuted as a 1995 model, and entered its fifth generation of production with the 2018 model year. The first-generation Odyssey was built on the same platform as the Accord, and it was assembled in Japan. The second-generation Odyssey debuted as a 1999 model, assembled in Canada and the United States for the North American market. It was the first minivan with dual-sliding side doors – a feature that quickly spread to competitors, and came to define the minivan. The third-generation Odyssey ran from 2005 to 2010, taking the wedge-front design further than before. 2011 to 2017 marked the model years for the fourth-generation Odyssey, where Honda included innovative features that kept it in the conversation.

The fifth-generation Odyssey debuted at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It is assembled in Honda's Lincoln, Alabama plant, and represents the very latest in Honda’s arsenal of technology and design capability.

The Honda Odyssey is available with an entertainment system that centers on a 10.2-inch high-resolution video screen that folds down from the ceiling for viewing from the second and third rows. A combination Blu-ray/DVD/CD player feeds content to the screen and to the audio system. Additionally, you can use the onboard Wi-Fi to stream movies and television programs, so passengers can be entertained with programming from compatible apps like PBS Kids, Toon Googles, and Epix.

Two pairs of wireless headphones come with the system, and you can add wired headphones to the system, as well. Nothing quells the boredom and restlessness of a long road trip like quality entertainment.

Beyond entertainment, the Honda Odyssey provides some measure of control and access to information for rear-seat passengers. The Honda CabinControl smartphone app lets second- and third-row passengers adjust audio and climate control settings while the minivan is in operation. Passengers can adjust air temperature, fan speed, rear entertainment volume, content, and music playlists using a connected smartphone – which means that the driver doesn’t have to divert attention from the road.

Additionally, an entertaining app, “How Much Farther,” can be viewed on the rear entertainment screen. The app reads data from the navigation system, and shows distance traveled, distance to destination, and travel time remaining, and can be configured with a variety of backgrounds and animations.

Here’s a great example of how five generations of product development leads to smart, elegant problem solving. Odyssey’s center console performs a number of valuable functions with a minimum of fuss or complexity.

It has a pair of big side-by-side cup holders, perfectly placed for ease of use. A wireless charging tray for compatible cellphones is neatly integrated and slotted above a big storage space – large enough for an iPad or Chromebook. The storage compartment gets a sliding tambour – which means that driver or passenger can access it with one hand, with no need to keep a hinged lid open - subtle and smart. A sliding media drawer provides dedicated space for CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. And, of course, there are multiple USB, Aux, and power outlets available to connect and charge all sorts of devices.

Kids are great, really, they are. But they make a mess of your minivan. Nothing will wear out and age a vehicle like ground-in dirt, so the cleaner you can keep your vehicle’s interior, the longer it will serve you well.

Honda introduced the HondaVac, an onboard vacuum cleaning system, during Odyssey’s fourth generation, and continues to offer the feature in the 2019 Odyssey. It seems like such a minor thing, but the difference between having a vacuum that is instantly available and always ready for use versus having to locate, plug in, and maybe charge a vacuum that’s in the garage, or find a car wash with a vacuum, is often the difference between a spill that gets cleaned up and a spill that gets ignored.

While sliding side doors are a minivan hallmark, they also can represent challenges. Before the fifth-gen Odyssey, Honda used an open-rail system to support the minivan’s side doors when they were open. This worked well, but it had some downsides. One was aesthetic; the open rails destroy the flow of the body side visual, no matter how hard the designers worked to camouflage or integrate them. A practical challenge existed, as well. The open rails were vulnerable to accumulating dirt and could be subject to corrosion, both factors that could impede smooth function. There also was the small chance that a child or careless adult might get their fingers caught in the open rail while the door opened, a definite safety hazard.

So, like the Toyota Sienna and the Dodge Grand Caravan, the Odyssey finally switched to an integrated rail with the fifth-generation of production.

The Odyssey has done away with gas strut actuators for its lift gate, and now uses a worm gear and electric motor. Not only does this system help reduce weight, it also takes up less space, allowing for a wider liftgate opening and bigger glass for improved outward visibility. The electric motor can be programmed to open to custom heights – ideal for owners who park in a garage with a low ceiling, or for drivers who struggle to reach the controls on a fully open liftgate.

Hands-free operation also is available. The liftgate can be programmed to open in response to a kicking motion by a person holding the proximity key. This can be a lifesaver if you’re struggling to load a package or other cargo, and can’t get the key fob into your hand without putting the package down.

Even with the convenience of sliding side doors, leaning into a minivan to secure a child seat or passenger in the third row can require an uncomfortable stretch. In the Odyssey, you can remove the second-row center seat, which frees up the outboard seats to slide toward the center of the vehicle.

This has two great benefits. It improves access to the third row. It also lets you secure a child seat to an outboard second-row seat, get the child strapped in, and then slide the seat toward the center, where it will be safest during driving – all without bending and straining. Obviously, you can reverse the process to get kids out easily, too. If you need additional seating, you always can re-install the center seat in the second row.

No matter which 2019 Odyssey you choose, you’ll get the same proven 3.5-liter V6 engine, tuned to produce 280 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. For 2019, all LX, EX, and EX-L models come with a nine-speed automatic transmission, while Touring and Elite models get Honda’s first-ever 10-speed automatic transmission.

This is a big upgrade over the six-speed automatic that came with the fourth-generation Odyssey. More gears means smoother transition from gear-to-gear, and overall more efficient operation. The engine stays closer to its ideal rev range, and doesn’t have to ramp up and down. This means that optimum power delivery always is available, so the engine also feels more responsive than before – which makes Odyssey more fun to drive.

The 2019 Honda Odyssey is available in five trim levels: LX (starting at $30,090); EX (starting at ($34,060); EX-L (starting at $37,610); Touring (starting at $44,660); and Elite (starting at $46,970). Mechanically, all models come with the same 3.5-liter V6 engine. LX, EX, and EX-L get a nine-speed automatic, while Touring and Elite come with a 10-speed.

All Odyssey models are front-wheel drive, and all have paddle shifters for precise gear control. Odyssey is rated at 19 mpg city/28 mpg highway/22 mpg combined. Odyssey is a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and Five-Star (highest) Overall Safety Rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

It's no wonder that AutoWeb buyers showed such interest in the 2019 Honda Odyssey.