Anonymous wrote:What's the magic seat?

I think the PP was referring to the fold-away third row.

We've had a '06, '10, '16, and now a '18 Elite. The previous three were all EX-L trim levels.

I believe the current generation of Odyssey compares favorably to the previous generations. I'm mindful that the trim level we own now is two tiers higher than the EX-L we had before.

What hasn't changed is the basic formula, which is good: large, spacious, comfortable, including very good third row seating comfort. Lots of room for people and cargo. It's quiet, nice supportive seats, and the interior materials and textures are all very harmonious and well made. It drives well, has adequate power, and offers good driver visibility. I am a car guy and the Odyssey makes soooooo much more sense to our family than an SUV.

The engine is now direct injection, and the transmission is now up to 10 speeds. I would say these make little difference in day to day driving. It's neat for me, but doesn't really contribute materially to the car. What does make a big difference is the new generation's safety and tech features. It's obvious that the previous generation Odyssey made an attempt to appear to be good on tech, but the dual-screen setup was really just a mish-mash of incoherent design. It looked flashy but felt old as soon as you started using it. The new system is much better integrated, obviously designed to be a thoroughly modern system from the get-go.

What I miss: Cup holders. The '06 and '10 had four center console cup holders for the driver and front passenger, so that I could have my Double Gulp and cup of coffee while the wife had her bottle of water and cappuccino. Now we only have two cup holders which we have to juggle. My wife can put her bottled water in the door cup holder, but I can't do the same with my drinks. This is uncivilized. The previous generations didn't have the side-sliding 2nd row seats, which made for a flatter floor than the current generation. I still prefer a shifter stalk versus the current push buttons.

We used to change vans every so often, but I think I might hold on to this 2018 for longer term, which is why we wen't for the Elite. It really has just about everything I could hope for in a work-horse family vehicle.

What's the magic seat?

I have the 2019. I didn't have an older model though we rode often in my parents 2008 Odyssey. We test drove a lot of used Odysseys and they didn't compare at all to the 2019. The dashboard was completely reconfigured and is great.

Our only issue is that the side mirrors don't fold in when in park. They only do that on the Elite version and we only got the middle version. If we'd known, we would have got the Elite. The Odyssey can't make it in my garage because of that (I have 2, 1 car garage doors).

Love the magic seat.

I've had an '06, '11 and now '18 Odyssey. I'm not a big car expert but I like the '18 just fine. Seats are fine. What is Honda Sensing? Is this the sensor that tells you if you're veering from the lanes? I use it on long trips and it's nice. I really like the cruise control setting that will automatically slow down if you come up behind another car. If the car scoots over, it will automatically speed up again. I used to rarely use cruise control but now I use it on the interstate al the time. I also like the blind spot indicators that my others didn't have.

I miss the drawer under the passenger seat. I actually kind of liked the old refrigerator - I didn't use it much but it was nice to have cold water on long road trips - that's gone now. Those are minor so I have no real complaints. This may be my last one as the kids may be grown and gone before I get too many miles on this one.

We have a 2011 and have seen reviews of the 2018/2019 models where people are disappointed with the new model.

How comfy are the seats? This sets our 2011 apart from other vehicles.

How is the Honda Sensing?

Other features?