2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs 2022 Honda Odyssey

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was a minivan that catered to families with its practical design and thoughtful features. Its sliding side doors were a boon for parents, making it easier to load children into car seats without the hassle of narrow SUV doors. The Odyssey offered a spacious and comfortable third-row seat, accommodating additional passengers like grandparents or carpool buddies with ease. Its cargo space was impressive, rivaling that of larger SUVs when the seats were folded down or removed. Despite the minivan stigma, the Odyssey managed to maintain a sense of style with its kinked sliding doors and sleek character lines, especially in the Touring trim with its dark grey 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

In contrast, the 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer presented a more rugged and compact SUV option. It borrowed design cues from the larger Chevrolet Blazer, offering a tough yet refined appearance with intricate lighting elements and dark chrome trim. The Activ and RS models added unique styling touches, with the Activ featuring a rugged front fascia and the RS sporting a sportier look. The Trailblazer's contrasting roof options and vibrant paint choices gave it a distinctive and retro flair. Inside, the Trailblazer combined practicality with personality, offering a mix of leatherette upholstery and copper-toned accents. While it didn't scream "outdoor adventure," its design elements like grab handles and a creased dashboard added a touch of uniqueness.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was powered by a robust 3.5-litre V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This front-wheel-drive minivan utilized a 10-speed automatic transmission with pushbutton controls on the dashboard. While it lacked all-wheel drive and hybrid options, the Odyssey offered a Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption estimate of 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. During testing, it averaged 10.4 L/100 km on a varied driving route. The Odyssey was praised for its driving character, offering quick acceleration and responsive handling, although its brakes showed signs of strain on downhill grades.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer shared its platform with the Buick Encore GX and offered two engine options: a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, and an optional 1.3-litre turbo-three producing 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. The 1.2-litre engine was available only with front-wheel drive, while the 1.3-litre engine could be paired with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The Trailblazer Activ test car featured the 1.3-litre engine, all-wheel drive, and a nine-speed automatic transmission. It provided a decent amount of power and a pleasing exhaust note, although the transmission exhibited some rough shifts. The Trailblazer's ride quality was generally good, with dampers tuned for gravel roads, but it experienced some bouncing over road imperfections.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered easy access with wide-opening doors and a lower ride height compared to most SUVs. Inside, the Odyssey Touring featured quality leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, and a tri-zone automatic climate control system. Storage space was abundant, with clever compartments throughout the cabin. The second-row Magic Slide seats allowed for flexible configurations, enhancing safety and convenience. The third-row seat was comfortable for adults, and the Odyssey provided 929 litres of cargo space behind it. Folding the third-row seat expanded cargo capacity to 2,452 litres, and removing the second-row seats created a massive 3,984 litres of space.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, though compact, offered decent utility for its size. It was wider and taller than the original S-10 Blazer, with a longer wheelbase that improved passenger space. The Trailblazer matched rivals like the Kia Seltos in headroom and offered more rear legroom than the Buick Encore GX. However, the rear seats' flat cushions made long trips less appealing. Cargo space measured 716 litres with the rear seats up and 1,540 litres with them folded, competitive for the segment. Up front, the Trailblazer featured clever storage solutions, including a covered bin and a deep tray, though its overall cargo capacity was limited compared to larger SUVs.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey Touring was equipped with a range of technology features, though its infotainment system was starting to show its age. It included an 8-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, Bluetooth, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Touring trim added navigation, HondaLink connected services, and a WiFi hotspot. CabinWatch and CabinTalk technologies allowed the driver to monitor and communicate with rear passengers. The rear entertainment system featured a 10.2-inch screen, but it was considered outdated. The Odyssey's infotainment system was functional but lacked the modernity and ease of use found in competitors.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer offered a standard 7-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, and a WiFi hotspot. An optional 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, Bose audio system, and wireless phone charging were available. While the Trailblazer's tech features were adequate for most buyers, they might not satisfy the most tech-savvy consumers. The 8-inch touchscreen was well-sized for the dashboard, with intuitive menus and easy-to-read graphics. The combination of analog gauges and a smaller instrument cluster screen provided clear information without the need for a fully digital setup.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey came equipped with Honda Sensing, a suite of safety features including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centring assist. It also had automatic high-beam headlights and a rear-seat reminder system. However, the Odyssey's safety systems lacked refinement, occasionally issuing false warnings or responding too abruptly. The Odyssey earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer featured standard safety equipment such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a Teen Driver system. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Trailblazer received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with high scores in crash tests and front-crash prevention technology.