2022 Honda Odyssey vs 2023 Ford Escape

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was a minivan that catered to families with its practical design and thoughtful features. Its sliding side doors were a significant advantage, making it easier to load children into car seats, especially in tight parking spaces. The Odyssey offered a comfortable third-row seat, accommodating additional passengers like grandparents or carpool groups without hassle. Its cargo space was impressive, with the ability to fold down seats to rival the capacity of a Chevrolet Suburban. Despite the minivan's practicality, its image was a deterrent for some, though the Odyssey attempted to add a touch of style with its kinked sliding doors and dark grey 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels on the Touring trim. The interior was spacious, with leather upholstery and a well-organized centre stack, though the switchgear placement initially seemed haphazard.

In contrast, the 2023 Ford Escape embraced a more European design language, moving away from the rugged, boxy aesthetic of its predecessors. The refreshed model featured a traditional front end with a stylish LED light bar and the Ford blue oval logo. The Escape was one of the smallest vehicles in Ford's lineup, yet it offered a range of trim levels, with the ST-Line Elite showcasing 19-inch wheels and a sleek design. Inside, the Escape's diamond-stitched leather upholstery looked upscale, though it felt hard and plasticky. The seats were comfortable, and the 10-way power adjustable driver's seat allowed for easy customization. While the Escape's interior featured a lot of plastic, the centre console had a textured appearance, and the steering inputs were well-weighted, avoiding the twitchiness found in some competitors.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It featured a front-wheel-drive system paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Unlike some competitors, the Odyssey did not offer all-wheel drive or an electrified powertrain, resulting in a fuel consumption estimate of 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. Despite this, the Odyssey was enjoyable to drive, with quick acceleration and responsive handling. However, its brakes were prone to heating up during downhill driving, leading to pedal vibration and audible grumbling. This issue was more pronounced when the vehicle was fully loaded, highlighting the need for more heat-resistant brakes.

The 2023 Ford Escape offered multiple powertrain options, including a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque. This engine could be paired with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The ST-Line Select, Platinum, and ST-Line Elite trims featured a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, exclusively with all-wheel drive. While the Escape's suspension was soft and compliant, making it comfortable on rough roads, it lacked the performance tuning of a genuine performance crossover. The brakes provided predictable stopping power, and the steering was well-weighted, avoiding the over-boosted feel of some competitors.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey offered easy access with wide-opening doors and a lower ride height. Inside, the Touring trim featured quality leather, power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, and a tri-zone automatic climate control system. The Odyssey excelled in storage space, with numerous compartments and a handy floor tray. The second-row seats were comfortable, with the option to remove the centre section for more space. The Magic Slide second-row 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 increased cargo capacity to 2,452 litres, and removing the second-row seats offered a massive 3,984 litres of space.

The 2023 Ford Escape provided a comfortable interior with soft, supportive seats and excellent ergonomics. The steering wheel felt great to hold, and the armrests were well-positioned. The Escape's cargo space was competitive, with 1,061 litres behind the second row and 1,851 litres with the second row folded. However, it fell short of some segment leaders like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Passenger space was adequate, with good headroom in the back seat, though rear-seat legroom was slightly less than some competitors. The front-seat backs were padded and scalloped, maximizing space for taller passengers.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey Touring was equipped with a range of technology features, though its infotainment system was becoming outdated. It included an 8-inch touchscreen display, satellite radio, Bluetooth, and smartphone connectivity. The Touring trim added navigation, HondaLink connected services, and CabinWatch and CabinTalk technologies. The rear entertainment system featured a 10.2-inch display, but it was behind the times compared to rivals. The Odyssey's infotainment system lacked a tuning knob and required specific voice commands for navigation, making it less user-friendly.

The 2023 Ford Escape impressed with its Sync 4 technology, featuring an 8-inch touchscreen on lower trims and a 13.2-inch screen on higher trims. The larger screen enhanced the cabin's look and offered intuitive navigation with individual tiles for various functions. Sync 4 was easy to use, though it was occasionally slow to respond. The Escape included a static "Home" button for easy navigation between applications. A six-speaker sound system was standard, with a Bang & Olufsen system available on higher trims.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey was equipped with Honda Sensing, a suite of safety features including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. However, the system lacked refinement, occasionally issuing invalid warnings or responding too sharply. The Odyssey earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2023 Ford Escape received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, though it did not earn a Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS due to a Marginal score in the side-impact test. The Escape came standard with Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Co-Pilot360 2.0 added adaptive cruise control and lane-centring technology for a semi-autonomous driving experience.