Get the Odyssey or Pilot for Your Family Travels

Are you searching for a Honda dealer near Clarence? Ralph Honda is here to help you find your next family car. Honda has a wide range of vehicles, all of which are unique and can be perfect for different types of drivers. For families, there are two options that we would recommend: the Honda Odyssey minivan and the Honda Pilot SUV. They’re both solid, reliable vehicles that can store plenty of passengers or cargo. So, if you’re on the lookout for a new vehicle that can handle the needs of the whole family, which one should you choose?

The most notable difference between the Honda Pilot and the Honda Odyssey is their classifications. The Pilot is a three-row SUV, while the Odyssey resembles more of a traditional minivan. Many families have longed to leave the minivan style in the past, so having a large SUV option is ideal. Others appreciate the ease and convenience that comes from owning a minivan, and Honda is one of the few brands out there that still produces this particular body style.

Despite the Odyssey being a minivan, which is traditionally bigger than SUVs, the Odyssey and the Pilot can both fit the same number of passengers comfortably (up to eight). Both also have available seat folding technology that will allow you to trade passenger seats for extra cargo space. The Odyssey allows for easy access to the third row with technology Honda refers to as Magic Slide. The Odyssey’s second-row seats slide easily over, while the Pilot’s second and third rows are accessible via One-Touch technology, a similar but distinct feature that allows for a quick fold of the seat. While the quality of the seats is relatively equal between the two, our customers have told us that Magic Slide can be more versatile than One-Touch, which might be useful if you have younger children or kids trying to get into the third-row seating area on their own.

Beyond the seating arrangements, both the Odyssey and Pilot are dedicated to keeping your family comfortable on long trips. Both vehicles have heated and ventilated seats for hot or cold days to keep everyone inside at just the right temperature, and both have additional tri-zone climate controls that section off their respective vehicles to give different passengers different temperatures. Have a teen who just needs it to be warmer in their seat than everyone else’s, or a dad that wants to cool off even in the winter? Both the Pilot and the Odyssey are equipped with tri-zone tech to keep everyone happy.

The Odyssey has a ten-inch rear entertainment system so younger backseat passengers won’t get bored on long drives, and the Odyssey also has CabinWatch and CabinTalk. These two unique and exciting features allow you to see and speak to everyone in the cabin of the Odyssey through a camera and speaker set. This is perfect for when you really need to project to everyone in the van or to see if anyone’s doing something they shouldn’t back there. For parents with a watchful eye, it’s the perfect compliment.

You and your family will be taking either the Honda Pilot or Honda Odyssey on plenty of so-called “normal” trips, like commutes to Rochester or quick grocery runs, but there’s also a good chance you’ll want to take your family in the new Honda to a campsite, beach, or some other special place. For any and all driving situations, you want a versatile and dependable vehicle that you can be confident will perform beyond expectations no matter the challenge. Luckily, both the Pilot and the Odyssey have excellent included features to make these kinds of trips a reality.

The Honda Pilot is an SUV that’s quite capable of carving a path through any kind of terrain. It has available all-wheel drive and an available seven-mode driving system. These modes correlate to the conditions and environment you’re facing, so you can instruct the Pilot to adapt appropriately. This will enhance your stability, traction, and overall performance, depending on the surrounding environment. Our customers also love the smart technology inside the Pilot that’s similarly designed for off-roading, like TrailWatch, which displays a live video feed of the surrounding area so that you aren’t running into unseen obstacles. For the true off-road enthusiast, there is also the 2023 Pilot TrailSport. We could take a whole article in itself to describe the TrailSport, but just know that if your family is one that loves thrilling all-terrain adventures, there’s a whole version of the Pilot tailored just for you.

Comparatively, the Honda Odyssey is a little more lacking in off-road features. It does include a Snow Mode for drivers who consistently experience the pitfalls of winter, but outside of that, there aren’t many remarkable all-terrain capabilities. While the Odyssey excels in many categories and makes up for this lackluster off-roading experience in many different ways, we recommend the Pilot to Ralph Honda customers looking for the most versatile off-roading option.

As modern Honda vehicles, it’s no surprise that the 2023 Pilot and 2023 Odyssey are equally loaded with gadgets and technology that seek to both entertain and inform drivers and passengers alike. Both the Pilot and the Odyssey are smartphone friendly. With Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, any kind of smartphone can easily connect to your Honda for music, directions, voice-to-text, or anything else you might need it for. Both vehicles offer available wireless charging capabilities and have Wi-Fi hotspot options, so you don’t need to worry about burning up your data on long drives with multiple devices connected.

Beyond the fun technology that keeps you entertained, there’s a lot of tech built into both vehicles to keep you and your family safe and informed. A Blind Spot Information System that uses radar technology will keep you alerted and informed of vehicles you can’t see in either Honda. There are also multi-view cameras that allow for safe lane switching or easy backup parking. No more craning your neck to make sure you fit into that tight parking spot! While there are some different features here and there, largely, both the Honda Pilot and Odyssey share relatively equal levels of technological comfort, convenience, and safety.

Predictably, there’s a lot to love about both the Honda Pilot and the Honda Odyssey, and we’re happy to have both options available for you at Ralph Honda. Each of these vehicles has strengths and weaknesses, and we are happy to recommend which one we think will work for your family’s needs. For those who love following the spirit of adventure and don’t mind getting their hands dirty, the Honda Pilot can tackle off-road challenges easily and can take your families towards the most extreme fun. For those who want a classic, comfortable ride and a spacious interior, the Honda Odyssey might be the choice for you. No matter which Honda vehicle you choose, we think you and your family will be happy. Let us know what you are looking for in your vehicle, and we will be happy to help you narrow down your model and trim options until you have the perfect match.