2022 Toyota Highlander vs 2021 Honda Odyssey

The 2021 Honda Odyssey had a familiar look with minor tweaks for modernization. It featured a new grille and front bumper, standard LED headlights with automatic high-beam operation across all trims, and a new gloss black spear with a chrome insert stretching the width of the taillights. New wheel designs debuted for the top three trims, reducing brightwork and giving the Odyssey a more contemporary appearance. The Elite trim, in particular, showcased perforated leather upholstery with contrast stitching and piping, new dashboard ambient lighting, and handsome 19-inch wheels with Shark Gray paint and machined surfaces, making it closer to an Acura in terms of luxury.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander had a modern, somewhat aggressive front-end design with flared fender arches and a distinctive third-row window kick-up. Despite its spacious interior, the Highlander appeared smaller to the eye. The XSE trim, in particular, stood out with its bold red optional leather package, unique exterior styling, ambient interior lighting, and sport-tuned suspension. The Highlander offered a range of trims from L to Platinum, each adding more features and luxury, such as a hands-free power liftgate, heated and ventilated front seats, and a panoramic sunroof in the top trims.

The 2021 Honda Odyssey was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower, paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission. This combination provided smooth and effortless power delivery, with driving modes including Normal, Sport, Econ, and Snow. The Odyssey averaged 21.8 mpg in combined driving, close to the EPA's estimate of 22 mpg. However, it lacked an all-wheel-drive option, which was a disadvantage in snowy regions. The Odyssey's ride and handling were enjoyable, with firm but comfortable suspension and well-weighted steering. However, the brakes showed signs of fade under heavy use, indicating a need for an upgrade.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came with a 3.5-liter V6 engine generating 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options, with drive modes including Sport, Normal, and Eco, as well as Mud/Sand and Rock modes for AWD. The Highlander excelled in highway cruising and overtaking, with a throaty exhaust note. The XSE trim's sport-tuned suspension provided a balance of reduced body roll and comfort over bumps. The Highlander could tow up to 5,000 pounds and had a max payload of 1,685 pounds in FWD L and LE trims.

The 2021 Honda Odyssey offered excellent storage and comfortable seating. The 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat was standard in all but the base LX trim, and the Elite trim added a heated steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats. The second-row Magic Slide seats provided versatile configurations, though removing them for maximum cargo space was cumbersome. Cargo space measured 32.8 cubic feet behind the third row, 88.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 144.9 cubic feet with all seats down.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander provided up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third rows folded, 48.4 cubic feet with the second row in use, and 16 cubic feet with all seats deployed. The second-row captain’s chairs in the XSE trim offered a center aisle to the third row, which was spacious for children but tight for adults. The Highlander featured deep cargo pockets, multiple storage trays, and a large center console compartment. The power liftgate was standard on all trims above the base L, with hands-free operation on Limited and Platinum trims.

The 2021 Honda Odyssey's EX trim and above came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a Cabin Control app. Touring and Elite trims added navigation, WiFi, CabinWatch, and CabinTalk. The Elite trim featured an 11-speaker premium sound system and wireless smartphone charging. However, the lack of a tuning knob and subpar voice-recognition technology were drawbacks. The rear-seat entertainment system in Touring and Elite trims included a 10.2-inch screen, Blu-Ray player, and streaming apps, though it was not a touchscreen.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with a WiFi hotspot, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The XSE trim featured a wireless charging pad and additional USB ports. A larger 12.3-inch touchscreen and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system were available. The infotainment system had a straightforward layout with hard buttons for ease of use, though it lacked wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

The 2021 Honda Odyssey improved its safety features with standard Honda Sensing on all trims, including adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, pedestrian braking, and road-sign recognition. The Odyssey earned top safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA, except for a four-star rating in rollover resistance. However, the adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning systems could be smoother and less intrusive.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with Toyota Safety Sense, including forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors, a surround-view monitor, and adaptive headlights. The lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist were very active, sometimes overly so, especially on back roads.