Honda Odyssey vs Subaru WRX

What's the difference?

The Honda Odyssey isn’t a bad choice for those looking to ferry around a large gaggle of people, but its far from the best option.

The first two rows are great and are supremely comfortable for those four occupants, but third-row usage will depend on how much those passengers are susceptible to motion sickness.

However, the Odyssey’s biggest weakness might be its sluggish engine and mundane CVT, with rivals like the new Kia Carnival and even Toyota Prius V offering better performance and better economy, respectively.

Still, the Honda Odyssey, and people movers in general, remain a solid option for those that don’t want another SUV or value the practicality and space afforded.

Possibly one of the most perfect performance cars you can drive daily for the price. Dynamic and fun to drive, but also easy to live with thanks to the drive modes for extra comfort, the high ground clearance and the practicality that comes with four doors, lots of storage and a big boot.

The tS Spec B is the priciest WRX in the range, but compared to rivals it's also great value. A car I would buy with my own money for sure.

Gone are the days where people movers could be considered daggy or uncool. No, please, don’t click away, we’re serious!

The 2021 Honda Odyssey features a new front grille, bumper and headlights that combine for a much more imposing and aggressive front fascia.

The chrome highlights look especially good against the 'Obsidian Blue' paintwork of our test car, at least to our eyes, and between this and the new Kia Carnival, people movers might just be cool again.

In profile, the 17-inch wheels do look a little small next to the massive doors and huge panels, but they do feature a funky two-tone look.

The chrome touches also follow along the Odyssey’s flanks and are found in the door handles and window surrounds to break things up a bit.

From the rear, the Odyssey’s large dimensions are hard to hide, but Honda has tried to jazz things up with a roof-mounted rear spoiler and more chrome around the tail-lights and rear fog light surrounds.

Overall, the Odyssey looks handsome and confident without straying into the ‘trying too hard’ or ‘over the top’ territory, and if anything, at least it’s not another high-riding SUV, which are quickly overtaking streets and car parks the world over.

Step inside and the Odyssey’s layout is nothing special, but gets the job done.

The first- and second-row seats are plush and comfortable, while the dashboard also features woodgrain touches to lift the interior ambience.

The 8.0-inch multimedia screen sit proudly in the centre stack, while the shifter is on the dashboard to maximum interior space.

The WRX tS Spec B stands out from its siblings with 19-inch matte-grey alloy wheels with gold Brembo brakes and if you don’t notice any of that, then surely you won’t miss the gigantic rear wing planted on the boot lid.

The air scoop jutting out of the bonnet like a pizza oven is standard across the WRX range and it looks tough. There’s the rear diffuser which also looks beefy but also a bit plasticky, and the quad exhaust, that’s nice, and so is the note which wafts out of them at idle.

The tS Spec B’s Recaro sports seats are also in other tS grades – they do look and feel good, and offer outstanding comfort and support. 

The rest of the cabin is much the same as other WRX grades with a large portrait-style screen, physical buttons for climate control, and yes, that is a traditional, mechanical handbrake you can see in images.

This is a sporty-looking although slightly outdated cabin compared with more modern rivals.

Measuring 4855mm long, 1820mm wide, 1710mm tall and with a 2900mm wheelbase, the Honda Odyssey is not just an imposing behemoth on the outside, but also a spacious and practical people mover on the inside.

Up front, occupants are treated to plush and comfortable seats with electronic adjustment and individual fold-down armrests.

Storage options abound, with deep door pockets, a dual-chamber glove box, and a tricked-out centre storage console that can retract into the centre stack and features two hidden cupholders.

Because of the compact engine and transmission package, and the fact the centre console tucks away, there is actually just empty space between the two front occupants, which is a missed opportunity.

Maybe Honda could have put another storage bin there, or even a cooled box for chilled drinks on long road trips. Either way it’s a notable, unexploited cavity.

The second-row seats are probably the place to be in the Odyssey, though, with its two captain’s chairs offering supreme comfort.

Adjustability is also plentiful, with forward/backwards, recline and even left/right positioning available.

However, while there are cupholders and roof-mounted climate controls present, there really isn’t much else to keep second-row occupants, well, occupied.

Would be nice to see some charging ports or even entertainment screens to keep kids and adults placated on long journeys, but at least the head, shoulder, and legroom is generous.

In the third row, it’s a tighter squeeze, but I managed to get my 183cm (6'0") frame comfortable.

The three-row bench is the least comfy place to be, but there is a charging outlet and cupholders back there.

Those with child seats also take note, the second-row captain’s chairs top-tether anchor point is very low down on the seat back, meaning you might have to max out the strap length to get it there.

Also, because of the captain’s chairs, the top tether strap can be knocked off quite easily, as the inner shoulders of the seats are smooth offering nothing for the strap to catch onto if pushed towards the middle of the car.

And you can’t even install the car seat in the third row because the bench seat doesn’t feature any ISOFIX points. 

With all seats in place, the boot will happily swallow 322 litres (VDA) of volume, more than enough for groceries, school bags or even the stroller.

However, the boot floor is quite deep, making the retrieval of bulkier and heavy items a little cumbersome.

With the third-row folded, though, that cavity is filled in and the Odyssey features a completely flat floor then able to take on 1725L of volume.

Honda has even found a place for the space saver spare wheel, though it’s not underneath the car or tucked into the boot floor as you'd expect.

The spare is under the two front seats, and requires the removal of some interior carpets and trim to access. 

It’s not in the most convenient of places, but props to Honda for getting one in there when other seven-seaters just opt for a puncture repair kit. 

What’s so appealing about the WRX is that despite it being a performance car, it’s based on a regular 'small' sedan and with that comes all the practicality of a four-door, five-seater with a big 411-litre boot.

Space inside is excellent with plenty of room up front, while rear legroom is ample enough for me, at 189cm tall, to sit behind my driving position with plenty of headroom, too.

That all said the Recaro seats up front are on the snug side and I know they’re supposed to be, but I’m just saying they might not suit everybody – and by that I mean everybody.

Those with long legs might also find they have to adjust their driving position when letting out the clutch.

Big door pockets throughout, four cupholders, and hidey-holes for items throughout make for good cabin storage.

There are four USB ports and one 12V outlet, but no wireless phone charging to be found.

The WRX tS Spec B sits at the top of its range and lists for $61,490 plus on-road costs, making it expensive for the model compared to say the entry-grade WRX which is only $48,190 and pairs the same engine with the same gearbox.

Still, it comes with some unique features which makes this grade stand out from the other lower rungs in the WRX hierarchy.

The tS Spec B comes standard with 19-inch alloy wheels, six-piston front and two-piston rear high-performance Brembo brakes with ventilated and drilled discs, an enormous rear spoiler, STI Performance Mufflers at no extra cost, Recaro sports bucket seats in the front, a leather STI steering wheel and a 12.3-inch instrument cluster.

Also unique to the grade are drive modes which allow the suspension, engine, and steering to be customised for comfort or performance.

Standard on the ts Spec B, too, is equipment you'll find on lower grades in the WRX range, including LED headlights and daytime running lights, privacy glass, dual-zone climate control, an 11.6-inch touchscreen, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, proximity locking and push-button start.

Rivals to the WRX tS Spec B include the Hyundai i30 N Sedan that's $10K cheaper, and the Honda Civic Type R and Volkswagen Golf R which are both at least $10K more. The value for money in the tS Spec B is great compared to competitors, but there’s even better value to be found in the lower-grade WRXs.

All 2021 Honda Odysseys are powered by a 129kW/225Nm 2.4-litre ‘K24W’ four-cylinder petrol engine, which drives the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

Peak power is available at 6200rpm, while maximum torque is on stream from 4000rpm.

Honda diehards might note the K24 engine designation and be reminded of the rev-hungry 2.4-litre unit of the Accord Euro from the early 2000s, but this Odyssey’s powerplant is built for efficiency rather than performance.

Compared to the likes of the Kia Carnival (which is available with a 216kW/355Nm 3.5-litre V6 or 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel) the Odyssey is noticeably down on power.

The Australian Odyssey also doesn’t feature any form of electrification, such as the Toyota Prius V, which would excuse the lower outputs and push the Honda people mover more into green territory.

Who doesn’t love the sound of a boxer engine? Well, probably your neighbours if you own a WRX. And while the tS Spec B doesn’t have any more power than any of the other WRXs – with it sharing the same 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder boxer engine as the rest of the line-up – the 202kW and 350Nm feel like the perfect amount of power and torque for this package.

It’s probably been about six months since I last drove a car with a manual gearbox, and that shows how rare they’re becoming when you’re testing a new car nearly every week.

The six-speed manual in the tS Spec B has satisfying clunky shifts and a heavy-feeling clutch pedal, but it all plays along perfectly with this engine, sending the drive to all four wheels.

If you’re looking for a version of the tS Spec B with an automatic transmission you’ll be searching forever because this grade only comes with a manual gearbox. There are WRXs with autos – well, a CVT – the entry grade, the RS and the tS.

The 2021 Honda Odyssey, regardless of grade, will return a fuel consumption figure of 8.0 litres per 100km, according to official figures.

This betters the fuel economy of the petrol-powered Kia Carnival (9.6L/100km), as well as the Mazda CX-8 (8.1L/100km) and soon-to-be-replaced Toyota Kluger (9.1-9.5L/100km).

In our week with the Odyssey Vi LX7, we managed an average of 9.4L/100km in a mix of inner-city and freeway driving, which isn’t too far off the official figure.

Though the fuel consumption isn’t too bad for a naturally aspirated petrol engine, those who want to save costs at the bowser should look to the petrol-electric Toyota Prius V hybrid, which sips just 4.4L/100km.

The WRX tS Spec B manual really likes its fuel – it’s a hungry beastie and everybody who’s about to get into the WRX life should be aware that, like most petrol performance cars, it’s not super fuel efficient.

Subaru is beautifully honest with its fuel consumption figures, which have the the WRX tS Spec B using 10.4L/100km in combined driving and 14.2L/100km in urban environment, which is so close to what we recorded - ours was 14.1/100km after mainly urban driving. You'll also have to feed it 95 RON.

The fuel tank is a healthy 63 litres in volume and that should give you a range of 606km – in theory. Do not test this theoretical range somewhere remote, okay?

Though the Honda Odyssey looks like a bus on the outside, it doesn’t feel like one behind the wheel.

The Odyssey drives differently to an SUV, which is a good thing, feeling more hunkered down and connected to the road compared to the wallowy and bouncy nature of some high-riders.

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t Honda’s best handling model, but there is certainly enough feedback in the steering wheel to know exactly what’s happening underneath, and the Odyssey always feels predictable, regardless of road condition.

And because visibility is excellent all around, the Honda Odyssey is just an easy, no-fuss car to drive.

The second-row is also great while on the move, and might actually be the better place to be.

The seats do a great job at soaking up little bumps and road imperfections, and there is plenty of room to stretch out and relax while someone else handles driving duties.

It’s a shame, then, that there isn’t more going on in the second row to keep passengers happy.

The third-row seats, though, are nowhere near as comfortable.

Maybe it’s the fact they are positioned right over the rear axle, or it’s the thick and vision-obscuring C- and D-pillars – or a combination of both – but time in seats five, six and seven, aren't ideal for those prone to motion sickness.

Maybe kids, or those with stronger stomachs can get comfortable in the third row, but for us, it was not a pleasant experience.

This may sound strange, but a few months ago I was squished into the tiny cockpit of a 2025 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 sitting at the traffic lights wishing I was in the 2020 Subaru WRX STI beside me. And having driven so many supercars and muscle cars in the past, many costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, I still see the WRX as being such a perfect daily driver performance car.

Sure, it doesn't have Porsche 911 dynamics or the straight-line acceleration of many electric cars, but it's the way the way this boxer engine interacts so beautifully the six-speed manual gearbox, combined with sticky all-wheel drive, a wonderful balance and such direct steering that make the WRX ts Spec B feel exactly right.

The tS Spec B is very much at home in the suburbs dotted with roundabouts and obstacles like speed bumps, but they all become part of the fun of driving this car in the same way that when you let it loose and open road it performs happily and so well, too.

The suspension does feel firm, but part of the big news of this tS Spec B is that it now has a drive mode function and this allow you to adjust the suspension, the steering and the throttle response to either sporty or comfort settings. This just makes this car an even more agreeable thing to live with daily.

The WRX hasn’t been given an ANCAP rating and up until only last year manual versions weren’t equipped with safety tech such as autonomous emergency braking.

The WRX tS Spec B manual has AEB, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and high-beam assist. 

It’s interesting but not particularly good that manual versions of the WRX don’t have parking sensors. I  don't need to tell you that parking sensors on cars in the city are so helpful for squeezing into tight spots without nudging the vehicle or railing behind you.

A space-saver spare wheel instead of a full-sized spare isn’t ideal either in Australia where dirt and gravel roads beckon the WRX.

For child seats there are three top-tether anchor points and two ISOFIX mounts across the second row.

Like all new Hondas sold in 2021, the Odyssey comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with six-years of rust protection assurance.

Scheduled service intervals are every six months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first, but this is much sooner than the industry standard of 12 months/15,000km.

According to Honda’s 'Tailored Service' price guide, the first five years of ownership will cost buyers $3351 in servicing fees, averaging out to around $670 per year.

The Kia Carnival petrol meanwhile, is about $2435 to service over five years, averaging out to be about $487 per year.

The Toyota Prius V also needs to be serviced every six months/10,000km, but the cost of the first five years of ownership totals just $2314.71 – more than $1000 less than the Odyssey.

The WRX tS Spec B is covered by Subaru’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which while the standard for the mainstream segment, is behind the seven-plus terms we're now seeing from a lot of Chinese and Japanese car brands.

Servicing is recommended every 15,000km/12 months and can be expensive compared to other brands, with the five years of capped price servicing coming to $2692.