Honda Odyssey VS LDV G10

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. 

Those dimensions translate to a cargo space of 5.2 cubic metres, with a load space spanning 2500mm long, 1590mm wide (1270mm between the arches) and 1270mm tall. That mightn’t be big enough for you, and that’s too bad - there is no high roof version, nor a long-wheelbase model; but you could get an LDV V80 if you really need to step up in size… but we wouldn’t suggest you do that.

The payload for this model is 1010kg, which is decent but not benchmark-setting. It has a gross vehicle mass of 3000kg, meaning a kerb weight of 1990kg. The gross combination mass depends on the model: the GCM for diesel models is 5000kg for a braked trailer, while petrol models have a GCM of 4750kg for a braked trailer (auto) and 4500kg (manual). All models have a GCM of 3750kg for unbraked trailers.

The petrol versions have 1093kg of payload, if you prefer that fuel type. Interestingly, the manual versions have leaf spring rear suspension, while the auto models have coil springs as part of a five-link suspension architecture.

The load area has a six floor-mounted and four wall-mounted tie-down hooks, and the floor is lined with a vinyl covering while up to half-height the inner walls are lined, too. There are four lights mounted on the walls, which is handy for after-hours work.

And every LDV G10 comes with dual sliding side doors (some brands charge thousands more for this convenience), while the back door is a tailgate as standard, with the option of barn doors for diesel models.

For those who need to fork loads in, the barn doors are a no brainer, because the side door apertures (at 820mm wide) aren’t broad enough to load in using a lift. The tailgate also makes it very difficult to load weight in, as we found on test, as our mates at Crown Lifts had to use long tines to fork in our 750kg ballast.

When it comes to creature comforts up front, there is a pair of low-mounted pop-out cupholders, and an open storage area between the seats. There isn’t much covered storage, so if you often carry valuables, you may need to keep that in mind. 

The seats are comfortable and offer good adjustment, and they’ve been changed since the diesel auto model launched. They’re no longer a cheap-feeling fabric, but rather a faux-leather accented, mesh-lined set of seats, and both have armrests. Nice.

The presentation is okay, but the ergonomics could be better. The touchscreen is mounted down lower than most, and means you may need to take your eyes away from the road because the controls are down even lower. And the USB? Near the floor.

That screen is still a 7.0-inch display, but now has the same software system as the newer models in the LDV range. That means a nice crisp colourful display with the added advantage of Apple CarPlay… if you can get it to work. We had a few issues when reconnecting a phone without re-starting the car.