Compare the2023 Chevrolet TraverseVS 2023 Honda Odyssey

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Chevrolet Traverse’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Honda Odyssey doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

The Traverse has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Odyssey doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Traverse offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Odyssey doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Traverse (except LS) offers an optional Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Odyssey only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Traverse and the Odyssey have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Traverse is safer than the Honda Odyssey:

	Traverse	Odyssey
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	27%
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	95/82 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Traverse is safer than the Honda Odyssey:

	Traverse	Odyssey
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	204 lbs.	321 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	70 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	251	369
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	41 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Traverse’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Odyssey’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 3 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Honda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Traverse’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Traverse’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Odyssey’s camshafts. If the Odyssey’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Traverse has a standard 170-amp alternator. The Odyssey’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

Engine

The Traverse’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 30 more horsepower (310 vs. 280) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (266 vs. 262) than the Odyssey’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Traverse is faster than the Honda Odyssey:

	Traverse	Odyssey
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	6.7 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	10.4 sec	11.1 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.2 sec	3.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.9 MPH	94.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Traverse AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Odyssey (21.7 vs. 19.5 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Traverse higher (6 out of 10) than the Honda Odyssey (5). This means the Traverse produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Odyssey every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Traverse stops much shorter than the Odyssey:

	Traverse	Odyssey
70 to 0 MPH	174 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Traverse has larger tires than the Odyssey (255/65R18 vs. 235/60R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Traverse offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Odyssey’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Chevrolet Traverse’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Honda Odyssey only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The Traverse has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Odyssey doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Traverse’s wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer than on the Odyssey (120.9 inches vs. 118.1 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Traverse’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Odyssey’s (39 feet vs. 39.6 feet).

Passenger Space

The Traverse has 2.1 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear shoulder room and .1 inches more third row hip room than the Odyssey.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Traverse High Country’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Odyssey doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Honda Odyssey is limited to 3500 pounds. The Traverse offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Traverse can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Traverse can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Odyssey can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Traverse uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Odyssey uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Traverse and the Odyssey have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Traverse is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Odyssey prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Traverse’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Odyssey doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Traverse has standard extendable sun visors. The Odyssey doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the Traverse and the Odyssey offer available heated front seats. The Traverse Premier/High Country also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the Odyssey.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Traverse is less expensive to operate than the Odyssey because typical repairs cost less on the Traverse than the Odyssey, including $127 less for a muffler and $160 less for a starter.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chevrolet Traverse and the Honda Odyssey, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Chevrolet Traverse outsold the Honda Odyssey by 49% during the 2021 model year.