Let’s confuse this “fun to drive” issue with some more facts.
Skidpad grip is a reasonable barometer of a vehicle’s handling prowess.
2016 Toyota 4Runner (body on frame SUV)
0.71g
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-toyota-4runner-review
2017 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (body on frame SUV)
0.72g
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-chevrolet-tahoe-z71-4wd-test-review
2017 Toyota Highlander AWD (unibody SUV)
0.79g
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-toyota-highlander-v-6-awd-test-review
2014 BMW X5 (sporty unibody SUV)
0.81g
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-bmw-x5-xdrive35i-test-review
2017 Chrysler Pacifica (minivan)
0.81g
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/chrysler/pacifica/2017/2017-chrysler-pacifica-limited-first-test-review/
Obviously none of these are sports cars, but goes to show SUVs are generally dogs in the handling department. A sporty hatchback like a VW GTI is about 0.92g and a Corvette Grand Sport is around 1.18g.
Trying to convince my wife to trade in the Highlander hybrid for an Odyssey.
The Highlander has the worst climate control system I’ve seen. The touchscreen is clunky. I don’t believe cars should have touch screens, period. Also even though it has a lot of horsepower owing to the ICE + two electric motors, you can’t exactly enjoy it with the amount of body roll it has. Add leather seats and you’re sliding all over the place if you take a tight turn. That said, there’s decent noise isolation, which was one of my big concerns. I wonder how the Odyssey fares in comparison.
Don’t forget, you can also sleep in the back of the van.
Trying to convince my wife to trade in the Highlander hybrid for an Odyssey.
The Highlander has the worst climate control system I’ve seen. The touchscreen is clunky. I don’t believe cars should have touch screens, period. Also even though it has a lot of horsepower owing to the ICE + two electric motors, you can’t exactly enjoy it with the amount of body roll it has. Add leather seats and you’re sliding all over the place if you take a tight turn. That said, there’s decent noise isolation, which was one of my big concerns. I wonder how the Odyssey fares in comparison.
My 2016 odyssey climate controls are not touch screen but not intuitive. I feel like it has to have had singlehandedly caused crashes. The user interface for audio is even worse and is touchscreen. But I still love the van for capacity and driveability.
Trying to convince my wife to trade in the Highlander hybrid for an Odyssey.
The Highlander has the worst climate control system I’ve seen. The touchscreen is clunky. I don’t believe cars should have touch screens, period. Also even though it has a lot of horsepower owing to the ICE + two electric motors, you can’t exactly enjoy it with the amount of body roll it has. Add leather seats and you’re sliding all over the place if you take a tight turn. That said, there’s decent noise isolation, which was one of my big concerns. I wonder how the Odyssey fares in comparison.
My 2016 odyssey climate controls are not touch screen but not intuitive. I feel like it has to have had singlehandedly caused crashes. The user interface for audio is even worse and is touchscreen. But I still love the van for capacity and driveability.
We have a 2016 Odyssey as well. I actually have no complaints about the climate controls–they seem relatively mundane to me. But oh the Audio/DVD system…I’m with you there. I still cannot really figure out how to get a DVD going easily. When we put it a DVD in, it automatically turns off the rear speakers, assuming you will be using the headphones. They are too big for 66% of my three kids heads, so I have to manually go in and change the audio balance/fade so they can hear. I don’t understand it at all.
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