[Hodna]

Welcome aboard, Gymnasticsmom20! I'm not sure investing in any of your options is going to change the overall ride, although I think there are a few threads about aftermarket springs.

SUVs tend to have a higher center of gravity and hence a stiffer ride. Have you owned your Ody for long? The new Odys were lowered by about four inches to make cornering a little safer and smoother - at least that's what the salesman told me in 2017. I don't find the ride is too bad, but that's a personal thing for sure. For long trips, I tend to alter the seat positioning a fair amount. It helps maintain better circulation to the load-bearing body parts.

Sorry I couldn't offer much more help .

 

[JohnnyBeagle]

The OEM Bridgestones are hot garbage. If you can afford to swap out the tires, it makes a huge difference. If you can't, make sure your cold tire pressures match the sticker inside the driver side front door. For some reason after my first service, the dealer inflated my OEM tires to 47psi cold. I've found a handheld pressure gauge is a lot more accurate than the in dash display.

I live in South Florida so I put on a premium Michelin summer tire, and it absolutely changed how my van rode, handled, and braked. It went from uncomfortable in rain to very confident. I realize year round summer tires aren't an option for most people, but I think there's a big thread about all-season tires on here that you might find helpful.

 

[ChrisNH]

A somewhat taut ride is something of a Honda characteristic. I like the road feel I get from my ody (and I got from my accord, RIP) but others may want a different feel. I am surprised this did not jump out during your test drive.

 

[King Kong TO]

I agree with JohnnyBeagle the OEM tires are garbage especially in the rain, new tires will definitely improve ride & handling but I don't think they will relieve your butt/body pain for the long ride. As Honda suggested you might need to adjust your seat to the most comfortable position before the trip. I had a 2019 EX which has more comfortable seat than my 2019 Touring. I was surprise the OP said the Odyssey had a stiffer ride than SUV, it should be the other way around as Honda said(Honda you missed your morning coffee? OP has a 2019 EXL). Other than the garbage tires & the not so comfortable seat, I prefer the Odyssey's handling & drive more like a car than a mini van.

 

[jmmaxus]

I’ve had a 2019 EX-L for a year now, coming from SUV’s I can’t get used to feeling every bump on the road with the ody, although I love all the other perks such as automatic doors and so much space! I want to stay in the team ody but how do I make it a more comfortable ride? Aftermarket air suspension? Change the tires? Change the seats? Should I get an elite instead (will it have a different feel)? I go for 5 hour drives almost every week and I feel sore after but I never felt like this with my SUV’s. This is my only major complaint with switching to mini van. I appreciate any suggestions!

The Elite with 19" wheels would mean thinner tire sidewall height and I believe even harsher bumpier ride. I'd stay with the 18" wheels which will offer thicker tire sidewall. New tires that are more comfort oriented would be your best bet. Check out the charts on Tirerack.com for comfort rating for Standard Touring All-Season or Grand Touring All Season Tires. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ST&sortValue=20#ratingsSort

 

[KYRGYZ]

I’ve had a 2019 EX-L for a year now, coming from SUV’s I can’t get used to feeling every bump on the road with the ody, although I love all the other perks such as automatic doors and so much space! I want to stay in the team ody but how do I make it a more comfortable ride? Aftermarket air suspension? Change the tires? Change the seats? Should I get an elite instead (will it have a different feel)? I go for 5 hour drives almost every week and I feel sore after but I never felt like this with my SUV’s. This is my only major complaint with switching to mini van. I appreciate any suggestions!

Aftermarket air suspension?
Not really, for nearly $6000 it won't make your car more comfortable, but it will make your Ody damn cool VANKULTURE YO

Change the tires?
This might work, get a better tires, maybe add more side wall, but then your driving experience is going to be bad (more side roll, less road "feel", worse MPG etc)
contact tirerack chat, if you can go with 17 inch wheels, maybe increasing side wall to additional 0.4 inches will help

Change the seats?
Replace them with what? there are no options, unless you can modify S Class seats in your Ody

Should I get an elite instead (will it have a different feel)?
yeah, Elites have 19 inch wheels, those have less side wall, which is equal to bumpier and noisier cabin

I go for 5 hour drives almost every week and I feel sore after but I never felt like this with my SUV’s.
Damn.. that is so much driving...

Just get a full sized SUV then, any American made SUV will be plushy and comfortable. Size, power, comfort

 

[Yahmei]

Aftermarket air suspension?
Not really, for nearly $6000 it won't make your car more comfortable, but it will make your Ody damn cool VANKULTURE YO
View attachment 153813

Aftermarket air suspension?

$6000? More like $2000-$3000 before labor. As for comfort, I have yet to ride in a bagged van, but if you opt in for a kit with adjustable dampening, you can definitely get a more comfortable ride than stock. A major con you have to take into account is the loss of cargo space and the ability to store away the third row.

Change the tires?

What's your tire pressure set at? High tire pressure will most definitely contribute to a harsh ride.

Change the seats?

Have you looked into padded seat covers? Our Ody has one we found locally and it's been great on road trips.

 

[KYRGYZ]

$6000? More like $2000-$3000 before labor. As for comfort, I have yet to ride in a bagged van, but if you opt in for a kit with adjustable dampening, you can definitely get a more comfortable ride than stock. A major con you have to take into account is the loss of cargo space and the ability to store away the third row.

$6000 ($5600 to be exact) quoted by the vankulture garage here in NorCal, with the newest bags and management system and labor, you can get bags for about $2000 from airtek, but either pay to install or DIY.
in case of the trunk space, you can use spare tire compartment, more than enough for any system.
in my experience I only had air suspensions with smart cornering (that is what included in $6000) automatically) didn't feel much difference tbh

 

[Yahmei]

$6000 ($5600 to be exact) quoted by the vankulture garage here in NorCal, with the newest bags and management system and labor, you can get bags for about $2000 from airtek, but either pay to install or DIY.
in case of the trunk space, you can use spare tire compartment, more than enough for any system.
in my experience I only had air suspensions with smart cornering (that is what included in $6000) automatically) didn't feel much difference tbh

Right, the only bagged Ody I've seen prior to the one you posted was Kubinh's black Elite with the airtekk struts and 3p so I thought that was the only way to go. I've never taken out the spare tire, but depth seems like it could be an issue, even for a 2gal tank. I get the $6000 quote though, you get what you pay for, and vankulture is reputable in what they do.

Maybe it's because I've only been in sports cars/sedans with air suspension, but it felt like we were floating on the clouds, regardless on speed and road condition. These cars barely have any sidewalls as well, which gives me more hope in air ride.

 

[Accord07]

A somewhat taut ride is something of a Honda characteristic. I like the road feel I get from my ody (and I got from my accord, RIP) but others may want a different feel. I am surprised this did not jump out during your test drive.

Yes, "somewhat taut" is the right description. Prior to buying an '18 Odyssey Elite on 19-inch wheels, my daily driver for ten years was an Accord riding on 17-inch wheels (but the tires had lower sidewalls); in comparison the van's response to road imperfection is quite muted. Maybe OP didn't get to drive on familiar roads during the test drive. When I test drove the Accord, it was at a dealership less than a mile from home, on roads that I had driven thousands of times in my old Nissan. The test drive revealed bumps that I never knew was there. I thought the ride was really harsh, but I liked everything else and the price was right (this was a top trim Gen 7 left on the lot, months after Gen 8 became available) so I went back for a second test drive. This time I spent more time in it and didn't find the ride so firm, as I already knew what to expect. By the time I bought it I actually liked the ride.

I also agree that ride comfort is highly subjective: have driven up to 700 miles in one day in each of these two vehicles without experiencing discomfort, but I can also understand why others may have very different experiences.

 

[Triaque]

Dear American Honda,

Please either add a magnetic user adjustable damper option for vehicle ride and handling dynamics to the next Odyssey OR, PLEASE leave the tight handling capability this generation has ALONE. It's the first Odyssey that actually drives and handles like what we used to expect from ANY Honda on the roads.

A 40 year Loyal yet very critical HONDA/Acura veteran.

 

[Chuck2020]

We just traded my wife’s 2018 GMC Yukon Denali for a 2020 Odyssey and my wife prefers the ride of the odyssey. She says it’s smoother and rides like a car where as the Denali was stiffer and bumpier in her opinion. I agree the OEM tires are garbage and upgrading those should help.

 

[amorak]

Honestly, downsize to 17 inch wheels that will clear the calipers and the a arms. More sidewalk will get you a softer ride.