The Honda Odyssey retained its Best People Mover crown -- its third consecutive win -- and the Civic took the award for Best Mid-Size car under $28,000.

The Australia’s Best Cars judging team said the Odyssey Luxury boasted car-like ride and handling.

Australia’s Best Cars Chief Judge, Ernest Litera, said the Odyssey won thanks to a combination of space, comfort, practicality, driving feel and good fuel economy.

“If you buy a people mover you want good seating and the Odyssey has space and comfort for everyone in all seating positions, including the rear seats,” he said.

“The Odyssey isn’t your typical people mover as it has the good driving feel and dynamics of a conventional large car.”

The Honda Civic VTi won the Best Mid-Size car under $28,000 in its first year on sale.

The Australia’s Best Cars judging team said the Civic offered a great driving experience at a reasonable cost.

“The Civic’s build quality and engineering refinement really stood out,” said Ernest Litera.

“It has what buyers in this segment are looking for such as excellent ergonomics and comfort as well as good fuel economy and low environmental impact. Like all winners, it scored strongly in each area of assessment.”

“It’s also outstanding value for money.”

Honda Australia Senior Director Lindsay Smalley said Honda was proud to be awarded two Australia’s Best Cars trophies.

“It’s tough to win Australia’s Best Cars awards and we’re extremely pleased two of our cars have won,” he said. “The judging team are relentless in their evaluation of the cars and it’s great to see our cars pass that kind of expert scrutiny.”

“The Australia’s Best Cars awards provide customers with expert, unbiased and balanced assessment of the new cars available on the Australian market. We’re proud that our products have the proven quality to win these awards.”

The Honda Civic retails from $20,990 for the Civic VTi manual and is available in four variants, including a fuel-sipping petrol-electric Hybrid.

The Honda Odyssey seats seven in comfort and has the sportiest styling of any people mover on the market. It retails from $38,990 for the entry level model and the Odyssey Luxury is available from $42,990.

The Australia’s Best Cars awards is in its 7th year and is conducted by Australia’s premier auto clubs. Covering seven states and territories, the auto clubs have a combined membership approaching seven million and provide independent and credible advice to their members.

For more information on Australia’s Best Cars visit www.australiasbestcars.com.au

For more information on Honda’s retail range visit www.honda.com.au