The Honda Odyssey: More Than Just a Minivan
As automotive enthusiasts, we sometimes get caught up in the image our cars project. We might trick ourselves into thinking our vehicles look faster than they are, or believe they’re stealthy. Let’s be honest, everyone knows a Tesla is quick these days. Your de-badged SRT8 Charger? Not fooling anyone.
But if you’re looking for speed and a way to fly under the radar, the new Honda Odyssey minivan might be your best bet. Seriously!
This isn’t hyperbole. Every year, I take a road trip from New York to Michigan with my family. It’s the perfect opportunity to evaluate the latest in rugrat transportation. A minivan is built to withstand daily abuse while still providing comfort—which is a huge part of being a parent. This is my third year doing this test, and while the Odyssey isn’t the most luxurious or the most fuel-efficient van out there, it is the quickest and handles the best.
If you’re in the market for a minivan, you’ve got options. They all do the main job: moving kids and cargo. So, why not opt for the one that’s fun to drive?
Will you frequently use your minivan’s sporty nature? Probably not. Kids are a blast, but their fun is usually on their terms, and you might encounter a child who gets carsick when the roads get twisty. However, there might be a moment on a back road where you can briefly relive your younger, more carefree life.
Why Does This Car Exist?
Honda stands out among major automakers in North America by maintaining a more restrained product line. It has only one truck, the Ridgeline (which shares a platform with the Odyssey, as well as the Pilot and Passport). It doesn’t offer the large, truck-based SUVs that Toyota and Nissan do. When Honda enters a market, it aims to be competitive.
That doesn’t mean Honda is overly conservative. They still offer exciting performance cars like the Honda Civic Type R, oddities like the hybrid Acura NSX, and mainstream attempts at brilliance like the lovable Honda Element. It just means Honda seems to take its time, carefully assessing the market before launching a vehicle.
When the Accord-based Honda Odyssey entered the minivan market in 1994, its lack of sliding doors was its most notable feature. It resembled an MPV more than a true minivan. The second-generation van was larger, powered by a V6, and included the sliding doors it needed. The Odyssey has been one of the most competitive vans on the market since then.
The current generation has been around since 2018 without significant updates, so 2025 brought a visual refresh drawing design cues from the Acura NSX. For instance, the new rear bumper incorporates the vertical reflectors from the NSX. This, along with the new front fascia and larger fog lights, is designed to give a more “premium, aspirational” look, according to Honda. I’m not sure many aspire to be minivan owners. It just sort of happens.
Does It Excel at Being a Minivan?
The standard seating arrangement for American families is a seven-seat vehicle. This includes two parents, perhaps three children, and a few friends. Or perhaps it’s a family with one child and another family with two children. It’s not uncommon to run into situations where you need eight seats. This is where a minivan shines.
Most minivans come in a seven-passenger version with captain’s chairs or an eight-seat version. My family prefers the seven-seat arrangement because my daughter loves a captain’s chair. She harbors the belief that she’s in charge (a belief contradicted by her daily experience). I want eight seats. I want nine seats! I prefer not having a center console so that I can cram an extra person in with me. I’m a social person.
The Honda Odyssey Elite I drove featured seating for eight. Thanks to that configuration, everyone came along for our Christmas church service with the in-laws in comfort.
I’ve been barred from using a sawzall on cars, so here’s a photo from Honda that shows what the interior looks like if you remove the entire side:
I quizzed my family about being cramped in the back. My sister-in-law was impressed with the comfort and everyone, including my mother-in-law, said they’d be fine being transported like this for a few hours.
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It’s worth mentioning the little tricks Honda incorporates to make this an ideal situation for parents.
First is the “Magic Slide” second row. This means you can remove the middle seat in the second row and either push the outboard seats together when the kids are behaving or, when the kids are fighting, you can slide them apart.
The van is full of clever features like this that you’ll appreciate on a long road trip. One of my favorites is a two-stage sunglass holder that doubles as a mirror to keep an eye on your passengers. There’s also a camera mode, similar to what you find in other vans, but I don’t like using that for too long while driving. This system is simpler and works better, in my experience.
There’s also a fold-down screen. I’m usually on the fence with these, as most kids have their own devices. However, I don’t love the idea of my daughter on her iPad during a 14-hour drive. For some reason, it’s better if she watches “Home Alone” on a screen slightly further away and dangling from the ceiling.
All this was made possible by an Amazon Fire Stick connected to the HDMI port in the center console. It used the car’s WiFi and streamed via a pair of headphones that came with the car. You could do the same with your phone if you don’t want to pay extra for the car’s WiFi. The system worked for about 97% of the trip, with only a few short interruptions due to a loss of signal. My daughter watched both “Home Alone” movies and more seasons of “The Simpsons” than I care to remember. We did make stops along the way, pointing out interesting places. She earned another Jr. Ranger badge and we spent some time enjoying Cuyahoga Valley National Park, so it wasn’t a completely education-free trip.
My wife and I were a little burnt out at the end of the semester, and it was nice to unwind and chat without interruptions. In theory, I could have used the “Cabin Talk” feature to chat with my kid via her headphones, but we discouraged her from listening too loudly to audio. If there’s one downside to this setup, it’s that my daughter kept losing the remote for the Firestick.
My buddy has a previous-generation Odyssey, and he loves it. It also has this:
Genius!
If there’s one minivan feature that rises above all others, it’s the flat-folding floor, which Chrysler still does the best. No one can beat Stow-n-Go. Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) doesn’t do many great things nowadays, so you have to give them credit for having the best seat-folding system in the business. Honda’s seats fold easily and create a flat floor in the back, but you can’t make all the seats disappear, which is always a disappointment.
This Thing Kinda Hauls
While it lacks complete chair-stowage, the Honda Odyssey makes up for it with low-key performance capabilities. We’ve all gotten used to SUVs that are quick and powerful, even if few can handle back roads without magnetorheological dampers or other electromechanical trickery. The Odyssey doesn’t have any of that. It’s just an honest setup with MacPherson front struts up front and a multi-link rear suspension with trailing arms for the unpowered rear wheels. That’s right. No powered rear wheels.
While various levels of “nice” exist in the Honda Odyssey, depending on trim level, the drivetrain configuration is the same. You get Honda’s tried-and-true 3.5-liter V6, this time with VTEC, producing 280 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. I’m old enough to remember when that was a lot of power. The Sienna has 245 horsepower, while the Carnival Hybrid makes do with only 242 horsepower (though it has more torque). Technically, the Chrysler should be the hot rod here with 287 horsepower.
Ultimately, the 0-60 mph time is 6.4 seconds in Car and Driver’s testing, making it faster than any minivan sold in the United States that isn’t a pure EV, including every Chrysler model. It’s also quicker than my Honda CR-V and, on a good day, Thomas’s Porsche Boxster.
Torque steer is minimal, though you can chirp the tires on a damp road if you want to impress your kids or annoy your in-laws. The Odyssey is fun. It’s the opposite of a penalty box.
I usually test the acceleration on on-ramps when I have a minivan. My family rarely notices. They noticed with the Odyssey. When the VTEC kicks in, it makes a decent sound and pulls pretty well for a vehicle that can haul six kids and their snacks. The Odyssey also has a 10-speed automatic with a push-button interface and flappy paddles. The gearing is definitely more oriented toward responsiveness than you get in most traditional minivans.
Being FWD, it drives straight across hundreds of miles of interstate (aided by Honda’s lane-keeping software). It doesn’t carve turns, but the lower center of gravity and rear stabilizer bar keep the big van surprisingly well-planted. The electronically-boosted rack-and-pinion steering is light but more communicative than either my CR-V or any other minivan I’ve driven (except for the short-lived Mazda5). This isn’t about speed, per se. It’s an between-the-lines type of fast.
The Hybrid Question
Having only one drivetrain means the Odyssey is now the only minivan without a hybrid option. The Sienna offers hybrid as the only choice. With the Pacifica, you have to get the plug-in version, while the Carnival offers it as an option.
Because the Odyssey is older, Honda hasn’t yet decided to give it a hybrid option. The CR-V, Accord, and Civic were prioritized for the company’s hybrid system. In theory, as Thomas pointed out, the Sienna is the no-brainer because it’s hybrid-only and starts under $40,000. In reality, it’s hard to get a Sienna at MSRP, so the other options may be cheaper.
I missed the hybrid though. I drove nearly 1,700 miles of combined driving and got an admirable 26.7 MPG. The Sienna gets 36 MPG city/highway/combined. That difference adds up quickly. The Carnival Hybrid gets 33 MPG combined, which is also significant if you drive frequently.
The Odyssey I borrowed was the Elite trim, which starts around $52,000, including features like the 10-inch center screen, rear-seat screen, wireless phone charger, and hands-free liftgate. You’ll have to decide whether it’s worth it. As with most Honda products, the lower trims often end up being surprisingly nice and well-featured.
Would I Buy This One?
I assume a hybrid Odyssey will arrive at some point, but maybe not in this generation. It’s a shame, because it makes recommending this otherwise enjoyable Honda a little more difficult.
I liked the Pacifica PHEV, but only as a rental or lease. I’d be cautious about long-term ownership. Give me the Honda any day.
The Kia Carnival is the most attractive and comfortable minivan, and in base trim, the hybrid is a couple of grand cheaper than the cheapest Odyssey, which starts in the $42,000 range. It would be tempting.
We’ll have a Sienna review from Thomas soon, and I’d like to re-do this test with the new version. I also drove a rental version of the hybrid and thought it was quite capable, if a little overstyled and numb. Hopefully, the new version has improved.
Being a parent is expensive, and the best deal might be the best bet. You can’t go wrong with a Sienna, a Carnival, or an Odyssey. So, if you cross-shop and get a good price on one, that might be your answer. If reliability is your key metric, the Honda or the Toyota are safe choices.
If you’re struggling with the idea of owning a minivan, the Carnival is the least “minivan-y.” If you’re less interested in a hybrid and see yourself as a Max Verstappen with kids, then the Odyssey is the only choice.
