Odyssey Updates the Honda People Mover

CHATHAM, Mass. – The U.S. minivan market may no longer be the annual million-plus-vehicle segment it was near the turn of the century, but Honda understands the desires of the steady, loyal customers who have a need for a thoroughly modern, technology-filled people mover as evidenced by the revised 2025 Odyssey Elite I recently sampled.

One of the five remaining minivans offered in America (Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, Kia Carnival MPV and quirky Volkswagen ID Buzz are the others), the Odyssey continues to offer unique Honda features like Magic Slide Second-Row Seats in a large, relatively efficient (22 miles per gallon) vehicle (205 inches long, 79 wide, 70 high) with comfortable space for up to eight occupants and a lot of their stuff in a premium environment.

Performance once a minivan fantasy

Under the hood of the 2025 Odyssey sits a front-wheel-drive (FWD) powertrain built around a 3.5-liter, aluminum block & head, 24-valve V6 engine which produces 280 horsepower and 262 pounds-feet of torque.

This power flows through the automatic 10-speed transmission to the front wheels which is controlled by the signature Honda four-button transmission-selector which, in the Odyssey design, is dash mounted. Manual gear selection can be facilitated by the standard steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

The powertrain is asked to move 4,590 pounds of minivan, not the most aerodynamic type of vehicle on the road and can do so with a bit more oomph than expected. According to Car and Driver testing, the Odyssey Elite can achieve 60 miles per hour from a standstill in 6.4 seconds.

Big motor, good performance and reasonable fuel economy. My time in the driver’s seat resulted in just under 23 miles per gallon, about the same as the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s rating of 22 mpg overall (19 urban, 28 highway).

Comfortable, controlled ride

Nothing unique in the makeup of the Odyssey platform, just a well-engineered chassis delivering reassuring handling and a comfortable ride, even when the vehicle is empty beyond two passengers.

Up front, MacPherson-type struts with 20×3.5mm tubular stabilizer bar take care of business with (what Honda calls) a compact multi-link setup with 26.5mm solid stabilizer bar doing the job in the rear.

The power-assisted steering takes 2.97 from lock to lock and provides the Odyssey with a 39.64-foot turning circle.

The power-assisted brake system with anti-lock (ABS), electronic-brake distribution (EBD), and intelligent traction control, features 12.6-inch ventilated rotors in the front and 13-inch ones in the rear.

The brakes do their business within redesigned-for-2025 19-inch machine-finished alloy wheels wearing 235/55R19 101H all-season tires.

Honda Sensing® leads driving-enhancement ADAS

Improving the Odyssey Elite’s driving experience as well as making it safer is the comprehensive suite of standard advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), beginning with Honda Sensing®. This ADAS group features Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with advanced pedestrian detection; forward-collision warning; lane-keeping-assist system; road-departure mitigation with lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow.

Additional ADAS includes blind-spot information system with cross-traffic monitor; front & rear parking sensors; rain-sensing wipers; automatic high beams, and vehicle-stability assist.

Combining the powertrain with the platform and the enhancements of the ADAS results in a large box on wheels being surprisingly easy to drive, whether maneuvering through the tight confines of the Hyannis Trader Joe’s parking lot (always seems tighter than most grocery-store lots for some reason) or zooming around the Cape Cod Bay side roads of Truro and Wellfleet. I never felt like I was too big for my surroundings and the engine’s power meant entering a highway or getting around slower traffic was never an issue.

Inside features make a minivan

Honda equips all four of the Odyssey trim levels at a premium level with items like leather upholstery, seven-inch digital instrument cluster, moonroof, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, power-adjustabed heated front seats with memory (also ventilated in the Elite), hands-free powered liftgate and a nine-inch color touchscreen for the infotainment system.

In addition, all models feature the Odyssey Magic Slide™ second-row seats that fold nearly flat, making them easier to remove and enhancing cargo-carrying options.

Speaking of the second row, the Elite (and Touring trim) comes with Honda’s CabinWatch® child viewing system which allows front-row occupants to use the infotainment display to monitor activity in the second and third rows.

Those second and third rows have their own climate controls as part of the tri-zone automatic system including humidity control and air filtration. For fresh air, the second-row windows open with power assistance, which also enables the opening/closing of the two side doors.

Other interior features include 15 cupholders; lockable glove compartment; heated steering wheel; wireless mobile-device charging; USB-C ports in all three rows, and a front-row bag hook.

The infotainment system with standard navigation includes SiriusXM satellite radio; wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto; WiFi hotspot capability; HD Radio; USB-A smartphone/audio interface, and rear-entertainment system with 12.8-inch high-resolution screen (which folds down from the roof). These systems can be heard via an 11-speaker, including subwoofer, 500-Watt premium audio system.

Odyssey-family values bring premium minivan

The first member of the four-trim Odyssey minivan family, the $42,220 EX-L brings premium features including leather upholstery. Equipment and features increase moving through the Sport-L ($43,370), the Touring ($46,910) into the top-of-the-range Elite ($51,180).

I drove the fully equipped 2025 Odyssey Elite for which there are no options. This resulted in an as reviewed price of $52,630 when the $1,450 destination and handling fee is added. This puts the Odyssey squarely within the minivan segment when compared with the better-equipped front-wheel drive versions. A solid, good choice for a minivan today, especially for the huge group of Honda-vehicle enthusiasts.