2021 Honda Odyssey

Overview

While its name may suggest that it will turn the next family road trip into a grand adventure, the 2021 Honda Odyssey is far more likely to be appreciated for its day-to-day practicality. Its spacious and reconfigurable interior is perfect for hauling kids, cargo, or both and it offers a collection of inventive features that are intended to make family life a little easier, all of which helped it earn an Editors' Choice award. The Odyssey also drives far more pleasantly than its dowdy shape suggests and its silky-smooth V-6 engine pulls strong for highway merging and passing. Honda also makes plenty of safety features standard across the Odyssey lineup, but its main rivals—the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna—do the same and also offer optional all-wheel drive.

What's New for 2021?

Expected to go on sale by the end of 2020, the 2021 Odyssey wears updated exterior styling that gives it a slightly more macho look. New headlamps flank a revised front grille while more subtle tweaks have been made to the rear liftgate. The interior of the fancy Elite model is now fancier thanks to leather upholstery with contrasting seat piping and stitching. Other Odysseys see small enhancements such as piano black trim, revised climate controls, and new floor mats. The base LX model receives the same standard driver-assistance features as the rest of the lineup—including adaptive cruise control and automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Fleet-footed, efficient, and polished, the Odyssey's powertrain is a sweetheart that requires zero compromises. The Odyssey changes direction crisply, and from behind the wheel it's easy to forget you're piloting a three-row van. The steering is direct and the effort is light, but more feedback from the road would be welcome. Driving enthusiasts won't rave—it's still a minivan, after all—but the Odyssey is the best-driving minivan, and its nimbleness makes it competent in corners and easy to drive on narrow roads. Our Elite test van's ride wasn't as compliant as that of our long-term Pacifica, but its standard 19-inch wheels could be partly to blame. Our EX-L test vehicle wore 18-inch wheels and seemed better-suited to pockmarked Michigan roads. Over most road surfaces, the Odyssey displays a comfortable ride, and few passengers will complain.

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Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The 2021 Odyssey is rated at 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, according to the EPA. In our real-world highway testing, our test vehicle outperformed its EPA estimate, delivering 30 mpg. For comparison, the all-wheel-drive Toyota Sienna delivered 27 mpg and our long-term Pacifica managed 33 mpg.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

Hauling people and things to places near and far is a minivan's primary mission, and the Odyssey completes said mission with aplomb. Its second and third rows are among the roomiest in the class, and its second-row seats are far more comfortable than the Pacifica's. Honda's inventive second-row Magic Slide seats (standard on EX trims and up) slide both side to side and fore and aft, allowing for multiple configurations. Throw in a quietest-in-class cabin, a sprinkle of ingenuous tech—like an in-cabin camera that enables you to monitor the kids in the second and third rows—and the Odyssey is a hauler that is fit for the modern family. Its square shape and low load floor mean there is a lot of space for hauling cargo, but some rivals do it better and with less hassle. Removing those second-row seats requires muscle, as the two outboard seats weigh 68 pounds each. Once removed, the optional Magic Slide seat mechanism remains on the floor, creating an obstacle for loading cargo. With the third row of seats stowed and its second row removed, our testing revealed that the Odyssey hauled five fewer carry-on suitcases than the Sienna.

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Infotainment and Connectivity

Except for the base LX trim, all Odysseys get an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system called Display Audio. The software allows for customization of the menu layout and smartphone connectivity not only via Bluetooth, but also via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Standard on both the Touring and Elite is a rear-seat entertainment system with built-in streaming apps.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The 2021 Odyssey earned a five-star crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the latest model year was not named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but previous model years have performed well for both agencies. Honda also provides a full suite of driver-assistance technology, called Honda Sensing, as standard equipment on all Odyssey models. Key safety features include:

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
• Standard adaptive cruise control

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Honda's standard warranty package on the Odyssey mirrors that of most of its rivals and offers nothing that stands out in the crowd. The Kia Sedona is the warranty winner here, with a 10-year policy for its powertrain and a limited warranty that lasts two years longer than any of its rivals.

• Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
• No complimentary scheduled maintenance

More Features and Specs