Overview & Reviews

For most of its lifespan, the Honda Odyssey has been a favored pick among minivans. Although the vehicle had a rather humble debut, it quickly hit its stride once Honda came out with the second-generation model, which featured a spacious cabin and an innovative third-row seat that folds into the floor. Now in its fourth generation, the Odyssey is one of the top minivans currently available.

The Honda Odyssey has made a strong showing, usually earning top honors in every minivan comparison test we've held. There are other minivans that rival the Odyssey's family-friendly features, but the Honda combines those attributes with confident driving dynamics and a long-standing record of reliability, making it an all-around family favorite.

Current Honda Odyssey
The fittingly popular Honda Odyssey comes in five trim levels: LX, EX, EX-L, Touring and Touring Elite. All Honda Odysseys are powered by a 248-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The entry-level LX's standard features include a power driver seat, a 60/40-split-folding third-row seat, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a rearview camera, Pandora interface and a USB/iPod interface. The EX's additional highlights include power-sliding side doors, keyless ignition and entry, tri-zone automatic climate control, a multifunction second-row seat and an upgraded audio system. The EX-L's enhancements include a power liftgate, a sunroof, leather upholstery and heated seats. The Touring adds front and rear parking sensors, navigation and a rear-seat entertainment system. The Touring Elite's added highlights include xenon headlights, an integrated vacuum cleaner and upgraded audio and video entertainment systems.

On the road, the Odyssey impresses thanks to its smooth V6 and relatively agile handling. Inside, Honda's minivan boasts tight build quality and spacious, comfortable seating areas. Compared to previous Odyssey generations, the current model is significantly quieter on the road, but the button-heavy cockpit remains. All things considered, the Odyssey remains a favorite of Edmunds editors.

Used Honda Odyssey Models
The fourth and latest generation of the Honda Odyssey debuted for 2011. Completely redesigned and compared to the previous generation, it has sleeker styling, a roomier interior, improved fuel economy and new features. For 2013, the LX standard features list grew with the addition of a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone/audio connectivity and a USB/iPod interface. Note that these Odysseys lack the current version's updated exterior and interior styling, six-speed automatic on LX, EX and EX-L models (they previously had a five-speed automatic) and availability of a Pandora interface, HD radio and an in-vehicle vacuum cleaner.

The previous (third-generation) Honda Odyssey was produced from 2005-'10. Trim levels included the LX, EX, EX-L and Touring. Motivation was supplied by a 244-hp 3.5-liter V6 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The V6 found in the EX-L and Touring trim levels had a variable cylinder management system to improve fuel economy.

The LX featured full power accessories, cruise control, side curtain airbags, stability control and a CD player. The EX added alloy wheels, eight-passenger seating, power-sliding doors, a power driver seat, a six-disc CD changer, in-floor storage with a "lazy Susan" and second-row sunshades. The EX-L brought leather seating, heated seats, a power tailgate and a sunroof. The Touring added triple-zone climate control, power-adjustable pedals, foglights, parking sensors, a removable second-row center console and run-flat tires. A rear entertainment system and a navigation system with Bluetooth were optional on the EX-L and Touring.

In reviews, we found this Odyssey to be a top minivan thanks to its smooth V6, responsive steering and secure handling. Inside, Honda's minivan boasted tight build quality and spacious, comfortable seating areas. At the time, downsides included elevated road noise and, as the years went on, a somewhat dated interior.

There were only minor changes for the third-generation Odyssey, with 2008 bringing minor exterior styling updates and new convenience features, and 2009 seeing a standard power liftgate debut for the EX-L as well as integrated Bluetooth for the optional navigation system.

The second-generation Honda Odyssey was available from 1999-2004. It was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 initially rated at 210 hp (from 1999-2001) and later cranked up to 240 hp (2002-'04). The transmission was a four-speed automatic until '02, when a five-speed automatic debuted. This Odyssey boasted dual sliding rear doors in place of the first generation's swinging doors, and it was considerably larger overall, but it retained the original model's trick fold-flat third-row seat. In the all-important safety department, antilock brakes were standard from the get-go, though rear disc brakes only became standard across the lineup in 2002. Side curtain airbags arrived for '02 as well.

Two trim levels were available, each with seven-passenger seating: LX and EX. The LX came standard with air-conditioning, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, full power accessories and an AM/FM/CD stereo (earlier models had only a tape deck). The EX added traction control (not provided for the LX until '01) as well as luxuries like alloy wheels, power-sliding rear doors, automatic climate control and a multifunction steering wheel. EX options included a navigation system (not available in 1999), a rear-seat entertainment system (from '02 onward) and leather upholstery.

In reviews, our editors remarked on the second-generation Odyssey's best-in-class performance, which came courtesy of a powerful V6 and a capable all-independent suspension. We also lauded the Odyssey's large cabin, available power-sliding doors and that slick hide-away third-row seat. Throughout its six-year run, Honda's second-generation Odyssey was quite simply the one to get. It won the Editors' Most Wanted award every year from 1999-2003 for the minivan category.

The first-generation Honda Odyssey, which debuted in 1995, had a few features that, for better or worse, made it unique. Instead of sliding doors on the sides, the Odyssey had four conventional swing-open doors with roll-down windows. And although the competition offered V6 engines, the Honda didn't. An inline-4 borrowed from the Accord EX powered the Odyssey. With VTEC variable valve timing and lift, it made a respectable 140 hp. But good as it was, 140 wasn't enough power when the Odyssey was loaded up with kids or cargo. The van did, however, offer a highly functional fold-flat third-row seat. This feature has proven invaluable to -- and highly popular with -- minivan buyers over the past decade.

User Reviews:

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  IF you have to drive a minivan this is the one to - 2012 Honda Odyssey
  By Phil Brewer - December 15 - 10:38 am

  SO, no one lays awake at night dreaming of their new minivan, right? A BMW 5 series, yes! A minivan, not so much. THat being said, I needed a minivan, I insisted on a degree of luxury and comfort combined with good handling and economy at the gas station. THis car did it all. Overall I averaged 24mpg in 55k miles of driving. Easily got 29-31mpg on the highway. Admittedly I am not a lead-foot. For my everyday commute it was fine. Where it really shone was trips to Costco and family treks. I could get all four of my kids and my wife and travel in comfort with the fantastic extra wide DVD entertaining them. I loaded up all my CDs on the harddrive for unlimited listening options. THe Nav display is recessed so it doesnt get direct sun glare. I would definitely recommend it as the best minivan option for someone who needs one. As for winter driving, the forward traction 2WD was pretty good and I made it better by switching to snow tires during the cold months.

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  Dancing mini-van, my car can shimmy at 65mph! - 2014 Honda Odyssey
  By tom roach - December 14 - 11:56 am

  The brake rotors wear choppy causing high speed vibration(over 60 mph) in the steering . Dealer claims it is normal and nothing to be addressed!

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  Doesnt Age As Much As Driver - 2010 Honda Odyssey
  By Jim Stein - December 13 - 11:34 am

  At five years and 56,000 miles we find our Odyssey hasnt aged as much as I have, thank goodness. Vehicles outside appearance is still very good, interior shows little wear, engine still sounds and feels sound, transmission doesnt whine, gas mileage still ranges around 20 to 24 mpg (on the road), handling hasnt loosened up to any significant degree and resale value is excellent. The problems I have with this vehicle have to do with braking (although theres never been a loss of braking theres a softer pedal than I like) and when you do longer road trips across the prairies you have to be aware youre not driving a Ford, for example, with a Ford dealer and shop in almost every town. With a Honda reliability is mandatory because dealerships are generally located in cities and often cities are few and far between. So, we do like our Odyssey because its been a great "buy" and a vehicle that lives up to its reputation.

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  Mostly Improved Over Previous Years - 2014 Honda Odyssey
  By CN - December 8 - 5:56 pm

  Weve had this one for about 18 months and 31,000 miles now. We bought it to replace a 2012 Odyssey that was a disappointment on many levels. So far, it has been trouble-free. Around town we average about 24 mpg and on the open road we can count on 29-30 mpg running at 70-75 mph. While the 2012 and 2014 are essentially identical, most of the improvements are behind the scenes in that Honda has generally improved how systems operate. The auto headlights, for example, have better logic for the day/night mode switching, and the instrument lighting switching has been separated from the headlight switching. The cylinder shutoff system (VCM) is less noticeable (the 2012s was abysmal). Having the built-in vacuum is a nice touch, though we wish it were a bit more powerful. It also seems a bit quieter than the 2012 was (better active noise control?). On the downside, like the 2012 (and our 2003 as well) before it, front brake rotors warp too easily. Personally, I think they are undersized for a 4,500 lb. vehicle. The transmission is smoother than the 2012, but Honda has yet to figure out how to make a smooth-shifting transmission...on any car they sell. Cold operation is particularly lousy. Our biggest beef, though, is with the infotainment system. Migrating the radio/CD player to a touchscreen while keeping the joystick/knob controller was a mistake. The system response is slower and the programming changes they made to the navigation system make it harder to enter a destination. It also resulted in the loss of the pull-out cupholder/drawer, which was a nice feature to have. In those regards the 2012 arrangement was better. Overall, we are happier with the 2014. Hopefully, it will continue to give trouble-free operation.

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  Disappointed to say the least - 2012 Honda Odyssey
  By CN - December 8 - 2:41 pm

  After a dismal experience with a 2011 Toyota Sienna, which we purchased new, we bought the Odyssey in large part based on the 140,000 trouble-free miles put on our 2003 Odyssey. Initially, all was well. But, in two years and a tad under 50,000 miles, we had to replace the power steering pump and transmission (though that took four trips to the dealer before Honda relented). There was also a chronic grinding/whining noise that intermittently came from the a/c compressor and was never fixed. Not wanting to risk more failures, we traded it in for a 2014 Odyssey before the warranty ran out. Eighteen months and 31,000 miles into the 2014 model, it has been trouble-free, just like the 2003 model.

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  Honda does not stand by their warranty. - 2014 Honda Odyssey
  By Jason - December 1 - 10:32 pm

  Our 2014 Odyssey is still within warranty. The vehicles rear camber is out 1.8 on the drivers and 1.4 out on the passenger side. Honda did not engineer the rear suspension with adjustments. There is a $400 dollar camber kit to correct the problem but since it is manufactured by another company, Honda will not authorize the dealership to fix it. This is a common problem with the Odyssey and the Pilot but Honda sweeps it under the rug and chooses not to deal with the problem. As a result of the camber being out, the tires are wearing out at a ridiculous speed. If you are thinking about buying an Odyssey, buy a Toyota instead.

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  This is a wonderful car, except: - 2015 Honda Odyssey
  By P Garrity - November 28 - 4:36 pm

  Something happened after the 2012 Odyssey that caused the Honda entertainment system people to lose their minds. The 2015 system is horrible. Pairing with a phone is touch-and-go at best, voice commands are impossible to use, if youre using phone navigation (Waze etc) you cant also use the radio or other audio sources. It is all clunky, hard to use and a really inferior experience. The addition of a side-view blind-spot camera was cute, but for my money Id rather have a front-of-car parking camera. The side-view camera is distracting and doesnt really provide a very useful image most of the time. The 2012 Odyssey was a much better car in terms of features than the 2015.

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  WOW WHAT A POS - 2007 Honda Odyssey
  By lt - November 23 - 4:31 pm

  OK let me just say I almost NEVER leave a bad feedback and this is my first time on Edmunds. My wife and I owned a 2002 Honda Odyssey and loved it so when she wanted to purchase another I said no problem I trust Honda and we certainly had a good experience last time. WOW what a change! The 2007 Honda Odyssey Touring version is a POS and that doesnt even do it justice. Let me tell you my next car WILL NOT be a Honda. List of nightmares..... 1. Run flat tires that cost $1000.00 each to replace so everyone buys the NON-run flat tires and wheels which cost me $1200.00 2. Never ending low tire pressure light even after 10 trips to discount tire and dealership. Dealer charged me $200.00 to reset the light and it still came back on 3. Power Steering pump nightmares that dont go away no matter what you do 4. Bad alternator at 63K 5. Bad compressor at 60K 6. Bad HVAC controls at 50K 7. Factory tire size way to small scraps over a pebble in the road 8. light bulbs out several times before 30K 9. Ashtray fell off 10. No center seat, what a stupid option 11. seats hard to fold up and down, too confusing

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  Jerking transmission - 2014 Honda Odyssey
  By Shannon - November 22 - 2:08 am

  Mother-in-law, my one year old and I were driving to Colorado from Arizona while ascending up a hill my van violently jerked after a couple of loud clunks and the van lost its ability to keep up with the speed limit ( we were almost rear ended by a Semi truck.) I pulled off the highway at the next exit and called Honda Cares. The mechanics at The Honda Dealership in Flagstaff AZ. looked at me like I was crazy. The Van was parked and turned off while we waited for a mechanic to take it on a ride. I was told that there was nothing wrong with my van and he told me to read my manual so I could learn about the D4 button that I should of used while going up hill. (I was utilizing the D4 button when this clunk happened) He said it was safe to drive to Colorado because there was nothing wrong. We went on our way. The van was terrible going up hill and shuddered when down shifting. I took the van into the dealership the day after we reached our destination and they acted like I was totally nuts. I told them about the transmission issues that I read about the night before my appointment. I was told that they never heard of such a thing and that the Odyssy was bulletproof and that they dont pay attention to online complaining. I mentioned that a person stated that they took their van to a dealer and they called Honda Tech and were told that there was a software update. The mechanic said it was a lie because only the dealership can call Honda Tech. (didnt I just say that the dealership called?)I left the van there overnight and was told that there was nothing wrong and that there is no software update. I didnt drive my van for the next couple weeks then it was time to drive back to AZ. No problems on the trip back except the transmission does not shift as smooth as it had the first 10,000 miles. The transmission still shudders on occasion and its get up and go has got up and went. I am so sad and disappointed in Honda, this is my 5th and maybe my last Honda vehicle.

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  So sad! - 2000 Honda Odyssey
  By Linda K. - November 19 - 8:51 pm

  I loved my car, but the transmission is a piece of junk. The door mechanisms are terrible. We replaced them five times, and the doors freeze shut in bad weather.