You might think you know everything there is to know about the humble minivan, but if you haven't seen the new fully-redesigned 2021 Honda Odyssey, we're about to call your bluff. Yes, it's a minivan, but because Honda has packed in so much technology and more comfort than even the most comfortable family room, you may want to take a closer look. Did we mention it's stylish, too?
Minivans work because they're convenient. There is no easier vehicle for busy families. The sliding side doors make car seat management a snap, and visibility is better from every vantage point, keeping passengers safer, and the driver feeling more in control. Speaking of safety, this 2021 Odyssey is loaded with the most advanced driver assist technology, which checks another box for families that are looking to move around town as safely as possible.
Is it possible that everything you thought you knew about minivans is a tad outdated? We say yes. The proof is the 2021 Honda Odyssey. From bumper-to-bumper, the Odyssey reinvents the minivan, injecting technology and a surprising amount of luxury into the mix. Whether you are interested in the integrated vacuum cleaner or amazed by the 11-speaker concert-grade audio system, we promise you'll want this vehicle in your driveway as soon as possible.
Starting at
Honda wants you to know that the Odyssey can be nearly anything you need it to be, including a home away from home. That's because its interior is versatile, spacious, and absolutely loaded with comfort and convenience features that you'll wonder how you ever lived without. These features are thoughtfully designed to help busy families go about their business without the extra hassle of squeezing into a small vehicle or running out of cargo space.
Honda designed special Magic Slide 2nd-row seats that easily fold flat, can be removed, and can slide over to allow for easier access to the third row. These seats also move forward and back, as well as recline, and the seats can be moved with a child safety seat installed. No more playing musical chairs or dealing with removing and reinstalling a car seat. The Magic Slide seats are standard on all Odyssey trims except the base LX.
Another class-leading feature found in the Odyssey is CabinWatch and CabinTalk. Ask any minivan owner and they'll tell you––it's hard to keep track of what's happening in the back of the bus. Enter CabinWatch. Push the camera button on the dash-mounted touchscreen, and you'll have a view of the entire rear cabin. Is something brewing? No more shouting! Simply speak via CabinTalk, and your voice can be heard through the audio speakers and connected headphones. Refereeing from the driver's seat just got a whole lot easier.
Speaking of connected headphones, the 2021 Odyssey also has a 10.2-inch display linked to a state-of-the-art rear entertainment system. The system allows connectivity for video and music streaming, and even has a support feature for accessibility use, giving audio cues for operating the system and the ability to enable subtitles. A fun "How Much Farther" app lets the kids track your trip progress, possibly finally ending the ages-old are we there yet? chant.
Honda knows that minivans usually attract buyers with busy lives. That means lots of meals on the go and probably a few spills. Luckily, the available HondaVAC built-in vacuum can quickly solve that crushed-up cracker problem with a quick hose installation. Using the vehicle's power and a removable waste bin, clean up is a snap. It's so fun to use that you actually might stop getting upset next time a Tupperware container full of Cheerios lands on the floor.
Honda has always been synonymous with safety. The automaker puts a heavy emphasis on building some of the safest cars on the road today. Given it is targeted squarely toward families, nowhere has Honda demonstrated this commitment to safety more thoroughly than in and around the 2021 Odyssey. The Odyssey is loaded with safety and driver-assist systems designed to help keep occupants safe in all kinds of driving conditions.
The Honda Sensing Suite of driver-assist programs is standard across the full line of Odysseys. It includes a Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), which will automatically apply the brakes when a collision is imminent. There is a Road Departure Mitigation System (RDM), which will alert the driver when the vehicle drifts out of its lane and the turn signal is not utilized. A Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) can make small adjustments to steering in order to keep the vehicle inside its lane. Another feature is Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF) that can detect the vehicle ahead and adjust speed to maintain a safe distance. Finally, Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) can alert the driver of posted speed limits.
In addition to the driver-assist suite of safety systems, Honda also focuses on the vehicle's structural integrity, earning a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.3 The Odyssey also comes standard with a rear-seat reminder system that alerts the driver to check the back seats after the vehicle is turned off if it detects a rear door was opened prior to the vehicle moving. In the higher trims––the Touring and Elite––it will also activate the CabinWatch rear camera for a view of the back seat.
Honda built the Odyssey with an Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, which keeps vehicle occupants safer in a variety of collision scenarios. It does this by distributing the energy generated by a collision more evenly and by redirecting some of that energy away from passenger spaces.
The 2021 Honda Odyssey is available in five different trims. Starting at an MSRP of $31,790, the base LX includes the Honda Sensing Suite of driver-assist systems, along with a multi-angle rearview camera and power front seats.1 The EX, at $35,190, adds a handful of additional standard features, including the Magic Slide 2nd-Row seating and a Blind Spot Information System (BSI) that alerts the driver when another vehicle travels into its blind spots.1 Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are also standard on the EX.
Moving up to the next trim, the EX-L, at $38,460, adds leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, a power moonroof and tailgate, and a HomeLink remote system built into an auto-dimming rearview mirror.1 Power side mirrors with memory will tilt down when the Odyssey is in reverse, and both the driver and front passenger will enjoy power seats with lumbar support.
Next up, the Odyssey Touring adds infotainment and technology to the interior. At an MSRP of $42,500, you'll get a Rear Entertainment System with a 10.2-inch display, Honda's nifty CabinWatch camera, which allows the driver to monitor the rear passengers from the dash-mounted touchscreen, and CabinTalk, which eliminates the need for shouting, allowing the driver to communicate with rear passengers via the Odyssey's audio system or any connected headphones.1 The Touring model also has a standard Wi-Fi Hotspot capability, and navigation is included as well. Parking sensors come in handy when squeezing the Odyssey Touring into a tight spot or when parallel parking, and the third-row integrated sunshades keep rear passengers comfortable.
At the top end of the trim range sits the luxurious Odyssey Elite. The Elite comes with all the Touring model's equipment, plus the innovative HondaVAC integrated vacuum for easy on the go cleaning of small messes, a hands-free power tailgate, a wireless phone charger, and an upgraded 550-watt, 11-speaker premium audio system with a subwoofer that pumps out concert-grade sound. The Elite also comes with heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, power-folding, automatically dimming side mirrors, handy rain-sensing windshield wipers that adjust speed to match the intensity of the rain, and special acoustic glass in the front and rear doors for an even quieter ride. The Odyssey Elite has an MSRP of $47,820.
|