2025 Honda Odyssey Review and Test Drive
Honda's minivan remains appealing, but it needs a redesign — not just a refresh.
Christian Wardlaw
QuickTakes:
As a father of four, I'm mystified as to why minivans aren't more popular with families in the United States. Even people with fewer children than I can't help but marvel at the comfort, cargo room, and overall utility they find in a minivan like the refreshed 2025 Honda Odyssey. They're so darned practical that you can't help but love them.
Some even come with all-wheel drive (AWD) for travel during winter weather or a hybrid powertrain for improved efficiency, features notably absent from the 2025 Odyssey. Still, while the Honda might not offer AWD or a hybrid option, I think it's the most dynamically rewarding minivan if you enjoy driving.
In addition, the Odyssey offers Magic Slide second-row seats that I find more useful than ones that collapse into the floor or transform into mobile BarcaLoungers. All of that said, there's no denying that the updated 2025 Odyssey isn't quite as versatile or advanced as its rivals. And, as it turns out, its safety ratings aren't quite as good, either.
Christian Wardlaw
Honda sells the Odyssey in EX-L, Sport-L, Touring, and Elite trim levels, with the formerly base EX model driving off into the automotive sunset. Prices range from about $44,000 to around $53,000, including the destination charge to ship the van to your local dealership from the Lincoln, Alabama, assembly plant.
For this Odyssey review, I test-drove the Elite in Southern California. It had no options, so the manufacturer's suggested retail price was $52,630, including the $1,450 destination charge. Honda provided the vehicle for this Odyssey review.
Christian Wardlaw
Is the 2025 Honda Odyssey a Good Minivan?
If you prefer simplicity and value rewarding driving dynamics, you'll find plenty to like in the 2025 Honda Odyssey. However, this minivan's age is showing, from its classic doorstop van design and merely adequate technology to its missing hybrid and AWD options. So, as much as I like the Odyssey, I think most minivan shoppers should also closely consider the Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival, and Toyota Sienna.
Christian Wardlaw
What's New for the 2025 Honda Odyssey
The 2025 Odyssey receives significant updates. On the outside, the changes are less obvious: minor styling modifications for the bumpers, grille, wheels, and colors. Inside, however, a technology enhancement equips the minivan with a new 7.0-inch driver-information display and a revised 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Every Odyssey now includes standard connectivity for wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and wireless smartphone charging. Honda also adds numerous USB-C charging ports to the cabin, and there's a new 12.8-inch high-resolution rear-seat entertainment system that features Amazon Fire TV capability with quick access to streaming platforms via remote control.
Christian Wardlaw
The Odyssey's Tech Updates Fall Flat
My teenagers accepted the assignment to figure out how to make the new rear-seat entertainment system work. Like me, they're fans of simplicity, and they gave up after a few minutes, returning their attention to their handheld devices. That suggested to me that the tech wasn't intuitive enough.
Later, following the instructions available through the infotainment system, I gave it a whirl. Putting aside for a moment the fact that I couldn't even get the roof-mounted screen to power on like my kids did, the in-vehicle tutorial suggested that I would need to connect my iPhone 16 to the HDMI port inside the Odyssey's center console.
Christian Wardlaw
Honda provided an HDMI connector in the test vehicle, but it wasn't compatible with my phone and I didn't have the right cable to resolve that problem. So, because the screen wouldn't turn on in the first place, and not wishing to waste the time I have remaining on this planet, I also gave up. I'd prefer Honda had spent the money it invested in this new technology giving the Odyssey a proper top-down surround-view camera system instead.
Christian Wardlaw
Fortunately, the updates to the infotainment system are more successful. The technology still looks old, and the 9.0-inch screen size is small by modern standards, but Honda wisely provides a volume knob and tuning buttons, which I appreciate.
Pairing my phone to the system's Bluetooth and wirelessly running Apple CarPlay proved effortless, while using Siri allowed me to bypass the native Honda digital voice assistant. With Elite trim, you get an unbranded premium sound system, but it can't match the fidelity available in some rivals, the 20-speaker Harman Kardon audio system available in a Chrysler Pacifica, in particular.
The Odyssey's standard wireless charging pad takes up a lot of space on the center console and caused considerable heating of my device. In addition, it's easy for a phone to move out of position, canceling the charge. Considering the USB-C charging ports offer 3 amps of output, you might still wish to use a cable for this exercise.
Christian Wardlaw
The Odyssey Is Comfortable and Enjoyable to Drive
The Odyssey's refresh for 2025 mainly pertains to technology, and while the improvements keep the Honda relevant in its market, they're likely not compelling enough to attract tech-savvy customers. Instead, they appear designed to prevent people from crossing the Honda off their shopping lists before setting foot in a Honda dealership.
Fortunately, there are other reasons to consider the Odyssey, especially if you prefer simplicity. For example, the Honda's interior is delightfully analog in a digital world, with lots of sensible knobs and intuitive buttons with clear markings. Daily driving practicality doesn't take a back seat to style, either, the Honda offering numerous locations for stashing your stuff on short commutes and long road trips alike.
Also, while the second-row seats don't fold into the floor as they do in a Chrysler Pacifica, or mimic your home recliner like the Carnival's optional VIP Lounge Seats, they do allow you to configure the van with a bench seat or captain's chairs while offering the ability to place a baby closer to parents seated in front. Plus, in captain's-chair mode, you can slide them together to add some crush space between your kids and a side collision or move them to one side to create a convenient pass-through to the third row.
Christian Wardlaw
Comfort is excellent in all three rows of seats. However, Honda offers heating only for the front seats — the second-row chairs are removable to achieve maximum cargo volume. Unfortunately, the automaker restricts a heated steering wheel and ventilated front seats to the Odyssey Elite, so if you live someplace that sees extreme temperatures in either direction and can't afford the top trim level, you are out of luck.
Among minivans, I find the Odyssey the most rewarding to drive. It has a refined 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower driving the front wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission, and it accelerates quickly. In addition, the ride and handling add confidence and might even get you to crack a smile when rounding bends in the road.
Christian Wardlaw
During my weeklong evaluation of the Odyssey, it averaged 24 mpg, including a road trip from the northwestern suburbs of Los Angeles to San Diego. On the testing loop, it got 21.4 mpg, a little less than the official estimate of 22 mpg.
All three of the Honda's rivals can do better because they offer hybrid powertrains as standard or optional equipment. In addition, the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna are available with AWD for improved traction in the wet and snow.
Christian Wardlaw
In 1999, the second-generation Honda Odyssey was a game changer in a segment that Chrysler invented, popularized, and dominated. That was more than 25 years ago, however, and now Honda trails the competition in electrification, AWD, and technological sophistication. It also earns a rare-for-Honda "Poor" rating in a crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and few things are as important in a minivan as occupant safety.
Having now spent a week driving a 2025 Odyssey Elite for hundreds of miles, I like Honda's minivan. But what it needs is a redesign that brings bar-setting efficiency, technology, and safety to the segment, not a light refresh headlined by an all-new entertainment system.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Christian WardlawChris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.
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