It isn’t necessary to have a bunch of kids or grandkids in order to recognize the benefits of a minivan. But if you do have a bunch of kids or grandkids, the benefits are glaring.
The minivan market isn’t as robust as it once was, but all-new models are still being introduced, including hybrids and electrics. Nearly every minivan in the current crop is impressive, and the Honda Odyssey is among them.
For 2025, the Odyssey is spruced up with a sporty new grille, front fascia with larger black foglight surrounds, and a redesigned rear bumper with the same vertical reflectors used on the second-generation Acura NSX supercar. There are new wheel designs and paint colors.
Inside the Odyssey, a new 7-inch digital instrument display is now standard, and every model gets a larger 9-inch touchscreen with a faster processor, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, wireless phone charger, and more USB-C ports. The rear entertainment system has a larger 12.8-inch high-resolution screen, along with enhanced functionality.
The 2025 Odyssey has four trim levels: EX-L, Sport-L, Touring, and Elite. Pricing starts at $43,315, including a $1,395 destination charge, for the EX-L.
Standard features on the EX-L base model are so numerous, the best way to prove
it isn’t by listing them. Instead, look at how few added features there are on the other trims. The Sport-L is mostly an appearance package. The Touring adds navigation, a CabinWatch child viewing system, rear seat entertainment system, front and rear parking sensors, and third-row sunshades.
I drove the top-of-the-line Elite trim. It adds ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, premium audio, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming side mirrors, and a hands-free power tailgate.
All 2025 Odysseys are equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine (280 horsepower, 262 pound-feet of torque) and a 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. It’s a masterly powertrain that invigorates the Odyssey without hesitation and moves it along with utter smoothness. Handling is crisp and responsive, more like a car than a van.
The EPA rating for every Odyssey model is 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined.
Odyssey has seating for up to eight people within its 160.1 cubic feet of passenger space with three rows where no one is cramped or uncomfortable. With second and third rows fully lowered, 140.7 cubic feet of cargo space is available.
The seating setup is flexible to provide varying ratios of passenger or cargo space. Odyssey’s exclusive Magic Slide second-row seats can fold nearly flat, making them easier to remove. But they’re not magic enough to make me physically capable of removing them. I’d need Miracle Slide seats.
2025 HONDA ODYSSEY ELITE
Base price, including destination charge: $52,275
Price as driven: $52,275
Mary Lowry is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. She lives in Snohomish County. Vehicles are provided by automotive manufacturers as a one-week loan for evaluation purposes only. Manufacturers do not control content of the reviews.
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