Both the 2020 and the 2021 Honda Odyssey might be from the same manufacturer, but they definitely have different awesome and appealing traits of their own. By reading this, it means you are interested to know more about them. For that reason, we have prepared a comprehensive analysis of their strong and weak points. So now let’s take a closer look at their individual good and bad qualities to determine which one is right for you. We have rated them on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the weakest and 10 being the strongest point, depending on how they make an impact on each minivan.
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What’s the difference between the 2020 and 2021 Honda Odyssey?
For 2021, Honda revitalized the Odyssey’s interior and exterior design by adding enjoyable cabin appointments and standard LED headlights. Newly standard is the Honda Sensing driver assist bundle which includes pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. The 2021 model comes standard with a rear-seat reminder and a third-row USB port is now optional. Finally, the Odyssey’s second-row seats now fold flat for more cargo space and easier removal.
Here are the major changes for the Odyssey over the last several years:
2021: revitalized interior and exterior design; receives standard rear-seat reminder and Honda Sensing active safety features; second-row seats now fold flat; adds optional third-row USB port
2020: 10-speed automatic transmission came standard
2019: no significant changes
2018: fully re-defined with a more potent V6 engine and newly available features which includes automatic emergency braking, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto
Prices
MSRP
2021 Odyssey: 31,790 (starting price)
2020 Odyssey: 30,790 (starting price)
Odyssey scores and ratings
Overall
2021 Odyssey: 8.7 out of 10
2020 Odyssey: 8.6 out of 10
Performance
2021 Odyssey: 8.2 out of 10
2020 Odyssey: 8.1 out of 10
Safety
2021 Odyssey: N/A
2020 Odyssey: 9.3 out of 10
Interior
2021 Odyssey: 9.0 out of 10
2020 Odyssey: 9.1 out of 10
Reliability
2021 Odyssey: 3.0 out of 5 stars
2020 Odyssey: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Critic’s Rating
2021 Odyssey: 9.7 out of 10
2020 Odyssey: 9.6 out of 10
According to experts, the 2021 Honda Odyssey will take the spot near the top of the minivan rankings thanks to its well-appointed and spacious interior, energetic performance, and plenty of family-friendly tech.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Upscale, Roomy cabin
- Expansive Cargo Area
- Balanced ride and Strong engine
- Boatload of standard safety tech and available family-friendly features
Cons
- Must remove second-row seats for optimal cargo space
What’s new for 2021?
- Revitalized interior and exterior design
- Third-row USB port is newly optional
- Several active safety features now standard
Is the Honda Odyssey a Decent Minivan?
The Honda Odyssey is a decent front-wheel-drive minivan that answers all the right notes. This minivan has one of the enjoyable cabins in its class, thanks to its comfy and roomy seats, even in the third row, a quick-response and easy-to-use infotainment system, and brilliant features that let parents to communicate with their children in the back row while driving. This Honda also received praise for being one of the most fun-to-drive family-transporters out there, and it gains good fuel efficiency estimates to boot.
Should you buy the Honda Odyssey?
Shoppers who are planning to buy a minivan should have the Odyssey on their shortlist, as one of their choices. While it has one of the highest retail prices in the class, the Odyssey offers you a lot for your hard earned money. Its value proposition is improved for 2021 with the addition of plentiful standard active safety features including, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist.
How much does the 2021 Honda Odyssey cost?
With an entry level price of #31,790, this 2021 Honda is one among the most expensive minivans. The price shoots up by a few thousands of dollars every time you move up the trim ladder. The top-tier Odyssey Elite costs $47,820. It is among the expensive configurations for any minivan in the class.
Is it gonna be costly to insure a Honda Odyssey?
The cost of insuring a Honda Odyssey is determined by a number of factors, which includes the deductible, the level of coverage that you wish to get, and the type of premium that you choose. Your age, gender, credit score, location, and driving record can also affect your insurance rates.
Odyssey’s Interior
Cargo Space
The 2021 Honda Odyssey offers an awesome amount of cargo space. You get to enjoy up to 38.6 cubic feet of storage space, and it is easy to lift heavy items over its low load floor. There is a recessed space in the floor, where you can fold flat the third-row seats into. It can also be used for cargo when the third row is in use.
Odyssey provides up to 92.3 cubic feet of space when the rearmost seats are folded flat into the floor. To tap the Odyssey’s maximum cargo volume, the second-row seats must be physically removed (second-row seats in other vans were designed to fold flat into the floor). It can be a struggle to get them out, since the seats are heavy. However, Honda reengineered the seats for 2021 so they now fold flat, which makes them less troublesome to remove.
You can get up to 158 cubic feet of cargo space with all the seats removed or stashed, though higher trims provide up to 155.7 cubic feet. This minivan’s hatch has a wife opening, making it easier to load big or bulky items.
How many people can occupy the 2021 Honda Odyssey?
The entry level Odyssey can seat up to seven people, with second-row captain’s chairs and a third-row bench seat. All Odyssey trims, except the base, have an eight-person capacity that boasts three second-row seats and Honda’s Magic Slide system, which allows you to slide the seats forward, backward, and sideways into a variety of different setups. For example, you can detach the middle seat and slide the two outboard seats together to allow siblings to sit right beside each other, as well as creating a path to the rearmost row on one side of the vehicle.
The driver and the front passenger enjoy very cozy seats with a wide range of adjustments. The second row is comparably comfortable, with supportive cushions and generous head- and legroom for taller passengers. The third row is similarly spacious enough for adults.
Child Car Seats
The Odyssey comes with four complete sets of LATCH connectors in its three rows. All of the anchors are easy to find and use in the second-row outboard seats. The third-row seats have a full set of anchors as well, however, the tether points are kind of difficult to locate.
Interior Quality
The Odyssey has a stylish and upscale cabin that is one of the most charming in the class. The interior has a slek design and almost all materials are high end.
Infotainment, Navigation, and Bluetooth
The Odyssey’s standard infotainment is quite basic, which includes a 5-inch display that lacks touch capacity, apps, and most other conveniences. But, all models above the entry level trim come with a quick-response 8-inch touch screen that supports AppleCarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. The menus are laid out in an easy-to-understand manner. Other dashboard controls are also straightforward.
The Odyssey comes with a wide range of family-friendly features, which includes a CabinWatch camera that lets you monitor rear passengers from the infotainment screen, a rear-seat reminder, and CabinTalk, which turns the stereo into a PA system for the driver to convey their voice to the rear passengers. CabinControl allows you to control or manage the rear-seat entertainment system and climate settings for smaller children or those who may not be capable of doing it themselves. In addition, Hondavac is a built-in vacuum cleaner that allows you to do a quick sweep of any on-the-go spills.
The Odyssey is considered by experts and buyers to be one of the BEST FAMILY MINIVANS, thanks to its cluster of family-friendly features and conveniences.
- Standard infotainment features: a seven-speaker stereo, a 5-inch display, Bluetooth, and two USB ports
- Available infotainment features: an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, satellite radio, wireless device charging, an 11-speaker premium stereo, navigation, a Wi-Fi hot spot, a third-row USB port, and a rear-seat entertainment system
- Additional standard features: automatic climate control
- Other available features: proximity keyless entry, second- and third-row sunshades, a universal garage door opener, tri-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a universal garage door opener, remote start, a moonroof, CabinControl, CabinWatch, CabinTalk, and HondaVac
Odyssey’s Performance
Engine
The 2021 Honda Odyssey has a 280-horsepower V6 engine. This Honda accelerates swiftly and smoothly, and it gets up to freeway speeds with minimal effort, even when packed with people of cargo. The 10-speed automatic transmission carries out timely shifts and works well in the background to assist the engine.
Gas Mileage
The Odyssey rated an EPA estimated 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. Those figures are good for a minivan, but there is not a lot of difference among rivals.
Ride and Handling
This minivan offers a well-balanced ride. It handles with relative eagerness and takes corners with ease. Steering requires little to no effort and makes you feel like you are driving a small automobile and not a slow and awkwardly moving van. The Odyssey travels comfortably, even on rough pavement, and the cabin stays isolated from most outside noise.
Towing Capacity
The Odyssey can tow up to 3,500 pounds when equipped properly.
Odyssey’s Reliability
Is this Honda minivan Reliable?
The 2021 Honda Odyssey has a predicted reliability rating of three out of five, which is considered average.
Warranty
Honda covers the Odyssey with a three year or 36,000 mile basic warranty and a five year or 60,000 mile powertrain warranty.
Odyssey’s Safety
Crash Test Results
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given the 2021 Honda Odyssey an overall safety rating of five out of five stars, with five stars in the frontal and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover test.
As of this writing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet issued any rating for the 2021 Odyssey.
Safety Features
- Standard advanced safety features: Adaptive cruise control, Pedestrian detection, Traffic sign recognition, Forward collision warning, Automatic emergency braking, Lane departure warning, Lane keep assist, Automatic high-beam headlights, Rear-seat reminder, and a Rearview camera
- Available advanced safety features: Front and rear parking sensors, Rain-sensing windshield wipers, Rear cross traffic alert, and Blind spot monitoring
Which Honda Odyssey model is right for you?
The 2021 Honda Odyssey is released in five different trims: LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. A 20-horsepower comes standard in all models, with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive. The entry level trim seats seven people and all other trims seat eight.
Verdict:
The 2021 Honda Odyssey is a well-balanced minivan and is considered one of the most family-friendly vehicles in the market. It is loaded with standard safety features and a boatload of optional comfort and convenience upgrades.
Alternative to the Honda Odyssey
Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna
The Toyota Sienna ranks average among minivans, however, it provides two significant advantages over the Odyssey, which are optional all-wheel drive and a better predicted reliability rating. If those two are your top priorities, then go with the Toyota Sienna. But in most other aspects, the Honda Odyssey beats the Toyota Sienna. It has a more upscale cabin and more spacious accommodations for second and third row passengers. The Odyssey also provides additional family-oriented features including an in-cabin camera and a built-in vacuum. Both vans are on the high price range for the segment so if you want the best value for your money then go for Honda Sienna.