After driving the 2023 Honda Odyssey, you'll change your mind about minivans--it's a smooth ride, well-built, and can pick up speed quickly. Not to mention, it's still practical like any good minivan should be. Its Magic Seat system is innovative and allows you to position the second row seats in multiple ways (including keeping fighting siblings apart).
The third row disappears into the floor to make room for more cargo, although it's not as high-tech focused as those in rivals such as the Chrysler Pacifica or Kia Carnival. The cabin does offer an optional rear-seat entertainment system however, so kids can be occupied on long trips.
The Odyssey is a powerhouse that doesn't require any sacrifices. With its confident handling, your attention will be so focused on the road ahead that you'll forget all about the three rows of seating behind you. The steering provides excellent feedback and is light enough for easy maneuverability, though more navigation information would be beneficial.
The Odyssey might not be the fanciest car on the market, but it's still a minivan. Despite that, it's one of the best-driving minivans and its nimbleness makes narrow roads and corners easy to navigate. We tested an Elite model and found that while its ride wasn't as compliant as our long-term Pacifica, standard 19-inch wheels could be partly to blame.
The EX-L trim level we drove wore 18-inch wheels, which were more appropriate for the poorly maintained roads common in Michigan. In general, though, the Odyssey's ride is comfortable enough that few passengers will complain about it.
The Odyssey'sEPA city rating is 19 mpg, and 28 mpg for highway driving. However, in our real-world testing the vehicle performed better than expected, managing 30mpg on the highway. For some contextual comparison,our long-term Pacifica achieved 33 mpg under similar conditions. If you want to know more about fuel economy ratings for the Odyssey (or any other car), you can visit the EPA's website
Minivans were designed to transport people and belongings long or short distances, and the Odyssey does this exceptionally well. In fact, its second and third rows are some of the most spacious in its class. Additionally, the Pacifica's second-row seats can't compare to the comfort level of Honda's innovative Magic Slide seats, which have the ability to slide both side ways and back ways--giving you multiple options for configuration.
Then, add in a quiet cabin, and some tech like an in-cabin camera letting you see the kids in the second or third row--the Odyssey is perfect for hauling everything your modern family needs. Its square shape means there's plenty of space to haul cargo but rivals might do it better and with less hassle. To remove the second-row seats requires serious muscle power as they weigh 68 pounds each!
If you want to do some heavy lifting in your vehicle, the Odyssey is not the best choice. With its Magic Slide seat mechanism remaining on the floor when removed and its third row of seats taking up space, our testing showed that it could haul one fewer carry-on suitcase than the Pacifica.
We expect the 2023 Odyssey will have about average reliability when compared to the average new car. This prediction is based on data from 2020, 2021 and 2022 models.
“It's discontinued globally, it's been a great car for us.” The closure of the plant is due to Honda realigning its global manufacturing operations ahead of its transition to selling only zero-emissions vehicles by 2040.
Opt for the 2017 Honda Odyssey when you want the best year for the reliable minivan. You will be hard-pressed to find any significant problem. While the 2019 and 2020 Honda Odyssey are excellent choices, the 2021 model has improved forward collision avoidance and a near-flawless record.