2021 Honda Odyssey

Fast forward, this minivan has stayed a value for money option for many family buyers in North America even today. Honda has sold nearly 99,000 of these in the US in 2019, second only to the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Odyssey is all set to come with an even more modernized package. It is expected to be priced at around $32,000 for the base LX trim and should go all the way to $50,000 for the top-spec variant.

The Odyssey has been a popular choice amongst buyers for a long time, but the market scenario is changing and people are moving towards different segments. The Grand Caravan being the leader of the segment is everyone’s favorite minivan for the sheer value proposition it offers. The Chrysler’s Pacifica too has received updates while the Kia Sedona will also be seen in its new avatar in 2021. So, how good the new 2021 Honda Odyssey will be and how does it stack up against the competition? We’ll find out!

The 2021 Odyssey will offer the same trims as the 2020 model. The current model comes in LX, EX, EX-L, Elite and Touring trims. In terms of features, we expect some trims to gain and even lose some features. Honda has already announced the addition of some features across the trim line-up which are sure to help this minivan feel more modern.

Most of the features list includes changes done to its exteriors like the integrated foglights and exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels. On the inside, it will offer second-row climate control and redesigned seats. Features list shall still remain customizable and you will be able to opt for various packages to add features on lower trims. Here are the prices and some of the key features on offer on each variant.

*2020 data used for reference

Expected Price and Release Date of the Honda Odyssey 2021

The Honda Odyssey is expected to get launched in late 2020. However, there has been no official word from Honda after the COVID-19 situation. Pricing remains a predictable aspect as Honda likes to go aggressive with it. As the updates in the new Odyssey will be restricted to subtle ones, expect the price bump to be subtle as well. The 2021 Honda Odyssey is expected to be priced from $31,790 and go up to $50,000 for the top-spec trim.

There will be no powertrain changes for the 2021 Odyssey and it will offer the same engine options as the 2020 model. Hence the 2021 model will also get the 3.5L V6 paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The engine puts out 280hp and 262lbfts of torque @ 4700rpm and redline at 6800 rpm. You would not find yourself complaining about this move by Honda as the engine is velvety smooth and refined. As a result, you get a really calm and quiet cabin and the Odyssey can cruise all day over the highways.

However it drives like a typical minivan, which might not be very engrossing for enthusiasts, but it tries to be the best driving minivan and it is easily noticeable. The engine and transmission work in perfect tangent with each other and even overtaking maneuvers will not be a problem, for a car of this size. Even when fully laden or overtaking on the mountainous roads this engine offers excellent grunt. The new transmission also offers smooth shifts and overtaking is a breeze for this minivan. The transmission is properly quick through its 10 gears and the steering compliments the overall experience. To sum up, the Odyssey is quite a decent ‘minivan’ to drive.

The Odyssey is adequately powerful and stacks up well against its rivals on the performance front. Its newly developed 10-speed automatic shifter is the best in its class and it offers the best in class torque output as well. Only the Chrysler Pacifica offers the best engine out of the lot due to its bigger displacement and optimal tuning.

How quick is the 2021 Honda Odyssey?

As the 2021 Odyssey will be coming with the same V6 motor we expect it to deliver the same acceleration figure. The good engine and transmission combination helps it excel in terms over overtaking slow-moving traffic quickly. The 3.5L V6 is really smooth and refined and that translates on to the way this minivan moves.

The engine pulls strongly and the gearbox compliments it with its practically imperceptible shifts. The Odyssey essentially drives like a minivan, but as I mentioned, it tries to become the best driving minivan. With the 0-60 mph timing of 6.6 seconds, it is the fastest moving minivan in its segment.

Clearly, the Odyssey is the fastest of the lot and has quite impressive figures for a Minivan. Its lightweight built and slick-shifting gearbox helps it move past the other minivans. The Dodge Grand Caravan on the other hand comes second with its bigger 3.6 L engine. The worst performer is the Kia Sedona but it is not very far from its competition in terms of performance.

How well does the Honda Odyssey 2021 Brake?

The 2021 Honda Odyssey is expected to offer the same braking setup as the 2020 model. The current Odyssey has an appreciable braking setup, but it stops like a typical minivan. It still does better than the competition and you will not find much to complain in terms of its braking prowess. There is a considerable amount of nosedive under hard braking but the car maintains its line. The brake pedal provides an acceptable amount of feedback but can feel a bit wooden at times. Overall, it offers satisfactory braking performance and is capable of stopping under safe braking distance under panic braking.

The Odyssey is lighter than the Pacifica and that is reflected in how it brakes, it does brake like a minivan, but the numbers are better for a car of this size. While the Kia Sedona is not a fast accelerating minivan it is certainly the best when it comes to braking. The Grand Caravan on the other hand comes right in the middle of its segment when we talk about braking.

How well does the Honda Odyssey handle?

We expect the 2021 Honda Odyssey to offer the same suspension and steering setup, hence, there will be no surprises here. Minivans are not expected to be aerodynamically sculpted, and that translates onto their handling. The Odyssey though, switches lanes and changes directions in a heartbeat and handles great for a car of this size. The steering is well pointed and takes the car where you want it to go, however, you may experience a little bit of understeer sometimes as this is a minivan. 

That said, even with that little bit of understeer, the Odyssey makes you forget that you are driving a people-mover for most of the times. The 19-inch low profile wheels do pass-on some of the rough patches to the cabin, and the 18-inch version feels softer. The ride is smooth and supple and the car would be comfortable on long journeys too. Rear seat comfort is decent and Honda has tried to control the body roll to its minimum levels. Overall, there is quite a bit of body roll when compared to any sedan in the same price segment, but it is nothing unsettling. Thereby, the Honda Odyssey offers good balance when it comes to ride and handling.

The Odyssey tries to impress its buyers as a family car but it might not sound very fuel-efficient as it returns around 22mpg of combined mileage. It gives 28mpg while on highways and 19mpg while in the city. It is a big car with a big engine, and some might say it could have done better. We do not expect the 2021 Honda Odyssey to be any different as it already offers one of the best-combined MPG in its segment. It offers the best city fuel efficiency as well which should please many urban buyers.

It stacks up against the competition just fine as nearly all of them have almost identical figures. Being powerful minivans, all its competitors trade-off some fuel efficiency in order to be big family haulers. The Honda Odyssey also offers the best range with its big fuel tank while the Chrysler Pacifica comes with the smallest fuel tank of the lot which eats up its range.

The 2021 Honda odyssey shall offer comfortable and spacious interiors. The dashboard comes with unique flowing lines, and most materials used inside are of good quality. The plastics are soft touch and the leather has a nice matte feel to it which lifts up the cabin’s appeal. Audio controls are mounted on the steering and you get a digital instrument cluster that looks modern and offers a great amount of detail.

The front seats are electrically adjustable and you get lumbar support too, also the interior is now finished in soft leather with contrast piping and stitching to give it a more upmarket feel. The infotainment system sits right in the center of the dashboard and houses the center console and air-con controls beneath it. However, I felt there was too much going on with the info display and the center console and they felt too busy, sometimes locating buttons would be a task., but they fall easy to hand. Overall, the dash has a nice and clean look. The seats are well-bolstered, both at the front and the back. You also get the first-in-class CabinWatch system and an in-cabin camera to monitor your kids. and the Odyssey also offers a driver Personal Assistant system

The rear bench offers great under-thigh support and can be folded in the special Honda way. The bench is wide and is quite comfortable in itself, so even longer journeys will be comfortable. The third row is a decent place for kids, and would not be suitable for tall adults over long journeys. The cabin is one of the quietest in its class and second-row comfort is better than most rivals. Overall, it is a good place to be, the sumptuous interiors and supple ride pampers you, and very few people will complain.

Highlights:

• Leather Upholstery
• Electrically adjustable front seats with lumbar
• Foldable second row
• Rear passenger infotainment system
• CabinWatch and special folding rear seats
• Steering mounted controls
• Soft-touch dashboard

What about the infotainment system on the Honda Odyssey 2021?

The top-spec Elite trim of the Odyssey gets the 8-inch infotainment system that comes loaded with HondaLink, Android Auto and Apple Carplay. The screen is crisp and has decent visuals, however, there is a bit of glare in direct sunlight. The second row gets its infotainment screens for the rear passengers and they can be monitored by the driver with the CabinWatch system.

The info display also lets you customize its menu and set it as per your preference and you also get a 550-watt, 11-speaker set up on the top trims. However, there are fewer USB ports for the people mover and this might be a problem when there will be full occupancy in the vehicle.

Highlights:

• Android Auto, Apple CarPlay compatibility
• 11-speaker, 550-watt music system
• Rear passenger entertainment system
• In-cabin camera system

How much cargo can the Honda Odyssey 2021 carry?

The Honda Odyssey has always scored high when it comes to cargo space and the same is what you can expect from the 2021 model as it shall offer the same amount of booth space. Its trunk has around 33 cuft of space with all three rows in place and the second row can be folded for a gigantic 88.3 cu-ft of cargo space. Also, the MagicSlide feature adds to the ease of access. Hence, you can carry not only your luggage but also many household items in it.

Talking about the practicality of its boot, the loading lip isn’t too high so hauling in cargo won’t be a problem and the boot opens really wide. The Kia Sedona offers the least cargo area due to its smaller dimensions while the Chrylser comes really close to offering the best in class cargo space like in the Honda Odyssey,

What are the other storage spaces inside?

The Odyssey, being a minivan has a lot of pockets and cubby holes. You get adequately sized door pockets, cooled glove box, storage beneath the center console, cup and bottle holder, and a compartment under the armrest. On the rear, you get decently sized pockets, cup holders, and small cubby holes every here and there to serve to all your needs.

The 2021 Odyssey offers a minivan like stance but futuristic looks and a smart looking design. Its front end reminds you of an Accord or a Civic as it looks sharp and has the new grille and intakes alongside the new black accents and chrome garnish. On, the side you get a sharp character line which bends on the rear end. However, it reminds you that you are looking at a minivan and the sheer bulk of it can be seen. The 2021 will offer blacked-out accents on the front grille, a redesigned bumper, refreshed chrome garnishing alongside new intakes, and fog lamp housing.

That’s not it, the Odyssey gets new 19-inch wheels on the top-spec variant and LED Headlamps will be made standard across all variants. It’s piano black finish every here and there and tri-color floor mats give it a premium look. Overall the Honda Odyssey cannot be compared to any SUV but its MPV design looks sharp and offers quite a lot of style for a minivan. 

The new Odyssey gets LED headlamps as standard and they look great. The new 19-inch wheels look really nice, while even the 18-inchers look good on the car. The Odyssey is quite a long minivan for its segment but it offers the worst ground clearance. The Chrysler Pacifica, on the other hand, offers the best road presence and is the biggest minivan in this comparison in every way.

The current Odyssey is a safe car and has been a 5-star rating by the IIHS, giving it the highest Top Safety Pick rating. It has a lot of safety features on offer and with the 2021 version, Honda has made the Honda Sensing Safety package standard across all trims. Odyssey now gets the rear-seat reminder system, which alerts the driver while leaving the vehicle, alongside the new CabinWatch System, which displays information about the passenger infotainment screens, a segment first.

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
• Standard adaptive cruise control
• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
• Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
• Intelligent Traction Control, Hill Assist

Honda Odyssey vs. Dodge Grand Caravan

The Grand Caravan is no non-sense reliable workhorse which has been the first choice of buyers for a long time and still is a good buy who predominantly likes vanilla. It does everything that a minivan is supposed to do and comes at a cheaper price.

The Odyssey on the other hand is offering most of that with a bit of sophistication. It looks more modern, feels more luxurious, and is a reliable vehicle. It is comfortable and offers a decent driving experience. It is for someone who wants more than just a workhorse. 

Honda Odyssey vs. Chrysler Pacifica

The Odyssey and Pacifica have very close sales figures and both are good looking cars. The Odyssey is more angular and futuristic while the Pacifica is a bit subtle and has an understated design.

Both the cars have decent features on offer and for most buyers, it will just be a matter of choice. But the Pacifica gets more space on the inside due to its more boxy design. Its engine is also better at cruising. However, the Odyssey is a better pick considering its better transmission and better overall performance.

Honda Odyssey vs. Kia Sedona

The Sedona is a great package but I am not sure how many buyers are willing to go for it over the Honda Odyssey. Kia has put in a lot of effort and that can be seen, the Sedona has great features and a nice cabin, but it isn’t that popular an option right now. 

We wouldn’t say it cannot compete with the Odyssey, it definitely can, but how does it convince a buyer who likes an already tried and tested car in the form of the Odyssey is yet to be seen. The Sedona focuses too much on offering good fuel economy and does not offer the grunt that the Honda can.

The Odyssey was a great minivan earlier and is one now too. With its 2021 model, it has improved even further in every way and offers better value for your money as well. With its new tech, new upholstery, and fresh styling it is definitely a compelling package. Being a minivan is does not disappoint in terms of performance as well and offers acres of cargo space for undertaking long-distance journeys. Hence, if you’re in the market for a minivan, you must get your hands on the Honda Odyssey 2021 before making any decision as it certainly lives up to being the most modern and practical minivan out there.