Honda Odyssey

Honda Odyssey at a glance

The Odyssey is a front-wheel-drive minivan with sliding rear doors on every North American generation from 1999 onwards and a third row that folds into the floor. The first generation was developed in Japan on the Accord platform and made with minimal changes to an existing car factory; it was a modest four-cylinder people carrier with conventional rear doors. For the 1999 model year Honda designed a much larger V6 minivan for North America, built it first at Alliston in Ontario and from 2002 also in Lincoln, Alabama. The North American Odyssey was the best-selling minivan in the US in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Figures from Wikipedia; the metric fuel economy figures are our conversions of the EPA ratings.

Generations

First generation (1994-1998)

Production began on 20 October 1994. The first Odyssey used a 2.2-litre four-cylinder with 96 kW (130 PS), replaced in August 1997 by a 2.3-litre with 110 kW (150 PS); in Japan a 3.0-litre V6 with 147 kW (200 PS) joined the range in October 1997. All cars had a four-speed automatic, and North American versions seated six or seven. The car won the 1995 Japan Car of the Year special award and Wheels magazine's Car of the Year in Australia. In Europe it was the Honda Shuttle, whose sales suffered from the lack of a manual gearbox and a diesel engine, and Isuzu sold it as the Oasis from 1996 to 1999.

Second generation (1999-2004)

The first purpose-built North American Odyssey had a 3.5-litre V6 with 157 kW (210 hp), raised to 179 kW (240 hp) for 2002, when a five-speed automatic replaced the four-speed. Its third-row seat folded into the floor, and it scored Good in the IIHS frontal offset test. US sales rose every year, from 77,801 in 1999 to 154,238 in 2004. Honda exported the car to Japan as the LaGreat.

Third generation (2005-2010)

The RL3 and RL4 introduced an eight-seat layout with a Plus-One middle seat on EX and EX-L models. The V6 was rated at 190 kW (255 hp), later re-rated to 182 kW (244 hp) under the SAE J1349 standard, and the EX-L and Touring gained Variable Cylinder Management, which shuts down cylinders under light load. The car grew to 5,105 mm, then 5,133 mm after the 2008 update. Side curtain airbags and stability control were standard, and the third generation was the best-selling minivan in the US from 2007 to 2009.

Fourth generation (2011-2017)

The RL5 was 20 mm longer, 53 mm wider and 10-15 mm lower than its predecessor. Its V6 produced 185 kW (248 hp) and 339 Nm, with cylinder deactivation now on every version. A five-speed automatic was standard at first, with a six-speed for the Touring, and from 2014 every Odyssey had six speeds. In 2014 it became the first minivan to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.

Fifth generation (since 2017)

The current RL6 entered production in Lincoln, Alabama, on 26 April 2017 and went on sale on 25 May 2017 as a 2018 model. Its V6 has 209 kW (280 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 355 Nm. Early cars used a ZF nine-speed automatic on some versions and a Honda ten-speed on others; the nine-speed was later dropped. The body is up to 34 kg lighter than before. Magic Slide second-row seats can move sideways as well as fore and aft. Updates for the 2021 and 2025 model years brought a new grille, Honda Sensing as standard, a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.8-inch rear entertainment screen.

The Japanese and international Odyssey

The Japanese car became lower from 2003 so that it fitted multi-storey car parks. Japanese production ended in December 2021 with the closure of Honda's Sayama plant, but the Odyssey returned to Japan in April 2023 as a hybrid built by Guangqi Honda in Guangzhou, China. Australia sold the fifth generation from February 2014.

Space and practicality

Every Odyssey since the first has seated six to eight. The North American model's third row folds into a well behind it, which leaves a flat floor, and the Magic Slide seats of the RL6 make it easier to reach the back row with child seats fitted. At more than 5.1 metres long (5,133 mm for the 2008-2010 car), the North American Odyssey is longer than most large MPVs sold in Europe, so check our size comparison tool before planning a private import.

Fuel economy and running costs

The EPA rates the RL6 at 19 mpg US in the city, 28 on the highway and 22 combined, which we convert to about 12.4, 8.4 and 10.7 l/100 km. Variable Cylinder Management helps on the highway: in 2005, EPA ratings were 20/28 mpg with VCM and 19/25 without. Honda does not sell the Odyssey in the EU, so there are no WLTP figures or euro prices. For a cost estimate based on your own consumption, use our fuel cost calculator.

Trims and equipment

Recent US trims, after the 2025 update, start with the EX-L and continue with Sport-L, Touring and Elite; the LX was dropped for 2023 and the EX for 2025. Honda Sensing driver assistance is standard since the 2021 model year, together with a rear-seat reminder in the CabinWatch camera system.

Safety

The Odyssey has not been tested by Euro NCAP. In the US, the 2018 model year received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, and the 2022 car regained it after headlight changes. In the tougher updated moderate overlap test, the 2023 Odyssey was rated Poor. For European crash results of other MPVs see our safety section.

Reliability and known issues

We found no recall summary or reliability survey for the current Odyssey in the sources used here. For the third generation, a 2005 NHTSA side-impact test was the only one in which the car did not reach five stars, because the driver's door unlatched.

Rivals

The Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica and Kia Carnival are the Odyssey's competitors in North America; the Carnival is the only one of them also sold in Europe.