A well-known reliable brand, comfortable for road trips, and simple to maneuver is the 2025 Honda Odyssey. During my week, I drove the Black Edition which is the top trim level. Does this minivan beat its competitors?
Engine/Transmission
The 2025 Honda Odyssey has a 3.5L V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It produces 280hp and 262lb-ft of torque and is only available as front wheel drive for all trim levels. It is rated for 12.0 L/100km in a city and 8.5 L/100km on a highway. While I averaged 10.2 L/100km withmostly highway driving. 0-60mph (96km/h) is said to be reached in a little over 6 seconds so that is quite quick for a minivan.
Handling/Performance
As mentioned above, the Odyssey is quite quick and is a comfortable drive. Of course, it does not drive like a sports SUV as you can feel a bit of body roll when driving on windy roads. I’m sure though that with time and confidence in the minivan, slightly pushing it to the corners of a windy road would be fun. Going over bumps however is not so bad as it absorbs bumps for a bit of a smoother drive. During my week I drove mostly on highways and for long periods of time and throughout the trip, it was smooth. Road noise is not intrusive in the cabin; it is quiet which makes it practical for a family. The Honda Odyssey picks up speed rather quickly so overtaking a car is not an issue. It is a still a fun drive and it is a minivan! Those two usually don’t go together but with the Honda Odyssey you get to say both.
Comfort
The cabin of the 2025 Honda Odyssey is spacious. You get a lot of space for children, bags, luggage, groceries, and quite a bit of smaller storage space that you may need throughout the cabin. The back seats are comfortable and one thing I noticed was that the bum area is quite flat which is perfect for the moms on the go that need to change their kids, so no need for a change topper. One less item to carry and more room for other items. Another great thing about the minivan is that the middle seats can be adjusted. The middle seat can be taken out if you need more space. The left and right seats can slide outwards and inwards. You have two kids fighting with each other, simply move the seats outwards, they need to be close to each other, you move them inwards. Third row is also very spacious, average height individuals will fit with no issues. Headroom and legroom are not a problem, and it most definitely won’t be a problem for children.
Interior
The interior does not have a wow factor, it simply looks great. It has quite a bit of glossy black which will scratch, will have fingerprint marks, and look messy if not cleaned often. May or may not be a big deal for you but just one thing to note. A great thing is that it also has a lot of cubby space in the center console and door panels. It also has great amount of space in the trunk as it is deep so you can load as many bags as possible without running out space quick. As you may already know, the rear doors are sliding doors, which is easy to get in and out of the minivan. I find sliding doors and those rear doors that open at 90-degree angle to be the best when it comes to families. One thing I do like is the gear selector. You select the gear by the push of a button. Something unique in my opinion, since I’ve only noticed in the Acura’s and now Hondas. The bit of a downside would be the 9-inch infotainment which is outdated so an update on the 2025 Odyssey would have been ideal. The great thing however is that it is available with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for better graphics when using Maps. A cool feature that the Odyssey has is the PA system or CabinTalk as Honda calls it. So this works great if you don’t speak as loud and need to get the attention of all your passengers. I don’t speak loud even if I tried, and I’ve been around very loud kids so I know this would be useful for me and I’m sure many others out there.
Exterior
I don’t hate how the Honda Odyssey looks but I also don’t love it. I do find its competitors more nicer looking or more modern looking. It is equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels, and I do prefer the look of the Black Edition. Black being my favorite color, I prefer the bits of black here and there throughout the exterior.
Pros/Cons
While the 2025 Honda Odyssey is reliable, comfortable, spacious with a great interior with all the space and flexibility to move the seats and is a bit engaging to drive I can’t say it is the best minivan out there. With gas prices these days, hybrids are the best option and unfortunately Honda does not offer a Hybrid version of the Odyssey. Its competitors however offer a hybrid version of SUVs & minivans and have a more updated look. Although Honda is considered to being reliable, there is the Sienna that is a direct competitor. The starting price of the 2025 Honda Odyssey is $52,052 CAD ($44,820 USD) while the Black Edition or Elite in the US has a starting price of $62,252 CAD ($51,180 USD).
2025 Honda Odyssey Black Edition Gallery
