Back in the day, before the dawn of the SUV era, the station wagon evolved into the minivan as the ultimate family vehicle. And there are still plenty of people living in the van ages, with good reason. Not only do they pack more features than ever, but many have even become quite premium in nature. Which brings us to this latest Honda Odyssey.

The Honda Odyssey has been on a people-pleasing crusade to make family life as easy as possible for Americans since 1995, and today exists as a true feature-packed oasis of space and flexibility in the desert of look-a-like SUVs. For 2025, this fifth-generation Odyssey, which has been on the streets since 2018, gets a host of updates to keep it at the top of the segment.

Upgraded style is part of the plan. Up front, there’s a new grille with a chunkier crossbar, along with a slightly different shape to make room for larger headlight lenses. The rear fascia gets its own reshaping; reflectors on the ends move from horizontal to vertical, and there is now a diffuser-style cutout in the bumper. All trims get new wheels ranging from 18 to 19 inches. Everything done to accentuate the Odyssey’s width and to portray a more premium vibe.

Tech upgrades include a new 7-inch instrument cluster that brings back the look of actual gauges instead of just having a digital speed display. A high-mounted 9-inch touchscreen is now standard for infotainment and works with faster processing speeds. The optional Rear Entertainment System gets a big upgrade with a larger 12.8-inch his-res screen, along with improved functionality and connectivity.

Technically, there’s more standard content here than before, but in reality, it’s because they’ve removed the base EX from the lineup, this comes after removing the base LX 2 years ago. So, clearly Odyssey buyers are looking for lots of content, and that’s what they’ll find in Elite which remains the top option. It comes with two-tone ventilated leather seats, heated steering wheel, premium audio, and hands-free liftgate.

Unlike many family vehicles, Honda doesn’t make you choose between three-place bench or two captain’s chairs, it gives you both with a bench that has a removable center section. There’s a great 32.8 cu.-ft. of space behind the third row, and 86.6 cu.-ft. after easily stowing them in the floor. Max capacity with the second-row seats removed is 140.7 cu.-ft.

Same VTEC single overhead cam version of Honda’s 3.5-liter V6 engine under the hood, with the same 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque that’s it’s been rocking out since 2018. It gave us plenty to work with at our Mason Dixon test track, feeling fine off the line with a 7.2-second 0-60 trip. Power delivery stayed consistent down the track; no real peaks or valleys, just a steady flow only briefly interrupted by quick gear changes in the 10-speed automatic transmission. Overall, just a smooth and steady quarter-mile experience that lasted 15.6 seconds, ending at 92 mph.

Throughout the many comings and goings of vehicles in the minivan segment over the years, the Odyssey has remained one of the most entertaining to drive, providing lots of feedback, and responding quickly to steering inputs. But, the suspension is obviously tuned more for long distance comfort, so body roll and understeer will both eventually show up if you push too hard. No problems when pushing the brake pedal hard, as the Odyssey consistently came to well-controlled stops of 115 feet from 60 mph, with moderate nosedive.

For more important family vacation getaway maneuvers, the Odyssey remains a solid highway cruiser, with a quietness to it that rivals many luxury sedans, or just makes all that familia noise from the backseats seem all that much louder. Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 19 City, 28 Highway, and 22 Combined; we averaged a good 25 mpg of Regular. That’s an average Energy Impact Score; with use of 13.5 barrels of oil annually, with CO2 emissions of 6.5 tons.

With a base EX no longer in the mix, pricing now starts with EX-L at $43,670; top Elite goes for $52,630.
The Odyssey continues to dominate its segment. One third of all minivan sales are credited to a Honda dealership. We’re doubtful that will change anytime soon, as the 2025 Honda Odyssey not only packs in more and more of the features that families are looking for, but looks better than ever. It also remains one of the most engaging minivans to drive. Now, that’s a combination that’s hard to beat.