Latest News
2025 Buick Enclave vs Honda Pilot2020 Honda Odyssey Review
The 2020 Honda Odyssey works hard to show you it cares with safety, entertainment, and space, is it the perfect family minivan?
2020 Honda Odyssey – hondanews.com | Shop 2020 Honda Odyssey on Carsforsale.com
What’s New for the 2020 Honda Odyssey?
The 2020 Honda Odyssey name is 25-years old and still delivers on its promise to transport people down the road in comfort, luxury, and safety. On its 25th birthday, the Odyssey finally dumps the maligned and sometimes unreliable 9-speed transmission and settles with the 10-speed. Also included across every trim is the push-button start because every buyer wants it. Additionally, the 2020 Honda Odyssey has an optional 25th Anniversary package with, among other things, 19-inch wheels that help sharpen the ride and handling.
The Breakdown
Quick and powerful V6 is excellent
The easily configured interior is huge
Handling is confidence-inspiring
Push-button transmission selector is fussy
Infotainment system is slow
2020 Odyssey Specs
- 280 horsepower from base engine
- 262 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 5 available trims
- 32.9 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 144.9 cu-ft of cargo capacity with seats down
- 5-inch infotainment touchscreen
- 3-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty
- Up to 3,500 lb towing capacity
2020 Honda Odyssey Powertrain
Honda has always been known for their engines, and the Honda Odyssey’s 3.5-liter V6 is as smooth and powerful as you’d expect. It’s truly one of the best passenger car engines around. But, as much as we enjoy the engine, Honda’s 10-speed is hard shifting at times and its push-button shifter is still bizarre.
The 2020 Honda Odyssey may be 4600 lbs, but its acceleration and handling will make you feel like it’s a sedan. Plus, it does all of this with that massive minivan space inside. Regarding performance, the V6 engine throws down 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque that rushes it to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. Naturally, you would expect poor gas mileage with all that power and weight, but the Odyssey gets up to 28 mpg.
Towing & Payload
The 2020 Honda Odyssey, when equipped with the towing package, can pull up to 3500 lbs – enough for a snowmobile, motorcycle, or small camping trailer. Hill-start assist and traction control provide help with trailering, although trailer sway controls aren’t available.
2020 Honda Odyssey Fuel Economy & MPG
According to the EPA, the 2020 Honda Odyssey will get 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. But, unlike many optimistic EPA ratings, Honda’s numbers are holding up. Odyssey owners say they are averaging the stated 28 mpg in real world conditions.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
Over its 25 years, the Honda Odyssey has gone through many changes and updates that have made it the competent cruise machine it is today. With recent additions of acoustic glass, the Odyssey silences wind noise around the windshield. On higher trims, the front, sliding door, and rear windows also have acoustic glass. The glass makes for a supremely tranquil cabin when it’s there, but even in the non-acoustic glassed LX, you’ll enjoy a quiet ride.
Honda has also worked on providing storage and cubbies for everything you might bring with you. You’ll find little things like the under-console storage between the driver and passenger useful for hiding items, and there are also 15 cup holders. That’s at least two big drink bottles per person. With the EX, Honda even gives you sleeves on the back of the driver and passenger seats for your iPad, so your kids can watch what they want without needing an extra-cost entertainment system.
The Honda Odyssey has an available in-cabin camera and intercom system that helps keep an eye on the passenger compartment. And if you need to calm down some horseplay, the Odyssey’s intercom system lets you speak in low tones for everyone’s benefit.
How big is the cargo area of a 2020 Honda Odyssey? If you take out the center row, you could fit a couch into an Odyssey. Although the Odyssey has abundant space, don’t go too overboard, and make sure you stay under the 1621 lb payload limit. Remember that payload includes people, backpacks, cups, and anything you might have on the roof racks.
With Honda’s “Magic Slide” seats in the second row, you can take out the center section and have captain’s chairs or slide the seats together for more entry space. Again, Honda works hard on providing options for you. Honda also includes some innovative rear seats that store flat in the rear cargo well. It’s a deep rectangular well, so you can easily store vertical objects and fill the well with a refrigerator full of groceries.
Entertainment & Technology
The infotainment system you want will be available on the 2020 Honda Odyssey EX and up. Unfortunately, you get a tiny screen on the entry-level LX, while the EX gets Honda’s high-resolution 8-inch touchscreen. While you can customize the Honda Odyssey menu layout, Honda’s infotainment OS struggles to quickly respond to your touch and often falls down on the job, so you’ll have to be patient. On the other hand, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work seamlessly with the Odyssey, so it has that going for it.
If you have some extra cash for the 2020 Honda Odyssey Elite or Touring, you get a 10.2-inch rear-seat infotainment system, and it’s a beauty. The system can play Blu-ray discs, has HDMI, and a third-row outlet for your kid’s gaming systems. If you choose to use AirPlay on your Apple or Google device, it will throw your shows up on the screen too. In addition, the Elite adds some powerful sound with its premium 550-Watt 11-speaker, with subwoofer, audio system.
The only critical thing missing, especially to larger families, are multiple power ports. A 12-volt outlet is in the front and one is located by the left passenger in the third row, but that’s it. Compared to other SUVs and minivans, Honda is behind the curve on power ports. You’ll have to depend on USB charge connections to take care of your devices.
Safety Features
Honda offers the Honda Sensing driver technology package as standard equipment on all but the base LX trim for the Odyssey. Features include lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control. The 2020 Honda Odyssey received a 5-star rating from the NHTSA and Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS when equipped with the Honda Sensing suite.
2020 Honda Odyssey Trims & Pricing
LX – $30,799
The 2020 Honda Odyssey LX standard equipment includes cloth seats with room for 7, 5-inch touchscreen, a seven-speaker stereo, Bluetooth, two USB ports, automatic climate control, and power-adjustable front seats.
EX – $34,790
The 2020 Honda Odyssey EX upgrades the interior with an 8-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, satellite, and HD Radio. For comfort, it has tri-zone automatic climate control, a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a Magic Slide second-row bench seat. Added convenience and safety items are power-sliding doors, proximity keyless entry, remote start, and fog lights. In addition, Honda adds the Honda Sensing safety suite with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
EX-L – $38,060
The Odyssey EX-L adds leather first and second-row seats with driver and passenger eight-way power adjustments. Additional features are a moonroof, a hands-free power liftgate, a third row 12-volt outlet, and two more USB ports.
Touring – $45,060
The Honda Odyssey Touring adds a satellite navigation system, rear-seat entertainment system with two 10.2-inch displays, and a 115-volt household-style power outlet. Interior conveniences include CabinWatch, CabinTalk, and CabinControl that helps you see and communicate with 2nd and 3rd seat passengers. Honda also adds 19-inch wheels and standard rear parking sensors,
Elite – $47,420
The Honda Odyssey’s top-of-the-line Elite adds everything from the Touring and adds heated/ventilated front seats, wireless charging, acoustic front and rear door glass, and an 11-speaker premium stereo system.
Warranties
Honda offers a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Honda does not offer complimentary maintenance, but they do offer 24-hour roadside assistance for the first 3 years or 36,000 miles.
What we think
2020 Honda Odyssey – hondanews.com | Shop 2020 Honda Odyssey on Carsforsale.com
We won’t argue with you about the excellent SUVs you can purchase these days, but no SUV will have the interior space, comfort, performance, and quality of the 2020 Honda Odyssey. When you’re rolling down the road in the Odyssey, you’ll feel comfortable, safe, and happy. Plus, you’ll never think twice about your vehicle choice.
