Unsung Hero: The 2025 Honda Odyssey Elite

Minivans get such a bad rap. Nobody wants to own a minivan. Millions do, of course, but they---like the station wagons that preceded them---just aren't cool.

The comic strip "Baby Blues" said as much 35 years ago:

"Baby Blues" by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, September 14, 1990

But the fact is that carpools and soccer practices and a million all-American family activities rely on the comfort, convenience and capacity of the minivan.

A second fact: For the vast majority of what families do, minivans are almost always a better choice than SUVs with similar passenger and cargo capacities.

And a third fact: There are five minivans on sale in the United States---the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Voyager/Pacifica, Kia Carnival and the Honda Odyssey---and all five are fundamentally excellent vehicles, making minivans perhaps the most truly competitive of all the automotive segments.

For 2025, the Odyssey is the last remaining minivan with no electrification available. The ID.Buzz is a pure EV, the Sienna is hybrid-only, the Carnival has an optional hybrid and the Pacifica an optional plug-in hybrid. Word is that Honda will join the party next year, but for now, it's the venerable 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower, and a 10-speed automatic.

That arrangement is good for 0-60 sprints in less than 7 seconds, and an EPA fuel economy average of 22 mpg combined city/highway.

Cargo space is a major strong suit for the Odyssey, which has a deep well behind the third row. The seats are fore-and-aft adjustable, so the cargo space depends on how they're set. The range is 32.8 to 38.6 cubic feet.

If you stow the third row, it goes into that deep well, creating a flat floor behind the second row. That's 86.6 to 91 cubic feet. The only drawback is that the second-row chairs don't fold---they have to be removed to unlock all the potential cargo space behind the front seats (140.7 to 155.8 cubic feet), and each seat weighs 68 pounds.

The sliding third-and-second row seats deliver luxurious legroom. Even the wayback gets 38.1 inches, and the second row (again, depending on how they're set) gets 40.9.

There are four trim levels of Odyssey available. Our was the top-of-the-line Elite. Base price $50,880.04 ($52,275.04 with destination). A couple of things...first, I haven't seen cents in a sticker price of a car in decades. What's with the four cents?

Second, as I write this, tariffs have taken effect. The Odyssey is built in Lincoln, Alabama, but 30% of its parts are from outside North America, and it's not broken down as to what percentage of the 70% domestic content is from Canada, which is also subject to tariffs. It is possible that the price will change, possibly by several thousand dollars, by the time you read this.

The Odyssey Elite's standard equipment includes a comprehensive suite of active safety features, a leather-trimmed interior and leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, an 11-speaker premium audio system and nine-inch touchscreen with navigation, voice recognition and multi-view rear camera, a rear seat entertainment system with wireless headset capability (headsets not included), wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, a wireless phone charger, CabinTalk and CabinWatch, pushbutton start, three-zone automatic climate control, 12-way power driver's seat with memory and eight-way power front passenger seat, both heated and ventilated and with four-way power lumbar, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, HomeLink, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, floormats, a 115-volt power outlet, second and third-row sunshades, dual power-sliding rear doors, a power moonroof with tilt feature, a hands-free power liftgate, 19-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, LED headlights, fog lights and taillights, auto-dimming, power-folding side mirrors, and rear privacy glass.

If that sounds like everything, it is. No extra-cost options. Price on the window sticker $52,275.04 (again, before tariffs).

Some people see cars as fashion statements. But they are also tools. And the 2025 Honda Odyssey is a Leatherman Skeletool CX. There's very little it can't do, and do very, very well.

If I were suddenly 30 years younger, with kids in the house, I'd love to own one.