Used 2023 Honda Odyssey

The 2023 Honda Odyssey minivan comes with a new trim for its entry level, plus a completely fresh mid-range Sport model. These are the main changes for the new model year, yet the Odyssey really didn’t have to do anything different. Because it’s already superb at what it does.

There are so many areas where the Odyssey is strong. It’s spacious, well built, well thought out, refined, and reliable. It’s been made a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and awarded the maximum 5-Star score by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Odyssey also has its fans at Kelley Blue Book. The 2020 model took Best Buy and Best Resale Value awards for the minivan class.

This generation launched for 2018, but has kept up to date with improvements along the way. Despite its name, the new Sport trim doesn’t add more power or swap in a firmer suspension. It brings a specific look and is otherwise equipped like the EX-L, which is $800 cheaper.

A minivan is never going to spark desire, but those with enough children to need a minivan presumably have their desires sparked in other ways. So buyers are no doubt happy to have something with reasonable power for getting up to speed on the freeway, decent fuel economy, a comfortable ride quality, and a general easiness to the whole experience.

That’s exactly what the 2023 Odyssey minivan supplies. There’s a serenity that fraught parents will appreciate, from the power delivery to the gearshifts. The Odyssey is the last thing anyone needs to worry about. This is especially true in light of the driver assistance features that come as standard across the range. For example, blind-spot monitoring is an absolute boon in a vehicle this size.

Seating for eight is standard in the 2023 Odyssey minivan. And only one of them has to be a little less extravagant with their beverages, since there are 15 cupholders.

Space is plentiful in all three seating rows. And between the folding and sliding of various positions (the back row folds into the floor), there should be enough versatility for carrying people and/or cargo to please most buyers.

In common with the rest of the Honda portfolio, cabin materials are of decent quality, with excellent fit and finish. Just above the rearview mirror is a concave mirror for quick checks on the passengers behind.

Sport trim’s leather seating surfaces — on the front seats and outboard second-row positions — are black, with red stitching. This color scheme applies to the steering wheel as well. The headliner is also black.

The top two trims have the CabinWatch rear-seat monitor and CabinTalk, where the driver’s voice is piped through either the headphones of the rear-seat entertainment system (Touring trim) or both the headphones and the rear speakers (Elite trim).

Powered sliding passenger doors on both sides are standard with every 2023 Odyssey, another considerate feature for harassed parents. And a powered tailgate comes in at the second trim level.

The new Sport trim is third, right in the middle of the range. It has a lot of exterior details finished in gloss black, like the grille, side mirror housings, B-pillars, rear pillars, light surrounds, and taillight trim.

The wheels are also finished in black. This is the first trim level where 19-inch alloy wheels are standard. This brings up an aspect to keep in mind on the test drive — we preferred the smoother ride quality of the 18-inch wheel/tire combination on the lower two trims.

Sport trim is available in Platinum White Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Radiant Red Metallic, and Sonic Gray Pearl. This last color also is available on the Touring and the Elite.

MAGIC SLIDE SECOND-ROW SEATS
These seats can move forward, reducing the distance between a parent up front and a young one in a child seat just behind. They also make it easier to access the rearmost seats, as well as being able to move back, optimizing legroom. They can even move side to side, providing extra versatility.

SMART ENTRY WITH WALK-AWAY AUTO LOCK
For parents, big families often mean not enough hands. This feature does away with the need to dig for keys in pockets or purses. It will unlock the Odyssey minivan on approach, and secure everything once the clan has disembarked.

With EX becoming the new entry point into Honda Odyssey minivan ownership, the level of standard equipment is high. This includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights/daytime running lights/fog lights/taillights, keyless entry/ignition, smart locking, 3-zone automatic climate control (with extra controls in the second row), 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, Magic Slide second-row seats, one 12-volt outlet up front, and another 12-volt outlet in the cargo area.

There’s a well-stocked set of driver assistance features including forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.

The infotainment system has an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, satellite radio, Bluetooth, two USB ports, and seven speakers.

For about $3,0000 more, we recommend the EX-L trim for its powered/height-programmable tailgate, powered moonroof, acoustic glass windshield, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather seating surfaces for the front seats and outboard second-row seats, driver’s-seat memory settings, two more USB ports for the second row, and an extra 12-volt outlet (in the third row).

Going to a higher trim is the method for acquiring more equipment, since the actual options list features minor stuff like bike racks and splash guards.

New for 2023, Sport trim is essentially a cosmetics package, adding 19-inch alloy wheels and red ambient cabin lighting. It would have been nice if parking sensors and hands-free tailgate operation were available in the more affordable versions, but that’s not to be.

Touring trim brings front/rear parking sensors, rear-seat entertainment system, CabinTalk/CabinWatch, Wi-Fi, navigation with voice control, turn-by-turn directions, 115-volt outlet up front, and a USB port for the third row.

Elite trim comes with hands-free tailgate operation, acoustic glass for the side windows of rows one and two, heated steering wheel, heated/ventilated front seats, blue ambient cabin lighting, wireless charging, multi-zone audio, and an 11-speaker/550-watt sound system.

Every 2023 Odyssey minivan is propelled by a 3.5-liter V6. There are no turbochargers or anything similar.

Output is more than adequate, at 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. This goes to the front wheels only (all-wheel drive is not an option) through a quietly efficient 10-speed automatic transmission.

Regular gasoline is fine. Cylinder deactivation contributes to fuel efficiency, where only three cylinders are used when possible. Plus an engine stop/restart function that can be turned off if desired.

The maximum tow rating for the 2023 Odyssey is 3,500 pounds.

3.5-liter V6
280 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
262 lb-ft of torque @ 4,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/28 mpg