A new design on 19-inch alloy wheels graces the higher trims. The sculpted side doors and hidden sliding door track remain. The lower front fascia and fog lights also get buffed up. Updated for ’21, the grille is stretched wider and the chrome bar moves from the center to the top, where it connects new LED headlights. Aside from the rear end, the 2021 Odyssey has a similar family resemblance to the Honda Pilot SUV and Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, partly because they all share some of the same mechanical underpinnings. Better known for form following function, minivans suffer from a silly stigma of domestic dullness. The 2021 Odyssey looks a little sleeker then the Pilot and other crossover SUVs. With standard safety features across the lineup for the first time, the Odyssey is a safe choice in any trim. Safety is as big a priority as space in the 2021 Odyssey, with the NHTSA and IIHS bestowing top crash-test ratings on the minivan. Stow the third row in the floor and there’s more cargo volume than most SUVs with all the seats folded down.

Inside, the Odyssey seats up to eight, with enough room for adults to ride in the wayback. It’s reasonably efficient with an EPA-rated 22 mpg combined, and the ride is reassuringly calm, quiet, and predictable. The same 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and a 10-speed automatic with front-wheel drive powers every Odyssey regardless of trim. Safety equipment such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and adaptive cruise control are now standard across the lineup.

Like last year, the 2021 Odyssey starts at about $32,000 in base LX trim, then climbs the ladder in features and cost in EX, EX-L, Touring, and top Elite trim, which comes in at just under $50,000. The Odyssey excels at what it was meant to do well: haul families and their gear in space, comfort, and safety.

The refreshed minivan is big on space and interior comforts. If smart is sexy then the 2021 Honda Odyssey is a knockout. The Honda Odyssey is refreshed for 2021 and loaded with standard safety features.

2021 honda odyssey lx