2020 Honda Odyssey Celebrates 25th Birthday With Transmission Upgrade (and Hopefully Cake)
As a card-carrying member of the Minivans Are Actually Cool Club, I am happy to announce that the 2020 Honda Odyssey arrives with a transmission update and a special options package to commemorate the family hauler’s quarter-century run. That’s right folks — the Odyssey debuted all the way back in 1995 and, unlike a few other minivans from that era that are no longer with us (looking at you Mercury Villager, Ford Windstar and Nissan Quest), it’s still going strong.
Related: How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2019 Honda Odyssey?
If you want your Odyssey to be recognized as an anniversary edition, Honda is offering (via dealerships, not the factory) a 25th Anniversary Package that adds a chrome roof rack, body side moldings, lower-door garnish, a chrome rear bumper protector, special badges, an anniversary key fob and illuminated sill plates with (again) the anniversary logo. And if all that wasn’t enough, you can tack on a pair of optional 19-inch wheels with a design that’s unique to the package. The styling upgrades will cost $1,500, or $2,800 with the wheels thrown in.
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In other Odyssey news, there are two powertrain updates: Idle Stop (aka a stop-start system) and Honda’s 10-speed automatic transmission are now standard with the minivan’s returning 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine. Previously, the four lowest Odyssey trim levels (LX, EX, EX-L and EX-L with navigation and a rear-seat entertainment system) came with a nine-speed automatic. This is good news in a sense, as the nine-speed, manufactured by ZF, is a transmission that we at Cars.com have loathed. The bad news? We’re not big fans of the 10-speed either — but it’s better than outright hatred. Fuel economy figures are unchanged from 2019 by the swap, still sitting at an EPA estimated 19/28/22 mpg city/highway/combined.
The final change is a new Platinum White Pearl paint color, which replaces … White Diamond Pearl. OK.
Prices have jumped up slightly for all trim levels, with the biggest leap being EX models, increasing by $530. Here are the new prices (including a $1,095 destination charge) for 2020:
- LX: $31,785
- EX: $35,785
- EX-L: $39,055
- EX-L Navi/RES: $41,155
- Touring: $46,055
- Elite: $48,415
Versus the competition, the Odyssey falls roughly in middle. The Chrysler Pacifica starts at $28,730 and tops out around $46,885 for its own anniversary edition (including destination but before available discounts), while the Toyota Sienna starts at $32,535 and runs up to $48,950 at the high end, also including destination.
More From Cars.com:
- com’s 2019 American-Made Index: What’s the Most American Car?
- Honda Odyssey Vs. Toyota Sienna: Which Minivan Is the Car Seat Check Champ?
- 2012 Vs. 2018: A Honda Odyssey
- 2018 Honda Odyssey Video Review
- Shop for a 2019 Honda Odyssey
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