Honda · 1994–present

Honda Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey is a minivan manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda and marketed for the North American market, introduced in 1994. The Odyssey was conceived and engineered in Japan after the country's economic crisis of the 1990s, which constrained the vehicle's size and concept and dictated its manufacture in an existing facility with minimal modification. The result was a smaller minivan, in the compact MPV class, that was well received in the Japanese domestic market, but less well received in North America. The first-generation Odyssey was marketed in Europe as the Honda Shuttle. Subsequent generations diverged to reflect market variations, and Honda built a plant in Lincoln, Alabama, United States, that could manufacture larger models. Since 1998, Honda has marketed a larger (large MPV-class) Odyssey in North America and a smaller Odyssey in Japan and other markets. Until 2005, the North American Odyssey was also sold in Japan as the LaGreat (ラグレイト, Ragureito). Both versions of the Odyssey were sold in Japan at Honda Clio dealership locations. Both versions of the Odyssey are sold in the Middle East.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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First generation (RA; 1995)

The 1995 Odyssey was introduced in 1994 as Honda's first minivan. It was based on the Accord platform, with a 4-cylinder engine, all-disc anti-lock braking, all wishbone suspension, and a four-speed automatic transmission with a steering-column-mounted shifter and a hill-hold feature marketed as Grade Logic. This class of vehicles would subsequently become known as Compact MPV. The design featured unibody construction, dual airbags, dual gloveboxes, dual zone heating and cooling with 20 percent greater capacity than an Accord's system (overhead rear fan-speed adjustment control, and main control switch over the front-seat passenger), conventional rear swing-open rather than sliding doors, and a third row seat that could fold and tumble into a compartment beneath the floor — the spacesaver spare tire carried inside, on the right, rear wall of the cabin. Honda marketed the first-generation Odyssey in two trim levels. The LX accommodated seven passengers with two front buckets, a removable three-seat middle bench, and a 2-seat third row bench. The EX accommodated six passengers (using two removable second row captain's chairs in lieu of the bench) and offered additional equipment including a roof rack, alloy wheels, power driver's seat height adjustment, power moonroof, remote keyless entry system, fog lights (for later model years), body-colored side moldings and mirrors, map lights, and 200-watt AM/FM/cassette six-speaker audio system. The Odyssey was only sold with four-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive in North America; in Japan the four-cylinder models could also be had with four-wheel drive and a V6-engined version was introduced in October 1997. Isuzu offered a rebadged version of the Odyssey from 1996 to 1999 as the Isuzu Oasis. Development. The Odyssey was en

Second generation (RL1; 1999)

The second generation North American market Odyssey was first assembled in Canada as a 1999 model mainly for North America between 1998 and 2004 — and exported to Japan as the LaGreat between 1999 and 2004. The television ad campaign for the new Odyssey evoked moments from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, particularly the extended space-station docking and lunar landing sequences to the soundtrack of The Blue Danube waltz. By its second generation, the Odyssey was considerably larger than its predecessor, and adopted sliding rear doors instead of hinged ones, simpler front strut suspension in place of upper and lower control arm front suspension of the 1995–1998 model, and a 210 hp (157 kW) V6 engine instead of the original four-cylinder. The Odyssey offered two sliding doors as standard equipment, whereas some minivans of the time only offered one, a second door being optional on lower trims. It offered power sliding doors for the EX trim and manual ones for the base LX trim. It kept the fold-into-the-floor rear seat, an innovation adopted by many other minivans. This generation also introduced the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System (including Point of Interest (POI) search, which allowed drivers to locate businesses and landmarks by category, name, or phone number), for the 2000 model year, as an option for the EX trim, which became the first navigation system ever offered in any minivan or Honda vehicle. However, the power moonroof from the previous generation's EX trim was removed. The 2004 model was the only second generation Odyssey model year to receive reliability ratings of five out of five according to Automotive Information Systems. IIHS gave the Odyssey a Good rating in the Frontal Offset Test from 1999 to 2004. The second generation was praised for i

Third generation (RL3/4; 2005)

Honda introduced the third generation of the Odyssey for the 2005 model year. It grew in width and weight but retained the previous generation's length and interior space. Honda introduced the ACE body engineering to the third generation Odyssey, which was later used on the eighth generation Civic. Side-curtain airbags and electronic stability control are included in all models. Both features were previously unavailable. Trim levels included LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring. The Touring trim level was new for this generation, being the most feature and luxury package, incorporated features such as special "Touring" badging right below the "Odyssey" logo, run-flat tires, power tailgate, power adjustable pedals, memory seats, and chrome tailgate and sliding door interior handle trim. The trip computer (range, fuel MPG, etc.) was introduced for the 2005 redesign, but specifically for the Touring trim (in its Programmable Multi-Information Display located in the instrument cluster). The LX, EX, and EX-L retained the same basic trip data. A backup camera was introduced for the EX-L and Touring models with Navigation System (integrated into the 8-inch screen). For this generation, the EX-L model could be upgraded with either a DVD Entertainment System or a DVD Entertainment and Navigation System bundle and returned the power moonroof. The 2005 Honda Odyssey’s navigation system added several advanced features, including a voice recognition, Zagat Survey ratings for restaurants, giving users access to reviewer-based dining recommendations directly in the vehicle. In addition, it included Unverified Area Routing, a feature that enabled navigation guidance in newly built or unmapped areas by using estimated road paths when full map data was not yet available. Additional features includ

Fourth generation (RL5; 2011)

Honda presented the 2011 Odyssey Concept in early 2010 at the Chicago Auto Show and officially released it for sale on June 17, 2010; with a larger, wider body, a lower roofline and revised styling. Compared to its predecessor, the fourth generation Odyssey is 0.8 in (20 mm) longer, 2.1 in (53 mm) wider and 0.4–0.6 in (10–15 mm) lower. The body is constructed using 59% high strength steel, ranging from 390 to 1,500 MPa yield strength. Trim levels included the LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, and Touring Elite. The Touring Elite was the new top-of-the-line trim level, then simplified to just Elite for its fifth generation beginning with the 2018 model year. The fourth generation Odyssey introduced options including a 650-watt premium audio system with 12 speakers and 5.1 surround sound theater mode paired with a new DVD Ultra-Wide Rear Entertainment System (UW-RES) with 16.2-inch display and HDMI port (Touring Elite), a voice-controlled satellite GPS and HDD navigation system with XM NavTraffic (Touring and above, available EX-L), a "cool box" chilled by the air conditioning (EX-L and above), a stowable 3rd row 60/40 split bench seat, a removable first row center console (EX and above), and a new steering wheel shared with the eighth-generation Accord. The fourth generation Odyssey includes projector headlamps or HID xenon low-beam headlamps (Touring Elite), standard 17-inch wheels, 18-inch alloy wheels (Touring and above), and 6-speed automatic transmission (Touring and above). A Blind Spot Display for the driver's side and a multi-angle backup camera is available. All Odyssey models have a 3.5 L J35Z8 V6 that makes 248 bhp (185 kW) at 5700 rpm and 250 lb⋅ft (339 N⋅m) of torque at 4800 rpm. Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) became standard on all models unlike its predecessor,

Fifth generation (RL6; 2018)

The fifth generation Odyssey was unveiled at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in January. Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (HMA) began production on April 26, and sales followed on May 25, 2017 as a 2018 model. A new Honda-developed 10-speed automatic transmission produced at Honda Precision Parts Georgia (HPPG) is Honda's first use of a 10-speed transmission in a production automobile, and reportedly the first 10-speed transmission used in a front-wheel-drive vehicle. It is nearly 29 lb (13 kg) lighter than the previous 6-speed. Trim levels included LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. Compared to its predecessor, the fifth generation is 0.7 in (18 mm) narrower, 1.2 in (30 mm) taller and shares the same 118.1 in (3 m) wheelbase. It also utilizes the latest generation of Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure which is constructed using advanced materials including ultra-high-strength steel, aluminum and magnesium that minimizes weight to up to 75 lb (34 kg) and improve torsional body rigidity up to 44% from the previous generation. The use of structural body adhesives has increased compared to the 4th gen with 145 ft (44 m) used. High-strength steel comprises 55% of the body. Like the Acura MDX and Pilot, the redesigned Odyssey features a 1500 MPa hot stamped outer front door stiffener ring and forged aluminum front suspension lower control arms. As well as a new dual-pinion electric power steering system and a new rear suspension with stabilizer bar. For the 2018 model year, the EX trim and above feature the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies as standard equipment. Which includes Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) and Adaptive C

Reception

At its debut, the Odyssey won the Japan Car of the Year Award (Special Category) and the RJC New Car of the Year Award. By September 1997, the Odyssey had sold more than 300,000 units, becoming Honda's fastest-selling new car and breaking the Civic's record. The Odyssey was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1995. At the Odyssey's European launch, where it was marketed as the Shuttle, British ex-Grand Prix driver Jonathan Palmer described its handling as equal of any "executive sedan". Subsequent generations of the Odyssey have given the nameplate a reputation "as the most car-like minivan available". In a 1995 owner survey, 98% of the respondents rated the Odyssey's handling as above average, 50.3 percent rating engine power to be good — and 25 percent wanted a more powerful engine. A later review of the first generation Odyssey summarized the minivan's market reception: The Odyssey was misplaced in the minivan market, which favors a huge, comfortable amount of interior space and versatility.

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Specifications

name

Honda Odyssey

Manufacturer

Honda

Production

1994–present

Model years

1995–present

Class

Minivan

Body style

5-door minivan

Layout

Front-engine, front-wheel-drive

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13195000CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Odyssey_(North_America)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1375285918 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2025_Honda_Odyssey_front_view_(cropped).jpgCC BY 4.0 · Photo: Deathpallie325 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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