2020 Honda Odyssey

2020 Honda Odyssey 

Minivans offer so much for drivers and passengers. Their versatility is unmatched against any other style of the vehicle on sale today. But for some buyers, the SUVs that offer similar space are now making up for that difference by offering an escape of the ‘minivan lifestyle stereotype’. A bit of a shame where minivans, such as the newly updated 2020 Honda Odyssey, are the best they have ever been. The Odyssey is a family hauler offering 8 seats and lots of space to spare for all of the passenger accessories. This generation of Odyssey has been on sale since 2018 and the latest 2020 version offers only one transmission now, the ten-speed automatic. In previous years, this transmission was only available in the Touring trim with a nine-speed unit in the other versions of the Odyssey. With this new transmission, all of the new Odyssey’s will have automatic stop-start technology.  

Beyond the transmission, nothing else has changed for this Honda. However, the Odyssey did not require other revisions as this minivan is an excellent choice for those shopping in this segment. The Odyssey will satisfy the areas most shoppers will focus on, such as space, flexibility, and versatility, but excels as a competent driving experience. The automatic transmission is refined and effective with the choices of a Normal mode and Sport Mode with plastic paddles mounted onto the steering wheel for manual control of the gearbox. Additionally, a Snow mode will help limit throttle response to keep the wheels from slipping under acceleration in the slickest of road conditions. Whereas many would think a minivan would be totally removed from the road, the Odyssey is communicative with accurate steering and a charming engine. This engine is a 3.5L V6 with 280 horsepower and 262lb/ft of torque sending power to the front wheels. 

 Let’s get back to the more relevant topic of a minivan purchase: its practicality. The second row is all independent of each other so they can be easily removed and feature Honda’s ‘Magic Sliding Seats’. The third row neatly folds away into the trunk space, leaving a flat floor with a tremendous amount of space to fill. Standard equipment for the Odyssey is very impressive featuring the HondaSensing suite of active safety technology, a digital instrument cluster, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control and heated front seats. Other enticing options available with this Honda include the built-in vacuum, known as HondaVac, a rear entertainment system, power sliding doors, ventilated front seats and so much more. 

The perennial Honda minivan continues to improve and impress. A car that every buyer will be proud to own. The new 2020 Odyssey and many other 2020 Honda models are now available at Calgary Honda’s showroom on Lake Fraser Drive to test out today!