2014 Honda Odyssey

The 2013 Honda Odyssey is one of the most popular family-hauling vehicles in the market now but it has been redesigned for the 2014 model year. The 2014 Odyssey redesign was unveiled at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. The Touring Elite model displayed gets a mild interior and exterior update.

Many concept and production cars made their official debuts at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, but the unveiling of the Honda Odyssey 2014 stood out. The unveiling was not the most stylish or expensive, but Honda introduced a new feature in the Odyssey (we will get to that later on) which took us all by surprise.

Just like the 2013 model, under the hood of the 2014 odyssey, there is a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that delivers 247 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. Depending on the trim level, the V6 is hooked up to a five- or six-speed automatic transmission. The estimated fuel economy figure is 22 mpg in combined city and highway driving.

Honda has done a lot to make the 2014 Odyssey redesign has safe as possible. A new aluminum hood and fenders have been introduced to the model. From what we heard, Honda improved the structure of the van so that it can earn top marks in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new frontal crash test.  A standard rearview camera system is available on all models, and the top Touring Elite trim gets an Expanded View Driver’s Mirror, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning and a blind-spot warning system.

The Honda Odyssey 2014 model is surprisingly quiet and has a smooth handling. Active noise cancellation and active engine mounts both quell any vibrations from fuel-saving cylinder deactivation and prevent excess road noise from getting to the cabin. It performs just like a car would; it has confident acceleration. Although the Odyssey is a taller vehicle, it handles better than shorter vehicles like the Accord sedan and the Pilot crossover.

2013 vs 2014 odyssey

Compared to the 2013 Odyssey, the new Odyssey has a sleeker and more sophisticated exterior. The look was sharpened with a more sculpted hood (made of aluminum), two-tone mirror housings and other exterior details such as a twin-bar grille, new headlights, and chrome-trimmed fog lights. New LED taillights and badges were also introduced in the rear end to complete the styling update. These updates have a minor impact; only a true minivan fan can easily notice the difference between the 2013 and 2014 models.

The stand-out feature in the 2014 Honda Odyssey is called the HondaVAC. Honda joined Shop-Vac to develop this built-in vacuum which was introduced to the top-of-the-line Touring Elite trim. According to Tami Giammarco, Odyssey’s lead design engineer, “the HondaVAC is the first in-car vacuum system the industry has ever seen”. It is made up of a powerful vacuum, replaceable filter and a canister bag, with nozzle accessories. Optional features in the 2014 Odyssey include keyless entry and pushbutton start, and the HondaLink, a cloud-based infotainment system which connects to the driver’s smartphone to play music or read updates from Twitter and Facebook.

Pricing details and the release date of the 2014 Honda Odyssey have not been released. The 2013 Odyssey starts at $28,675. So, we expect an upward review of price for the new model.