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The Honda Odyssey received a design refresh in 2021, with additional updates in 2023 and 2025.
- The Honda Odyssey is extremely functional. It may look like a minivan, but everything about it is designed to make real mom life easier, from sliding doors to smart interior layout.
- Best-in-class car seat setup and flexibility. Five sets of lower anchors, six tether anchors, removable middle seat, and the Magic Slide seats make this one of the most car-seat-friendly vehicles out there, especially for three-across and third-row access with car seats installed.
- The removable middle seat is a game-changer. I can switch between an eight-seater and captain’s chairs depending on my season of life, and it’s incredibly easy to take out without losing car seat flexibility.
- Magic Slide is iconic!! I can slide an outboard seat inward even with a rear-facing car seat installed, which gives me third-row access without uninstalling anything.
- Cabin Watch + Cabin Talk are game changers for moms. Being able to see your kids and talk to them through the speakers (even through headphones) without turning around or taking your eyes off the road is next-level mom convenience.
- Storage everywhere (and then some). Door cup holders, center console organization, four cup holders within reach of the driver, purse hooks, trunk cubbies, and massive cargo space mean there’s a place for everything, and then some.
- Incredible space, but ventilation is the weak spot. The Odyssey is spacious in every row, but the lack of ceiling vents (especially for rear-facing kids) is frustrating and one of Kelly’s biggest complaints in an otherwise incredibly functional vehicle.
The Exterior
First of all, I’m loving the mocha interior in the one I toured. I like that Honda carries that mocha color through in both leather and hard plastic, which keeps it cost-effective while still giving a clean, two-tone look. And this door panel? It’s doing the most. Cup holders, cubbies on cubbies, and storage everywhere.
First Row
Up front, the Odyssey just works. You’ve got easy-to-use climate controls, heated seats, and a half-digital dash that’s simple and intuitive, plus plenty of open storage for purses, snacks, and all the mom stuff. It feels functional without feeling cluttered, which is exactly what I want to see.
Second Row
While I know so many of you are here to see the car seat capabilities of the 2024 Honda Odyssey EXL, let me start by breaking down the passenger amenities. I will say, Honda moved the air vents from the ceiling to the side and I see this as a negative for any rear-facing kids.
Second row amenities include:
- Excellent knee and head clearance
- Two USB ports
- Power door
- Leather back pocket
- Built-in sun shades
- Climate controls on ceiling (easier use for mom)
Now that we’ve covered the amenities, let’s talk about the car seat setup, because this is where the Honda Odyssey really shines. As far as hardware goes, you get lower anchors and tether anchors in every seat in the second row, which is always a huge win. And let me say this up front — I compare every second-row bench to the Honda Odyssey when I review family vehicles, because it truly is best in class.
The reason is simple: the second row is made up of three completely independent seats. Each one has its own lower anchors and tether anchors, which means you can do three-across, stagger seats to access the third row, or remove the middle seat entirely. Whether you want a full bench or captain’s chairs, the Odyssey lets you adjust based on your season of life.
Then there’s the Magic Slide, which is one of my favorite features, hands down. You can slide the outboard second-row seat inward even with a rear-facing car seat installed, giving you easy third-row access without uninstalling anything. It’s iconic, it works in real life, and it solves one of the biggest pain points families have with three-row vehicles.
Third Row
In the third row, we have lower anchors on both outboard seats and tether anchors across the back. This is incredible and totals up to five sets of lower anchors and six tether anchors in this vehicle.
As a passenger, it’s comfortable in the third row. No chargers or sun shades on the EXL trim level I will say, but the leather back pockets are a nice touch. Good knee and head clearance, but the easy get in and get out is the real star of the show.
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Trunk
I just love minivan trunks. We used a Mockingbird stroller to test the size and it’s so deep you can fit it and have a ton of extra storage left. When I talk about cubic feet when it comes to trunk space, you have to remember a cubic foot is sometimes the air, so it doesn't always equal more space. What's great about a minivan when it comes to cubic feet is because it's so deep and high, you have similar measurements to a full-size SUV.
The Odyssey also has one of the most iconic features,a one of a kind Tailgate Mode. This makes a sofa in your minivan, at the soccer game, or trunk or treating. These are the kind of features that make a minivan so worth having.
Safety
The 2021 Honda Odyssey is an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus.
The 2021 Odyssey also received a 5 Star rating from NHTSA.
I do want to call out the lack of seat belt pre-tensioners for the second row. Pretensioners remove slack from the seat belt in the nanoseconds before a crash, dramatically reducing injury in frontal and near-frontal collisions. This feature has been standard in front seats for nearly two decades, but not the back seat. While this doesn’t affect children in harnessed car seats, it does affect other passengers.
ADAS - Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems
The Honda Odyssey comes standard with the Honda Sensing suite, which includes Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) with automatic emergency braking, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow.
Blind Spot Information System (BSI) with Cross Traffic Monitor is also standard.
The Odyssey includes Traffic Sign Recognition and automatic high-beam headlights as part of Honda Sensing.
A multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines is standard, and higher trims add front and rear parking sensors.
The Odyssey is a car seat machine! Every seating position is equipped with a top tether and a removable head restraint. This feature makes it much easier to install forward-facing car seats or high-back boosters without interference—something that’s often an issue in competitors like the Chrysler Pacifica, where fixed headrests can cause compatibility problems.
LATCH
All seats, except the third-row center, have lower anchors. The lower anchors are all exposed and not deep in the seat bight. This makes for really easy attachment, especially for a baseless infant car seat.
Every seating position is equipped with a top tether. The second row outboard tether anchors are easy to find. They’re in the center of the seatbacks. The center seat’s tether anchor is at the bottom of the seatback. In the third row, the opposite is true. The center tether anchor is in the center of the seatback and the outboard seat tether anchors are toward the bottom of the vehicle seat.
Belt Buckles
The buckles in all positions are short and flexible. This is great for booster riders!
You can twist the buckle stalk up to three full turns (no half turns) to pull the buckle down and out of the car seat’s belt path, if necessary. This is most commonly a problem for rotating car seat bases when it does occur.
Seat Shape
The second row outboard seats are large and fit a variety of car seats. The center seat of the second row is extremely narrow. Very few car seats fit in the center seat and allow the adjacent outboard seat to tilt/slide forward for third row access. Additionally there is often overhang in the center seating position because it is shallow. Many manufacturers allow side overhang here when the outboard vehicle seats are in place. Please contact your car seat manufacturer for clarification if you’re unsure how much overhang is permissible. Seats that fit well in this position include but are not limited to: Graco SlimFit3 LX 3 in 1, Chicco Fit3X, Britax Poplar, Nuna Exec and a variety of infant car seat bases. The Chicco MyFit also fits when the outboard seats are in place.
Head Restraints
Every seating position is equipped with a removable head restraint.
This feature makes it much easier to install forward-facing car seats or high-back boosters without interference—something that’s often an issue in competitors like the Chrysler Pacifica, where fixed headrests can cause compatibility problems.
Three Across Considerations
You may run into third-row access issues when trying to fit three across the second row. The second-row center seat is extremely narrow. When you try to tilt and slide an outboard seat to climb into the third row, the outboard seat will hit the center car seat in most scenarios.
While access to the third row is possible with some very narrow infant car seats and ultra-narrow convertible car seats, boosters don't work. (Booster mode of the Graco SlimFit3 LX and Chicco Fit3X do work.)
When installing the center narrow car seat, be sure to first put the outboard armrest down on the side of the van you wish to use tilt/slide for access. This will give enough space for the outboard seat to tilt and slide without getting stuck on your center car seat.
Three across the third row is possible with the most narrow seats as well, like the Graco SlimFit3 LX 3 in 1.
So while you can absolutely fit 6 kids in car seats, like any vehicle this becomes a challenge to access each individual car seat with each seat filled.
Third Row Access
Access to the third row is unique because of a feature called Magic Slide. When the center vehicle seat is removed, the outboard seat can slide to the center in its place. The seats move side-to-side on tracks, making it easy to access the third row even when car seats are installed. What sets these seats apart is that their seat belts are attached directly to them, so you can still use Magic Slide whether car seats are installed with LATCH or seat belts.
Removing the second-row center seat and using Magic Slide to create an aisle to the third row is best for third-row access.
Now if you need to access the third row with three car seats installed in the second row you’re going to run into some challenges. In order for the vehicle seat to slide forward the seatback also must tilt forward. This is a problem if a car seat is installed, no matter the installation method.
The seat will tilt and slide forward without disturbing the car seat’s installation in only a handful of scenarios. This works with some infant car seat bases and some boosters that have loosely attached lower anchor connectors like the Chicco KidFit or Joie Basil booster.
Rear-Facing and Legroom
There is ample legroom to rear-face even bulkier rotating car seats in the second row. The third row can also accommodate a variety of rear-facing seats, though more compact seats will be needed if you also have a rear-facing seat in the second row. The Evenflo Revolve360 Slim 2 in 1 is a good choice for the third row if you need to fit a rear-facing car seat.
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