2014 Honda Odyssey Adds Full Slate of Safety Measures

The 2014 Honda Odyssey is scheduled to make its premiere at U.S. dealerships on July 2, 2013, with an MSRP that opens at $28,825.

Now, even though that price represents a modest increase of $150 over the 2013 Honda Odyssey, and includes a wealth of new standard features—which we’ll cover below—the idea of paying 29 large for a minivan may shock those new to the segment. But keep in mind, even at that point, the 2014 Honda Odyssey won’t be the most expensive minivan on the market. Here’s the current pricing hierarchy:

• 2013 Chrysler Town & Country—$30,630
• 2014 Honda Odyssey—$28,825
• 2013 Toyota Sienna—$26,585
• 2013 Nissan Quest—$25,990
• 2014 Kia Sedona—$25,900
• 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan—$19,995

It also must be said that the Odyssey’s position near the top of the pay scale hasn’t slowed it down in the sales department. The Odyssey was the best-selling minivan in the country in May, when it also led the segment with a 15 percent growth rate, and it is the top seller on a year-to-date basis as well, in addition to being one of just two minivans in the black for the first five months of the year.

To help push that advantage, the 2014 Honda Odyssey brings the six-speed automatic transmission—reserved for the upper trim levels in 2013 models—to the rest of the lineup, which also means the entire Odyssey team will be rated at a best-in-class 19 mpg city/28 mpg highway/22 mpg combined. Other new standard equipment for the 2014 Honda Odyssey are a next-gen Bluetooth HandsFreeLink system, a Pandora interface, SMS text-messaging functionality, an “Expanded View” rearview mirror, and a four-way power-adjustable front-passenger seat that joins the previously standard eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat.

Further fine-tuning to the 2014 Honda Odyssey includes…

2014 Honda Odyssey: More New Features

Along with a less-cluttered exterior and more-refined cabin, the 2014 Honda Odyssey also will benefit from the kind of driver-assistance features usually found more often on premium sedans. Thus, depending on the exact trim level, the Odyssey will offer a blind-spot display, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, a multi-angle rearview camera system and Honda’s next-gen Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure. The automaker also expects that ACE system to allow the 2014 Honda Odyssey to become the first minivan to earn a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Other new standard enhancements sprinkled throughout the lineup include one-touch turn signals and Bluetooth for audio streaming (Honda Odyssey LX), as well as push-button start, keyless access, wiper-linked headlights, and the latest HondaLink technology, now compatible with the Aha digital content app (Honda Odyssey EX).

Finally, at the very top of the range, the 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite gains a nice audio upgrade in the form of Neural 5.1 Surround technology and HD Radio, while further premiering HondaVAC. Billed as “the world’s first in-vehicle vacuum cleaner,” HondaVAC runs off of the Odyssey’s 12-volt electrical system and can be used for up to eight minutes with the vehicle off or as long as the engine is running.

The party line from Honda: “In redesigning the Odyssey for 2014, Honda's goal was to reinforce and expand upon the vehicle's already great features, including the exceptional value for money that already defines the Odyssey for its target buyers: Gen X and Gen Y families. Odyssey aims to surprise and delight by adding upgrades and amenities, making it once again the top pick among individual buyers.”