What replaces the Honda Odyssey?
The Honda Odyssey has been discontinued in the United States after the 2024 model year, and there is no direct minivan replacement in Honda’s lineup. The closest substitute within Honda’s range is the Pilot, while buyers seeking a three-row experience typically turn to rival minivans such as the Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica, or Kia Carnival.
Context: The Odyssey era ends and Honda pivots to SUVs
Honda’s longstanding minivan, the Odyssey, helped define three-row family travel for decades. In recent years, consumer preferences have trended toward SUVs, and Honda announced that it would cease Odyssey production after the 2024 model year. The result is a gap in Honda’s lineup for a traditional minivan, with the brand’s strategy instead emphasizing SUVs like the Pilot, Passport, and CR-V. This shift reflects broader market dynamics where large three-row crossovers are often preferred by buyers who value versatility and perceived style over minivan practicality.
Closest substitute within Honda's lineup
Inside Honda
Before listing the internal option that most closely fills the Odyssey’s role, it’s important to note that Honda does not offer a direct minivan replacement. The company’s three-row emphasis now centers on the Pilot, which serves as the practical family-hauler in the current lineup. The CR-V and HR-V are two-row crossovers, and the Ridgeline is a pickup, so none match the Odyssey’s minivan format exactly.
Below are the in-brand options most likely to satisfy buyers who want three rows from Honda:
- Honda Pilot — the closest three-row family SUV within Honda’s lineup, offering seating for up to eight and substantial cargo space.
- Note: There is no direct minivan equivalent in Honda’s current offerings; other models do not provide the same three-row, minivan-style packaging.
Conclusion: The Pilot is the best internal substitute for Odyssey customers, but it is not a direct minivan replacement.
Other practical options for three-row space
Three-row minivans from rivals
For shoppers seeking a true minivan experience, these main rivals offer three rows, ample cargo space, and family-oriented features that the Odyssey historically provided:
- Toyota Sienna — hybrid-only minivan with seating for up to eight and a strong emphasis on efficiency and all-weather capability.
- Chrysler Pacifica — a traditional minivan with a plug-in hybrid option, known for a comfortable interior and versatile seating/cargo configurations.
- Kia Carnival — a bold, stylish minivan that emphasizes interior space and tech, often priced competitively with strong value.
Conclusion: If a true minivan is essential, these rivals are the primary options to consider, each with its own strengths in efficiency, technology, and versatility.
What this means for buyers
In short, there is no direct Honda replacement for the Odyssey. Honda’s strategy has shifted toward SUVs, with the Pilot serving as the closest in-house substitute for families needing three rows. For those evaluating three-row options outside Honda, the Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica (including the plug-in hybrid variant), and the Kia Carnival are the leading choices, each offering different trade-offs in efficiency, interior quality, and features.
Summary
The Odyssey’s discontinuation marks a shift in Honda’s product strategy away from minivans and toward sport utility vehicles. The Pilot stands as the nearest internal alternative, while the broader market provides three prominent minivan contenders—Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica, and Kia Carnival—for buyers who require true three-row seating and the minivan experience. This reflects a broader industry trend toward SUVs and crossover practicality for family transport.
What replaced the Honda Odyssey?
The discontinuation of the Odyssey leaves Honda with four models on sale in Australia: the incoming eleventh-generation Civic hatchback, the HR-V small SUV that is due for replacement in April 2022, the CR-V midsize SUV, and the Accord sedan.
Will the 2026 Odyssey be redesigned?
The 2026 Honda Odyssey has a refreshed exterior and interior design, with updates like a new grille, bumpers, and wheel designs for the exterior, and a partially digital instrument panel, a larger infotainment screen, and updated convenience features for the interior. However, this is a refresh, not a complete redesign of the current generation. The current generation first debuted in 2013, and while the 2026 model incorporates many modern updates, it is not a completely new generation of the vehicle.
You can watch this video to see the exterior and interior design updates: 42sREC TrendsYouTube · Aug 31, 2025
Exterior
- Front end: Updated grille, bumpers, and LED fog lights.
- Wheels: New 18-inch and 19-inch wheel designs.
- Trim details: Some trims feature a matte black finish on the grille and other accents, while the Elite trim gets a gloss black finish.
- Lighting: Standard full LED reflector units with LED daytime running lights and standard LED fog lights.
Interior
- Instrument panel: A new 7-inch digital display is added to the left of the analog speedometer.
- Infotainment: The central infotainment screen has been enlarged to 9 inches in base models and features a faster processor.
- Rear seat entertainment: Higher trims have an upgraded rear seat entertainment system with a 12.8-inch screen.
- Convenience features: Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, and additional USB-C ports have been added.
This video shows the interior design updates: 59sCar ConfectionsYouTube · Aug 29, 2025
What is more reliable, a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna?
Both the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey are highly reliable minivans, but the Toyota Sienna is often considered slightly more reliable for long-term peace of mind. The Sienna's reputation is built on its consistent performance and hybrid powertrain, while the Odyssey, although highly rated, has had some model years with reported issues affecting long-term dependability.
Toyota Sienna
- Strengths: Considered by many experts to have a stronger long-term reliability reputation, partly due to its hybrid system. The hybrid powertrain offers better fuel economy and comes with long-term warranties on the hybrid components, which can lead to significant savings.
- Potential drawbacks: The hybrid powertrain can feel less powerful in some situations, and some repairs, like replacing rear spark plugs, can be more complex.
Honda Odyssey
- Strengths: Often has a higher J.D. Power reliability rating, with more standard safety features and features like the Magic Slide rear seats, notes Planet Honda New Hampshire.
- Potential drawbacks: Has had a few model years with reports of issues that may impact its long-term reliability. Some maintenance tasks, such as spark plug replacement, can be more time-consuming than in other minivans.
Conclusion
- For maximum peace of mind and lower running costs: The Toyota Sienna is generally the slightly more reliable choice, especially considering its hybrid system's long-term warranty and excellent fuel efficiency.
- For a more engaging driving experience and more versatile interior: The Honda Odyssey is a great option, but it is important to research specific model years to avoid any potential reliability issues that may have been reported in the past.
Why is Honda discontinuing the Odyssey?
As a refresher, Honda decided to discontinue the Odyssey in the Philippine market due to the closure of the automaker's Sayama production plant in Japan.
