2017 Honda Odyssey

The 2011-2017 Honda Odyssey is the fourth generation of the minivan, recognizable by the stepped beltline along the rear side windows that Honda adopted to improve third-row visibility. It is powered by the 3.5-liter J35 V6 with Variable Cylinder Management, paired with a five-speed automatic and, from 2014 on the Touring trim, a six-speed automatic. Drive is to the front wheels. Seating is for seven or eight with a flexible second row and the flat-folding third row.

This generation was lower and wider than its predecessor, which improved handling and made the sliding-door apertures larger. Higher trims offered a very wide rear entertainment screen capable of splitting between two sources. The 2014 update brought revised styling, the six-speed transmission on Touring, and an available built-in vacuum cleaner on the top trim. The fifth generation that arrived in 2018 moved to a nine-speed and ten-speed automatic.

As a used buy, this generation combines strong practicality with better long-term reliability than earlier Odysseys. Variable Cylinder Management remains the central consideration, with the same spark plug and oil consumption pattern and the same motor mount wear that produces idle vibration. Power sliding door hardware continues to be the most common non-powertrain repair. Later Touring models with the six-speed automatic are generally the most desirable configuration in this generation.