Early reviews of the 2021 Honda Odyssey are coming in, and it looks like the standard version is going to be safer than ever before. With a whole host of new standard safety features, the Odyssey is largely eliminating the need for drivers to pay extra for optional upgrades. Here’s what Kelley Blue Book has to say in its first review of the new Honda Odyssey.

New standard safety features

Rather than having a host of optional advanced safety features, the 2021 Honda Odyssey is including a wide array of standard safety features that make it stand out from the pack.

Each new Odyssey will come with a Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) that provides the driver with both an audio and visual warning if it predicts a potential collision with a pedestrian or vehicle. The CMBS will then brake if the driver doesn’t respond, thus either preventing an accident or reducing its impact.

Additionally, the Odyssey offers Road Departure Mitigation (RDM). This feature uses a forward-facing camera to detect whether the Odyssey has begun drifting. If the driver does not straighten out the vehicle, the RDM system can apply the brakes to prevent the car from drifting further off the road.

A similar setup is used for the Odyssey’s Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS). This safety feature monitors whether the vehicle has begun to drift out of its lane. The LKAS will then cause the steering wheel to vibrate and a warning light to appear, alerting the driver.

Highlights of the 2021 Honda Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey has long been a darling of Kelley Blue Book — it won the Minivan Best Buy award three years in a row and has most recently won the Best Resale Value award. While other similar vehicles such as the Dodge Grand Caravan may cost less, the standard Odyssey comes with significantly more protection, along with plenty of power and an excellent resale value.

The Odyssey has a 3.5-liter V6 engine that offers 280 hp. It gets 28 miles per gallon on the highway — not spectacular, but certainly not bad.

Additionally, this award-winning minivan has a comfortable, highly functional interior. It easily seats up to eight passengers, with enough legroom in all three rows. Reviewers report that the driving experience is smooth and pleasant on every type of road.

In particular, Kelley Blue Book notes two features that make the Odyssey stand out: the magic slide seats and the HondaVac. The magic slide seats make it possible for the second-row seats to slide both back and forth and side to side, making it easy for parents to coordinate sibling seating arrangements. The HondaVac, which comes standard on both the Elite and Touring trims, also remains incredibly convenient for folks on the go.

Downsides of the Honda Odyssey

While the Honda Odyssey is practically overflowing with perks, it does have a few detriments that are important to note. Firstly, there is no hybrid option. While the fuel economy on the Odyssey is decent, the gas savings offered by a hybrid would certainly give the vehicle an appealing boost.

Additionally, there is no all-wheel drive option for the Odyssey. And while there’s no need to shell out extra cash for advanced safety options, there are plenty of other optional features that you might want — and the Elite trim with advanced features added can become very expensive, very quickly.

Despite these downsides, however, the Odyssey has many more pros than cons. With its plethora of safety features, its smooth ride, and its refined, comfortable interior, this is a minivan that is well-deserving of all the accolades it receives.