2020 Honda Odyssey gets updates, new 25th Anniversary package

The Honda Odyssey is just about 25 years old, and Honda is celebrating its minivan's heritage for the 2020 model year. We got the non-sliding-door Odyssey for the first time as a 1995 model year minivan, and the nameplate has been sold uninterrupted since then.

So what is Honda doing to celebrate? The Japanese brand is releasing a 25th Anniversary Accessory Package for 2020. The package will be available on every trim level of the Odyssey, and consists mostly of appearance items. You'll gain 25th Anniversary badging on the tailgate, front fenders, illuminated sill plates and on the key fob. Then Honda starts stacking on the chrome. There's a chrome roof rack, lower door garnish and rear bumper protector. If you want to spend even more, there are unique 25th Anniversary 19-inch wheels that can be optioned. The package costs $1,500 without the wheels, or $2,800 with the 19-inch wheels. It's available on every Odyssey trim level.

There are other updates and changes for the 2020 Honda Odyssey beyond the 25th Anniversary pack. All Odyssey trims will now come with the 10-speed automatic transmission as standard instead of just the top two trims (Touring and Elite). Previous to the 2020 model year, the lower-trim (LX, EX, EX-L) Odysseys sent their power through a nine-speed automatic that has been eliminated from the Odyssey lineup. Every model will have Honda's start-stop system as standard now that the 10-speed is on every trim, too. There was no fuel economy difference according to EPA ratings, but we do enjoy using Honda's 10-speed automatic more than the nine-speed.

Prices have gone up only slightly with the 2020 changes. A base LX now starts at $31,785 after the $1,095 destination charge. An Odyssey Elite with the Anniversary package and wheels will run you all the way up to $51,215. The increases are different depending on which trim you go for, but a 2020 Odyssey is as much as $530 more than an equivalent 2019 Odyssey. Keep in mind that you're getting a better transmission in 2020 for some trims, though. It's not a bad tradeoff for the few extra hundred dollars you'll spend. Honda says 2020 Odysseys should be rolling into dealerships tomorrow.