The rolling hills around Clermont feel different with eight people and a weekend of luggage aboard. Power in the 2027 Honda Odyssey comes from a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6, direct-injected and rated at 280 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, while its 262 lb-ft torque peak arrives at 4,700 rpm. Gear changes come from a 10-speed automatic with shift-by-wire controls, and steering-wheel paddles let the driver pick ratios manually.

Underneath, MacPherson struts handle the front, a multi-link rear setup with trailing arms handles the back, and steering uses a dual-pinion, power-assisted rack-and-pinion design. Every trim tows up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped: that takes Honda’s available accessory towing package, and the trailer itself needs its own brakes. Honda recommends regular unleaded, switching to premium for towing, and the EPA rates the van at 19 city/28 highway/22 combined mpg.

Safety in a family van starts with the car seat. Lower LATCH anchors cover the entire 2nd row of the 2027 Honda Odyssey plus the outboard 3rd-row seats, and tether anchors reach every 2nd- and 3rd-row seat. SmartVent front side airbags, knee airbags and advanced front airbags serve the front row, side curtain airbags tied to a rollover sensor cover all three rows, and Rear Seat Reminder is standard.

Honda Sensing on each trim bundles Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Road Departure Mitigation and the Collision Mitigation Braking System with Advanced Pedestrian Detection. The standard list continues with Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Traffic Sign Recognition and Blind Spot Information with Cross Traffic Monitor, and Touring and Elite add parking sensors at both ends. Avoiding collisions remains the driver’s job. NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program lists the 2027 Odyssey with a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating.