Honda prices 2014 Odyssey minivan

The 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan will start at $29,655 including destination when it hits dealerships in July. The upper echelon family hauler will sport a six-speed automatic -- replacing the five-speed -- and 3.5-liter V6 making 248 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque.

Fuel mileage is up to 19 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway in part because of Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management.

The base LX trim gets a four-way power front passenger seat, expanded driver’s mirror, one-touch turn signals, Bluetooth, Pandora and an SMS text function. Stepping up to the EX ($32,955) adds blind-spot indicators, push button start, HondaLink and rain-sensing headlights. The next step ($36,455) gets buyers Forward Collision Warning and Land Departure Warning. The navigation-equipped and Touring models get a multi-angle rearview camera, and the top trim ($45,280) comes with the Honda VAC vacuum system, HD radio and surround sound.

We spent a year piloting the Honda Odyssey as one of our long-term vehicles and found it extremely useful, surefooted and quick, if not very efficient. We averaged about 22 mpg over the course of the year.

In the grouping of more expensive minivans (Odyssey, Town & Country, and Sienna), the Honda probably has the strangest look, but after 27,000 miles with one, and editor noted it was “as tight and rattle-free as the day it arrived.”

By Jake Lingeman