Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

jihlee · February 2001

I just purchased an EX with Navi. I would like to get the HondaCare 7/100/0 warranty. Can people tell me how much they paid for it? My dealer was asking $1300 for it but I thought that was too much. I have seen it for around $900 on the web. Is that an accurate price right now? He mentioned to me that HondaCare are $1050 retail and aftermarket warranties (not HondaCare) are a lot cheaper. Is he telling me the truth? Am I able to get HondaCare warranty for around $900?

bbhavsar · February 2001

Does anyone recommend a web site or store for cloth seat covers for the odyssey? For the magic seat and the second row. Any recommendations on type of fabric or other advice?
Thanks.

hotspur · February 2001

Somewhere here on one of the Ody threads there's a list of dealers selling the Honda 7-year, 100,000 mile, no-deductible warranty for just under $900. I know Union Park Honda in Wilmington, DE, is one.

Most people who have looked at different warranties carefully recomment getting the Honda warranty, not an "aftermarket" one.

billg7 · February 2001

http://www.1netweb.com/checklist.htm

The above web site belongs to our own Shaganasty. It contains some dealers who sell the HCW for about $900. He says at his site that if you e-mail him he will update the list for you. He also has a check list for when you go to pick up your car.

In addition if you look back on the posts you will find a number of dealers listed for the HCW. You may have to buy it from out of state but that is not a problem.

I mistakenly bought a non HCW and then got a copy of the HCW. I saw the HCW was much better and covered more things with fewer "fine print areas". The Honda dealers will also honor it right away. So I took it back and got the HCW.

If you go for the non HCW the dealers love to sell you because they make more, you will most probably not get a warranty as good as the HCW.

martinpl · February 2001

I also have a concern about my new Odyssey EX fuel gauge. The indicator needle comes to very close to Empty when only 13-14 gallons are consumed and lights the gas reserve indicator.The tank capacity is 20 gal, so I would expect it should be in reserve when 16-18 gallons used. At half of gauge, only 6-7 gallons are used. I taken it to the dealer twice. The first time they replaced the "sending unit" but still didn't read right. The second time they said it is a "feature" of the Odyssey. I say I am not getting the benefit of having a 20gal tank. Is this a "feature" or do I have problem with my VAN???? If not, how do you keep track of gas?

caviller · February 2001

On each fillup, record the mileage since the last fillup and number of gallons it took to fill.

Divide the number of miles since the last fillup by the number of gallons to get the miles per gallon.

Keep track of this over a few tankfuls.

Now, on each fillup, reset the trip odometer. Say you've calculated that you have recently been getting 20 miles per gallon. Since you have a 20 gallon tank, you know you will run out of gas when your trip odometer reaches around 400. Play it safe and fill up around 350 or so.

This method should be failsafe as long as your odometer is working, and it doesn't depend on any lights or gauges. If your driving habits change (A/C usage, extreme cold, lots of stop-n-go traffic), you may want to play it a bit more conservatively.

cliffyb · February 2001

I hope you don't think I was attacking your views.
I misunderstood what you were asking. Several days ago a joker named Sam was on the boards spreading BS about the Oddysey and the Nissan and using CR as his back-up. I thought you were referring to that. My thoughts about the all vans that everyone argues about in hers are basically..take everything you know about Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler, and Ford as manufacturer's, and anything other than the Toyota, or the Honda seems like a bad choice. Companys that build crummy cars and trucks build crummy vans. There's no mystery involved.

carleton1 · February 2001

And we read of problems in the Town Hall with any brand. Yet some people have had ZERO problems with any brand (such as we and all but one friend have had zero problems with DC minivans). Our friend Julie B. of Dallas, Texas started having problems with her used 96 T&C and looked at the competiton. I recommended the Odyssey as a great buy for the most van at MSRP. She shopped but said no van compares with T&C for luxury and comfort so they traded it in on a newer 99 T&C.
Meanwhile, although we love our 99 GC SE, I recommended the Odyssey to my sister and brother in law who plan to get a 2001 Odyssey this summer after looking at all minivans at the big Auto Show last month.

floth · February 2001

I have been reading for a couple of weeks and this is my first posting. Thanks to everyone for educating me about the Ody.

I had a bad experience with Grand Honda in Elmhurst this morning as they tried to sell me an Ody DX with key less remote, roof rack, and security system for $28,600. This was a price for me to order it... And when I said that this was way too high for me he wanted me to give him a check made out to them for $2,500 in order for me to find out if they would accept my counter offer. This was needed to be sure I was serious about buying the van. Salesman was Howard Chung. I was seriously out-of-there

Apart from that I'm still interested in the Ody as it does seem like a great van, but I find the information on reliability to be somewhat lacking. CR just doesn't give enough detail for me although I do find it helpful. I just went on the NHTSA web site to see how many complaints there were on the Ody http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/compmmy1.cfm

I was surprised to find 116 records for the 2000 Ody (must type Honda truck, Odyssey, 2000) and not all were about the doors. Lots of trany problems and strange stuff like the power seat moving on its own...

I figured the Dodge Caravan will have many more. But the Caravan only had 44 (Dodge truck, caravan, 2000) and the Grand Caravan another 23. These were also substantial problems (trans) mixed in with some simple ones. (One said they had 3 new transmissions in the first 9 months of ownership). I also noticed many were repeated which really messes up the stats...

I really liked caviller's (#1064) information about the reliability and the problems of just counting the number of complaints but how does Jack Gillis' Ultimate Car Book 2000 get their data? Are they polling people? Do they talk with the dealerships? Do they use a weighting system or is every complain just counted. It seems to be hard to say which van has more "serious" problems. Seems like it should be simple but then look how the election turned out. I figure if you talk with a honda/caravan mechanic you would get some good info.

IMHO Honda builds reliable cars but the Ody isn't quite up to the civic/accord quality and I'm not talking just about doors. It seems this van was much more complicated that 96-98 model (those were amazingly trouble free) I apologize for the long posting. Here are a few summaries that I cut from the NHTSA site that some of you might find interesting.

MY WIFE EXPERIENCED A CASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE RIGHT FRONT SUSSPENSION. THE WHEEL BUCKELED UNDER THE CAR AFTER THE SUSPENSION BROKE. SHE WAS TRAVELING AT 30M

WHEN BACKING UP HILL, WILL INTERMITTENTLY HEAR A SINGLE, LOUD CLUNK FROM TRANSMISSION. IT GETS WORSE WITH TIME. CURRENTLY, HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN IT ORIGINAL

DASH LIGHTS FAIL TO ILLUMINATE DASH PANEL

THE SEAT-BACK OF THE DRIVER SEAT WILL START TILTING BACK AUTOMACTICLY. IT HAPPENED ALL WHEN THE KEY IS IN THE OFF POSITION. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE DRIVER SEAT

INTERMITTENTLY POWER-OPERATED SEAT WILL RECLINE ON ITS OWN, SQUEEZING THE REAR OCCUPANT'S LEGS. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

POWER SEAT BUTTON MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING SEAT TO RECLINE ONTO THE REAR PASSENGER.

HUSBAND TAPPED WINDOWSHIELD FROM THE INSIDE OF CAR TO KILL SMALL BUG AND WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON THE OUTSIDE. WINDSHIELD IS INDENTED ON THE OUTSIDE. THE INSIDE HA

WHILE TRAVELING 45MPH vehicle BECAME STUCK AT FULL THROTTLE. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN & STOP BY PUTTING VEHICLE INTO PARK. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO

REAR SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE, GOT CAUGHT AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. MY SON WAS STUCK IN SEATBELT AND EVERYTIME HE MOVED, IT TIGHTENED. IT WAS SO TIGHT AROUND H

sam7068 · February 2001

This was a great unbias info that you posted for would be shoppers. This other Joker Gravolff...thinks he knows everything!!!..Anyway I believe the purpose of this board is to serve shoppers and to provide as much data and detailing pros and cons of each van with exact prices paid. The Honda board has just too many dealers protecting their products..This board just has so many of them posting here and they don't want anyone bad mouthing their products.
Even of CS claims the '99 Odyssey is unreliable as a consumer we should give it credibility since they don't get money from advertisers!!!

krism1 · February 2001

I don't have any experience with leather seats. Please can some body tell about the goods and bads about the leather seats for Ody. Are there any good quality seat covers other than leather?

grplavloff · February 2001

"I hope you don't think I was attacking your views."

I understand that; thanks. I have no problem with someone attacking my views. Personal attacks are another matter (tho once someone gets into those it's usually because they have nothing else to say).

grplavloff · February 2001

"I just went on the NHTSA web site to see how many complaints there were on the Ody ..."

I looked at the complaints for several other vans as well. This seems like a very eclectic collection. Do you know where these come from ?

bg18947 · February 2001

Do not be mislead by statistics. Keep in mind that a Honda owner may be more critical about their own vehicle and perhaps more objective than a Chrysler owner, thus the differences in reported problems. I will bet if someone were to do market research on this, it will turn out to be the case. Owners also expect more from a Honda, and will be more critical of quality, resulting in more reported problems. If less is expected of a Chrysler, than the owner will be less critical of quality. The type of vehicle you own does reflect differences in personalities, statistically. Statistically, does not mean 100 percent, but that some portion of the buyer behavior can be explained by an attribute(s), whatever they may be. I.E. knit-pick buyers.

A truly fair report would be to ask only owners who have both vehicles, to minimize as much bias. Or, to ask someone from another planet who has no knowledge of the brand:reputation correlation.

Just like reported crimes, a purse-snatching may go unrecorded in a poor neighborhood, but it could be a statistic and a big news item in a more affluent area.

hotspur · February 2001

If you're giving serious consideration to an Ody I'd spend an hour or so reading the Odyssey XXX thread and the Odyssey problems thread to really get a sense of what's going on. For example, the so-called "automatic" movement of the seatback is caused by people sliding in and out of the seat and brushing against the seatback control switch on the outside of the seat. For some, simply turning the switch upside down has cured the problem. Depending on how you climb in and out, you may or may not brush the switch. My wife and I never have.

timhonda · February 2001

First, some people wondered which colors were more popular. Based on the CR issue (April, 2000), silver had 22%, black 17%, white 15%, blue 12%, green 11%.

Second, I thought I should share my experience. I have test driven a '99 Ody that had 97,000 miles on it and it ran like new. Everything including the doors (no power doors) functioned like new. I have test driven Sienna, Nissan and Dodge. They all were good, but Ody is for my family's life style. I have put down a deposit for '01 SS EX and expect it in March. I'm trading my '98 Expedition for it.

gfc4us · February 2001

I agree with Floth. Not only did CR rate Ody as average (2000 Ody) or below average (1999 Ody), DJ Power rated it as below average (initial 2000 Ody and Midterm 1999 Ody) as well. In fact, Most Ody owners rate it as below average. That is why almost every Ody owner purchased Honda extended warranty. If Ody is a reliable van, why do you waste $895 on HondaCare? How many Civic/Accord owners are interested in HondaCare? How many Sienna/MPV/Quest owners purchased extended warranty? Still Ody is #1 choice so far and Ody owners love Ody.

caviller · February 2001

Floth-

Jack Gillis' Ultimate Car Book derives their Complaint Index from data compiled by the Center for Auto Safety and the NHTSA (if memory serves correctly). I expect the 2001 edition within a week or two, I will update the forum when I get it.

Gfc4us-

Please post the link showing JD Power's dependability data broken down by model. I was under the impression such data was only available to full subscribers (thousands of dollars). Perhaps you meant the Initial Quality survey? If so, this has little to do with long term reliability. I'd also be interested to know if you have a statistical correlation between reliability and the cost of an extended warranty, or the percentage of purchasers in online forums. If so, please post it as a basis of your comments.

Based on information presented, it seems likely that Sienna is probably the most reliable minivan, and Windstar may be the least reliable. Everything else is probably in the middle, and too tough to make a comparison, especially for current model year vehicles. Of course, the difference from top to bottom may not be all that great in absolute terms. Even CR acknowledges this. Unless reliability is by far your main priority in a vehicle purchase, these differences may not be a big deal. If you have data showing otherwise, you're welcome to add it. For those who prefer anecdotal data, I suggest browsing through reviews at http://www.carreview.com/reviews/vans_minivans/ and http://www.epinions.com/auto_Make-Vans_Minivans . Incidentally, the 2000 Odyssey is currently the top rated van among reviewers at both sites. Not enough 2001 reviews are in as of yet.

caviller · February 2001

If you have the time, I suggest trying Honda of Ottawa, IL (I dealt with Barry) or Elliott-Demick Honda in Michigan City, IN (I dealt with Rich). Both will take credit card deposits by phone and give you a very good idea on the delivery of a van. Both were very professional, far better than any local dealers I contacted. In November, both were charging MSRP, but ED threw in some accessories for that price. In the western suburbs, you might try Valley Honda in Aurora. They seemed the best of those I tried in the west suburbs. I've also read some good reports about Jacobs Twin in Chicago, and at least two mentioned buying for less than MSRP there.

caviller · February 2001

I believe our hosts have already given warnings about personal attacks.

Grplavloff has added quite a bit to this discussion, including some of the data you quoted improperly in your previous post. In addition, I believe grplavloff is in the process of purchasing a van, and not a Honda owner or dealer.

Do you subscribe to CR? Do you know where they get their funding? Do you know how they derive their reliability ratings? If not, I suggest you purchase the April 2001 edition when it hits the shelves. You might also scroll back in this archive to learn some details about their methodology.

cliffyb · February 2001

Are you still on here trying to rationalize that Quest you bought? Why don't you focus on the qualities of the Quest rather than your perceived shortcomings of the Oddysey? Because the Quest simply does not measure up to the likes of a Caravan or MPV much less the benchmark products of Honda and Toyota. About the best thing that can be said about the Quest is that when you step on the lot, the Nissan sales people BEG you to take it off their hands. It's that easy. Want four grand knocked off and a free entertainment system? NO PROBLEM. Want your choice of colors and trim levels? NO PROBLEM...Because the Quest vans simply are not moving. Either they are the best kept secret in the world,or they just don't measure when someone takes the time to consider other things than price.

cliffyb · February 2001

Carleton,
Nowhere in my post did I say that Honda builds trucks. You should learn to read for content in case you ever wanted to go to college.

shekharpatel · February 2001

I do not trust my dealer (charged me 57$ for the oil change! and then charged $30 for the tire rotation). Can I get the ODY serviced at a more user friendly reputable garage. Is there a down side?

masshoosier · February 2001

Has anyone seen Jkrolak?

stever · February 2001

He's "gone" and I was thinking about emailing certain members to remind them to be civil, but it seems the Odyssey community here is managing fine at the moment without me:-)

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

k6ncx · February 2001

I'm probably not going to get the SE, and if I did I'm probably too cheap to sping for that much dough on top for the Navi. But it does tickle my fancy. Some things I wonder, that probably those who have one would know:

The display is awful bright. Can it be dimmed?

And then again, I think even dimmed sometimes I would rather not have it one at all. Can it be turned off/blanked out?

dmathews3 · February 2001

hey Steve, not to change the topic but I just can't help it, I just have to ask you if you are going to get involved in the big AOL lawsuit that one of the forum hosts has started, claiming AOL owes her back pay for hosting the forum. Just think with the money you get and with the Quest trade-in you could buy a Odyssey.

)))))

dmathews3 · February 2001

Now back on track, I have the Nav. and it can be dimmed. You can set it up to be bright during the day and when you turn on the lights it comes on dimmed and yes you can shut it down, but if you do no clock. The best thing to do is when you start the van just let it do it's thing and it goes to a black background with stars and the clock display in big numbers or you can send the clock to the right lower corner and little numbers or just plain shut the whole thing off. Hope this helps.

grplavloff · February 2001

"Please post the link showing JD Power's dependability data broken down by model. I was under the impression such data was only available to full subscribers "

Here `tis. You do have to enter the models you want to look at. "Mid-term" and "long-term" reliability ratings appear below "initial." Note that the interim data is available for manufacture years through 1999; it's not yet available for 2000.

"I'd also be interested to know if you have a statistical correlation between reliability and the cost of an extended warranty, "

I can't give you that. But I thought that it was interesting that the salesmen at 2 Honda dealers, a Chrysler dealer, and a Dodge dealer pushed extended warranties while the salesman at both Toyota dealers that I visited told me not to bother with them, after I brought up the issue. I'm not to sure what to make of it; perhaps it's just a more subtle sales pitch than I am used to (at least that is what my Inner Cynical voice tells me :-).

http://www.jdpower.com/auto/jdpa_ratings/FindJdAwards.jsp

cliffyb · February 2001

Here's a question you might be able to answer. Does the system always seem to have the address you are looking for, or is it hit and miss. I make a lot of sales calls covering a wide area and it seems like it would be helpful. I am getting an Ex soon and would consider the Navi if I knew for sure the amount of info contained on it. I have seen the Navi in the Acura TL-is it the same one?

grplavloff · February 2001

"Do not be mislead by statistics. Keep in mind that a Honda owner may be more critical about their own vehicle and perhaps more objective than a Chrysler owner, thus the differences in reported problems. I will bet if someone were to do market research on this, it will turn out to be the case. ..."

I dunno, that seems a heck of a stretch to me. And based on what I see in the forums here - ALL of them - I don't see any evidence that ANY manufacturer has an adequate supply of "objective" owners.

stever · February 2001

dmathews3, I thought they settled that? But thanks for thinking of me, lol! Besides, I'm not due to swap cars (hopefully) until 2009 or so....

grplavloff, thanks for the JD Powers link. I never see them (or the manufacturers) emphasizing long term reliability. Any new car should rate pretty highly in initial satisfaction, imho.

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

acsmith · February 2001

An extended warranty is nothing more than an insurance policy. Honda prices it (at a sell-to-the-dealer price of about $825) to make money. This means that, over the whole spectrum of ODYs buying the warranty, the cost of claims will be less than $825 per vehicle over the 7/100 period.

Look at the warranty as an insurance policy. Would you want to drive your Ody for a bunch of years with no comprehensive damage insurance? The cost is cheap, maybe $100 per year. It covers broken windshields, etc. When that rock whacks the windshield, and it costs $300 to replace, the comp insurance makes a lot of sense. But what if you never have a claim?

That's what insurance is--it spreads the costs over the whole spectrum of buyers. Some benefit, some break even, some never have claims that come near their cost of the premiums.

So, on the Ody, if by some bad luck your tranny lunches out at 75,000 miles, you can either pay about $2500 for a new one, or claim it on your warranty (insurance policy).

Your tolerance for risk should be the determining factor. If you can afford to risk the large claim, then "go bare" and don't buy the extended warranty. If you would be a hurtin' puppy if you get hit for a $2500 repair, then you should seriously consider an extended warranty to cover that risk.

caviller · February 2001

Thanks for the JD Power link. It's good to see they now give results on individual models. Unfortunately, their Vehicle Dependability Study is summarized in the Long Term Ratings, which are not yet available for recent models. It would be interesting to know if the midterm ratings have any correlation to the long term ones...

As for the Toyota saleman- maybe he had already made his quota for the month?

miniman · February 2001

I will not weight in on reliability, for all is conjecture now (given the data we have) and only time will tell.
So here's the next question. How does a manufacturer back up their product? Despite my vexing EX door problems, Honda (dealer and Zone Office) have gone out of their way to help and follow up w/ me. They also extended my warranty to 5/50. I think they have confidence in their product, and I have seen them go out of their way to help. (of course I had to go out of MY way to bring my van in 4 times). But I will say, problems were not show stoppers (like tranny might be) and I was able to delay one of the visits to coincide w/ oil change and inspection another time; making the best of the situation.

MTSANG: I have Michelin tires. I am not motoring up unpaved, unplowed roads with 4WD vehicles skidding at the base of the mountain. However, I think TCS gives me the edge on slippery surfaces -for example, I made it further up my sloped driveway with my TCS Ody than my front-wheel drive (but no TCS) sedan.

billg7 · February 2001

A good discussion of Extended Warranties. I would like to add, as I have said before. If the service department says you need a repair you don't need to get a second opinion. You just tell them to do it. I have found this to be very beneficial to me.

dave84 · February 2001

"almost every Ody owner purchased Honda extended warranty"

Really?? Where did you find this information? Please define "almost every" as a percentage of Ody owners.

I think you're full of it. But, if you can show me that this statement is indeed true, I will eat my humble pie.

Dave

grplavloff · February 2001

"As for the Toyota saleman- maybe he had already made his quota for the month? "

There were two, one each at separate dealerships. Both seemed anxious to sell cars, vans,ANYTHING. Except insurance. Actually, it's the financial guys - at least at these dealerships - who sell the extended warranties. But both salesmen told me ahead of time not to bother. I did it anyway: I got a quote for Toyota Corp extended warranty on the net and took it in with me. The dealership matched it, which meant that it ended up selling it to me for close to 30% less than it originally quoted me. The dealership also matched (well, found a bank that agreed to match) the interest rate offered to me by e-loan, thus saving me a fair amount on that as well: I simply brought in a copy of the email that e-loan sent to me. An hour or so of work up front surfing the web avoided a lot of pain-in-the-butt negotiating time with the dealer.

grplavloff · February 2001

"grplavloff, thanks for the JD Powers link. I never see them (or the manufacturers) emphasizing long term reliability. ..."

I am firmly convinced that present-day cars are a heck of a lot more reliable than their predecessors 20 years ago. At the same time they are a heck of a lot more complicated. I was looking at Honda's and Toyota's minivan brochures and started thinking about how much more is in a base car model nowadays than there was in my 1974 Dodge Dart which I bought new for apx. $3200. Looking at the Sienna CE, the bottom-of-the-line model, I saw the following standard items that were either options on my Dart or simply were not available: automatic transmission; power steering; disk brakes (they were one of three options I bought on my Dart); auto-off headlamps; daytime running lights; foldaway mirrors (my Dart had one mirror that you adjusted by pushing/pulling on it); intermittent wipers; rear window defroster; AC & multizone heating/cooling; airbags; head restraints; tachometer; warning lights; tilt steering wheel; sattelite audio controls; independent front seats; overhead console; vanity mirrors; power outlets; clock; ABS; rear seatbelts; remote fuel-filler door releases; radio/CD combination (an AM radio was an option...).

The next time one of you come across an older (50's through 70's) car, take a look at what was typically in front of the driver in controls and instruments. The car(s) will appear bare to you.

mmicot · February 2001

I've looked through most of these postings concerning the Odessey gas mileage, and as I am one of those getting lousy mileage (13 mpg ave in 70% city / 30% highway driving) I'd like to make a few observations. First, to say that this is a heavy car, and 13 mpg in city should be expected, doesn't seem to make sense because people who drive 6000 lb V8 suburbans get 13 mpg. Secondly, a vehicle of comparable size (the grand caravan) routinely gets 17-18 for combined mileage (I can attest to this - it isn't the class of car or my driving style). Sure, winter driving can have a significant effect, but only if there is snow on the roads and you allow for long warm-ups - niether has been my case. With regard to reformulated fuels, here again, this can't possibly account for more than a fraction of a mpg worst case. I can agree with the statement that the Odessey might have a large spread in city/highway mpg - this is probably because of the locking torque converter / low RPM for high gear - given its power, the oddessy probably gets superior highway mileage because of this. Also, I would not expect break in to significantly improve mileage, unless there is significant blow-by, which would be evident in power & exhaust. Finally, there are plenty of postings here that indicate high teens for around-town driving - but just as many indicating mileage like mine. I can't believe that there is this much variation in engine/transmission performance.
If my mileage doesn't improve, an average year of driving will cost me about $400 more than those who are getting high teens mpg. Obviously, my dealer is going to claim that "driver variation" is producing my low mpg, and while mine is low, it is within their range. I'm still thinking about squaking enough to make them test the compression. I must say that I am dissapointed. If I knew of this problem, and the average reliability (vice accord reliability) that I have experience from Honda in the past, I probalby would have bought something else.
One last point - the gas tank gauge & warning light is purely a design flaw. Somebody screwed up. Honda should fix it for free.

idocpilk · February 2001

Any possible rumors/plans for an 8 passenger Honda in the near future...hate to go with the Venture if I don't have to...any feedback helpful.

jmurman42 · February 2001

Honda already had a 8 passenger version of the Odyssey. It was discontinued to lack of interest.

timothyadavis · February 2001

Unfortunately the 8 passenger version of the Odyssey existed only in one site's misinterpretation of the lost bench seat option on the LX (that was the LX-B, leaving the captains chair LX version specified as the LX-C). Only one poster in these environs ever actually reported seeing one. It was a $200 cheaper option, but the bench only provided 2 seats. Obviously, with no gain in seating capacity, it was certainly not worth the meager savings. And, with pressure to produce enough of the vans at all, the LX-B was quickly abandoned. It has subsequently entered into the realm of internet mythology (where it probably belongs!). ;-)

hondaaccessory · February 2001

Just got word that Honda is due to release the subwoofer on the 15th of this month. Still no installation instructions so not sure exactly how/where it installs.

They list features as:
auto on/off
manual defeat switch
adjustable bass volume
adjustable low pass filter
max power output 80W
normal power output 40W
frequency response 20-400 Hz
distortion 0.5%

they have the list price at $299.00 for the subwoofer and attachment kit.

-Trevor

dmathews3 · February 2001

This is the same Nav. as the Acura. Acura came out first a few years ago but it wasn't DVD. It was programed for your area (usually 3 or 4 states. If I remember the US was divided into 7 areas. When you crossed to a new area you had to stop at the Acura dealers and they would program in their area. Now it's all on one DVD that you can update about each year as you see fit for about $150. If you go to the Honda Odyssey site and from the pull down menu you can go to where you buy the DVD. AT that site you can find where they detail the states covered and what part of each state. Click on the state and a map comes up showing the part of the state that is detailed. I live in Lansing, Mi. which is covered and the times I have punched in business addresses it has taken me there. Even my family DR. is listed. Most businesses if you only have their phone # it allows you to punch in the phone # and it will give you the name of the business and send you on your way. Now if it's a new road it may not be on the DVD yet. Ours cover about I would GUESS about 20 miles outside of the city which gets me most of the suburbs. Hope this helps.

phil47 · February 2001

That's good news, Trevor. I will likely add the sub if it doesn't use up practical space, and if its intent is to compliment (better balance) a very weak stock stereo system in my 2001 EX. I'm not interested in turning my van into a "boombox". Please keep us informed. Thanks.

gkjeung · February 2001

We just picked up our SS 01 Odyssey a couple of weeks ago and we love the van. Originally, we had wanted to buy a SUV, but were scared off by the SUV's rollover tendencies. I do not remember reading anything concerning minivan rollovers. Does anyone know anything or have any links to minivan rollovers? Our salesman assured us that minivans do not roll over as easily as SUVs. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

caviller · February 2001

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/hot/rollover/

http://www.usatoday.com/money/consumer/autos/mauto695.htm

Odyssey's relatively low center of mass and superior handling/braking should help avoid rollovers compared to many SUVs. Honda also touts it's "4-ring shell" design to protect passengers if you are in a rollover. Would be nice to see some dynamic rollover testing for verification. I believe the NHTSA is currently working on such a test, but it may be a couple years before anything happens.

lumanski · February 2001

Sorry to be morbid on you here, but if you buy a Venture, you better see if it has room for a coffin if not crutches.....

See this link.....

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/96026.htm

(the worst off-set results)

billg7 · February 2001

Just got my March 2001 issue. Their site is www.money.com

They have only positive things to say about it. No negative comments For example best designed, third seat, safety, "V-6 engine provides faster acceleration than competing vans, and its responsive steering lets it corner almost as well as a sedan--very unusual in such a big vehicle."

They do say that if you are looking for a deal you might consider the Ford Windstar LX, when you buy it for $300 over dealer cost and with the $1,000 rebate you can get it for $1,300 less then the Odyssey LX.

"Though most mini vans ride well,the Odyssey's independent rear suspension, rare among mini vans, produces an especially smooth highway ride. And in a segment where safety matters, the Odyssey gets five stars in all government crash tests."

Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

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