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Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans
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Comments
can HOnda Odyssey sit 8 >?
thanks "
To get factory NAV, you'll have to get the EX-L w/ DVD & NAV. That will also have the stowable 8th seat. MSRP is $35,145
Only the EX and EX-L models.
If you regularly seat 8 passengers, the Sienna CE and LE 8-seater option might be a better choice. The Sienna has a much bigger center seat in the second row that will accomodate a larger adult and most carseats. This seat can also move forward, partway between the front seats. This may be handy for babies to be in closer reach of the front seats. The Sienna also has a little more hiproom in the third row for fitting 3-across in back easier.
If you regularly seat 6 or less, the Odyssey has a little more flexibility. The 8th seat in the second row can be stowed under the floor, used as a console or removed, since it is not nearly has heavy as the Sienna's 8th seat. When stowed or removed, the 2nd row passenger side captain's chair can slide to the middle or outboard as needed. The Odyssey has a little more legroom for adults in the third row.
I like my 2006 Sienna LE that has better performance AND better fuel economy than my 2002 Chrysler T&C LX with 3.3L V6 but there are many things I like better on the DaimlerChrysler minivans than either the Sienna or the Odyssey.
The Sienna 8 passenger middle row seats have NO armrests and the Sienna 7 passenger middle row seats can not be put together or separately as easily as they can in the Odyssey. The Odyssey has some nice, exclusive features.
I never dreamed when I bought my minivan last year that I would be hauling wheel chairs and electric scooters. Hauling a lot of other stuff yes. But I am so glad I bought what I did. It couldn't have worked out better for my Mom and Sister. Now I can get them out of the house and take them places like the Zoo, park, etc. Mom just isn't able to walk very well anymore it it ties my sister down taking care of her and her alzheimer's husband. My Brother's Plymouth minivan is a real pain taking out his seats, stow-n-go works out great for all of us and gives me another seat my brother wouldn't have if we took his bench seat out. I am still wondering if I moved them around more if I could get both middle seats up. I may play with it again and see. I still have a couple of feet in the back that is open.
I'm 44 yrs old and I have a hard time hauling my butt in and out of other vehicles, let alone wheel chairs and scooters
I went with a buddy to pick up his new Caddy STS a month ago. While he was signing his life away, I was playing in the showroom. I thought to myself "wow, that Caddy XLR (2 seater based on Vette) would be cool to own". That was until I tried getting into and sitting in it!!!! What a pain. Guess I'm just showing my age, I like just sliding into the Minivan. And call me crazy but one of the reasons for a my minivan was for my old dog to jump into it easier (than an SUV).
I have never knocked the Honda Ody. It's a great and beautiful minivan. Anyone owning it would be proud to have others ride in it and show it off. But it's not practical for hauling things around in. I doubt very much if hardly anyone on this board would want to haul drywall, paneling, scooters and wheel chairs in their Honda vans.
I have you by a good 20 years dennisctc. Believe me, I have slowed down a lot too. But I come from a big family and we have always been there to help each other. They won't let your old bones get rusty. Someone always needs help.
I think when it comes time to buy a minivan, a person really does need to ask himself what will I use it for before deciding to buy it. I made the right choice for me, it might not be the right choice for you.
That's because trying to discuss these issues rationally has become a losing proposition.
For MY family, the DGC would be less 'friendly' than either the Sienna or Ody. But I'm not going into these forums making bald statements that any one van is more 'family friendly' than another. That's because I'm not going to pretend that I can speak for all families. Apparently that fact doesn't stop other people. Apparently other people are so omniscent that they have the ability to decide what qualifies as 'more family friendly' for families they've never met.
Not all families are the same. So NO ONE can decide what van is the most 'family friendly'. If we can stick to facts, I'll stay and contribute.
Fact: the DGC w/ sto'n'go makes it more convenient to switch from hauling cargo to hauling passengers in the 2nd row area. One need not plan ahead for hauling large objects.
Fact: by offering sto'n'go, the DGC gives up the ability to carry a 3rd person in the 2nd row and gives up the ability to slide 2nd row seats together.
Now, why don't we let OTHER PEOPLE decide which of these is most important to them without trying to declare one system or the other 'best' for all involved.
True. But you have knocked their owners. You've insinuated they don't haul stuff. You've insinuated that they are rich enough to always pay delivery fees because they are afraid of mussing up the interior. Basically you've insinuated that they're a bunch of prima donnas.
"Anyone owning it would be proud to have others ride in it and show it off."
See what I mean?
"But it's not practical for hauling things around in."
ONCE AGAIN, you confuse convenience of stowing seats with practicality.
Question: before sto'n'go, were ANY minivans practical for hauling things around in?
I would say "yes". Minivans have been practical since day one for hauling things around in. They have also progressively become more and more adept at changing from cargo hauling to people hauling, but this is an issue of 'convenience', not practicality. Practicality wasn't invented on the day sto'n'go was invented.
"I doubt very much if hardly anyone on this board would want to haul drywall, paneling, scooters and wheel chairs in their Honda vans."
Why wouldn't I? When you haul a pre-schooler and kindergardener around day in and day out, the interior of the van is NOT exactly the cleanest, neatest place. These's all sorts of unidentified blotches in the carpet, scuffs on the interior panels, crackers/fries under the seats, etc. Why would I give a rat's posterior about hauling a little drywall in the van?
Questions: Where do you put the ramp for the wheel chair and electric scooter? Do you put it back inside your garage? What do you do if you want to unload the wheel chair and/or electric scooter at another location?
Although I think the Sienna and Odyssey have a nicer interior than the 2005/2006 Caravan/GC/SWB T&C, T&C LX, T&C Touring...I think the T&C Limited interior is almost as nice as the Sienna and Odyssey. The leather in the Sienna and Odyssey feels a little softer and the front doors have a softer feeling above the armrests than that in the T&C Limited but the T&C Limited is very attractive.
The front door panels of the Caravan SE and GC SE look and feel very cheap...about what I expect in an entry level Kia Rio, Daewoo Nubira, Chevy Aveo, or Yugo. I think DC should put nicer front door panels and power door lock/power window controls on the Caravan SE and GC SE. DC should also put soft material on all the doors of the Caravan SXT, GC SXT, ALL T&C's from SWB T&C to and including the Limited. How many pennies does D&C save by using hard plastic?
My 2002 T&C LX interior looks nicer than the interior of the more expensive 2005/06 GC SXT and T&C Touring. A pre-2001 T&C LX was MUCH nicer than the T&C LX when it replaced the Grand Voyager SE in 2001.
If I knew in January what I now know, we would still be driving our 2002 T&C LX exclusively and I would not have purchased the 2006 Sienna LE. Overall, the DaimlerChrysler minivans fill my needs more than our Sienna LE ( or an Odyssey EX that we were considering. )
It wasn't for us. When our family rode in the van to go somewhere together, it involved my aging grandparents (in their 70s). Comfort was a much larger factor than hauling mulch or furniture (which our Ody did with no problem, I'm not sure how it gets more family friendly; carpet will stain in an Odyssey just like in a Dodge, but you can't keep the two kids in the second row seperate w/cap chairs AND be able to move the seats into a bench for third row easy-access in the Dodge.
I'm not sure about this, but i think marine2 might agree with me here. Just like individual preferences differ, so do family needs.
It has been VERY easy for anyone in my family to get into the 3rd row of our 2002 T&C LX by just going between the 2nd row bucket seats. For a less agile ( or person of size), either 2nd row bucket can quickly and easily be tilted forward to provide access to 3rd row...just like must be done with a 2005/2006 Odyssey EX if the middle seat of 2nd row is not removed.
All said, I think the 8 passenger seating capability of the 2005/06 Ody EX is a GREAT idea that other minivans should copy.
The bin covers are very sturdy.
Questions: Where do you put the ramp for the wheel chair and electric scooter? Do you put it back inside your garage? What do you do if you want to unload the wheel chair and/or electric scooter at another location?
The ramp slides right along the inside of the van. It's five feet long so it easily fits in the van. It folds in half so it's not that wide, about 15" and has a built on handle to pick it up and carry. It won't fit on the driver side sliding door. It's a little narrower
Does that mean the advantage doesn't exist?
Just because you personally don't see the need (just as I, personally, don't see the need to fold seats into the floor) doesn't mean that you, or I, or anyone else can categorically state that one system or the other is the 'best'.
What is the "best" vehicle? Depends on the criteria.
What is the "best" sedan? The "best" sportscar? The "best" pickup? Depends on the criteria.
What is the "best" minivan? What is the "most family friendly"? IT DEPENDS ON THE CRITERIA.
I think if you reread the statement I made right before your post, you'll see I said,
"I think when it comes time to buy a minivan, a person really does need to ask himself what will I use it for before deciding to buy it. I made the right choice for me, it might not be the right choice for you." So I don't think I speak for everyone. I have said it several times.
That still doesn't take away from my believing the Dodge/Chrysler vans are more family friendly than the Honda or Toyota minivans. Yes, they can seat one more person, but most families don't have eight people in them and most times you don't have eight people to haul around.
Yes you can haul stuff in them, but with that nice interior, most people are going to be pretty picky of what they will carry. I am sure most Honda owners would never put in their vans what I would put in mine. If I had a Honda or Toyota, I wouldn't do it either. They are just a different class of vans as they are made now.
Sure people use to carry a bunch of stuff in their vans years ago. But as time goes by, so has the niceness of some of the vans. Do you think the inside of many pickups look anywhere near as nice years ago as they do now? The nicer they get inside the more picky of what you want to put in them and I don't blame people for feeling that way, I would too. I wouldn't put a bunch of drywall in a Honda or Toyota if I owned one. I wouldn't think twice of doing it in my Dodge. But I knew that when I bought it.
Everyone's needs are different. But I stick to my belief that the Dodge/Chrysler minyvans can serve the needs of more families than can the Honda or Toyota.
I'll give you MY reason for needing seats that slide together. My grandmother isn't tall, at 5'1", so the third row is plenty roomy for her. Getting her ankles turned properly to fit between the captains chairs was pretty difficult for her, and the one time she tried it, she kind-of "leapt" onto the third row seat. Getting in from the side was a lot easier for her, and she just said on the passenger side of the van on the third row, while mom sat beside her on the driver's side. Dad and I rode up front (splitting up driving); I'm 6'5", dad is 6'3". His parents are 5'10" and 5'8", so they took the second row.
The Odyssey is the best minivan for my family. The Dodge is the best for yours.
There is no "best minivan period" here.
So you purposely bought something "not as nice" to do so? Fair enough, because you did get an awesome price on it!
My aunt hauls all sorts of stuff for her huge garden in the back of her 2005 Ody; mulch, plants/trees, 50 lb bags of bird seed. She just has a tarp laid down and the third row folded all the time.
My aunt hauls all sorts of stuff for her huge garden in the back of her 2005 Ody; mulch, plants/trees, 50 lb bags of bird seed. She just has a tarp laid down and the third row folded all the time.
I purposely wanted stow-n-go. It was a bonus that the inside wasn't as nice. It made it so I could put in more than what I normally would if it was as nice as the Honda/Toyota.
That still doesn't take away from my believing the Dodge/Chrysler vans are more family friendly than the Honda or Toyota minivans."
You don't see the paradox in those two statements? When you or anyone else attempt to classify the DCX vans as 'more family friendly', then you ARE trying to speak for others.
If you don't know their needs as a family, how can you make that assertion?
Yes, they have nice interiors.....on the showroom floor. However, many folks (with actual families) will realize fairly quickly that the interiors don't STAY nice. After looking at the pictures you thoughtfully provide showing the various stuff you haul around, I can state categorically that, right now, your DGC is a LOT nicer inside than our Ody.
BTW - last weekend I hauled a load of old car parts from my '66 Mustang (some in boxes, most loose) to the shop. I put a piece of blue tarp on the floor and loaded it up. Whatever grease/grime I got on the interior plastic panels should clean up with some Simple Green. According to your thought process, as an Ody owner I would have either rented a truck to haul that junk, paid to have it delivered, or risked a nervous breakdown at the thought of that stuff in my hoity toity Odyssey.
"But I stick to my belief that the Dodge/Chrysler minyvans can serve the needs of more families than can the Honda or Toyota."
I'm constantly amazed that the two posters with NO KIDS at home are such good judges of family needs.
But, I would say they are more family friendly(meaning convenient) "if" one has to use the stow-n-go system frequently. I would describe frequently as more than 3 or 4 times a year(for me).
Maybe you have different needs than other people?
We used this feature on our 2001 Odyssey and it was a minor reason we liked the van over others at the time. With two child seats installed in the second row, we had the aisle in the middle most of the time so we could get to the back easier from the front row and to keep the kids apart.
With a carseat installed with LATCH on the passenger side second row seat, we could easily slide it to the middle to allow the grandparents to climb in much easier. Even a rear facing carseat that would otherwise block access to the aisle could be installed behind the passenger and still allow access to the third row. No one other than a kid could otherwise climb under the back of a rear-facing seat to get in from that side unless it was moved to the center.
Of course, if you never seat anyone in the third row or don't have carseats in the second row, this would not be an issue for you.
Yes. That's a big 'if' however.
I am just going by what many Honda owners have said to me throughout these many months. I have read where several have said the have never taken out their seats or only did it once the whole time they have owned it.
I have read how at least one said if he needed to pick something up like drywall, he'd rent a truck and put it in or have it delivered.
I have read where some have said they didn't buy their Honda to haul things in.
I read one where it said they would never go around to places picking up junk as if that's what I do.
Some have bragged on how they pay cash for their vans and one said maybe Dodge/Chryler owners buy their vans because they are so cheap, as if we couldn't afford to buy a Honda.
I have never put down a Honda van or a Honda owner. I have said most wouldn't put the things in their vans that I would put in mine and that is the impression many of you have left me with, at least until I said it. Now I hear the opposite story. Everyone is carrying everything in them now. But that's not what many of you were saying weeks and months ago.
I have listened for months on how bad Chrysler vans are. How hard the seats are, even though the ones that own them don't think so. Even to the point that friends wouldn't tell us they were hard even if they were. I hear the stories of how they always break down and are undependable.
I listen to you brag on how great the Honda is and that everyone thinks they are the best thing to come out since sliced bread. I agree with you on many of it and brag on it too. But think the Chrysler vans are more friendly with active families and some of you Honda owners come unglued. There is no way your going to concede anything to a Chrysler minivan. Well, sorry, but that's how I feel. My van is ready to do just about anything your Honda can do and more. I don't have to plan ahead. I'm ready if something unexpected comes up. You won't be.
Yes, I've said that. I didn't take out any seats on Saturday either. Just flopped down the 3rd row and loaded it up with car parts.
"I have read how at least one said if he needed to pick something up like drywall, he'd rent a truck and put it in or have it delivered."
I must have missed that one. Usually when I've hauled drywall, I've used a truck (or trailer) simply because it's very heavy, it's easier to load into a truck bed or trailer because you can walk it in with one person on each side, and it'd be easy to exceed the load capacity of a van (sto'n'go or not). Load 8-10 sheets, okay, I can see that. Load 30-40 sheets and you're going to break something.
"I have read where some have said they didn't buy their Honda to haul things in. "
Yes. If you FREQUENTLY haul (ie. constantly taking the midrow seats out), the sto'n'go makes a lot of sense. Which is why I've always said the DGC makes more sense (from the convenience side) if you plan on hauling frequently. Most Ody owners do not FREQUENTLY haul. That doesn't mean that ON OCCASION we don't haul something (just as, on occasion, we may want to slide seats together). However, you've insinuated that if we don't list hauling as a primary desire, that we won't EVER haul.
"I read one where it said they would never go around to places picking up junk as if that's what I do."
One man's junk is another man's treasure, you know that. You have posted about 'needing' sto'n'go for those occasions when you find something you want at a garage sale and don't want to have to plan ahead for hauling. I've been to a few garage sales; most of what I see is (IMO) junk.
"Some have bragged on how they pay cash for their vans..."
I've heard this from both DCX owners and Ody owners (and Sienna owners and....)
"...and one said maybe Dodge/Chryler owners buy their vans because they are so cheap as if we couldn't afford to buy a Honda"
And you (and others) have constantly listed "cost" as a good reason to buy DGC. Which is fine. I actually preferred the Sienna but it was "cost" which swayed me towards the Ody.
"I have said most wouldn't put the things in their vans that I would put in mine and that is the impression many of you have left me with, at least until I said it."
It's not so much WHAT you put in your van. It's the frequency. You make it appear as though you are hauling stuff around 2-3 times a week (or more). You come in here talking about the last item you hauled. You post pictures of various items you are lugging around. Yes, you haul stuff. Yes, you apparently do it frequently. Yes, for you sto'n'go makes sense (from a convenience standpoint). I'm surprised you don't have magnetic signs on your doors reading "Marine's Moving Company".
But that doesn't mean that hauling stuff in an Ody isn't practical which is what you've stated. I was simply saying that YES, stuff CAN be hauled in an Ody. And NO, we aren't all driving around showing off our interiors to our friends and neighbors to fawn over.
"I have listened for months on how bad Chrysler vans are. How hard the seats are, even though the ones that own them don't think so."
In case you missed it, I posted results from the Car&Driver comparison test in which they proclaimed the DGC to have the second most comfortable seats in the test. I can't remember if it was in this thread or another. I've also stated that seat comfort is very subjective and that one should ALWAYS test seat comfort in person before rendering an opinion.
"There is no way your going to concede anything to a Chrysler minivan."
How many times do I have to say it? If one frequently converts from cargo hauling to people hauling the DGC makes the most sense. Surely you CAN'T have missed me saying that. And can you point to ANYTHING I've said which makes a categorical statement that the Ody is the 'best' or 'more friendly'.
"My van is ready to do just about anything your Honda can do and more."
OTHER THAN the ability to haul exceptionally large items with no (or poor) planning, what else can your DGC do?
24-hour roadside assistance, towing, lockout, gas, tire change, concierge emergency service including urgent message relay, weather info etc, drivetrain, electronics, chassie, heating/cooling.
I personally don't purchase extended warranties, especially on a Honda. Some people need it for peace of mind.
In case you missed it, I posted results from the Car&Driver comparison test in which they proclaimed the DGC to have the second most comfortable seats in the test. I can't remember if it was in this thread or another. I've also stated that seat comfort is very subjective and that one should ALWAYS test seat comfort in person before rendering an opinion.
Even if they were the third or forth most comfortable, my only point is they are not uncomfortable, not that they are better than any other van. All we have heard from many Honda owners is that they are uncomfortable and that just isn't so.
How many times do I have to say it? If one frequently converts from cargo hauling to people hauling the DGC makes the most sense. Surely you CAN'T have missed me saying that. And can you point to ANYTHING I've said which makes a categorical statement that the Ody is the 'best' or 'more friendly'.
I realize that some families can put things in their vans and only need to drop the rear seat to do it. For families like that, Honda is great. But there are many families out there that really use their vans. They go camping, haul tents and all kinds of camping gear and etc. The older you get, the more you use it like I do. Married kids have a way of always calling dad for something.Grandkids bring on more things to buy and haul.
There is nothing a Chrysler van can do that a Honda van can't do, except be ready to haul anything that unexpectidly comes up. When I bought my van, I never expected to have to haul scooters or wheelchairs. A Honda can do it too, but not as easily as the Dodge can.
When we were told our daughter was going to have a baby, the wife wanted to go look in the store and see what they had that the daughter could use. She picked out a chest while we were there. I took it home with us by dropping the third seat and already had one of the second seats stowed.
If a minivan can do anything a family wants it to do and can do it at the drop of a hat, it's family friendly.
Yep. And when we go camping, we typically have people along for the ride in addition to tents, ice chests, packs, etc. And (like most folks) the people ride in the first two rows and the gear goes in the back. Do you put the tents and all kinds of camping gear in the middle row and the grandkids in the back?
"If a minivan can do anything a family wants it to do and can do it at the drop of a hat, it's family friendly."
Yes. IF a minivan can do.....
IF
Some families may want other things: ability to slide seats together. Roll down 2nd row windows. Provide an additional measure of safety on slick roads. Can the DGC do these things, at the drop of a hat or otherwise?
My point is that you are basing your entire argument on the ability to haul stuff in the 2nd row area without having to plan for it. That's it. And on this, you are proclaiming one vehicle to the most 'familiy friendly' (not just for marine2, but the most 'family friendly' PERIOD).
Why the need to proclaim one or the other 'better' for everyone? Why not just point out differences and let other folks decide which features are more important for THEM?
My seven year extended warranty cost me $1,350.00 and covers the same thing the Honda extended warranty covers, along with roadside service. Roadside service with AAA would cost almost $1,000.00 alone for seven years and it does give me peace of mind, not only for me, but when my wife would drive it. I wouldn't feel to good knowing she has a flat tire sitting out on the freeway or side road with no one there to help her.
If you replace the air compressor on one of these vans, it's going to cost you over a $1,000.00 alone. I have seen many a Honda, Dodge and other cars and vans out here in Arizona with no air. Especially the ones that are over five years old. You can use a/c here eight months of the year. It's not uncommon to see them go out in 3,4 or 5 years. To have them covered for 7 or 8 years is pretty smart if you ask me. Especially when it only cost you a couple of hundred more than what you would pay for just AAA roadside service.
Then consider all the electrical things you have on your van. Electric windows, locks, seat, GPS, radio, etc. One of the black marks on both Honda and Dodge was power equipment. Is it worth the chance for a couple of hundred dollars more for eight years of protection? Not for my wife or I.
Not all all traveler. It only covers 7/70,000. Yours is much longer for just a little more. I would do it if in your place. To many things to go wrong on these new vans. There is power on everything.
We own a 01 DGC EX and it was by far the best choice for my family and is very family friendly. When I look at the market today with all the seat configurations, I still like ours the best. (The one thing that I don't like is the lifting the seats out). Each minivan that has been mentioned here, have there pro's and con's. Here are some things that are van seats can do that I don't believe others can. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, which I'm sure you will).
PRO'S
1) All seats have the thinker padding, since none folds down into the floor.
2) We can either move or add a second power center counsel between the second row captain chairs.
3) Our seat back in the second and third row fold down and tumble forward while still being secured to the floor.
4) When the seats are taken out, we have wheels so all you have to do is lift the chairs in or out of the van.
5) We have a cargo organizer for groceries and stuff behind the third row. It can be lowered to sit on the ground or raised even with the seat backs when folded down creating a flat surface when caring plywood or plasterboard. Also, it is used as a security cover so people can't see what's on the floor.
6) We can move the third row 50/50 bench to the second row, to create a five passenger minivan and have all that space behind the seats for stuff.
7) Our second row seats tilt forward to allow access to the third row.
8) You have space under each seat to place your feet for more room.
9) All of our seats can be reclined.
10) Since all of our seats weigh about 200 lbs total, when all seats removed, thats 200 lbs more we can add on to the Gross Vechicle Weight that we can carry in the rear.
CON'S
1) We only have the lap belt in the middle seat on the third row and no head rest either. (No problem for us since we only have a family of six. And when we do carry seven people, its around town only. Unless they are in a car seat).
2) Some or all seats have to be removed from minivan when caring large items and might have to plan ahead. (We've only removed our seats maybe four or five times)
3) No fold into the floor third or second row seats.
4) Neither second or third row seats move fore/after or slide together. (All rows have plenty of leg room) :shades:
Let me get this straight: you get to invent the criteria for which one defines "family friendly". And then, by your criteria, you can then define which is the MOST 'family friendly'.
Convenient.
We all have different criteria. For our family, the Ody is more family friendly. But that doesn't mean that I have a leg to stand on and declare the Ody to be the most Family Friendly minivan.
"You can say the Honda is the most desirable minivan on the market, but that doesn't mean it is for everyone does it?"
Two things: first, I wouldn't say the Honda is the most desirable minivan. It wasn't even the most desirable for our family. We actually preferred the Sienna XLE (barely) but a van equipped similar to our EX-L would have been over $32k. While we desired the Sienna, we didn't feel it was worth the additional cost.
Second, I wouldn't make that kind of a statement. PRECISELY for the reasons I'm arguing against your 'most family friendly' comment.
How do you measure 'family friendly'? How do you measure 'desirable'? If you can't measure these, or even agree on what constitutes 'family friendly' or 'desireable', how do you determine which is the most?
First, I don't believe everything the car magazines tell us.
Second, they usually based their decisions on a wide range of criteria (performance, utility, safety, reliablity, etc.) rather than honing in on one particular feature. They also usually don't make a lot of assumptions about the owners of one particular model compared to the owners of the competing vehicles (ie. owners of Odysseys are less likely to haul stuff because the interiors are too nice; suitable only for people hauling and showing off to friends/neighbors).
Third, it's difficult to get into a lot of back and forth debate with the writers of these articles.
And finally, the writers of these articles are not as emotionally attached to the vehicles which they are testing. Presumably, they are able to make a more objective assessment of these vehicles.
In my opinion the Odyssey was a better vehicle than the similar DC offerings. The real question in this forum is how much more the Honda is worth than the DC vans. When you look at the Chrysler minivans (not Dodge) the actual price difference between the Honda and DC vehicles becomes closer. I probably would have purchased a Chrysler minivan if it had the 3.5L engine as in the Pacifica and the 7 year 70,000 mile warranty that our Pacifica came with. As a previous owner of a 1992 Grand Caravan, I had to remove all of the seats (middle and rear) to carry large cargo and did it as needed. I do like that the 3rd row seats fold down now, but do not see the big deal about the middle row of seats. When you get past that feature, the Odyssey is the better vehicle.
As for mileage, I get around 18-20 mpg in town and on the only highway trip got 27.1 mpg over 800 miles. The Odyssey is a rocket which would probably beat both the Intrepid and Pacifica in a race and if you drive it hard (which is really fun) your mileage will suffer. Remember that all Odysseys get the 3.5L engine, while most DC vans get the 3.3L engine which completely pales in comparison.
Comments
I believe the main reason they built the minivan is to be able to carry more people than you can get in a four or five passenger car and to be able to carry stuff you can't get into a car.
I think that being able to pack anything into a minivan that it can hold, without having to plan ahead or taking the seats out, makes that van very family friendly. More so than holding eight people. As most families don't have eight in the family. Most wouldn't have eight even if you carried the in-laws. Even if you had more people, it is easier to get a car to go along to carry the over flow than it is to find a truck to take the overflow of stuff you want to carry.
What makes the Honda the choice of all these writers? It's less than a second faster in the quarter mile? It stops three feet shorter? The engine is quieter? It's got a five speed transmission and the Dodge has a four speed? It has roll down rear windows and accident avoidance? It has a nicer interior? They are all desirable things to have, but does it make the van more family friendly? It might make it a bit safer and desirable, but I wouldn't say it makes it family friendly. There are many vehicles out there with the same features and they are far from family friendly. Being able to do with your van, most anything you want to do with it, anytime you want, makes it family friendly to me. That is what you can do with the Chrysler vans you can't do with any other.
Okay. Here we go:
The Ody has seating positions/options unavailable for the DCX vans, regardless of how you plan ahead. Meaning that should our kids have friends who may need rides we are better able to cope with unexpected passengers. This is more family friendly.
The Ody has standard stability control and side/curtain airbags with rollover sensors for the safety of the family. I think that an enhanced ability to avoid accidents and survive unavoidable accidents makes the Ody more family friendly.
The Ody has roll-down windows in the second row and built-in roll-up sun screens for the benefit/comfort of passengers. This makes the Ody more family friendly.
The ability of the Ody to slide seats together not only increases the seating options but also options for carrying cargo with passengers. I can have two in the second row while still having room to load objects in the side of the van. I'll bet I can even place the infamous air compressor in the side door AND keep 2 seats in the mid row. This makes the Ody more family friendly.
Now, if you throw in the better performance, nicer interior (enabling one to show off to the neighbors which is obviously a high criteria for Ody owners), more relaxed cruising with a 5sp automatic, etc. etc. etc. then it should be OBVIOUS to all concerned that the Odyssey is, hands down and without a doubt, the MOST family friendly minivan.
I'll give you this - it's easier to convert to cargo hauling with a Dodge. That makes it the most cargo friendly minivan available.
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Now, we can continue this infantile argument about which is the MOST family friendly, or we can just agree that both vehicles serve families well and just leave it at that.
Your a good person to discuss things with rorr, I enjoyed it. Kept me busy from a few more discussions I have going on the History Channel and from doing a lot of house work, but it was worth it. Looking forward to another, although I hope it's not so long.
HEY!!!! We agree! :surprise:
I hope I didn't get you TOO riled up and it has been entertaining on this end (although I'm sure that more than a few lurkers would agree completely with my 'infantile argument' comment
"I think when it comes time to buy a minivan, a person really does need to ask himself what will I use it for before deciding to buy it. I made the right choice for me, it might not be the right choice for you."
But it was fun for awhile. Just toooo long.
((((APPLAUSE))))
The winner of the great van debate of 2006 is???
The readers.
Now, on with more talk.
Both ODY and DGC minivans have good features the other one does not have. Never will all of us agree as we all have different needs/wants.
Having owned two (yes only two) short wheel base Dodge minivans continuously in the last 21 years-still got the 1996 Caravan and it is clicking along just fine--stow and go certainly beats removing those heavy and awkward second row captain's seats, which I can do but are too heavy for my wife. We have had and do need to do remove these seats maybe 3-4 times a year, more often when our children were small and when I was doing a lot of do it myself home improvement projects.
Certainly the third row stowable seat is a great feature, more necessary than the second row, but if you can have stowable second row and don't have to pay an arm and leg for it, why not?
Our "underpowered" 3.3 V-6 which hails from an era when even this engine had lower power ratings than it does now, has very adequate power and actually has enough low end torque it is hard to tell the difference in acceleration when it is loaded with a bunch of heavy paving bricks or empty. You want slow, then you should have driven a first generation Caravan when you had two choices of 4 cylider engines, slow and slower! We drove that one for twelve years and somehow did OK.
Who actually does anything near full throttle acceleration ever when you are driving a minivan?
I can never remember needing 8 passenger seating, but some people might. Then buy the ODY or Sienna or strap that 8th passenger to the roof racks on your DGC minivan!
Bottom line is buy what you want or think you need or can afford and be done with it. Both are good useful, fairly fuel efficient vehicles that are family and cargo friendly.
True- it worked for Aunt Edna on the family truckster. Granted, I think she was dead already so comfort and safety weren't a big issue.
I see many people using 9-passenger Suburbans 95% of the time in a one-person commute. On the flip side, some owners of coupes can never remember needing to seat a 5th passenger.
I think that's because the average family size now is only 2.6. Not much use for seven, much less eight.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Moms/story?id=1445039