2013 and earlier Honda Odyssey Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • vancehousevancehouse Member Posts: 4
    Hi! We are wanting to get out of a 5-yr lease that we buried $7500 negative equity from a trade 2 years ago. Looking at kbb's site, we determined that we have about $7300 negative equity right now. Having been a finance manager in a past life I didn't really think we could trade now but decided to try anyway. I like the Ody's and spoke with a sales mgr today. He said he would sell me the EX at a marked-up price of $29,928, which would help absorb some of the negative equity. Basically, if I subtract $7300 from that price that gives me a selling price of $22,628. From what I've been reading on here that seems pretty good but I just wanted some feedback. Thanks so much!
  • daddydaddy Member Posts: 21
    don't they all come with wheel locks, roof rack, mud flaps, rear plastic mats etc?

    The following are not standard: wheel locks, mud guards, cargo mat, roof rails & cross-bars (LX) and cross-bars (EX)
  • aml1027aml1027 Member Posts: 1
    Our deal from Coleman Honda in Columbia, MD.

    2004 odessy EX-L (no trade)
    $27,015 on the road: which included tax(5%), tags($173), Processing Fee(100)
    Cross Bars for roof rack: $115 (rip off)
    wheellocks: no charge
    mud flaps: No charge
    pinstripes: No charge
    Door edge and fender edge protectors: No charge
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I didn't think you could have negative equity in a lease. You turn it in in 5 years and walk away, assuming no damage or excess miles.

    Try asking over in Any Questions for a Car Dealer? - those folks will tell you if you're on the right track or not.

    Steve, Host
  • vancehousevancehouse Member Posts: 4
    Thanks Steve. You have negative equity if you trade the car in early rather than turn it in at lease end if the car is not worth what the payoff is. I'm trading the car in 3 years before lease end and since I buried negative equity into it at the beginning, the car is worth much less than my payoff. But anyway, do you think getting an Ex under $23k is a great deal or pretty common for Ody's right now? Thanks again!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    First, you won't be able to buy an EX Odyssey for under 23,000.

    I have to ask...why would you want to do this to yourself? You are repeating the same thing that got you into trouble in the first place.

    I would strongly suggest you simply finish out your lease!
  • vancehousevancehouse Member Posts: 4
    Well, first, I'm going to blame my husband for this because I tried everything to get him NOT to trade in his car 2 years ago and bury it into a 5 year lease. I thought it was stupid then and I'm still mad at him for doing that. But now we have 2 kids and this lease which is on a Ford F150. When he first mentioned trading in the F150 for a minivan I told him it would be impossible. But I got the "car bug" and the new Consumers Reports and starting researching the minivans out there. Yesterday I went to look at them and told them there was no way I could do it knowing my situation, that I was just curious about the van. As I was about to drive off, the sales mgr came out and started talking numbers to me and asked me to come in. I did and he offered me the above deal, printing out the deal screen to show me the numbers. I'm only considering this now because 1). You just said I couldn't get it for that number but if he's not lying to me, I would be which seems like a pretty good deal and 2) I could continue paying 3 more years on this lease and at the end own nothing and walk away hoping we don't go over miles, which at this point doesn't look good OR I can trade now and pay a little more every month and own the car that we really want for apparently a really good price. I used to be a very good finance manager 3 1/2 years ago before kids so I'm in a very frustrating position for me knowing what I do know but having been out of the business for so long, not really being current on stuff since I've fallen out of touch with my contacts and never worked for Honda. I have read a lot of your postings in many different forums online here and like what you have to say so I would appreciate your input. Thanks!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I understand your situation and I wish you well.

    We've all made purchases that seemed to be the thing to do at the time only to have regrets later.

    Don't be so hard on your husband.
  • pgupta011pgupta011 Member Posts: 8
    Purchased an EX-L from Hendrick Honda in Woodbridge VA. I got the car at invoice - 26122 (including destination charges) plus tax and registration. I was negotiating for 300 below invoice. The salesperson added $299 for processing fee which offset my -300 offer. He also tried to charge me about $300 for pinstripes, mudguard and wheel locks (but gave these free when I told him I was walking out). I may have been able to do better if I was a better negotiator as there are reports of better deals at the nearby MD dealers.

    My first choice was the cloth EX with the rear DVD system, but they would not discount those.

    The dealer will let me charge $2500 to my Amex credit card (for which I get Starwood hotel points).
  • rbell2rbell2 Member Posts: 180
    I am no finance manager, but how do you have negative equity in a car (which to me means one owes more on the car than its value) that you are trading and you end up purchasing a new car for a much lower price than anyone walking in with no trade-in? Somewhere, more money has to to be owed to someone. Right??
  • vancehousevancehouse Member Posts: 4
    Well, right. That was why I really didn't think we could trade now but according to that sales mgr, he would have done it with those numbers. So I went back the next day to take a closer look at the numbers and of course he wasn't there and the desk mgr that was there said he couldn't understand how he had gotten to those numbers and he couldn't get a hold of him. He said I could call him today but I'm not because I figure if they could do it, they would. So it looks like ISELLHONDAS was right. As for the money being owed somewhere, it is absorbed from the profit of another sale. Car dealers can basically give a car away if they are desperate enough, say to receive retro money from the manufacturer if they meet their monthly quota. It happened many times where I used to work. We would literally be 1 or 2 cars away from meeting that goal and it would be almost closing time the last night of the month. If we were short our goal, we did everything we feasably could to sell a car.
  • xsunny1xxsunny1x Member Posts: 2
    I Just agreed on the 04 Odyssey with Navi for 28450 including the simonize protection and protection package they have. It comes out to be 30111.5 including the mass tax(5%), title, tags etc. The price is $500 over invoice but since they included the two packages for free I guess I can say that I got the car for invoice. I was also thinking of adding the DVD system as an option but the dealer said that they would not install it since the wiring harness is same as the Navi and I could have one or the other. That seemed strange to me since the other dealers that I had shopped around were able to install it. It's not like I really needed it but just wanted to know how it would go. Can someone elaborate on it let me know if it is possible to do it with factory install?? The service dept. said I could get it from third party but that would void all the wiring warranty. Thanks all.
  • missjanemissjane Member Posts: 1
    Purchased an EX-L from Wyler Honda in Florence, Ky. Excellent service. I got the car including back-up sensors for $26,096 plus 6% tax, $250 processing fee, $73 title fee for an out-the-door price of $28,000. They gave me an internet price of $28,750 for the package last Friday and I called them today to say I would pick it up tonight for $28,000 OTD. I got a call 10 minutes later saying to come get it as long as I close the deal before the end of the month.

    This board was a great help to me as I was ready to settle for vehicle invoice price plus $730 +/-for back-up sensors. I thought what the heck, see if they would take less than invoice or throw in the sensors for free.
  • michael_lee76michael_lee76 Member Posts: 45
    Just purchased EX from Burnsville Honda, Minnesota for 25109 including destination charge. They first quoted me 25999, went down to 24444, and then matched the price that other two dealers quoted me. They were ready to throw in free mud guard but I did not push it because I got more than enough for my trade in.

    By the way, their services were excellent from the beginning to the end. I will purchase another vehicle from them again within 2 months. (need a honda civic)
  • buybuybuybuybuybuy Member Posts: 15
    Some salespeople just don't get it. Never say "then go ahead and try the other 20 dealerships in the area".

    I'd gladly pay an extra hundred or so to a more pleasant salesperson than this one. Funny, my car can actually drive to 40 other dealerships all within an hour or so. And my dealings were not unreasonable but their start was which I abruptly rejected. Of course, they came down from that inflated price and tried to push it as a HUGE gesture. REJECTED. Well, they have my number. I am moving on.

    I'd like invoice, wouldn't we all, but I'll give an extra 2-300 for the EX w/cloth which is an already outdated vehicle given that it lacks leather, dvd, NAV. There are 30+ still in inventory in a 30-mile radius.

    I don't believe that is unreasonable. Do you?
    Later
  • leesburgleesburg Member Posts: 6
    My husband and I were planning to buy a Sienna for quite some time. We were ready to purchase this weekend so I began calling around to find out what was available. During this time, I also called the local Honda dealer to see about a red Odyssey I had noticed. Well, long story short, we ended up buying the 2004 EX with cloth & DVD last night. I think we got a pretty good deal -- $26,600 OTD. In the end, the amount of perks on the Honda were available for a better price than the Sienna. Also, I wasn't too crazy about the package system with the Sienna -- in choosing a package, you end up with some the upgrades you want and not others. I couldn't be more happy with our new EX!!!

    Any comments?
  • buybuybuybuybuybuy Member Posts: 15
    My regional pricing on Edmonds reflects the following trend:

    Ex/cloth(including the dest) +/- pocket change on color choice

    2/17/04 - 26642
    3/10/04 - 26284
    4/2/04 - 25696

    $946 drop in average price in 35 days. These numbers have to delayed a bit as well in reporting. Not making it an exact science but you have to figure there are some 24500 as much as there are some 26000 in the sales to get the average.
  • paulc6661paulc6661 Member Posts: 16
    This is another sign that Siena and Quest are taking shares from Odyssey. With $500 marketing support, I think it should be very usual from now on to get below invoice on every Odyssey. It's great time to get the van.
  • rbell2rbell2 Member Posts: 180
    It is a great time to buy a solid van in the '04 Ody that is litle behind the competition in Sienna and, IMO, still ahead of the Quest.

    I think the main reasons pricing continues to dopr on the Ody is 1) the Sienna availability and pricing (i.e. they aren't/can't hold to MSRP anymore) and 2) anticipation of the '05 Ody intro which is not far off. I think the new Quest has had little to any impact.

    Go buy!!
  • hislanderhislander Member Posts: 67
    Has any one noticed that for the last 5 years, Honda dealers have been making a lot of profit on the Ody since they are currently able to sell the vehicle 3K below MSRP...
    3K discount per vehicle* 100K copies/year * 5 years = 15 Billions Dollars. Any comment?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    People aren't in business for their health :-)

    Steve, Host
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Profit isn't a bad thing - just ask your boss!!
  • jmyjmy Member Posts: 1
    We just bought the 04 Oddy. In a process looking for extended warranty. Have several questions to ask, please share your thought/comment/experience.
    Thanks,

    1. Based upon Honda's reliable reputation, is it a wise move to buy it? Or shall we wait a little. Most of the quotes I have (especially on line ones) do not have any surchange if you buy it when the vehicle is less than 2 years old or less than 24,000 miles on it.
    2. I was quoted from several dealer in SC area (I am in GA), for 7/100/$0, around $1060; 7/75/$0, around $850. It seems they are really hard to reduce further. I noticed several post here said they got it around $700, $800 for 7/100/$0 from the dealership where they bought the car. My dealership offered me a ridiculously high price and we turned down.
    3. Buy Honda Care or third party?
  • hislanderhislander Member Posts: 67
    Try to tell that to CMGI, Pet.com, and all your favorite dot com companies. May be Edmunds.com too!!! Nah...Is Edmunds.com a public company, Steve? Is it profitable? Nothing about car but just curious.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    The CMGI's and pets.com's off the world all figured out that a profit is needed for ongoing viability - so I don't get your argument. Honda has had that figured out all along.

    Further 100,000 units x 5 years x $3,000 is $1.5 billion - not $15 billion. Look at in this perspective: Wal-Mart had their first $1 billion sales day the Friday after Thanksgaving 2003.

    It's a lot of money to me but spread out over 500 dealers (I'm guessing here), it's not a huge amount.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Edmunds has investors, but it's not a public company. I'm not privy to the balance sheet but by all reports it's profitable. At least it's been around on the net since 1994 and survived the bubble. (link )

    Honda (and their dealers), like any other business is going to charge what the market will bear. Car sales are slow right not, so lack of demand is lowering prices across a wide variety of models. Or so I hear :-)

    Steve, Host
  • laundryguylaundryguy Member Posts: 89
    The prices seemed to drop significantly when DC offered mega rebates to dump the 2004's as the 2005 was appearing, circa 1st week in February.

    It is interesting that prices continue to go down even though price pressure at the raw material side is exploding (aluminum at $.93/lb, copper at $1.40/lb, sheet steel at $.33/lb, nickel at record highs, oil and natural gas (which makes most plastics) all at or near record highs. Even the labor (health care in particular) are skyrocketing.

    Host Steve has to be right that supply is way over demand. Profits for car makers, and their sub-suppliers, are surely going to be way off this year from previous years.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Um...A car isn't "outdated" because it lacks leather, DVD, or a Navi system. A LOT of people have no interest or use for these options.

    Myself included!
  • missstatefanmissstatefan Member Posts: 10
    I have a quote of $100.00 below invoice for an EX-L RES. The deal includes a 6/75k dealer sponsored power-train warranty. Also, the deal includes some accessories such as pin stripes, mud flaps, and a tray for the rear storage area.

    Is this a good deal?

    Also, can anyone provide an estimated cost for the dealer to add a trailer hitch with wiring harness (without towing package)?
  • buybuybuybuybuybuy Member Posts: 15
    Maybe I'll drive to where the person got the Ex.coth w/DVD for 26600 OTD. That seems unrealistic but anything is possible. Is that a tax-free state? I'm around 27300 OTD for just cloth.

    Toying with going for the cloth w/DVD although portable dvd plays all kinds of DVD types.

    I might have missed it but was Invoice nailed down. MSRP is simply $28,230, Just a mere $750 more for the DVD on an EX w/cloth.

    And what's the story with dealers knockingoff the dest charge or getting $500 marketing? I guess either way the price to customer can be reduced $500.

    Thanks
  • flyingbrickflyingbrick Member Posts: 2
    Hi Folks. Wish I would have found this site before I made my purchase last weekend. Happy with the deal I made on my '04 Ody EX-LRES last weekend with the exception of the extended warranty. For whatever reason, I just assumed that the extended warranty I purchased for $1100.00 was an Honda warranty. I realize now that my extended warranty is through the Hendrick Motor Group and it is a 6/100k/$50 deductible. Am I mistaken or did I read in another post that there may be a remedy to this by revisiting the dealer and demanding the 7/100K/$0 through Honda Care? I was never offered (or even told of) the extended warranty that Honda offers. Am I way off base or is it possible to do get my money back? Thanks in advance.
  • pgupta011pgupta011 Member Posts: 8
    Where did you purchase the ody? At Woodbridge I was told clearly that the extended warranty was through Hendrick group. I did not buy the warranty but it was for 7 years (don't know about the deductible) and it was offered for less. How much did you pay for your ody (excluding taxes and registration)?

    I don't know if it is possible to get your money back, but it would not hurt to ask them.
  • screennamescreenname Member Posts: 3
    Great deals are becoming available. I just bought 04 EX, cloth, WITH DVD for $26,057. That is including all taxes/tags...it is an OTD price. (Price before taxes/tags was just under $25k)

    However, my wife picked it up yesterday and they charged her $1500 for the extended warranty. So I'm going back to reduce it or cancel it. (I'll be looking to get it for $1000 - Is this reasonable?)

    Good luck to all
  • flyingbrickflyingbrick Member Posts: 2
    I bought my Ody from the Hendrick Honda in Woodbridge. I got an '04 Ody EX-LRES for $27,295.00 (excl. tax, tag, etc). OTD price was for the vehicle alone (excl. Paint protection, extended warranty) was $28,490. They quoted me a paint protection price of $500.00+ but gave it to me at a "reduced" price of $356.00. I went for it in a moment of weekness because I was told that with the paint protection, it was recommended that waxing was not required for 5 years. They gave me a Hendrick Autoguard "paint renewer" that is to be applied twice a year. As part of the deal, they installed the cross bars for the roof rack, gave us an extra set of headphones, and had a convenience group (mudguards, locking wheel nuts, etc) thrown in. I'm pretty satisfied with the deal on the vehicle itself with the exception of said extended warranty. Like you, they only told me about the Hendrick Autogroup Extended Warranty and not the Honda Care version. I was reading my extended warranty deal last night and it states on the back that I can cancel the warranty less $50.00. My plan is to find out from Honda if I can cancel it and purchase one through Honda right before my factory warranty runs out. I am also going to try to see if Hendrick will match a competitive price if I find one. I'll keep you posted.
  • heywood1heywood1 Member Posts: 851
    Flyingbrick, I'd go back and demand the Honda Care warranty.

    I'm a new Sienna owner, and just paid $800 for Toyota's Platinum 7yr/100K/$zero warranty (negotiated after the price of the van had been established).

    Rick Hendrick has a dubious ethical reputation, you know. A few years ago, he was convicted of bribing Honda distributors with Rolexes to get larger allocations of hot vehicles.

    I would avoid any Hendrick dealership for this reason alone.
  • pgupta011pgupta011 Member Posts: 8
    I was quoted about $780 for the extended warranty. I am sure it was a 7 year warranty, but don't know the deductible. They did not tell me and I assumed it was 0 but I may be wrong.
  • buybuybuybuybuybuy Member Posts: 15
    $700 below invoice on this vehicle?? I'll file that under you can't believe everything you read on the internet. Mosts posts suggest invoice to $300 +.

    Anyway, even invoice isn't happening around here. We're only seeing the effects of the $500 MFG to Dealer incentive. Still ?stupidly? happy to buy at $200 over invoice.
  • screennamescreenname Member Posts: 3
    If you are serious about buying an EX/cloth with DVD for 26057 OTD, you'll have to drive to NC. I'm not sure where you live, so it may not be worth it.

    Or just do an internet deal with your local dealership and tell them your price. See what you can get.
  • buybuybuybuybuybuy Member Posts: 15
    Funny, I just drove through NC two weeks ago from the Northeast. Never thought to stop and buy.

    MD is loaded with Odysseys and selling at these prices as well. Not much INV here unfortuantely.

    Thanks
  • heywood1heywood1 Member Posts: 851
    They won't consider anything else. And, apparently, Honda dealers are well aware of this. What else would explain their ability to extract anything other than invoice price from buyers for the Odyssey's soon-to-be-extinct, five-year-old design?

    Sure, the Ody is a fine vehicle--but changes in the minivan marketplace are making models outdated faster than ever. Considering its antiquated interior and lack of side-curtain airbags (among other missing safety features), Honda's van is by no means the industry leader anymore. I'm amazed anyone on this board is having a difficult time getting a price that's anything but at (or near) invoice.

    So stand your ground, Odyssey buyers. Sure, arrogant Honda dealers will have the upper hand once again when the '05 Ody is released. In the meantime, if you're not willing to consider a Toyota Sienna, then at least don't pay more than invoice (or under) for Honda's dinosaur.
  • screennamescreenname Member Posts: 3
    You have a point about people who fall in love with one vehicle. I did check out the Sienna and I loved it. (And the split seat would have come in handy - I have three kids) I tried my best to get the price down. I ended up getting just over $2k off MSRP on a similarly equiped Sienna, but it wasn't enough. My max budget was $25k. For that money, there is no beating the Odyssey EX with DVD.

    I'm probably going to love the new 05 Odyssey, but I'm sure its price will exceed my budget. I'm super happy to have worked out a great deal on a great minivan. And I'll agree that you can't go wrong with either the Toyota or Honda.

    OT: When I was test driving the Sienna the accelerator pedal got stuck on the floorboard! Let me explain, this dealership likes to flip over their floor mats so that they don't show wear after test drives. Well, mine had slipped forward and when I stepped hard on the pedal, to the floor, it stayed there. I quickly reached down and pulled the pedal up with my hand.
  • heywood1heywood1 Member Posts: 851
    If your budget is capped at $25K or so, then (at invoice) the Ody is a great new-car value-- and your only option (excluding off-brands) if you want DVD at that price. But--at least for now--as supply/demand for Sienna reaches equilibrium, Honda's only competitive strategy for the Ody is its being a budget-priced value leader, as compared to Sienna.
  • shellytcshellytc Member Posts: 6
    Hi, I am looking to purchase an Odyssey. Found one today from a private seller. It is an 03, EX-L with DVD. Silver. Loaded. 6500 miles. They are asking 26,900. Edmunds come's in at 26,500.

    With the new car pricing looking like deals are more at hand, what do you think of this? What would you offer to the sellers?

    The car is very clean.

    Shelly
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Was that our TMV number for a private sale? I'd start below our TMV number for a trade-in.

    You may want to ask over in Real-World Trade-In Values too.

    Steve, Host
  • shellytcshellytc Member Posts: 6
    Yes, Steve. The way it breaks down (round numbers) is:

    TMV:
    Trade in: 24,800
    Private Party: 26,500
    Dealer Retail: 29,500
    Certified: $30,100

    Would you start negotiating down towards the Trade in amount?

    Shelly
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Start low and negotiate higher :-)

    I wonder if the seller looked at TMV too and padded the price so they could come down $500 and be in the TMV ballpark?

    Tough one - remember that TMV reflects what the average buyer is paying in your area and you want to be, in this case, below average.

    Any idea why they are selling? Did you run a Carfax on the van?

    Do you love it?

    Anyone else? Isell?

    Steve, Host
  • shellytcshellytc Member Posts: 6
    Looked to me like they had run the numbers here as well.

    They said they just don't need that big of a car. They have one child that is 2 and another that is getting ready to drive.

    I am going to run a car fax today when I get the vin. I always run carfax (already signed up for the month and have run 2 through it this weekend).

    I do like the car, but I can be very unemotional. If this doesn't pan out, I'll let it go and wait for the right one. Seems that the 04's are getting some good deals, and the interest rate would be better on a new car.

    I've got some internet requests out to new dealers and see what they start quoting today in comparison.

    Anybody else have any thoughts? I'm all ears and ready to learn..... : )

    Thanks, Shelly
  • steedoflondonsteedoflondon Member Posts: 8
    Dear All,

    I have a dilemma which I'm hoping you can help me with. I'm looking to buy my next vehicle, and I basically have come down to the following two:

    1) Honda Odyssey EX Minivan (Approx $25k)
    2) Dodge Ram 2500 Lariat Diesel+Leather 4 by 2 Short Wheelbase pick-up (Approx $32k)

    This is going to be primarily my vehicle, although my wife might drive it when we go on long trips. I'm looking for something that will carry my future family (due soon), as well as carry home improvement goodies, and be my general daily driver. I drive about 15,000 miles a year.

    I like the Ram because of its power, and I want a diesel, because its more economical than a gas truck. If I wanted a gas truck, then I'd probably not opt for a Dodge.

    I like the Odyssey, its a great vehicle, but I just don't see myself driving a minivan, or for that matter a truck, but I liked the drive the truck offered over the minivan.

    So, now I need your help and advice. What would you recommend for someone who is going to have a family soon. Is the 2500 - or a pick- up for that matter - a good family vehicle. How reliable is the Odyssey? What should I be looking at paying (Bay Area, CA) ?

    Any comments most welcome.

    Thanks,

    J.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Will you be hauling home more often a skid of bricks or a few 2x4's?? If it's the latter, I say go with the Ody. For the occasional big load you can rent a truck at Lowe's/Home Depot for $20.

    IMHO, the Ody will be a better handling and riding vehicle on a daily basis. I believe it will be more reliable and offer better resale in the long term.

    As an aside, I've used ours to haul drywall, lumber, boulders, bags of soil, fence sections, rental power equipment etc. for 4 years now and have been extremely happy.
  • laundryguylaundryguy Member Posts: 89
    Odd choice - minvan vs pickup. For what it is worth, I had the choice of SUV vs pickup in 1997 and went with an SUV (Nissan Pathfinder) and an aluminum utility trailer for the following reasons:

    1) SUV was cheaper vs the full size quad cab, which was relatively new or just on the horizon in the full size pickups about that time. Seems to me they were just a half door at the time so inconvenient to get in and out.
    2) SUV had 5 real seats that rate higher in crash tests versus rear seats in pickups. I had just 5 in the family at the time and the pickup was really good for just 4 if you wanted just 2 in the front seat.
    3) small SUV got better gas mileage (19 vs about 14 mpg)
    4) price of small SUV and 275 lb Aluma brand 548 utility trailer (probably most expensive in market at $1000) was much less than pickup, but with less engine power (had to give up something!)
    5) utility trailer had 1700 lb load capacity - pickup had 1000 lb (1/2 ton). This is huge when hauling stone or dirt or sand.
    6) Utility trailer is easy to clean up and doesn't depreciate the daylights out of the primary vehicle when you haul rock, sand, dirt, etc that dings it up (trust me - you would never let a front loader at the materials store dump a load in your $32000 pickup!)
    7) utility trailer is easier to unload than a pickup. Comes with a ramp for easier hauling of lawn tractors, ATVs, snowmobiles, other toys.
    8) utility trailer is easily adapted to a bolt on rack for hauling 6 bicycles at once (there are no rack for 6 bikes for cars/etc) which was my initial drive to get a pickup/trailer
    9) the ride of the SUV was tremendously better than the full size pickup - parking, cornering, highway ride (4 wheel independent body on frame vs rear springs truck frame)
    10) utility trailer could be sold with little depreciation after I had used it for all my needs

    The knocks on a utility trailer is that you have to store it somewhere, which in the city and the suburbs is not really an option, and you may need to insure it if you get something worth stealing. Some newer models have folding tongues which make them fairly compact - about 6' x 9'. My neighbors have not complained about the shiny aluminum trailer that spends the winters in my driveway, usually under a pile of snow even though the protective convenants say it should not be allowed.

    If I had to make the same decision today it would not be SUV vs pickup but would be minivan vs pickup and I would take the minivan and the utility trailer in a heartbeat with the great towing capability, price, and the incredible horsepower you get in a minivan (the 245 hp in my 2004 Honda Odyssey blows away the 170 hp in my 1997 Nissan Pathfinder and has a much better ride and better fuel economy).

    Good luck and beware of future additions. My 5 seat SUV became obsolete as the family hauler when baby number 4 appeared.
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