Honda Odyssey 1999 - 2004

stever

Oregonduck1, et. al., you guys are ahead of the color curve. Maybe that's why you're having trouble finding Havasu Blue?

Blue Vehicles Will Gain in Popularity

Steve, Host

golic

Great!!

Now in a few years when I trade-in my '03 Havasu Blue Ody (that is if I ever get it delivered) I can make money again!!!!

I will hug my wife for holding out for the Havasu Blue tonight.

seguy

Call honda to confirm this, but I was told that they cancelled the idea for havasu blue oddy. I haven't seen any, and it was supposedly suppose to be released in june along side the pilots. I've seen the pilots in this color, but no oddys.

mschafer

There are a few, all made in Canada. The Alabama plant is having problems with the color (after all they can only see Crimson) and will be producing them in late Novemer or December.

dchopp

I saw a few 2002 Havasu Blue. I can't wait till the new Toyota Van comes out. If its ago, my Oddy is history. I'm tired of Honda and their color games.

golic

I ordered Blue in September, What dealer didn't tell me until October was Honda would not accept the Blue order because Blue would not be in production again until early 2003.

In the last two weeks, dealer locator found an EX in Champaign, IL 162 miles away but did not want to drive car up and put miles on it. I was told they found and EX-L last week, but he didn't go for my I will take it at the EX price.

I was left a voice mail on Monday that their locator was able to trade for one coming off a shipment. We have been playing phone tag, my guy is supposed to call me today after 3pm cdt to tell me when the car will be in....

I will keep you posted.

golic

See my post in Honda odyssey - Prices Paid

Thanks

golic

Dealer gave up on Havasu, they supposedly made an electronic trade, but car was shipped to original dealer in IN. They now say they have no idea, when they could get me a havasu.

Dealer wanted to know if I wanted my second choice, which was black. Any one have a black Ody? Like/dislike?

stever

Major bummer, Golic.

Black is nice when it's clean, but that's not too often :-)

Steve, Host

bdaddy

I agree with Steve - black is nice when it's clean. It's a bear to keep it that way though. Dust shows up immediately and rain/snow leave their mark. My Ody is Granite Green, which is neither granite or green. I picked that color because the fern interior appeared to be the darkest of the bunch. Since then, I've seen several odysseys in Starlight Silver and really prefer that color. 1) it's not that common, 2) it doesn't show dirt, 3) it looks good with the blacked out windows and a dark bug deflector. The interior is gray - a shade lighter than the fern, but still acceptable.

cct1

Just sold a Grand Caravan, considered buying a town and country (we really liked it) but bought an Odyssey instead--so far, my wife loves it (the third row seat thing is REALLY nice, but bought it mainly because of the crash test results.). We didn't get floor mats--I'm sure this question has been asked before, but does anyone have any suggestions for after market floor mats (since they usually cost siginificantly less than what you can get from the dealer)?

mdt308

cct1 - We've purchased floor mats from a company called MacNeil Automotive Products - they're out of Downer's Grove, Illinois and sell the Weatherguard line. Simply put, the heavy rubber floor mats are made / molded specifically to the make / model / year of the your vehicle. Somewhat pricey, but very good quality and easy to clean. They also make the mat for the rear storage area and a myriad of other "car protection" products. Good luck!

buckeyedon

We are thinking of '03 Ody, but are put off a bit with common finding in trade magazines about "excessive road noise in cabin". Can any Ody owners give me their opinion whether or not there exists excessive road noise in the new Ody? Many thanks.

buckeyedon

Have bought 3 sets of MacNeil floor mats for Honda/Toyota cars. My experience: black mats hold up fine...6 years, no problem. The light gray mats for '97 Civic didn't hold up worth a darn. At 3 years started to flake and separate. Got as gift for son; he was told by MacNeil that gray mats at 4/5 years would flake!

golic

So I tell dealer, I will take a look at the black, realizing it is an EX-L and now the price just went up $1500. OK, fine every one tells me leather's the way to go with the small kids.

Mind you none of these people have leather in the cars and come to think of it I don't think I have a friend with leather in a mini-van, but I digress.

I confirmed with dealer that only increase in price is the $1500 bump for leather and he said yes.

So I am supposed to do deal tomorrow, on Wednesday. Tonight I am on my way home so I thought I would stop by the lot, just to take a quick look. And to my suprise the black car has "pinstripes" and a splash guard package. The sticker adds an extra $250 for this. Pinstripes???

So I call my salesman on the cell phone (he was off tonight) to find out what the deal is but no answer and I left a message.

My question for you guys is can dealer safely remove the pinstripes??? And if I have them take off the splash guards should I be concerned about anything else?

billg7

Hopefully you do not live in a very hot climate. Black is not good for that as the car gets very hot sitting in the sun. If you talk to the painters of cars, they use to charge extra for black, because it was so hard to get it right. Every tiny defect would show up and they would then have to do it over. Black has a lot of disadvantages and I think you will not be happy with that color.

Leather is great for kids but it gets really hot in hot climates also. You would need to cover the seats when you park your car in the summer time.

Splash Guards are a good idea and some dealers charge $250 for that. Pin stripes probably go for about $60. I would tell them you will pay them 1/2 of that, which is about their cost, as you don't want it. I think you may be able to take the pin stripes off if the paint underneath is very dry, which it may not be, as that can take about 30 days. Pin stripes do break the large area of the side of the car and make it look smaller and better. I would take a look at one with and without pinstripes to see the difference. It does make the car look better. I don't have it myself as I prefer it without. I am a person of simple tastes.

My favorite color is white. It does not show the dirt well, can be seen by other drivers well and is therefore very safe, is coolest in the summer, does not fade with age, can be re painted to match exactly. It does not show up in snow storms well however, and you may consider it as too plan of a color. It is not the prettiest color.

I would pass on this car. Wait and get just the car and the color you really want. You are going to have to live with this car for a while and you want to feel comfortable in your decision. You do not want to regret it. So tell them no is my advice and you will probably get what you want within a few months. You may be pushing too hard to get a car fast. I would say no and sit back and rethink it all. There is really no hurry unless you have to have a car now.

alinda

Taking pinstripes off a car messes up the finish of any car. Black is even worse. Just don't pay for the stripes, then leave them on. Chill out, stop stressing so much, take a deep breath. Most likely, the stripes were added to the van before your sales ever realized the van was there. Just reconfirm your price quoted with him tomorrow, don't mention the guards or the stripes, then stick to your guns. Most likely, the sales is going to be quite upset when he realizes the add ons to the van, as your paying the preagreed price is going to cut into his end of the deal. Ya know?

werdman

Accoding to my dealer here on Long Island, tomorrow is the date that my EX-L in Midnight Blue is supposed to be built. Delivery would occur mid- November. However, I haven't seen or talked to anybody who has actualy witnessed an '03 in Midnight Blue Pearl. (Anybody? Anybody?)

I originally placed my $500 deposit in May for an '02 Granite Green. In July, I was told that Honda stopped making this color and I transfered my deposit to wait for the '03 in Midnight Blue. You can say that getting an Odyssey in truly and odyssey. The delay and lack of consistent information about colors, deliveries, etc. has been surreal and quite pathetic. Then again, I only have myself to blame for putting up with it. Hopefully this saga will soon come to an end.

bdaddy

Buckeye - Everyone's threshold is different, so my advice would be to try and find an Ody to drive first. The noise that most people refer to occurs when driving over the expansion joints on a concrete surface. There is a certain amount of tire slap evident, especially at high speeds. On other road surfaces, I find the van to be quite quiet. The longest trip I've taken has been 4 hours - noise was not a problem on this trip; I didn't really think about it. The van is a pleasure to drive so for me, the noise factor is not an issue.

cct1

Thanks for your help--I have bought Weatherguards before (they are pricey)-was hoping for a cheaper alternative, but I guess I'll order them (in black).

maple49

Personally, I hate pinstripes (any car, any color). You can ask that they remove them, they probably will not. In most cases they can be removed by heating with a hairdryer, removing excess adhesive with an automotive adhesive remover (3M sells one) and re-waxing the area. However, I wouldn't buy and then try to remove.

I agree with the other posters. Pass on this one, get your deposit back and go to another dealer. A good dealer should be able to get you the van you are happy with in about 4-6 weeks. The leather is nice and splash guards (mud flaps) are a good idea. You can buy for about $55 online and install yourself in about 10 minutes.

Good Luck.

maple49

I don't think the road noise is excessive. It all depends on the roads you drive and your experiences/expectations. If you drive a Lexus, Caddy, etc. you will probably notice some road noise.

The only way to know if you are going to be comfortable would be to drive one. If the dealer doesn't have any to drive, try to find a friend or relative that will at least give you a ride.

I am very happy with my Odyssey (2002 EX-L). Road noise has never been an issue.

kramer69

Werdman and others-
We are expecting delivery on dark blue 03 EX-L NAV
first week of November or so. Our production date is Oct. 28 and is still on target as of last week per our Ohio dealer. We order our van in July, and we were always told this late date.. Crazy wait time I know, but we love the dark blue.
Werdman, we are in the same boat, so I guess you have to believe the dealers. I was told that they looked up production schedules should be informed of any delays as they happen. I was told that October is the first they will paint the Dark blue orders.
Best of Luck
Blue Too in Ohio

golic

Salesman said they will remove pinstripes prior to wash and wax of car. He also said the splash guards are mine to keep no charge. (probably going to reduce trade-in offer)

That went a little to easy. Perhaps Virginia, there is a santa claus.

maple49

Go over the van closely to make sure it looks good. If you are comfortable with the deal then go ahead an buy it. You will be very happy with the Odyssey (you will also be glad you went with the leather).

GOOD LUCK!

buckeyedon

My thanks for your respective responses to my question on "road noise". Encouraging!

alinda

I forgot that most pinstripes are tape. we do the painted ones, which do mess up the paint if you take em off. tape peels off.

bdaddy

I would also urge you to leave the stripes on as long as they don't look too bad. Let the dealer "eat" the cost of this add on - he's only out a few bucks for the stripes and the labor to install them. Shouldn't be a big deal as he's making $3,000+ on this vehicle.

mdt308

I just heard from a Honda dealership in the southwest suburbs of Chicago that the Midnight Blue and the Evergreen Pearl have been "discontinued". We've ordered an Evergreen Pearl EX-L RES and a different dealership said that he has located three in the area but is not sure if they're "already called for".

Here's an idea: Does anyone know where these things are built in Alabama? Simply put, we need to go to the plant and simply ask some of the people assembling the Odys if in fact ALL colors on the brochure are being produced. In the end, they're probably the only ones that know the truth. From the dealerships all of the way up to the 1-800 number on the back of the Honda brochures, you really get the sense that there is a significant lack of communication within Honda America.

I've got no good ideas on what to do except to say if you come across one with the interior / exterior color scheme you like, jump on it!

Who wants to go to Alabama?!

alinda

I didn't know they were discontinued, I just thought they weren't being painted until jan/feb. Kinda the same thing. I'm feeling bey antihonda lately. Excuse me. In the last six months, I've seen one Havasu Blue and ZERO Evergreen Pearls.

werdman

mtd308, you're right on the money. Today I'll find out if my Mignight Blue was built this week. I have gone to viryually every dealer on Long Island about this color and have received completely different responses ranging from "...won't be produced until sometime next year" to "...we just sold one yesterday." I've called Honda Corporate and, again, haven't received consistent info. What I can tell you is that I've personally seen PLENTY of Red, White, Silver, Beige and Havasu Blues (yes, the elusive Havasu Blue) at the dealerships in my region. I have not seen ANY Midnight Blue, Black, Sagebrush Green or Evergreen Green. If I find out today that my EXL has not been built, I may be forced to jump ship entirely.

golic

I think I know where you can get an evergreen pearl. I was at O'hare Honda and saw one in lot. I don't know if it is 2002/3. But it was there the other night,

I had a good relationship with salesman there, you can emial me I will send his name.

jgdubliner

After reading mdt308's post, I called my dealer. I ordered a Midnight Blue EX-L with DVD with a build date of 11-12 to 11-15. He says that what he knows is that only 5% of dealer allocation of Odysseys are Midnight Blue and Evergreen Pearl combined. For many dealers, that gives them almost no chance of getting those colors. My dealer happens to claim to be the highest volume dealer in MN so they get the biggest allocation. They had to trade with some other dealer's allocation to get mine, but my name is on the list He says that other dealers may just be telling people that the colors are discontinued because they have so little chance of getting those colors. That's the story I hear at least. Let's hear what anybody else's dealers say. I have to say in response to my previous post about the arrogance of some dealerships in my area, I have had all good experiences with the dealership I now work with.

jcroberts

My 99LX has 43k miles and the tires are running thin on the outside edges. I am wondering if I want to go through the winter in Tidewater, VA with my present tires eventhough the tire tread indicators are not showing as of yet. Costso is offering 215/65/16 Mich. X Radial for just $95/tire for one more week. Has anyone installed these to share their experience concerning noise, traction, etc? Might there be another tire like the Yokohomas that you have felt a significant improvement? Thanks for your input.

bowke

sagebrush, midnight blue, black, and sandstone are all new colors, and all available. each dealer has 100% say in what colors their vehicles are. all honda does is tell the dealer HOW MANY odysseys, accords, civics, etc. they will get in a given month. if dealer X wants all 20 of their odysseys to be RES models in havasu blue, then thats what they will get.we are allocated 85 odysseys per month and ive seen every color delivered so far, and we have every color incoming on our allocation list. the salesman wants you to get the one that will be there quickest, and will try to influence your decision that way. ALL COLORS ARE AVAILABLE. midnight blue and black are only available in EX-L models and up.

jgdubliner

Does anyone out there have access to a digital camera and a real, live 2003 Evergreen Pearl Odyssey? (Or have you seen one at a dealer?) If so, please email me a picture of it. My dealer says the brochure is nowhere near the real color of it. I would really like to see one, but there are none up here right now. Thank you in advance.

billg7

I went to http://www.honda.com and then honda>Odyssey>colors>Evergreen Peral and you can see a picture of the car in that color. Also the link below works.

http://www.hondacars.com/models/exterior_colors.asp?ModelName=Odyssey

dchopp

As an Ody owner and an active member of this forum, I need help on a cats anatomy. Picked up this starving stray kitten that someone dumped. It is now in the safe haven of our household. My question is. What sex is it? Below its anus there is a small button. If these are the testicles than it must be a male. Ive had other animals and its generally straight forward but on this kitten its difficult to tell. By the way I named him or her Odyssey and its black too. So I'm the first to own a Black Odyssey in my town. Thanks

stever

check out the punctuation.

: = female

; = male

That said, you can't really tell with kittens anyway. 2 cats here, Mac and Beemer, punctuated each way. Named after the computers....

Hope this ends the subject now, otherwise I'm going to dump a whole lot of links on you!

Steve, Host

golic

Well was able to finally complete the Ody deal. Dealer did take off the pinstripes as requested (they were tape) and as a "courtesy" they left the splash guards on for me on my new black EX-L.

This was probably so I would not get upset about the car having 68 miles on it. Otherwise everything was well.

As an aside, two days later we saw a Havasu Blue Ody on the road and my wife hated the color once she saw it in person. So alls well that ends well.

bowke

this color has been a "love-it-or-hate-it" color from the get go. a few love it, but most gag as they see it in person (me included). unfortunately, i have to see 5 or 6 of them every month...i might as well start drinking...then it will be worth the spew!

stever

lol, Golic, that's good that she hated the blue I guess. Going to buy some Zaino now?

Steve, Host

golic

The black looks great, so the extra washes, and the zaino are going to be worth it!!

Funny story: My wife took the car out to see her Mom's new home being built and in the process took a huge nail home with here in the tire, I wonder if I can file a claim under her insurance (hehe) for repair fee.

So on Sunday I took the car to Sears to get the tire fixed (buy the way if any on you have to put the spare on in inclement weather my heart goes out to you, very difficult to get out and handle) and the girl asks me what car I have - so I tell her 2003 Ody. Well she says that the 2003 car is not on their computer systems so they can not fix the tire!! This was good humor since my day has already been pushed back a couple of hours because of this. I asked her if we could talk to the store manager about this and she said OK, but there is nothing we could do. Fortunately, the mgr relented and said they could repair the flat. Next time I'll just roll the tire in and say it is for the backyard swing!!

BTW- from earlier posts, I passed on all the add-ons, paint shield, rust proofing and now window etching. What is the point of etching? Isn't the fact the vin is on the vehicle numerous times eneough.

I also like the fact that dealer had me sign "waivers" that I didn't want it, kinda of like "declining" the insurance on a rental car. What things will they think up next?

seguy

color is hard to gauge from the brochures. I've seen one go buy on the street briefly, so not enough to tell if we like it or not. Has anyone taken delivery of their Sandstone Oddy? If so, how do you like it compared to the older Mesa Biege?
Thanks

billg7

I would think you could have explained to her/him that the 2003 spare tire is the same as the 2002 and 2001 and 2000 and 1999, but then I guess people let their computer tell them what to do these days.

The spare tire is difficult to get out and put back in and also you have to remove it to put air in it or check it for air, so I very seldom ever check it. I wish Honda would make a long hose extension to leave on it so the air checking problem could be solved.

The dealer told me except for the every about 15,000 mile check they do not check the spare, because it is so difficult, and as I remember they want something like $25 to check it otherwise.

I would advise for Odyssey owners to remove and replace it at least once so you know how to do it.

mdt308

O.K., I think I've resorted to calling 411 and getting the general number for the Ody. plant in Lincoln, Alabama. If I'm successful, I simply want to ask what's going on with this whole color thing? I talked to my dealer on Saturday and he said my Evergreen Pearl EX-L RES is due in mid-December. He calls me tonight and tells me that Honda contacted all dealerships and basically said, "we're not sure when we're producing the Evergreen Pearl or the Midnight Blue, so call your customers and tell them T.S." I look back at "bowke's" message on Oct. 26th and sounds like I'm once again getting "buffaloed".

I am told that about a month or so after you take delivery of your new Honda, you're asked to fill out a comment card about your "buying experience". Somehow this has a great impact on the sales person and the dealership because they all of sudden are very accommodating after the very last paper has been signed and you're given the keys - they want good marks. How in the world could I or anyone else say that getting wrong answers on a consistent basis is a "good experience". Gee, does tonight's phone call have anything to do with it being the end of the month?

Well, enough of my bickering. I'm calling Alabama tomorrow and if anyone out there knows of a new 2003 Evergreen Pearl EX-L RES at any dealership in the U.S., please let me know; I'll figure out a way to get it back here (Chicago area). I'm still of the opinion that we're paying big bucks for this thing and I do NOT want to settle for something less than exactly what we ordered.

golic

mdt308,

your story sounds just like my Havasu Blue saga. And your right after the paperwork is signed, the atmosphere changes and they practically hug you and talk about the survey, the salesman even had a picture of the number "5" on his desk and pleaded with me to give him a 5.

Well today I call the call from AH and gave them the scores they deserved.

edwinfong

I replaced the Firestones on my 2000 LX at 50k miles and it now has 68k miles now. The ride on the Michelin Radial X that I also got at Costco are much quieter and have better traction and tracking than the Firestone Affinities that came with the LX as OEM. I would buy the Radial X's again, I think they're worth the price. I don't think the Yokohama's come in 215/65X16 but you can get them in 225/60X16 which will fit but it gives about a 4% error on the speedo. You can also try 235/60X16 but is harder to find and may have a problem if you use chains in the winter. Good Luck.

moonkat

My 99 Ody EX tire history:
OEM tires - Firestone Affinity, 215R16/65 - too noisy and harsh;

Replaced at 8K miles with Michellin Energy MXV4 Pluses - 235R16/60 - great handling, smooth, quiet tire, but short tread life (rated 40k miles);

Replaced at 54k miles with Yokohama Avid Touring 225S16/60 - these were going to be my Michellin X-One alternatives, but are too noisy (on anything other than smooth pavement), & harsh over bumps; I do not believe these tires are suitable for large (4400 lbs) vehicles in spite of the enthusiastic reviews at TireRack. The tread is thin and it rides like it.

Replaced at 55k miles with Michellin X-Ones - 225R16/60 under Yokohama one month trial period. The X-Ones have a deservedly good reputation for smooth, quiet ride and extreme longevity (80k miles); Quietest, smoothest tire I could find.

The X-One pluses sold at Price-Costco are not the same as X-One sold by tire dealers, and Michellin makes this clear on their web site ratings of their own tire. Still, an excellent tire at a good price; had a set on a 95 GC AWD and they went 70K plus miles, and transformed the ride of the vehicle.

Bottom line is that tire selection is critical on Ody as road/tire noise is the primary offensive noise source for this vehicle. The van seems to amplify road noises due to the large empty cabin/cargo volume. Of the tires I have experienced, the X-Ones are the most luxurious tires. Unfortunately they cost near twice as much as the Avid Tourings. My cost for tires went from $310 to $575 when I upgraded. And don't forget to get them balanced properly. My dealer has the Force Tech (?) precision balance machine.

werdman

Does anybody know if the '03 Midnight Blue Pearl is a new blue color or just a re-issue of the dark Blue that was on the 1999-00 Blue Odysseys? Thanks.