To #348 sent visa and others. I live in the Houston, Texas area and went to 4 Honda dealers. I drove 45 miles to one dealer who indicated that there was a van for me to test drive. I got there and the van was not available. The shuttle van was not available either. (They could not find either and did not try very hard.) All other vans were sold and therefore I could not test drive them. I did not get much sympathy for my effort to come all that way for nothing. 2nd dealer insisted that I had to order one if I ever wanted to test drive one. Quite uninterested in my question of "how do I know that I want one unless I test drive it?" 3rd dealer at least allowed me to test drive his shuttle. Not bad, but would give me too little for my 2 trades so I said that I would wait. 4th dealer has right idea. They do not ask customers to come in unless they have vehicles to drive on their lot. (Good philosophy.) I test drove a vehicle. Problem is, the vehicle was very, very noisy with road noise. (I checked the posting earlier and did not come across this issue.) Has anyone else noticed this problem? I would hate to order one and find out this problem too late. We had children with us so I sat in the very back seat. I actually thought the rear door was open since it was so loud. I couldn't understand where the noise was coming from. My husband noticed it too when he sat in the middle seat. We drove on the noisy 59 freeway during rush hour. (Other van we drove was in a quiet neighborhood so we didn't notice any road noise.)
Next, we went to the Toyota dealer to drive the Senna. Wow, such a quiet and smooth ride. I again rode in back to test the road noise theory and only noise came from the side of the window from the cars on the freeway. Toyota dealer indicated that the well in which the Honda back seat folds down into is not insulated. It is directly several inches above the road surface. That made a lot of sense, and has kept me from considering the Honda Odyssey. Is this true or is the road noise coming from the back seat "well" usually not an issue? Or do the adults usually not sit back there and notice? I really had my heart set on the Odyssey, but because of the noise I will probably go with the Senna or Quest.
As for price, if you are a credit union member or an Interned user of Kelly Blue Book, the going rate should be above $200-300 over invoice price. Most of the Honda dealers were within range of each other and listed very close to the posted Interned price. But mentioning that you are a credit union member or an Internet user puts you in a different ball game. I sometimes failed to mention this at the beginning of our conversations with the dealers, and what a noticeable difference afterwards in our negotiating. From those dealers that are listed with my credit union, they are the ones that gave me the best price and also the best treatment. From what these dealers tell me, they have to treat their customers well or they get nixed off the credit union listings therefore losing business. Also if you have a trade-in, check the value of it on the Internet. Most Honda dealers were not willing to give me much for my trades even though I know what they were worth. The nonHonda dealers were much more willing to negotiate around the blue book value of my trades, which is another reason why I probably won't buy the Odyssey. Hope my experience helps others.
billg7, no this topic will remain open as before. The sub-topics that exist for the Odyssey (ex. Odyssey problems, Odyssey sound, etc.) will remain open. FYI, Steve and I are now the new co-hosts for the Vans conference. Thank you Karen, for all of your hard work in the past.
Drew Edmunds.com Townhall co-host Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences
It looked to me at first that you were going to follow the rule " if it works fix it so it doesn't work".
I really don't think the Odyssey is that noisy and road test reports bear that out. I saw a post on this board where the person undercoated his Odyssey and significantly reduced road noise. There is a rumor going around that the Odyssey is noisy and if you go into a test drive with that rumor strongly in your mind, you may hear noise that is not there.
when i first got our 2001 ody, i thought it was rather quiet. but, now i don't think so. i mean, it's not loud but not as quiet as i'd prefer. i've noticed that it varies greatly with the type of road surface. smooth asphalt is the quietest but concrete freeways are the worst. to me, the noise doesn't not appear to come from the seat well. if anything, i'd place it on the the spare tire chamber, which is sealed like a drum. the other thing i just noticed yesterday morning was that, as i was backing the van out of the garage with all windows fully up, i could hear my wife talking to me from outside the van...she was using her normal voice!!!!! i would have expected that i'd have to roll the windows down in order to understand what she was saying. is thin glass the biggest culprit next to the spare tire chamber?
With the bright center light mounted high on the pointy snout? With the loud airhorn and PA System that says "All Aboard" the new Odyssey EX Limited RR edition will make you the envy of the neighborhood....especially when you can haul cargo of coal or iron ore by simply flipping the Magic Seat...or even with the Magic Seat in place.
Are there any plans to expand the color choices? I know that the quality counts, but once I bought a car for its quality in a color I didn't like, and I regretted it every time I looked out the window. Sold it much sooner than I normally would just because I didn't like it. Now I would rather have a second choice vehicle than a second choice color. I must have red, dark blue, or black, all of which are available in the Sienna. If Honda has plans to offer one of these colors, I could wait to buy one next year. M.A.
I couldn't agree more. I 'd rather have my color choice than my 10th choice vehicle. Have you seen the color choices on the Ford Focus ? Now there are some real choices.
I just picked up my 2001 EX a few days ago and noticed that to unlock the tailgate I must click the unlock button on my remote more than twice -- ie usually 3 or 4 times to open it, while the locks on the other doors unlock with just 2 clicks (one click for the driver's door). Is this normal?
No. You should be able to unlock all the doors with the second push of the key remote. Try pushing the second time just after the first flash of the lights. You might also try it close enough to the car to hear the locks. The timing of the push on the remote takes some getting use to.
we got a remote starter put on our 01 ex at Ziebart for $260 (it cost more since they had to bypass both the alarm and the panic button). I checked all the doors, panic, etc. on the regular remote twice before leaving and they all are fine. I asked the guy about problems noted here before and he said "don't worry, we know what we're doing"; I guess he was right. They had to bury the 3rd (valet) key, but we never use it anyway.
I like Ziebart (have used it before on our Civic, CRV, Camry) since you get a LIFETIME warranty. Also, the way they programmed it (I think by accident), when you trigger the starter all the doors UNLOCK instead of lock like my others. That way, you don't have to push the dumb remote twice all the time. I mean, how dumb is it to have a single click to open the driver's door only on a minivan- how many of us drive alone in one or in a dangerous neighborhood....
An automotive magazine once tested noise levels in mini vans. At idle the toyota was much quieter than the ODY. At 60, they were equal in quietness/noise. Unless I am really stomping on it for acceleration, there is little engine or wind noise. Most of the noise is tire noise. I check the air in my firestones regularly to keep them at 35 PSI. Tire inflation may have something to do with noise level. Any way with colder temps, the air pressure in your tires decreases. You may want to check it.
has just started since the weather has gotten cold. could it be to the door contracting in the cold and not closing as tightly as before? i looked in past posts and found where someone adjusted the rubber pieces, but i could not find them myself. are these on the door itself, or are they on the frame? any comments would be extremely helpful as the noise drives my husband crazy and we have 2 long car trips planned over the christmas break :-)
I just took in a 2000 EX with 27,000 miles on it, it is green with power seat and everything but leather, anyone who has shopped, what is the market on used odysseys?
The only down side of the "buried valet key" is that the installation requires the key chip to be in place at all times so as to allow the remote start to actually start the vehicle. What this really means is that you've already defeated the engine disable that came w/ your vehicle. Beside the now lower security (the vehicle can be more easily stolen), your insurance company might a) demand a higher comprehensive premium or b) if this is unknown to the insurance company, it could cause a problem if you were to have to make a claim in the future as the insurance company could site the disabling of the anti-theft feature and that you did not pay an additional premium during that period. I would certainly check w/ my ins. co, and get a response in writing before I'd go off and do this.
I tried to post this last night without success. Apologies if another copy shows up...
To sentvisa (post 348),
We've had our granite green EX for two weeks, and have been satisfied so far. For what it's worth, my wife and I both agree that the Odyssey is noisier than the Senna, but on balance, we still prefer the Honda.
I agree with denise32 (post 355) that finding an Oddy to test drive in Houston is a hassle. We first called a dealer on the southeast side. After the receptionist assured us there was a van to test drive, we went, and, of course, there was no such vehicle. The salesman we hooked up with was apologetic, and offered a test drive in the boss' wife's demo the following week, provided we made an appointment in advance. We were able to test drive a shuttle van at a dealer inside the 610 loop, but this was a beat up 2000 model and we were not sure whether it was representative. We were finally able to test drive a newly delivered van, on which the deal had fallen through. My advice is to call around, and speak directly to a salesman to see if there is a vehicle to drive.
We paid MSRP for our Odyssey, no add ons. This was the price we were quoted by 4 dealers, in person and via the Internet. Nobody would budge from this, although we weren't tremendously persistent because our old car was on its last legs. This seems to be the ball park judging by most posts. Edmund's TMV is actually $760 above MSRP. Denise32 did you mean invoice? If so, your price would be $2610 below MSRP, which would be darn good. We were a little annoyed by MSRP price point, until we realized that a similar Sienna (but with only one power door and no traction control) at 3% above invoice would still be more.
Another thing we discovered was the tremendous variation in promised delivery dates. This seemed to be luck of the draw, but also related to the size of the dealer. We started seriously asking about vehicles 11/25. Two dealers promised a delivery before Christmas, but not the color we wanted. One dealer said end of January, earliest and maybe even later. I called a dealer in Austin, and they said March! Gillman Honda had the color we wanted for delivery in December, and in fact had the Oddy one week later. Gillman asks for a $500 deposit, but actually they'll just keep the check (or credit card slip) on file and not cash it. All dealers we talked to asked for $500, but all said it was refundable, no questions asked. Based on our experience, it seems at least in Houston that people can call around to get the best delivery dates for exactly the van they want.
My odyssey is only a month old, but already I'm regretting my decision to buy it. The top mileage I've gotten is l4 1/2 MPG. This is disgraceful - with gas prices so high and being that I am an environmentalist by nature. The last thing I wanted to do was drive a gas guzzler. I drive conservatively mostly around my town, taking kids to school and doing erands; once in a while I drive highway.I do not have a "heavy foot". . I have read other posts stating much higher MPG. Does my car have to break in for a few months? What more can I do to get better mileage? I really like the comfort and drivability of this car - I have never had a minivan before. I also like that we are safer and higher in this car, but am really unhappy about the gas mileage. What is wrong with car companies that they can't make a more fuel efficient car with all the features of the Odyssey?
I'm trying to find one of those "outside temperature, compass, how-far-can-I-go-on-the-gas-I-have, gas mileage devices". I'm surprised Honda didn't offer one from the factory. Anyone seen such an item?
I'm trying to find a place that sells simple modifications- nothing fancy or crazy. Looking for exhaust, suspension, intake modifications- I don't want a street rod or anything, just something to make it a little less minivan-ish.
I beleive the ODY sticker states 18/25 mpg. I think there is a caveat on the sticker that states it will vary a few mpg each way. My ODY gets about 16 in the city, but it's a lot of stop and go. I've had it almost one year and 20K later... On a more positive note, I get more than 25mpg when doing strictly highway driving.
You are correct, they should be able to build a more efficient van. I don't know alot about these things, but it is very heavy - the heaviest van out there, I beleive. And it still gets the same or better gas mileage than some of the lighter and smaller vans. Right now, one has to give up the fuel economy for the perks of the ODY - such as safety.
I'm sure this doesn't make you feel any better, but just wanted you to know there are others who feel exactly as you do. However, I don't regret my purchase. Not one bit!
My 2000lx has 1100+ miles on it. The first few tanks were low mileage, 14-15-16 if I remember. My last calculation gave me 19mpg, mostly city. I'm sure it'll improve.
My first 2 fill ups resulted in 17 m.p.g. back in October. Since then, I have been getting 14 m.p.g.. I am blaming this on the use of oxygenated fuel in use from November thru March in PA. This may be your problem. About door rattles, I used to have them. I lowered the tire pressure from 35 p.s.i to 33 p.s.i. and haven't heard them since. Try it!
I've followed this thread for several months, (and thanks to all of you for the invaluable advice), ordered the EX and await del 1/15/01. I want a cassette deck in addition to the factory CD. Called several car stereo stores and got "no one makes just a cassette player--you have to replace the whole factory unit and put in an external 6-CD changer." WOW. Anyone have advice/suggestions as to what to do? Several posts tell of the ease of installing the cassette deck, but if I can't buy one.... Thanks!
Go for the one offered by Honda. It fits in the space under the DC player and plugs right in. Also, it will be covered by the factory warranty. If the after market shop wants to replace the whole thing, I believe you will lose the use of the steering wheel controls (great feature by the way).
Try www.honda-accessories.com for the deck - Tremor charges fair prices and provides great service. If you don't want to do it, buy it and have a shop or the dealer do it.
I do not read this board every day but I keep track of the last message number I read each time. When I come back to the board again I enter that message number to the last message, and am able to catch up by reading them. How do I do that now?
Please check "See All Responses" for info on the not-yet-implemented "Jump" feature, and the following post(s) in that discussion about Subscribing. Hope this helps.
Steve Edmunds.com Town Hall co-host Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences
I see the size of the print on this board just increased. Looks like change took effect at about 9:20 PM PST and it doubled in size. Or did I press a button somewhere that did that? I might be able to do that with my browser settings but I did not change anything. The increase in print is OK with me if it helps some to read it.
Font issues are being addressed to make the "look" better ("better" being a subjective term). Either that or you have a font size button in your browser that you hit:-).
To add to what Steve said, it also depends on what browser you're using Internet Explorer users don't seem to have any problems with the size of the font of the post box, whereas it is extremely small for the Netscape users. Again, another issue that we're aware of and looking at.
Thanks for your patience! Drew Edmunds.com Townhall co-host Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences</font
Do us all a favor and tell us where you plan to drive etc. The last thing that I want to share the road with is some clown recklessly driving his family around in a "souped up" nerd-mobile. Give me a break! If you want speed and handling, buy a sports sedan.
Anybody know when the new Oddy plant is to be built in AL. Understand it takes about 18-24 months after the first dirt is moved to get one up and running. Also any ideas as to the capacity of that plant.
That plant is currently under construction. I believe it will be ready summer 01. Capacity will initially be around 60,000 units. Remember, the MDX will be sharing the assy. line.
Had Odyssey for about a month now, with total mileage of 850 and 2 fill-ups. Compare with the 2000 Accord V-6(EPA 20/28 mpg) I drove previouly, it is not too bad for the odyssey. For Accord I got 25 mpg most time, for odyssey with same driving route and style, I got 20-21 mpg(EPA 18/25).
The Accord's suspension is too stiff(mileage 12,000) and just started to soften up after it had been driven recently in the cross states trip with 500 miles each way.
I'm supposed to pick up my GG '01 EX tomorrow, and since my dealer is 2 hours away (live in the boonies), I asked to be faxed a contract today. Glad I did, while the price is MSRP, there are 2 suprises I don't like, and I'd like to ask your opinions on how adamant I should be on removing them (if they say 'no', I'll be bummed, but on priciple I might go on another dealers 2 month waiting-list, unless you tell me the doc fee is legit). The line items are:
Theft Deterrent Registration: $198 Dealer Documentary Service Fee: $249
(The options also show a 'no fee' 'Touch of Class' Alarm system, that I'm guessing the registration is the fee for.)
I just received the 2001 fog light order from Trevor. The instruction that came with the lights suggested taking off the front bumper in order to mount the light brackets and lights. Has anyone install these lights themselves? Is the bumper removal really necessary? Thanks in advance.
The doc fee is quite steep at that dealership! Unfortunately, you have to pay that fee. It really is added profit to the deal even though there are flimsy state amendments that "protect" the dealer in charging the fee.
The alarm, on the other hand... forget it! Did you ask specifically for that feature to be installed? If not, ask them politely to uninstall it.
One issue that surrounds a vehicle such as this one is the fact that they are difficult to get. If you pass on the deal due to complications, they have the right to pass the vehicle on to the next person in line.
I have taken off the front bumper to install the ATF cooler. No sweat! The instructions are clear and the parts are easy to reassemble. Good luck and let us know how much light those new fog lights produce.
The 2000 model year Odyessys were rated at 210 hp with 91 pump octane fuel. According to my owner's manual, the 2001 Odyessys are rated at 205 hp and the octane requirement is 86. However the 2001 manual does say, under towing a trailer, "Premium fuel provides improved performance." Does anyone know for a fact that the only change was in the advertised rating, or were there actually changes in the engine design to accomodate lower octane fuel?
I have to laugh at the lies some dealers will tell to try and placate a customer. See #359 where a dealer told the owner to use LOWER octane fuel to cure a transmission noise compliant!
I drove my wife's 2000 LX tonight and noticed that the factory radio/cassette tuner does not have a back light. Unless the overhead light is on, you can't see what station your tuned to. Is this normal, or do I have a burned out bulb? The rest of the radio dials have lights.
I'm looking for the dimensions from the back of the front seats to the rear hatch (width also). 2nd row is taken out and third row is stowed. Obviously I don't have one in my garage but what I'm pondering is if the Odyssey would be functional for camping.. ie.. place a air mattress down.
I don't have the dimensions handy, but it is wide enough for two people to sleep side by side. My wife and I had plenty of room using two roll up Therm-Air backpacking sleeping mats - I would recommend that over larger air mattress as you would have a ceiling to deal with! It was very comfy and well worth it as it rained most of the night. I would recommend leaving your middle row home if at all possible.
A 4' x 8' piece of plywood will lay flat on the floor between the wheel wells, if the back row is stowed and the second row is removed. More than enough room for two people to sleep side by side.
Comments
Next, we went to the Toyota dealer to drive the Senna. Wow, such a quiet and smooth ride. I again rode in back to test the road noise theory and only noise came from the side of the window from the cars on the freeway. Toyota dealer indicated that the well in which the Honda back seat folds down into is not insulated. It is directly several inches above the road surface. That made a lot of sense, and has kept me from considering the Honda Odyssey. Is this true or is the road noise coming from the back seat "well" usually not an issue? Or do the adults usually not sit back there and notice? I really had my heart set on the Odyssey, but because of the noise I will probably go with the Senna or Quest.
As for price, if you are a credit union member or an Interned user of Kelly Blue Book, the going rate should be above $200-300 over invoice price. Most of the Honda dealers were within range of each other and listed very close to the posted Interned price. But mentioning that you are a credit union member or an Internet user puts you in a different ball game. I sometimes failed to mention this at the beginning of our conversations with the dealers, and what a noticeable difference afterwards in our negotiating. From those dealers that are listed with my credit union, they are the ones that gave me the best price and also the best treatment. From what these dealers tell me, they have to treat their customers well or they get nixed off the credit union listings therefore losing business. Also if you have a trade-in, check the value of it on the Internet. Most Honda dealers were not willing to give me much for my trades even though I know what they were worth. The nonHonda dealers were much more willing to negotiate around the blue book value of my trades, which is another reason why I probably won't buy the Odyssey. Hope my experience helps others.
Drew
Edmunds.com Townhall co-host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences
I really don't think the Odyssey is that noisy and road test reports bear that out. I saw a post on this board where the person undercoated his Odyssey and significantly reduced road noise. There is a rumor going around that the Odyssey is noisy and if you go into a test drive with that rumor strongly in your mind, you may hear noise that is not there.
With the loud airhorn and PA System that says "All Aboard" the new Odyssey EX Limited RR edition will make you the envy of the neighborhood....especially when you can haul cargo of coal or iron ore by simply flipping the Magic Seat...or even with the Magic Seat in place.
http://www.1netweb.com/checklist.htm
Hope it helps.
Dick
mac
I like Ziebart (have used it before on our Civic, CRV, Camry) since you get a LIFETIME warranty. Also, the way they programmed it (I think by accident), when you trigger the starter all the doors UNLOCK instead of lock like my others. That way, you don't have to push the dumb remote twice all the time. I mean, how dumb is it to have a single click to open the driver's door only on a minivan- how many of us drive alone in one or in a dangerous neighborhood....
To sentvisa (post 348),
We've had our granite green EX for two weeks, and have been satisfied so far. For what it's worth, my wife and I both agree that the Odyssey is noisier than the Senna, but on balance, we still prefer the Honda.
I agree with denise32 (post 355) that finding an Oddy to test drive in Houston is a hassle. We first called a dealer on the southeast side. After the receptionist assured us there was a van to test drive, we went, and, of course, there was no such vehicle. The salesman we hooked up with was apologetic, and offered a test drive in the boss' wife's demo the following week, provided we made an appointment in advance. We were able to test drive a shuttle van at a dealer inside the 610 loop, but this was a beat up 2000 model and we were not sure whether it was representative. We were finally able to test drive a newly delivered van, on which the deal had fallen through. My advice is to call around, and speak directly to a salesman to see if there is a vehicle to drive.
We paid MSRP for our Odyssey, no add ons. This was the price we were quoted by 4 dealers, in person and via the Internet. Nobody would budge from this, although we weren't tremendously persistent because our old car was on its last legs. This seems to be the ball park judging by most posts. Edmund's TMV is actually $760 above MSRP. Denise32 did you mean invoice? If so, your price would be $2610 below MSRP, which would be darn good. We were a little annoyed by MSRP price point, until we realized that a similar Sienna (but with only one power door and no traction control) at 3% above invoice would still be more.
Another thing we discovered was the tremendous variation in promised delivery dates. This seemed to be luck of the draw, but also related to the size of the dealer. We started seriously asking about vehicles 11/25. Two dealers promised a delivery before Christmas, but not the color we wanted. One dealer said end of January, earliest and maybe even later. I called a dealer in Austin, and they said March! Gillman Honda had the color we wanted for delivery in December, and in fact had the Oddy one week later. Gillman asks for a $500 deposit, but actually they'll just keep the check (or credit card slip) on file and not cash it. All dealers we talked to asked for $500, but all said it was refundable, no questions asked. Based on our experience, it seems at least in Houston that people can call around to get the best delivery dates for exactly the van they want.
Chris
Am I nuts for trying to do this?
You are correct, they should be able to build a more efficient van. I don't know alot about these things, but it is very heavy - the heaviest van out there, I beleive. And it still gets the same or better gas mileage than some of the lighter and smaller vans. Right now, one has to give up the fuel economy for the perks of the ODY - such as safety.
I'm sure this doesn't make you feel any better, but just wanted you to know there are others who feel exactly as you do. However, I don't regret my purchase. Not one bit!
Try www.honda-accessories.com for the deck - Tremor charges fair prices and provides great service. If you don't want to do it, buy it and have a shop or the dealer do it.
Good Luck
How do I do that now?
jgjustice
Steve
Edmunds.com Town Hall co-host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences
btw, folks, most of the new software questions and complaints are being addressed in New Software! Your Questions Answered...
Steve
Edmunds.com Town Hall co-host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences
Thanks for your patience!
Drew
Edmunds.com Townhall co-host
Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories conferences</font
thanks
The Accord's suspension is too stiff(mileage 12,000) and just started to soften up after it had been driven recently in the cross states trip with 500 miles each way.
The line items are:
Theft Deterrent Registration: $198
Dealer Documentary Service Fee: $249
(The options also show a 'no fee' 'Touch of Class' Alarm system, that I'm guessing the registration is the fee for.)
Thanks for any input, Nathan
Mike
The alarm, on the other hand... forget it! Did you ask specifically for that feature to be installed? If not, ask them politely to uninstall it.
One issue that surrounds a vehicle such as this one is the fact that they are difficult to get. If you pass on the deal due to complications, they have the right to pass the vehicle on to the next person in line.
I have to laugh at the lies some dealers will tell to try and placate a customer. See #359 where a dealer told the owner to use LOWER octane fuel to cure a transmission noise compliant!
Thanks