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Comments
http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=38302
I visited the dealer on a Saturday and bought the van on the next Tuesday. Brad is a nice guy and they kept saying that I'm the lucky one who is the first ever paying MSRP.
We have always got better gas mileage than EPA ratings although city driving can be less because city driving is very difficult to duplicate in EPA testing. Our overall average has been almost the same as the EPA highway on all of our vehicles since EPA ratings became mandatory in the 70's.
Jerry
I checked leg room again in 3rd row seat with 2nd row pushed all the way back. I had adequate room but would prefer the 2nd row seat pushed forward a few inches...which would still give the 2nd row passenger more than sufficient to be completely comfortable.
Their neighbors went with them and there was sufficient room behind the 3rd seat for all the luggage for 2 couples who are on a 2 week trip to Hawaii. The Odyssey is by far the best choice for people who need comfort for 6 or 7 adults PLUS twice the cargo capacity of any minivan.
You must be very lucky. Actually, we just a financial set back, so may it's better that we wait a little.
On the other hand, I borrowed the Ody for a trip to Southern California and the Navigation system worked wonderfully. It got me to my destinations without any problems and was very easy to operate. I especially liked the feature where you can avoid certain roads. This comes in handy when getting the system to plot out a course and avoiding very busy interstates or areas where you know there are detours.
the is 15,500 or about 16 vans per dealer on average for Jan. On an annual basis it would hadd up to 186,000. We will see production go down in late spring as pilot comes to life. Seems to me one can get a discount in march as supply will finally exceed demand. Snotty Honda dealers should be boycotted first. Support the ones that were fair and honest.
INKY
Sorry. Dealership only takes orders with $500 NON-Refundable deposit.
We knew our 2nd daughter wanted to get a 2nd vehicle with 2 children ages 7 and 4. They wanted to buy our 99 GC SE when we got a new vehicle.
Inasmuch as we feel the T&C eL at $24,330 is very comparable to the Ody LX at $24,690 we had considered getting one or the other. The Ody has the most power with a nice 5 speed AT and we like the Magic Seat and adjustable 2nd row seating.
On the other hand, our 99 GC SE had been a very nice vehicle and also had features we liked which are not on the Odyssey LX. I have driven my sister's 2001 Ody EX many times and can not tell much difference in comfort, power, or quietness of ride between her 2001 Ody EX and our 99 GC SE.
Had I driven it on mountain roads or long extended steep grades such as Mesquite Nevada to Cedar City Utah, I am quite certain the extra power of the Ody would have become more obvious.
It will surprise me if supply of the Odyssey catches up with demand within the next 12 months. When supply does catch up, remember inky gave excellent advice:
"Support the ones that were fair and honest.
INKY"
CARL
For a non refundable deposit I would want a delivery date in writing , say within 6 weeks.
Some states consider the purchase order binding. It's a good idea to have a "delivered by" date specified if the deposit is non-refundable.
By the way, I've been to St. George Utah, and it's a very nice little town. And Bryce and Zion Canyons were beautiful.
“No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name....” (15 U.S.C. 2302(C)
To quote them directly, from the magazine:
" I really like the Honda Odyssey. Its power, handling, roominess and handy fold-flat third row of seats add up to a great package. Trouble is, too many people feel that way. Ardent buyers are paying $1,000 to $2,000 over list price and sometimes waiting two to three months for delivery. A new Odyssey plant in Alabama may alleviate the shortage. In the meantime, the Dodge Grand Caravan is my choice for No.1 value."
DCH
My opinion is the 1999-2001 Odyssey driver's seat is THE MOST comfortable driver seat for me of any vehicle I have driven since my 1987 Chevy R-10 pickup. I do not like the 2002 Odyssey driver's seat quite as well as the 1999-2001 Odysseys.
My wife feels DC front passenger seats are more comfortable than Ody front passenger seats. I guess it just depends on the individual anatomy.
I do NOT think Odyssey supply will catch up with demand for at least 12 months....if ever. All Odysseys are a bargain at MSRP and need no discounts or incentives. I am glad DC copied Honda and came out with the eC, eL, and eX models that are well equipped and will not receive any incentives or discounts. Honda Odyssey will remain at the top of our list when we consider our next purchase.
Three years, 40,000 miles and eight major problems later, I was very happy to turn it in. Market prices on my '99 are around $12,000. '99 Odyssey LX around $18,000. So what's really the better value? D-C has sold millions of minivans, so millions of people can't be wrong, right? People buy a lot of cigarettes, too.
Speaking from first hand knowledge on the subject, we certainly are benefiting from the increased production. However, not all dealers are receiving a bonanza of product. Do you know how Honda allocates their cars? Its based on a couple of things. First of all it is based on your sales. Secondly it is based on your inventory dates. Inventory dates means that if you are a dealer that loads up Odysseys with equipment and adds a ADM, more than likely your Odysseys will sit for a while before selling. This tells Honda that you are not in real need of more new inventory. So a 5-7 Odyssey a month dealership wont see a real difference...at least not the "16" that you somehow figured that each dealer will get.
Also, I dont think that you have a grip on just when our busy time of the year is...it's Spring. Spring to car dealers is our Christmas...especially with Odysseys. This is when demand is at an all time high.
Let me give you an example. Our normal allocation is for approx 20-25 Odysseys per month. Since 1999 we have only had 2 Odysseys that have hit the ground unsold! Now, we are in a little different situation because we are building a new showroom. Whenever dealers do this, Honda rewards them with extra inventory. It amounts to two months of extra allocations spread over a three month period. That means for our dealership we received 50 EXTRA Odysseys, not inclusive of our normal 25 per. I'm sure you would immediately and incorrectly surmise that we have Odysseys spread all over the place...no so. Even with these extra units I only have 17 available til the end of March. Thats not much inventory for the time. We also don't push our cars in other states...all local buisiness, as it should be.
Please understand this isn't a promo piece on us, just thought I'd try to help you understand the realities of the Odyssey situation.
Jerry
I was wondering if you could answer a question I have about the purchase of Odysseys. After the customer places his order with the dealer, how is the dealer able to determine, and when, the shipping date of the vehicle, from the factory to the dealer is.
If the Ody owner paid $2k above MSRP, and the Caravan owner got huge rebates and/or 0% financing, actual depreciation might be about the same.
Usually residual values are stated as a % of the original MSRP, but here that number is meaningless.
-juice
However, your information was welcome and most imformative. Honda should maybe go to Saturn sales methods and lower dealer profit to make this all much more simpler.
INKY
I would like to be able to negotiate on a Saturn personally. I'm sure those dealers love being able to get more then the car is worth.
When the allocation goes through, usually a couple of days after it is sent, we receive a listing of "inventory on order". This gives us the "build date". Honda gives a four day period for build dates. For example 3/15 to 3/19. Once the car has been made, the VIN then becomes available on the next report. This is the "inventory in transit" report. Once we see the car on the "in transit report" we expect that car in 10-14 business days. Keep in mind that is for delivery in Maryland. Dealers in Arizona or other states might have differing delivery times.
Ask your dealer for the build date, and then ask how long after the car has been shipped does it normanlly take in your area.
Jerry
Good try though.
Jerry
1. It's very quiet; it's probably comparable to my Sienna.
2. There is no indication of whether you are in the 5th gear or not. In fact, on the panel, I could only choose between D and D3. It seems to miss a D4?
3. I wish Honda had offered a Nav-DVD combo as many posters mentioned.
4. Did anyone get a running board and cross bars for the luggage rack?
Overall it's a big improvement over previous Ody, and I like it a lot. However, it seems that the Ody is a practical van, by that I mean Honda could have a more luxurious van such as an Acura minivan in the future. Just my 0.02
Justin
On the Saturn 2000 large wagon( a mid sized station wagon) Model LW2A versus the Odyssey 2000 EX. I am in a good position to make this comparison as I bought the Odyssey and got the nonnegotiable price on the Saturn.
Cost out the door of my Odyssey EX yr 2000 with mudguards, carpets and 7yr/100k m/0 ded warranty, including tax and license = $30,168
Cost out the door of Saturn yr 2000 Model LW2A,includes 6yr/100k m/o ded warranty(they did not have 7 yr), ABS braking system, tinted windows, and pinstripe = $26,748
Difference in price is $3,420
So paying the full MSRP for the Odyssey for just $3,420 more I got a minivan instead of a mid sized wagon. I also got a lot more extras on the minivan and a much more useful vehicle. Thats why I decided on the Odyssey. If I had bought a smaller less in demand Honda that was comparable to the Saturn, I think I could probably have got it for quite a bit less then the Saturn.
I got financing on the vehicle via a 2nd morgague home loan of 5 years at 6.99%. Since I can take the interest off my income tax that is equivalent to a 4.9% conventional loan.
So the payments for the Saturn would be $504/mth and for the Odyssey $568. That is a difference of only $64/mth for which I got a lot more vehicle for that $64/mth. I had no problem deciding on the Odyssey.
And now thinking about it some more for about the same price as the Saturn I could have gotten the Odyssey LX, which would have cost about $400 more and the Odyssey LX would still be a lot more vehicle then the Saturn midsize wagon.
I was so impressed with the way the car handled the impact that there is no doubt I will be getting another Odyssey. It is just a matter of where and when. I traveled about 3 hours to get my 2000 and was hoping to find a dealer closer to the Northern Virginia area this time around.
Can anyone recommend a good dealer in the No. VA area that is selling at MSRP with a minimal wait?
Thanks.
Some lawyers have been fighting the insurance companies over their too low payments. I would go to dealers lots and see what your car is selling for used and fight the insurance.
I have now been hit twice in my Odyssey EX 2000. My insurance agent, State Farm, suggested in each case that I call the insurance of the guy that hit me, and work it myself, without getting SF involved. It really worked great. In a few days they said their guy was at fault and they paid all my expenses including a rental car, which could be a minivan if I wanted it. So I had no deductables and no rental car expense. I also had no police report in both cases and no wittiness in the second accident.
What I now have and recommend is that you carry rental car insurance, which would be a part of your auto insurance policy. It is only about $30/yr. A rental car can easily cost $1,000 and more in an accident, more then your deductables
As for getting another Odyssey. I hear it is a 2-4 month wait. I would take my time and go to work on the problem, and if need be get a rental car in the meantime from a low cost rental agency. I have heard that Rent A Wreak is one of the lowest cost. You might check with some of the other Odyssey boards also for dealer recommendations.
I would be willing to even go out of state for one. Some at this board have done that. Some places seem to have a greater supply of Odysseys then others.
By the way if you had an extended warranty on you vehicle, you can get a rebate back on the unused portion. If you get a new Odyssey I recommend the factory extended warranties as, if the dealer says you need to get something fix you do not need a second opinion and you can just say to him, fix it.
I think things will work out well for you ,but there will be some hassles to go through.
I told him that his purchase of 2 Accords in 2001 helped the Accord claim 1st place in sales once more.
In any event, to answer your question, Rosenthal Honda in Tyson's had 4 Odysseys early today. They had 3 available when I test-drove around 2pm this afternoon. Unfortunately, they all had cloth (no leather, no DVD, no Nav systems). The one I test drove was an EX, and I'm not sure if the other 2 were EX's or LX's.
Good luck, and I'm glad everyone walked away safely.
For their "sale" they're allowing purchasers to refuse to accept some of their silly dealer add-on's (the one I test drove had some rust-proofing and pin-striping for $700+ change), AND they're willing to negotiate off of their stickered $2,500 dealer mark-up above MSRP.
My, my, that's quite a sale.
;-)
If there is anything I can do to help you out, let me know.
Jerry