2012 Town and country verse Honda Odyssey

paullee01

I am in the market for a new mini van and have narrowed it down to the Chrysler TC touring L or Honda Odyssey EX-L. I would really like to hear from some TC owners 2011-2012 models. Would love to get some actual owners opinions likes/dislikes reliability issues etc. and just your overall feeling of this vehicle. I plan on keeping this vehicle for at least 10+. I am gravitating towards the TC but I can't seem to find many consumers reviews.

crusergabai

I was ready to pick up the vehicle today and test drove a T&C Touring-L. I found the tranmission shifting too much and too much lag between 1st and 2nd gears. Wound up not buying today and t drove an Odyssey. It felt a lot better but the Honda is priced too high for me. Not buying anything right now.

paullee01

Thanks for the response. Just wondering was it in Ecno mode??? I am thinking I might rent a TC for the weekend before I buy. I have read some complaints about the transmission shuttering. I am also reading complaints about the transmissions on the Honda's.

The Honda dealer keeps calling me lowing the price of an EX-L Oddyssey with Nav down to $33,500 plus tax , dealer prep etc. I'm not sure what the TC is going OTD. I might wait a bit also the reviews on both these vehicles are mixed.

bob550k

I bought a 2010 Limited last year new under $30,000, that made the choice so easy! Bought the Gold Plated extended warranty and the Sirius Radio plan and it was still over $8,000 cheaper than the comparable Honda.

I will give the Honda this, it seats 8 and it's a teeny bit quieter inside than the TC.

paullee01

I still haven't made any purchases yet but to get an idea on how the Town and Country is after some mileage I test drove a 2011 with 35,000 miles. It was a former rental car being sold at Car Max (so you know this thing was beat) I noticed the ride wasn't that smooth my current 2001 Pontiac Montana rides better. I also noticed the rear sliding doors creaked a lot. Didn't notice anything with the transmission seemed to shift smooth. Rear brakes were grinding probably needed rotors. I keep a vehicle for at least 10 years I am not really sure how this van is going to hold up in the long run.

Prices I was quoted:
2011 New hold over TC Touring L OTD $33,700
2012 OTD Touring L $35,900
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan RT $33,800
2012 Honda Oddyssey EX-L with Nav $ 37,600

paullee01

I still haven't made any purchases yet but to get an idea on how the Town and Country is after some mileage I test drove a 2011 with 35,000 miles. It was a former rental car being sold at Car Max (so you know this thing was beat) I noticed the ride wasn't that smooth my current 2001 Pontiac Montana rides better. I also noticed the rear sliding doors creaked a lot. Didn't notice anything with the transmission seemed to shift smooth. Rear brakes were grinding probably needed rotors. I keep a vehicle for at least 10 years I am not really sure how this van is going to hold up in the long run.

Prices I was quoted:
2011 New hold over TC Touring L OTD $33,700
2012 OTD Touring L $35,900
2012 Dodge Grand Caravan RT $33,800
2012 Honda Oddyssey EX-L with Nav $ 37,600

jimboy2

I bought a 2011 TC Touring new for CAD$32,000 now at 13,000 KMS.At start-up(first gear) it's quite slow but once in motion,i can feel the power of it's 283 HP/260 ft-lb torque engine.At city drive(frequent stopping) and winter season,i don't use the eco-mode because i can feel both the engine and auto-transmission as being pressured.I may use the eco-mode in the city if i see that the traffic is moderate.But on highway driving the eco-mode option is very beneficial when it comes to fuel economy as you can see it in the dashboard information center in front of the driver.For the said price,it is equipt with the following:remote engine starter,push-button starter, keyless entry (no need to bring-out the key from your pocket to open the door,but be sure that the key is always with you),power sliding doors and quarter doors,power liftgate(back door),power windows,backing camera and sirius satellite radio.

gauger01

I have owned two Oddy's EX-L, the current one is a 2006. We are looking to upgrade. While I love Honda's (currently also have a Civic), I've been look hard at the used 2012 T&C Limited. The T&C's are running just under $29K, with milage under 20k. A comparable Oddy Touring Elite is about $10k more.

So the price is a no brainer, but I'm concerned about reliability. I've been blessed with the Oddy never having to take it in for repair.

I really like the options on the Limited, sort of like the front end styling of the Oddy.

Wanted to see how others are who own T&C are doing with reliablity issues.

jimboy2

Mine is 2011 T/C Touring only,when it comes to reliablity so for so good at 40,000 kms (25,000 miles) driven daily in a harsh Canadian climate.Regarding the Oddy,I have a neighbour who owns a 2002 Honda Odessey and at 150,000 kms(93,750 miles)in it mileage the transimission fails that needed major repair.My other van (a 2001 Pontiac Montana SE) which is still in my possesion is still in good shape with NO major repairs under it (wether engine nor transmission issues).Currently it has 240,000 kms or 150,000 mileage and proud to tell you that the emission tests were always successful without any repairs at all in order to pass the test since day one.I was convinced to buy another van which is the T/C (5 of us in the family and all grown-up) because we travelled a lot during summer and mostly to the U.S.To wrap up my point i think it's a matter of how one person operate and maintain his/her vehicle to make it reliable.