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Honda will be doing press confrence in July '04 to debut it's all-new Odyssey (U.S. Model)
All the info will be available online at that time. Don't expect anything to be released in N.A. anytime before - because it can affect it's current '04 Model sales.
The reason they didin't release anything in the NY AutoShow because the 2004 Odyssey is due to last it's full year unlike what Toyota did with it's Sienna with early model year debut.
The current odyssey has lost it's share to the new Sienna but Sales numbers are still higher than the other competition which includes the new Quest from Nissan, the restyled Mazda MPV and Kia Sedona.
Until then you will only hear predictions...
Don't call it irrelevant or impractical or whatever. Minivans don't HAVE TO HAVE sliding doors, 60/40 Split, tow-away-seats, or a lot of things either.
Heck, you don't even need a minivan. Just take your family on a bus. How's that?
Fact is, I have the money and I can spend on whatever the heck I want just because I can or feel like it. If I want woodtrim and gated shifter, that's my deal. If you want a cheapo stripped down box on wheel, that's your deal.
My vehicles, whether it's a sedan, SUV, or minivan must be luxurious. That's the way I like it.
Rolls Royce manages to maintain a modicum of luxury in their column shifted vehicles.
Luxury is not about checking items off of a list, it is more about the quality of the items themselves.
Putting plastic wood in a car adds no more to luxury than putting a turbo decal on adds to performance.
Mercedes, Audi, Cadillac DTS-- all have (or have had) gated shifts.
Plus, gated shifts are just more convenient. Honda had better drop its antiquated column shift layout on the new Odyssey, as it blocks the view of the dash.
Plastic or not, the 'wood' looks nice. You have to spend upwards of $50K these days to get an interior that surrounds you with the real thing.
No there isn't any real news towards the information about the '05 Odyssey.
In a way there is some... as you won't find anything until July when the Official info will be released until we can only assume everything on the ody.
Chrome accents = luxury? Have you looked at major appliances ever? Chromed up end caps and door handles went hand in hand with disco in the 1970's. IMHO anything with chrome plating looks dated. I realize this is cars and not washing machines. Graceful ergonomical functional quality styling should be what luxury is all about.
Honda can sell every Odyssey produced without adding a seemingly endless list of overpriced gimmicks.
if a craftsman is known by his tools, his toolbox does not have one of those silly hammers with all sorts of storage in the handle, telescoping head, bent grip, yada yada. it's design is simple. it's purpose is to drive nails...
like a good tool, the honda appealed to my engineering senses: simplicity, form, function and value.
and the driving experience communicated something familiar to what i experience in the accord i drive.
if you have to have a stylish portable "living room", other manufacturers will gladly provide that for your ownership pleasure.
On the other hand there is absolutely nothing wrong with paying 35K or more to get fake wood trim and a "luxury interior" if that's what you want to do with your money.
I have no idea where you comments on stripped down vehicles come from. All of the minivans can be purchased nicely equipped, with quality interiors for less than 30K.
Seems big discounts and additional factory-to-dealer 'marketing support' are the only reasons Honda is selling every Odyssey produced right now.
When the '99s came out, they sort of had the market niche to themselves. Now, Toyota is too strong a competitor, which is good news for fans of either make.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
If, indeed, Honda dealers will be facing enough pressure from tougher competition to keep mark-ups off '05 Ody prices, Honda the company had better make sure there is a more adequate supply than last time. Paying MSRP is one thing, but being asked to wait 3-6 months for the privilege when there are more alternatives than before could be a deal breaker-- even for Honda die-hards.
I have one acquaintance who wanted a 1999 Odyssey but got a 1999 Grand Voyager and liked it so well he got a new 2002 Grand Caravan when there were no 2002 Odysseys available for purchase when he decided to get another minivan.
Some Americans just don't have the patience to wait for the best.
News is the "lazy-susan" info. The rest has been covered here already. I guess what we all want is an actual photo. A followup post to this post states dash mounted shifter from a consumer group preview on an unnamed minivan.
"My father-in-law sells Honda vehicles and is usually in the top 3 each month. He told me this weekend that Honda has told the salesmen the following:
1. new body style (duh!)
2. 250 HP engine (10hp increase)
3. power windows in sliding doors.
4. DVD and NAVI to be available in a "Limited Edition" ody.
5. split rear seat (3rd row) that still stows away.
6. lazy susan type of thing in floor of middle seats for storage of movies, cds, etc.
7. New paint colors.
All I have for now."
Good news about the roll down windows in the sliding doors though. My kids would really appreciate that.
Hope they decide to offer a mooonroof too. If not, they will be the only ones not to.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
It's all about what you desire. Some people hate woodtrim and gated shifter. Some people love them. I guess my Lexus has woodtrim and gated shifter and so I have grown to love them. Sure just becase a $380K Mercedes Maybach has woodtrim and gated shifter, doesn't mean you HAVE to HAVE woodtrim and gated shifter to be LUXURY. You could have 24K gold instead of woodtrim and your column shifter could be made of diamonds and 24K gold:-)
But to a lot people, woodtrim and gated shifter are things they expect to see in a luxury vehicle.
So you would buy a hot pink color Odyssey with purple and green interior cloth? Color has nothing to do with "all of the major functions a minivan needs to accomplish".
The point is, not everyone thinks like you and feels the same as you, just like they don't think like me and feel the same as I. Some people prefer certain things like woodtrim and gated shifter and moonroof. A lot of us don't buy a minivan or any vehicles just because they can accomplish certain physical/mechanical needs. We DESIRE other things and feel that they are worth the extra money.
But perhaps I took it the wrong way. I don't think you meant it in a offensive way. So, that's cool.
Okay, my wife thinks it's hilarious too that I like woodtrim and gated shifter. But c'mon man, she's woman :-) I thought guys would understand things like woodtrim and gated shifter.
Just like NAV and DVDs, they are all expensive toys-to-boys. If I'm going to drive a darn minivan, it better have all my toys-for-boys.
Know what I'm saying?
The question is, what is the price difference between the Sienna Limited and the Odyssey you are thinking about buying? Less than $10K?
Also consider that Toyota mark their vehicles up more than Honda, so if you can buy a Sienna at invoice, the price difference is even smaller.
But to me, the small (but significant) price difference is worth my money for the next 10 years.
Chrysler has offered separately controlled temperature for driver and front passenger for many years. Manually controlled in lower priced and Automatically controlled in higher priced minivans.
Toyota finally offered Automatically controlled in higher priced 2004 Sienna. Will Honda offer the feature in 2005? It did not appear on the list by danno.
That lazy susan thing is probably the most advanced engineering concept yet to appear in a minivan.
"No, from what I remember the car was very spacious inside. The prototype was bigger than the current model. I also think that it looked terrific. And yes it had roll down windows in the sliding doors. If they improve the mileage with 10 more horsepower, and improve the ride and sound it will be a slam dunk. There is only so much you can do with ride verses handling. I would vote for handling over a cushy smooth ride. The second seat in the floor would not be a high consideration for me. I hardly have a need for that. I would be happy to be able to just pivot them forward against the front seats when needed.
because it's behavior is inconsistent / unpredictable perhaps? maybe it actually cognitively loads you (as driver) more to use it and rely on it => because you spend mental energy explaining it's behavior to yourself...
is it still working?
why did it slow the car there?
what is the reflection off now?
those trees up there?
corner comming up...be prepared to spend more mental energy...
no value for this engineer. exactly the opposite...negative value!
or take when people start smacking their lift gates against their garage doors because they have the power gate option...same thing. smack it once or twice...then you'll use it rarely! spending mental energy? yup - did I pull my car into the garage far enough so when the button gets pushed...we don't smack it again?
auto dimming interior lights that don't behave the way the dealer and owner manual explained it...
AWD and those runflats you can't find, or few can mount, or that cost alot.
yada yada.
in some cases simple IS better, and for some <<like me>> MORE valuable.
and you know the KISS principle... it applies to human factors as well.
and isn't that "top-dawg" mini going to weigh more - hence poorer gas mileage? but your fake trim is safe; it won't add much weight.
saw a jaguar yesterday with lots o wood trim? real? fake? i couldn't tell. looked very very cheesy though.
to each his or her own.
Thanks.
I have to admit that some features are good for bragging "rights" and questionable for practicality. Mosts features/options are pretty much toys-for-boys.
My first car was all about practicality and none of that fancy danty gizzmos. But over the years, my taste has changed. It has now come to the fun-factor stage. But it could change again and again at any time. That's the funny thing in life.
Of course, I fully realize that I won't use many of the features offered. I don't even use the moonroof in my Lexus. I never use that power lumbar. I hardly even use the CD player or radio. I don't even spend that much time in any vehicle. But I like the NAV a lot.
I guess I could spend that extra money on one of those LCD or DPL TVs instead of on a car.
Okay, your points well taken.
But I may still want all those features that I never use :-)
Why?
Because I'm nuts:-)
If the new Odyssey will be more spacious than the current model, than that will make it more spacious than the Sienna, and the Quest.
Will the new Odyssey have an automatic tailgate?
Having driven the new Sienna recently, I was very impressed with the fact that it was very quiet, very comfortable, and very quick and responsive. Having said that, I still like Odyssey, and wouldn't consider any other minivan on the market. However, I really want to see Honda engineer this new one with much better wind and noise improvement, such as the Sienna, and the Quest. Even Honda makes those noticeable improvements, then you're right, the new Odyssey will be a slam dunk.
Some of us prefer their cars with a bit more character, fun, and soul. (Again, I'd be proud to own an S2000).
I want my vehicles to look good on the outside and especially on the inside.
I want chrome and a nice Lexus-like grille.
I want nice woodtrim and leather on the inside including steering wheel and gated shifter.
Basically, I want a Lexus minivan.
If Lexus offered such a vehicle, I would own one.
Too bad for us they don't offer.
andrewtran71 - we understand each other...i know where you're comming from. this is for the other tech zealots out there. but seriously, that jag faux (?) wood trim looked sooooo ugly!
to heywood1's point - i think you are are right. Honda knows how to make a very good appliance. if you need to sex it up though, there's always aftermarket - or there's the Acura.
but sexing up a mini-van? come on. i think the target market responding to the manufacturers pushing this questionable stuff is sort of conflicted.
in the end, i suspect consumers want to get in the car and go everytime (dependability). they are rushed and busy so it better be natural, simple and direct - maybe even essential - otherwise it doesn't get used (no value). consumers dont want to be on a first name basis with the service department reps unless they are lonely, masochistic or both (so it has to be reliable). when and if they sell their car, they will hopefully recognize and appreciate a decent resell value.
all the other stuff is just...stuff...
i think by keeping the Honda trim variation down to N=3 or 4, not only does Honda improve their build, they improve their availability and also their sales...people know what they offer.
i for one think that Toyota went a bit overboard on all the different offerings (some of which appear to be difficult to locate). if you need a matrix to represent the vehicle combinations, there's probably too many combos.
andrewtran71 - one day I suspect you'll notice your appreciation of the simple returning in force.
I personally think the Lexus looks are a bit cheesy and an obvious/blatant Mercedes wanabee. But like a few people here have said that everyone entitled to their own opinion. I think we should get back to discussing the technology behind the new Odyssey such as VCM. I'm completely fascinated by that due to the fact that others have failed but Honda felt they can pull it off. And this lazy Susan thing, what exactly is a lazy Susan? I'm not sure. All the Susan I know are pretty active and hard-working.
Who knows in life?
Two years ago, I would have never guessed I'd be talking about minivans now!
But yeah, some woodtrims do look like crap, just like some chrome grilles look like crap.
Just having something doesn't make it's good.
You gotta have something good to make it good.
For example, I think the front grilles of the Chryslers look terrible--like the new 300 something sedan? I bet it has more chrome than the Lexus LS430 or the new '05 Acura RL. But it looks much, much worse IMO than even the Sienna's front grille.
I think the woodtrim in a $380K Maybach doesn't look as good as the woodrim in a $45K Lexus GX470 or the LS430.
As to the VCM, from what I have read the version that Chrysler just introduced (on the Hemi) works very well, to the extent that you can't tell it's there. Of course, long term durability is yet to be seen.
Honda should't have a problem with VCM, since it isn't really all that much different than the VTECH stuff they have used for years.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Check out the woodrim installed at the dealer on a Landcruiser and the woodtrim on the Lexus LX470.
It's not even funny how bad the dealer/3rd party woodtrim looks compared to the factory Lexus woodtrim.
But yeah, I can understand different opinions. My brother hates woodtrim, and so does my wife. I think a lot of woodtrims don't look good either. I think the woodtrim on the Lexus GX470 looks a lot better than the woodrim on the LX470 and LS430.
But who cares if Lexus copied Mercedes? If you see something good, copy it and make it look even better.
They all copy each other in the end.
After the Lexus LS came out and stole a lot of sales from Mercedes, the Mercedes people copied the ideas of Lexus too.
I have not seen any Mercedes at any price, including the $380K Maybach, with a better woodtrim than the Lexus GX and LS.
In my opinion, nothing out there looks as good as the Lexus GX or LS on the interior.
But yeah, that's my opinion.
Some people will always think Mercedes look better no matter what. That's their opinion. We just differ, like you said.
Oh, yeah, talk about technology all you want. I like that too. VCM. Hybrid. NAV. HP. Torque. dBA. Braking distance. Coefficient of Drag. Bring it on. We talk about everything here.
Only problem is, we just can't talk about any of it because we don't know squat about the new Ody.
Anyhow, since he's familiar with the vehicle, then so-called facts like the Lazy Susan are just wishful fictions.
so the VCM strategy...how much might one realistically anticipate for improvements in fuel economy vs. non-VCM at legal HW speed?
also - does the system do anything to switch one out of VCM when you ask for max fuel?
lastly, there is some active noise or vibration cancellation associated with the technology...did the VTEC have that?
Anyway, if Chrysler can figure out how to make it work, it can't be too hard!
It does switch to full power mode on demand.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Nothing wrong with you wanting it all, just remember you are the minority in buying the top of the line luxury trim. Of course Toyota hopes customers like you become the majority, because the higher the trim level, the higher their profit per vehicle. But if you have the money, I agree - spend it on what you want. You can't take it with you!