Honda Odyssey Future Models

fbear

Sounds like demand is higher on West coast. My dealer in NJ promises at MSRP and I have no reason to doubt them since that is the deal I got in 99.

Anyone else on East coast also finding MSRP deals?

lynnw

My DH contacted a dealer that told him they did not know anything about the '05 Ody. I am sure that was only half true. He would have to know by now that they were releasing a new model, as well as the fact that the release date would be in Sept. Right?! Anyhow, we got nowhere with him. I e-mailed another dealer last night and have yet to hear back from him. I will give him to the end of today. Tomorrow I will call someone else from his lot to talk to about this. I hate getting no response. I suppose he could be out on vacation, but in that case shouldnt there be an auto e-mail response saying so? Oh, well good thing the release is still 2 months away or I might be really upset. I will let you know what I find out tomorrow. Hopefully something.

cabaiste

I have an 05 on order in the Metro NY area for $750 under MSRP. I know that same dealer is still doing Internet deals for $500 under MSRP with no required dealer add-ons or bogus fees.

lynnw

Just as I was finishing posting my phone rang. It was the dealer. He told me that so far they had minimal information on what features there would be on the new van. He said they have not put in their order yet and when they do they would probably order 10. I asked if they would be selling over MSRP and he told me no, but it would probably be right at that since it was more than likely going to be high demand. I asked him to please call me when and if they do preorders and to let me put in a requested vehicle the way I want it on their first order to factory. I told him I would hate to have to wait til their next order to get the exact van I wanted since I would take nothing less. He assured me he would check on pre-orders and also contact me when he had more information. I informed him that dealers were already starting to take pre-orders on good faith from customers according to their specific needs. Not much info, but at least I was able to get someone to talk to me. I think I may go ahead and contact other dealers anyway and compare what they tell me.

amc731

Hmmmmm.......$750 under huh? Sounds good...the most I was hoping for was $500. Thanks for motivating me to ask for more off:)

dondonl

I contacted Anderson Honda via email through their website, and the person that responded told me they were taking (refundable) $500 deposits on the '05 Odyssey.

She refused, however, to agree to any kind of pricing. I specifically asked about MSRP, and she refused to make any deal, stating that since they don't know the pricing, they can't agree to anything.

This is just my experience; YMMV.

ash1

Why all you informed people lining up outside the dealerships. There will be plenty to go around. It is not 1999 Ody, which did not have any real competition from Toyota or Nissan. Don't hurt yourself by creating unnecessary hyp.

hayneldan

You people are so hyped up about the 05 to be willing to pay over MSRP for one, just to be the first one on your block to have one. In an old western movie I remember the old timer saying "WAIT! the first cowboy over the hill gets all the arrows!"

fbear

It may not be 1999 but I believe that the 2005 Ody will cause a stir when released, even in the face of competition such as the Sienna. I want to have mine for our annual 8 hour Thanksgiving trek and I think the only way I will have the model & color of my choice by then is to be on the list now. Time will tell, but come November, I'll bet the waiting time will be 6 months, unless you want to buy one at $2,500 over MSRP and that will be to pick from what is on the lot, not to get the model & color of your choice.

And aside from that, I will admit to being a bit of a car nut and excited about being among the first to have the new toy.

badgerfan

I'm with you. I find the blind enthusiasm shown here very amusing. The dealers will absolutely love to take the money of the gottahaveitfirst customers who are willing to pay close to MSRP or over without having even sat in the van.

mochisushi

Who said anything about buying the car without sitting in it. Many of us have simply put our name on the list so that once it is released, we can FULLY evaluate it and make a decision at that time. For my dealer, if I don't like it, I will get my deposit back (if and when they request it) and move on. But if I do like it, I won't be waiting months later on. Whether or not the couple dozen people writing in this forum put down a deposit or not, the hype will be there. I bet there are thousands more people that will want this van that aren't on this forum than the few that are.

So, go ahead and laugh at us.

pluto168

No, I don't have to have a Odyssey. I can go with the Siena just as well. But I do need a van by Nov before my 3rd arrive. I want to make sure I will have a choice during Sep and Oct. If it turns out Odyssey is a dissapointment - either in terms of features or pricing, I'll pick up a Siena at a price at least 2.5k off MSRP.

amykkbc

If there's no waiting list and no one is even willing to pay at MSRP, do you think those dealers dare to ask over MSRP?
If we all ask for $1000 under MSRP, we all get it $1000 under MSRP and a lot sooner.
The more we beg on those dealers or put ourselves on their waiting list, the higher the price we're going to pay at longer the time we suppose to get and at the worse the service they'll give us.

lynnw

I am glad you are amused, however I dont plan on paying MSRP. I do want to see the exact van I intend to buy, hence my contacting the dealer to order it. At that point I will go look at it and if the price is not right I do intend to walk away. It took me about one full year to get my current car, and I walked out of about 4 dealerships because they were not willing to negotiate on price. They wanted full MSRP since it was a first model year car. After about 10 or 11 months, one of them finally called and offered the exact car we wanted (color and all) at about $6,000 below MSRP. They even threw in a 10 disc changer to boot. I know how to shop for vehicles and there is no tattoo that says "SUCKER" anywhere on my body. The dealer either works within reasonable terms, or they dont get my business. In the end, I live by the motto "they build new cars everyday I dont have to settle for anything!"

amykkbc

How many of us can afford buying a new car every other year from the same dealer?
And how often do you see the same salesperson or the same manager in the same dealer when you're ready to buy your next car?
If you can't buy your new car every year from the same dealer, they won't care, they're for profit.

pluto168

It's not about just repeat business for one person. It's about reputation by word of mouth. It's very powerful business practice. W/o it, I would not know Anderson Honda is more reputable than others...

fbear

We are not talking about a "blind buy" here. It is simply a matter of locking up the right of first refusal.

Yes, I have put down a deposit without ever having sat in a 2005 Ody but the deposit is fully refundable. After I sit in and drive one of the the first vans my dealer gets, I will either say, "I'll take it", or "Please return my deposit". Interest rates being what they are, I am losing about $1.25 by letting then have my $500 for a few months. Seems a fair price to me for right of first refusal.

I believe the price of the 2005 Ody will stay at or above MSRP for a long time. Time will tell.

amykkbc

If the law says a deposit must be refundable, then why some people here in the forum are so happy on the refundable nature of their pre-order deposit?
All dealers love to create hype here, esp. before the release.

fbear

Whatever the hype on this board, it cannot account for even a drop in the bucket of national sales. Whether the 2005 Ody sells below or above MSRP and what kind of wait there is will not be impacted in the slightest way by anything that happens on this board.

amykkbc

The law said they can't steal your deposit, but they still want it? Why? because they want to know how many people are really interested in this particular item, from where they can judge its sellable price, so they can make the most out of it.
Just remember all dealers are for profit AND they're in the least reputable business.

amykkbc

the past year. you calculate it.

ace1000

Anderson Honda in Palo Alto is not taking deposits yet on the '05 Odyssey, according to one of the managers at the dealer.

casper7777

i tend to agree with fbear. based on the activity on this board, you would think there was some sort of national craze over the new odyssey. but at least in the dc metro area, it seems extrememly quiet. i called a few local honda dealers about the 05 odysseys and most have told me that I'm the first person to ask and that they have no information yet. At least two have told me that they are scheduled go to a dealer "launch" of the new odyssey early september. they told me they'd have more details then. only one was accepting preorders. in some ways, i think the people on this board are way more in the loop then some of these dealers.

ace1000

You can't calculate it because it isn't a different group of 1000 each day.

amykkbc

if there are enough people calling and willing to put down deposit, don't think they will jack up their sellable price. They'll love to invite all to joint the bidding war.

rorr

I'll second what ace1000 says.

Has it occurred to you it's (for the most part) the same 1000 people on the Town Hall boards day in and day out? I'd be willing to bet that of the 2100 odd posts in THIS thread (which is way more than a year old), the number of DIFFERENT posters is maybe 300-400. And of these, the number of rabid gotahaveitrightnow buyers is maybe 20-30. Maybe.

The behaviour of this small group of individuals won't make one iota's worth of difference to the general Honda dealer network.

amykkbc

1000 different people every day reading this board and others, like odyclub and etc. and very few of them are actually posting. just ask Steve.

rorr

Sure.

And your chance of getting all those people hot-to-trot over the new Odyssey to NOT pester dealers about pre-ordering cars and taking deposits is essentially zero.

But if you like tilting at windmills.....

kgnw1

But was your car a hot vehicle like the Odyssey? 2 years ago I tried to buy an '03 Odyssey locally in the Seattle area before the Sienna came out and most of the dealers were asking $2000 over MSRP. The best deal I could find at the time was in Chicago and I emailed/called over 100 dealers west of the Mississippi.

If the '05 Ody is everything they say it is, it's going to be a hot vehicle and I doubt if dealers will deal if people will pay over MSRP.

amc731

I would guess that the majority of people who find a forum, read it consistently and post to it, are thinking along the same lines as I. Simply that, we're not making an important purchase without doing significant research until such time as we're certain that we're getting the best price/safety/reliability/cargo space/fuel efficiency/etc for our buck.

My lease is up the end of this month. For over a year I've researched and test driven every vehicle that might have met our needs. Bottom line, if the Ody is everything it's cracked up to be and the price is right, I want to get one before my lease extension expires. As I won't be paying MSRP, I'm not too concerned about Honda suddenly dropping the price or offering incentives to move the vehicle next month or next year. If, for some reason I don't purchase the '05, I'll simply take my $500 and purchase a Sienna/Quest/Suburban, which will most likely have come down in price even further due to the increased competition. It sounds like win/win to me.

mochisushi

Hey amc731,
Last we talked, I mentioned that I didn't have the big dog...Well, we just faxed an application to adopt a Greyhound. Don't know for sure if we'll get one, but started the process. We may need a second Sub instead of the Ody...

pluto168

>Anderson Honda in Palo Alto is not taking deposits yet on the '05 >Odyssey, according to one of the managers at the dealer.

This is my experience too. But I thought someone said he put a deposit down already at Anderson...

lexi4life

I heard a new 3.8 liter V6 would be put in the next Odyssey. Can someone tell me if this is true?

vertrkr

This is by far the most detail I've seen on '05 specs, pretty much covers it all. Look at the 7th from the last post at the bottom of this page titled "2005 US Odyssey VS 2004 Sienna". Enjoy!

http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=3051

lynnw

Apparently it was not. However, my experience in this area has been that there is no car that is so hot, you cant get it. For example, you said that to get your '03 you had a heck of a time, well here they were abundant. My sister bought an '03 and they were tripping all over themselves to add extras onto it. Now, the Sienna seems to have a little more "legs" as far as demand goes in the area. But even those have been pretty easy to find at the dealer. They did not sell over MSRP or anything, but I feel they are overpriced as it is. Regardless of the demand, I will not sell my soul for a car, sorry it wont happen. I am not desperate for a new van, I would love to get it soon but I can wait. I dont have car payments (which I love) and my car runs wonderfully and is in great condition. If the dealer wants to play games they can play them with someone else. If they want to talk serious business, then we will deal. Bottom line is they still want to sell their vans. If they play hardball, they run the risk of running their customers to another dealership. In this town there are many, and I have no problem driving a couple of hours to pick up a new car cheaper.

lynnw

Thanks for the link. I had seen this forum before but not since that post. This is good information. I like the part about the second row seat sliding together, that sounds cool. I also love the idea of the blue electronics. Sounds like the spy photos is not doing this new Ody any justice. I cant wait to see it in person, I bet it rocks. However, I still say if they cant deal I will walk. I can either wait, or who knows there may be killer deals to be had on the Sienna at that time.

casper7777

can anyone post the contents of the autospies.com link here. i can't seem to load it right now...thanks.

bayareaguy

Here is the post from the link mentioned above:

I tested new US odyssey. Here is the info regarding US Odyssey (OD) full options compare to 2005 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited AWD. (Just FYI, I currently own 2004 Sienna XLE Limited AWD will all options, $42000).

Long story short, The US Odyssey is the one that is found in Edmunds and Vtec.net. All Japanese Oddysey WILL NOT hit US. It will be sold in ASIA, Australia, etc but not US.

US OD is pretty much the same/ comparable with Sienna. Below you will see the "PLUS" option from each model. About 85% options are the same for both Sienna and OD. I will mention the one that I like in OD and Sienna.

FOR OD MY2005:
1. Exterior Body is larger, longer and more round. The black handle and the black plastic shown in EDmunds picture will be in body color and with the chrome stripe.
2. Interior will look more luxury and better than Sienna
3. Dash is better than Sienna. This was suprised me.
4. Super awesome Cluster with big, graphical message display in the center. Not like sienna. The light is hi-tech (blue color).
5. Steering has audio, cruise, Info, Menu, Back, Voice recognation. (No bluetooth though... damn!)
6. It has adjustable pedal
7. Heated outside side mirror can be turn ON or off by button.
8. 2 preset driver memory seat with indivivual keyless entry for each preset. The cluster can recognize the settings and climate control.
9. Better Navigation system. Besides voice recgnation, you can adjust while driving. Not in my Sienna.
10. I like the shift gear location comapare to sienna.
11. Run flat tire 17 inch. Newer technology by Michellin. Also come with spare tire (store inside). Not in my Sienna.
12. Additional storage in the second row floor.
13. Second row seats fold. Also right 2nd row seat can slide to the center. In Sienna you have to remove the seat. No Stow and go, however with the seats fold, you stil have more space than new Town and Country, because new OD is longer and bigger. 60/40 seats on 3rd row seat like in my Sienna. Same concept as Sienna.
14. RES Entertaintment is thin because the player is in front. The controller can be removed from the ceiling and act as remote. So you do not need separate remote. Smart Idea. The Headphone will automatically ON when you using it. And OFF when you fold the Headphone flat.
16. More cup holder.
17. Engine is 6 Cyl and 3 Cyl when cruising. Better MPG than Sienna.
18. Sienna is prepared for rain sensing (using infra red) for future build. Not now.

The CONS compare to Full Options Sienna:
1. NO HID HEad lamp. No plan to put it as now.
2. NO Adaptive cruise control. Honda will never put this option in OD. (Legal issue)
3. NO AWD
4. Window blind only in 2nd row seat.
5. Third row window cannot be oppend like in Sienna
6. One Glove box. Sinna has two. The front center is a folding tray, Sienna is a complete removable center storage.
7. You cannot see Video in NAV screen, even you are at stop. Only from the RES screen at top. In my Sienna I can disable the safety features and see the movie in front when the vehicle is moving. (Pleas don't tel me it is illegal!! thx).
8. Sienna has better Audio, JBL.

Similiarity:
3 digital auto climate controls, heated seats (Front), back up camera, power doors and tailgate, run flat tires and TPMS. Curtain and side airbag. Park distance sensor. In Honda you can turn ON and OFF the system. Second row window rolls down.

In summary:
If you don't care abaout adaptive cruise, HID , and AWD (In Toyota case, they only build 2% of their total build), and you don't want to spend $42000 OTD, Get OD. It has better interior-exterior looking. But if you a Techno Geek and don't care abaout money, get Sienna. I think Honda will cost cheaper than Sienna (At the same option level).

September is the mass production. You will see in the dealer early October.

I hope, this information will help wheather OD or Sienna is your right VAN. Definately not FORD, GM, or Chryseler VANS....

See you and have a good day!

R!

dondonl

> This is my experience too. But I thought someone said he put a
> deposit down already at Anderson...

Sorry, I was the one who mistakenly posted this info. I read the email I got a little too quickly.

What it actually said is that she is putting together a waiting list (based on desired model/trim and color) for the '05 Odyssey, and that they will start taking deposits ($500) only when pricing and VINs become available.

Again, apologies for the misinformation. That's what I get for not reading my email carefully.

vertrkr

Bummed it has no laser/radar assist cruise control. I bought my mom a loaded Sienna XLE Limited AWD for $650 over invoice a few months ago. Been driving it alot and I have to say I'm addicted to that assisted cruise control in the Sienna. It really works, I let it do the braking on the freeway during a fast slow down from 70mph to 20mph and then back to 70 again, I never touched the pedals, all I had to do was steer ( with a nervous foot over the brake just in case :-)

I really like the sound of the new Honda but if I can get a deal like that on a Sienna before the Ody is even out I imagine it will be a real bargin once it has some competition and it's a great van. My only real complaint about the Sienna is the interface on the Nav. I find it clumsy and requiring too many clicks. It just not clean like the one in Mercedes and Alpine system. I've never seen the Honda Nav so I have no idea how it compares to any of them.

ceric

Laser/radar assist cruise control has been known to fail under several conditions.
- falsely detect neighboring lane vehicles as obstacles at moderate turns on highway speed.
- problematic in rains.

Any one with experience in that? If so, I wouldn't care for one.

vertrkr, as far as I know, Honda/Acura's NAVI is made by Alpine.

As for engine, 3.8L was rumored a while back, but recently the 3.5L with 250hp with VCM is the popular belief. Honda is rumored to be working on a V8 for MDX and high-end vehicles. 3.8L would be too close to V8 engine (typically, 4L+)

amc731

Congratulations! You're going to need that school bus before I do! Keep one thing in mind-- I'm sure greyhounds can jump into the Sub more easily than Mastiffs, but otherwise you'll have to buy a ramp to help him get into the back. This probably shows my obsessive/compulsive research tendencies since we don't even have a Mastiff yet, but hey, you probably already guessed that:)

Hope all is well with you and your family!

fbear

I hope the autospies post is wrong about bluetooth, though it would not surprise me if Honda misses this one since they base so much on focus groups...and the focus groups that had input into this model would not have heard of bluetooth nor would they have perceived a need since it is only recently that states and municipalities have begun to outlaw hands-on cell phone use.

Holding a cell phone to ear just became "sort-of" illegal in NJ. Funny but dialing, menu navigation, and fumbling to plug in a head set at 65 MPH, all of which take your eyes off the road, are still legal. Funnier- it is only illegal if you are cited for some other infraction- so holding a cell phone to your ear is a crime only if you are also speeding or you run a stop or have a brake light out, etc. This should lead to some interesting litigation when you have an accident while holding the phone to your ear...

Maybe the touring model will have it.

mochisushi

Ceric,
One of my employees bought a loaded Sienne XLE Limited AWD. He didn't like the laser assist cruise control. Two things noticed when he drove to Vegas.
1) On a left hand curve, it would pick up a semi in the right lane and suddenly slow down even though he was trying to pass. For right hand curves, it would detect the truck in the left lane. He didn't notice it as much for adjacent cars.
2) If he gets passed by someone and they move over before they are too far ahead, the Sienna will suddenly slow down.

Apparently, when it slows down, it is pretty abrupt, too. He decided to turn it off.

fbear

My experience in an early Lexus with this was similar to mochi's point #2. The space the system wants to leave between you and the next car is bigger than what most people feel is necessary - so it drops you back from the car in front- someone cuts in and it drops you back to create a bigger space and someone cuts in and it drops you back again and again and again and you just move further and further back in the pack- felt like we were going backwards-

amc731

lol.......

vertrkr

In the Sienna, and I think all others, there is a space setting feature. I had it set to the closest space which left about a 1-2 second gap to the car in front. I would not want to be closer than that and found no trouble with it reading cars in adjacent lanes. Cars that would cut in front of me really close did not cause abrupt braking but rather a coasting slow down. I have not tried it the rain and I noticed it does not register motorcycles.

amc731

Just an FYI on an unrelated topic...as many of you know from my previous posts we're extending our lease that's up the end of this month until we see/buy the Ody. 9 months ago we began conversations with our leasing company regarding the necessary info to end/extend our lease and were informed it was no problem to extend our lease on a month by month basis for up to 6 months. They just called today and tried to tell us that a one month extension was now all that was available. Nothing surprises me anymore. My husband rectified the matter with a manager but you just have to wonder what they'll come up with next.

rorr

I remember the rather rabid anticipation of the official release of info from Honda on the new Odyssey which was due (if I remember correctly) as "7/04". Initially, there were thoughts this meant July 4th. Obviously, that was incorrect. But since the month of July is nearly over, just when WILL Honda officially release info (photos, equipment levels, and PRICING) for the new Ody?

pluto168

> the Sienna will suddenly slow down.

Hmm, do the brake lights come on when it slows down suddenly. Just imagine what may happen if there no brake light and there is car tailgating you... I think I'll stay away from this feature...