Looks like baby is 2 weeks premature! Great shots, though, and the first undisguised nose shots and 8 passenger seat pics.
The 8th seat looks to be a disappointment, more like an afterthought. It's really narrow, so it could fit between unmodified 2nd row captain chairs. It appears to be much narrower than the Sienna's 8th seat, narrower than even the current Ford Explorer's "mother-in-law" seat. Only half the seat is visible in the shots, but I'm not sure it's wide enough for LATCH connectors which I believe are supposed to have a minimum distance between them.
This is awesome. Now I actually can see that it's better than I expected based on the previous pics. But I have to agree with most folks here that the interior is still not quite "Acura" level yet. But then again this is not the Touring Edition. Let's see if Money Mag is right about the Touring Edition being at the "Acura" level of luxury. BTW, I think this is the Desert Rock color. Anyone else agree? If it is Desert Rock then I definitely picked the right choice when I ordered mine. :-) I also like the stitch patern on the seats. Kinda cool and modern.
These are great pics! Thanks! Question...if I reading things right, the Touring model will not have the 8 passenger seating (unless the dealer installs it?). If thats true, why will the Touring come with Runflats? If you don't have a spare tire and don't have the 8 seat (that folds into the floor), would they just leave the floor space empty? Set me straight if I don't have something right...
....and I agree...this appears to be Desert Rock. I am on the list to get a Touring Nav/RES in Desert Rock. Hard to tell in the pics, but it does look nice.
Thanks for the pictures. Well, our worst fears came to fruition. What is Honda thinking...a Kia Sedona with a Honda badge. Also, looks like an '04 Odyssey ran into a Chevy Venture.
I guess the Honda marketing department did their homework and worked on improving the interior features rather than appearance. My wife agrees with Honda's rationale that appearance does not matter. If the price is right and has all of the important features than the unit will sell.
I still am waiting to test drive the '05 before I buy the Sienna. After all, I purchased the Accord based on value and features rather than styling.
They were taken at Boch Honda in Norwood MA. Guess they are the #2 Honda Dealer in the US which is why they were getting the ody in so early. Rumor has it that this Weds (8/18) at Gillette Staduim in Foxboro MA they are having an unveiling... unconfirmed though.
Hey, one of the mags just offered my friend some huge $$ for those pics so I have to change the pwd for now. As soon as she gets that deal ironed out I will share again - ARG! Who knew, LOL! At least a few of you got to see.
That doesn't seem too smart on the mags part because Honda will probably be releasing all the info this week anyhow. Then they could get some real photos or even a demo van for themselves. Take the cash while you can!
I read somewhere that the touring will have more luxurious captains chairs in second row- these are probably incompatible with the fold-away bench/table used to create seating for 3 in the second row.
Posting your email address is not a good idea on a public message board as the spybots that troll through will pick it up and you will most likely begin receiving spam email. As only Town Hall members can access other member profiles, you can make your email address public and then reference members to check your profile for your address. If the 30 minute edit window is still available, you can delete your post and re-post without the address. If it is past the edit window, contact me and I can delete your post.
Well, that's just not fair:) I check these forums so often I think my husband is considering mental help for me (he'll be so relieved when the new Ody finally comes in!) and I missed the pictures........patience is no longer one of my virtues.
On another note, mochisushi.......what's up with odyclub??? Do you think Honda finally made them shut down? I hope not........
Yeah, I saw it last night - the article states that undisguised prototypes are running around Alabama as the diguised ones were getting too much attention.
Which magazine is paying big bucks? I'm sure that a local resident there could drive the price down really fast, not to mention that the press embargo ends in about 2 weeks anyway.
In the article mentioned before about the 05 Ody, it was stated that the EX will be $30,000 out the door. What does that equate to as MSRP (before tax tag and title) and has anyone heard what the extra goodies like leather and dvd are going to cost? I am trying to decide if I want an 04 Ody or an 05. The dealers in FL still aren't wanting to deal much on the 04s. If I am going to pay more than what I thought I was going to have to pay, I may just wait and at least get the options that I want. I know I will have to pay MSRP, but it may be worth it if I am going to keep this van for 7 years.
amc...Odyclub is back up. Doesn't say what happened. If you want me to e-mail the pics, contact me through odyclub private messages. I'll send them tonight when I get home.
Scratch that...sdeggo is posting them on Odyclub at this time.
I cant believe I missed the pics! I was on last night too. Oh well, I guess I will have to go to odyclub and see them. Thanks mochisushi for updating us on that.
quote: how do i get to the ody club -i can't seem to access it --
www.odyclub.com go to forums- pick ody 05 forum thread about production starts today and scroll down to find links to pics.
On another topic- What a surprise to see Money Mag scoop Car & Driver, Motor Trend, etc. Just got my September Money today- Same article posted here- a few pictures but not full body shots; one decent close up of center dash with NAV.
I saw the pictures that are now posted on Odyclub.com My opinion is that the van looks just fine. It is not ugly and it is not inferior in looks to the current model. Looks so much better without the camoflauge. I think that this new van will be in very high demand as far as looks go. It definitely looks much nicer than the Sienna IMHO. I still hate the rear profile on the Sienna. I think the new Ody looks better than I thought it would and I would have no problem driving one around. I did download the pics from odyclub so if anyone cant see them for some reason (I think you have to be a member to see them) I would be happy to pass them along.
The journalists probably saw the 05 Odyssey a couple of months ago at the same media event. They are all subject to a nondisclosure agreement which has a specific embargo date that they're supposed to abide by. I read somewhere that it's at the end of the month for the 05 Odyssey. This is a common arrangement for publishing product previews, not just for the auto industry.
Money ended up sticking their article in a month too early, breaking the embargo - oops. Honda's going to think again about giving the Money folks an advance peek. The car mags will have their 05 Odyssey preview in next month's issue. Notice how these articles sound like rewritten press releases? Oftentimes, that's all they are.
I remember that Motor Trend used to be pretty bad about publishing stuff 1 month before the other major car mags - I don't think they do that anymore.
From the picture showing the 8th seat in Odyclub, there is a handler on the floor between the two front rows. It looks like it's for the spare tire but not sure since it could be the storage aka "lazy suzy". I more thought it's for spare. Can anyone confirm it?
Don't know that I can confirm it, but it looks very much like the Patent drawings (links posted on Odyclub.com). There are actually two doors...The first is the large door with the hinges on the front edge. The handle that is visible is probably for this door. Then, there is a second smaller door within the large door. This one has hinges on the back edge which may be visible (two small black lines in the carpet in front of the handle). This allows the passenger to reach into the storage area and retrieve small items, or you can open the large door from the back seat to retrieve items.
I just purchased a 04 Odyssey EX w/DVD for $24,204 including transportation charges. It seems the dealers will quote a different price if you request over the internet which is what I did. I sent out 4 quotes using one of Edmunds links for dealers in my area and then used the prices they sent to bargin all over the net. Good luck...
You know, having seen those latest pictures, I think the headlights look really odd. Perhaps there's just an illusion from the white protective film on the hood, but, when I look at the picture, the headlights look like a bad photoshop job.
I don't doubt the pictures are real, but that's just something that struck me. The chrome on the windows is definitely an improvement. Hopefully, the September issues of the car mags will come out soon and we can finally get some real beauty shots to compare with instead of all the spy photos.
the white plastic really messes with the lines of a car, so you need to see it clean and detailed (and in person) to really get a feel for how it looks. Even worse is a car w/o the hubcaps on. Yuck.
I'm still getting a chuckle out of people writing this off because of the styling (which I know is subjective), due to it being too "bland". This is a minivan, which should be designed for utility first. It's not over styled like the Quest at least, and pretty much looks like the old van with a few creases and new nose/tail.
I'm personally more interested in the interior improvements, since that's where I spend my time. The exterior is fine to me, somewhere between innocuous and conservative, and will likely look modern 10 years from now.
For me it is probably much more important what the interior looks like. As long as the exterior is not overly ugly or strange looking that is hardly an issue. The interior layout, room and comfort make a much bigger difference to me. I think the current interior looks ok. Personally I think the Toyota dash looks better, but I will wait and see what I think of the '05 dash when I am actually sitting in front of it. Pictures can be so deceiving. I really think that until I see the whole thing in person I wont be truly sold on it. I want to see it, feel it and see how it rides. I truly cant wait until the release so that we will be able to do this. It is so unfair that some dealerships are already getting theirs in and still they dont want people to see them. Last night as we were driving past a Honda dealership they had all their '04 Ody's witht he back facing the road and big "Clearance" signs written on the back window. It is so tempting to just pull in and try to get a steal and forget about waiting for the new '05 just to show them how frustrating the waiting game is. Oh well, I do want a choice of model years so I will wait. But I dont have to like it.
Sounds like this dealer received the Ody as part of the Ride and Drive. Player 4 stated that these start this week in Boston (and I think the other is in LA or SF). Also note that Diznee stated that he heard that there was going to be an intro at Gillette Stadium.
So...Have patience. Here's a great quote:
"I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end. Margaret Thatcher (1925 - ), in Observer April 4, 1989"
Boy, that sure sounds like something I would say. ;-)
[quote] Hopefully, the September issues of the car mags will come out soon
Actually, it will be the October issues of the car mags! After years of sneaking the publication date up a day here and a day there to be first out with news or whatever, the car mags are hopelessly out of date with the calendar.
I don't doubt it. I don't even bother to look at what month the issues of my magazines are anymore. I don't care if they call the next Motor Trend the January 05 issue as long as they've got a big writeup and lots of clean pictures of the Odyssey.
Sounds like this dealer received the Ody as part of the Ride and Drive. Player 4 stated that these start this week in Boston (and I think the other is in LA or SF). Also note that Diznee stated that he heard that there was going to be an intro at Gillette Stadium.
The dealer, Boch Honda in Norwood, MA, is about 15 miles from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA - both on Rt 1. Makes sense that it's in storage there. BTW - I know Boch is the #2 Toyota dealer in the country. They've only been selling Honda's about 2 years.
I am not sure about you. I have been shopping at BOCH KIA, BOCH TOYOTA and BOCH HONDA. But I ended buying cars from small dealers. My experience is they tend to give better deal.
Thanks player4. I like the exterior views of the '05 Ody but the upper part of the middle of the dash looks quite un-attractive in the 3rd photo. Is it nicer looking when NAV is there?
I hope this above interior photo is not the whole... and just for the LX. I hope the EX and Touring models will have something better. Like their own Accord - Some wood and chrome...
If not, Honda will be a loser with that interior. Even the Freestar seems to beat that (in looks, not in quality, that is) and sure the new upcoming GM sport van interior. (even without the dash mounted shifter).
"The server that OdyClub.com resides on is physically located in Orlando, FL. The hurricane Friday knocked out power to quite a bit of people in the state and unfortunately, the data center where our server is was hit too. OdyClub was down the entire weekend..."
I do NOT like fake wood for the dash, door panels, or to the extreme excess where the entire sides of station wagons had fake wood pasted on it. I hope NONE of the 2005 Odysseys contain fake wood. The 1999-2004 Odyssey interior looks nicer than the 2004 Sienna which has ugly fake wood. My son's 2002 GC Sport dash is more attractive than the 2002 T&C clone that has fake wood on its dash.
Yesterday, when I was driving back home, I saw one van from behind whose backside is familiar but never saw on the road. At first I thought it was Kia with a fallen name tag on the back side. When I drove to the side and I realized that I am seeing the HONDA Van I saw so many times on Edmunds (Same blue color, with less masking). Only the (H) symbol is masked. It was registered in Alabama to the manufacturer in November 2004. I have asked my co-passenger to take a photo of it and suddenly the ody driver started to speed up.
Unfortunately, this is a crowded local road (McKnight road in Pittsburgh, PA) and he could not escape from me. Then started the slow chase part. He made a sudden move, and entered into this shopping complex well so did I. He never stopped and kept on going like he got drugs or some thing in his van trying to escape from cops. He made wild lane changes and vanished into the traffic.
I was able to get some shots though. Unfortunately it is regular film camera and I do not know it is worth publishing them now as we have loads of them available on online any way.
The verdict is it looks long, low in height, looks like kia from behind and mpv from the front. (Please note I was driving on a crowded street and trying to avoid traffic while making these observations).
Not exceptionally great, but we can not expect more from HONDA who are conservative designers. I hope handling, interior and other stuff is better.
Honda is really pathetic. I think it's absolutely ridiculous of Honda to be playing this secrecy this late in the game. The 2005 Lincoln Navigator isn't out yet, but the brochure is already available to everyone.
I guess Honda wants to fool less informed consumers about the 2005 vans so that they can sell more of the 2004 vans.
But you know what, Honda? I still think your new van looks ugly.
Yeah, it looks like a 2006 Kia Sedona, except the 2006 Kia Sedona will be less expensive.
As for me, the 2005 Lincoln Navigator looks 100% better than the 2005 Odyssey inside and out.
Well, lots of people are talking about it, getting excited by spy shots, etc. If they had released lots of real info 2 months ago, no one would be paying attention or getting excited.
The 2004s seem to be on fire sale now anyway, and the supply is dwindling, so I don't think real info about the '05 is going to impact them much.
With luck, the EX-L will be equipped the way I want, and the seats will be comfy, my wife will like it, and the supply will be adequate by November that she can get one before Christmas, maybe with a little discount.
Quote: New 2005 Odyssey. Big deal. It's a minivan!
You're correct. It is a minivan. So why are you so passionate about how it looks and Honda being "pathetic"? It's just another minivan in the population of several brands.
And as for the Navigator, it is a totally different company in a totally different market. Who says that FoMoCo is doing the right thing? Maybe they are...maybe they aren't. Maybe it is the right thing for them, but the wrong thing for Honda.
Let's give Honda some credit here. I think overall, Honda has done a great job of designing and marketing vehicles that many people will want. Yes, the waiting is frustrating to me as well. But I, for one, do not have to buy a new car; my '03 Pilot is just fine. I know that I am not going to buy an '04 Odyssey as I had a '99 (loved it), but will want some of the newer features, if I do get something. So waiting for information is no big deal for me. If I like it, I'll get one. Otherwise, I will reconsider a Sienna or stick with my Pilot.
Lastly, and I have said this before, what did everyone do before there was the internet and forums with the latest speculation and spy pics? We waited for the magazine to release information which was generally a few weeks before formal introduction or we knew about it when we saw a commercial or a new car on the road. Just because we have the latest technology to gather info from all over doesn't mean that the companies have to market their products to satisfy all of us "Geeks".
Comments
The 8th seat looks to be a disappointment, more like an afterthought. It's really narrow, so it could fit between unmodified 2nd row captain chairs. It appears to be much narrower than the Sienna's 8th seat, narrower than even the current Ford Explorer's "mother-in-law" seat. Only half the seat is visible in the shots, but I'm not sure it's wide enough for LATCH connectors which I believe are supposed to have a minimum distance between them.
The back looks somewhat similar to Kia sedona. (yuck)
Question...if I reading things right, the Touring model will not have the 8 passenger seating (unless the dealer installs it?). If thats true, why will the Touring come with Runflats? If you don't have a spare tire and don't have the 8 seat (that folds into the floor), would they just leave the floor space empty? Set me straight if I don't have something right...
I guess the Honda marketing department did their homework and worked on improving the interior features rather than appearance. My wife agrees with Honda's rationale that appearance does not matter. If the price is right and has all of the important features than the unit will sell.
I still am waiting to test drive the '05 before I buy the Sienna. After all, I purchased the Accord based on value and features rather than styling.
Re the dash, I wasn't so thrilled about it in the pics my friend nabbed, but I was really impressed with it with the nav added. JMO but the radio without the nav just looks way too out of place and too darn confusing. The pic I am talking about with the nav was here:
http://www.honda-acura.net/images/2004/news/spyody_0403.jpg?PHPSE- SSID=5c80231d79602662a8bd8f2b0d3bdc04
Thankx.
On another note, mochisushi.......what's up with odyclub??? Do you think Honda finally made them shut down? I hope not........
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/NEWSV5/storyV5HONDA16W.htm
Which magazine is paying big bucks? I'm sure that a local resident there could drive the price down really fast, not to mention that the press embargo ends in about 2 weeks anyway.
1. EX has no heated seats - the toggle near the floor in the front passenger area is replaced by a plug.
2. EX has tri-zone auto climate control - the climate control cluster is the same, having DR, REAR, and PASS toggles.
The EX is getting more and more attractive to me.
Scratch that...sdeggo is posting them on Odyclub at this time.
how do i get to the ody club -i can't seem to access it --
www.odyclub.com
go to forums-
pick ody 05 forum
thread about production starts today and scroll down to find links to pics.
On another topic- What a surprise to see Money Mag scoop Car & Driver, Motor Trend, etc. Just got my September Money today- Same article posted here- a few pictures but not full body shots; one decent close up of center dash with NAV.
Money ended up sticking their article in a month too early, breaking the embargo - oops. Honda's going to think again about giving the Money folks an advance peek. The car mags will have their 05 Odyssey preview in next month's issue. Notice how these articles sound like rewritten press releases? Oftentimes, that's all they are.
I remember that Motor Trend used to be pretty bad about publishing stuff 1 month before the other major car mags - I don't think they do that anymore.
Thanks
Thanks.
Sam
I don't doubt the pictures are real, but that's just something that struck me. The chrome on the windows is definitely an improvement. Hopefully, the September issues of the car mags will come out soon and we can finally get some real beauty shots to compare with instead of all the spy photos.
I'm still getting a chuckle out of people writing this off because of the styling (which I know is subjective), due to it being too "bland". This is a minivan, which should be designed for utility first. It's not over styled like the Quest at least, and pretty much looks like the old van with a few creases and new nose/tail.
I'm personally more interested in the interior improvements, since that's where I spend my time. The exterior is fine to me, somewhere between innocuous and conservative, and will likely look modern 10 years from now.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
So...Have patience. Here's a great quote:
"I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.
Margaret Thatcher (1925 - ), in Observer April 4, 1989"
Boy, that sure sounds like something I would say. ;-)
Actually, it will be the October issues of the car mags! After years of sneaking the publication date up a day here and a day there to be first out with news or whatever, the car mags are hopelessly out of date with the calendar.
September issues came out in July!
The dealer, Boch Honda in Norwood, MA, is about 15 miles from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA - both on Rt 1. Makes sense that it's in storage there. BTW - I know Boch is the #2 Toyota dealer in the country. They've only been selling Honda's about 2 years.
http://www.siennaclub.org/forum/uploads/post-7-1092631884.jpg
http://www.siennaclub.org/forum/uploads/post-7-1092631937.jpg
http://www.siennaclub.org/forum/uploads/post-7-1092632027.jpg
http://www.siennaclub.org/forum/uploads/post-7-1092632211.jpg
http://www.siennaclub.org/forum/uploads/post-7-1092632027.jpg
If not, Honda will be a loser with that interior. Even the Freestar seems to beat that (in looks, not in quality, that is) and sure the new upcoming GM sport van interior. (even without the dash mounted shifter).
http://www.edmunds.com/future/2005/buick/terraza/100352822/photos- .html?tid=edmunds.f.review.leftsidenav..2.Buick*
"The server that OdyClub.com resides on is physically located in Orlando, FL. The hurricane Friday knocked out power to quite a bit of people in the state and unfortunately, the data center where our server is was hit too. OdyClub was down the entire weekend..."
Local Alabama news and pic of Honda van.
The 1999-2004 Odyssey interior looks nicer than the 2004 Sienna which has ugly fake wood. My son's 2002 GC Sport dash is more attractive than the 2002 T&C clone that has fake wood on its dash.
Unfortunately, this is a crowded local road (McKnight road in Pittsburgh, PA) and he could not escape from me. Then started the slow chase part. He made a sudden move, and entered into this shopping complex well so did I. He never stopped and kept on going like he got drugs or some thing in his van trying to escape from cops. He made wild lane changes and vanished into the traffic.
I was able to get some shots though. Unfortunately it is regular film camera and I do not know it is worth publishing them now as we have loads of them available on online any way.
The verdict is it looks long, low in height, looks like kia from behind and mpv from the front. (Please note I was driving on a crowded street and trying to avoid traffic while making these observations).
Not exceptionally great, but we can not expect more from HONDA who are conservative designers. I hope handling, interior and other stuff is better.
Cheers.
I think it's absolutely ridiculous of Honda to be playing this secrecy this late in the game.
The 2005 Lincoln Navigator isn't out yet, but the brochure is already available to everyone.
I guess Honda wants to fool less informed consumers about the 2005 vans so that they can sell more of the 2004 vans.
But you know what, Honda?
I still think your new van looks ugly.
Yeah, it looks like a 2006 Kia Sedona, except the 2006 Kia Sedona will be less expensive.
As for me, the 2005 Lincoln Navigator looks 100% better than the 2005 Odyssey inside and out.
New 2005 Odyssey. Big deal. It's a minivan!
The 2004s seem to be on fire sale now anyway, and the supply is dwindling, so I don't think real info about the '05 is going to impact them much.
With luck, the EX-L will be equipped the way I want, and the seats will be comfy, my wife will like it, and the supply will be adequate by November that she can get one before Christmas, maybe with a little discount.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
You're correct. It is a minivan. So why are you so passionate about how it looks and Honda being "pathetic"? It's just another minivan in the population of several brands.
And as for the Navigator, it is a totally different company in a totally different market. Who says that FoMoCo is doing the right thing? Maybe they are...maybe they aren't. Maybe it is the right thing for them, but the wrong thing for Honda.
Let's give Honda some credit here. I think overall, Honda has done a great job of designing and marketing vehicles that many people will want. Yes, the waiting is frustrating to me as well. But I, for one, do not have to buy a new car; my '03 Pilot is just fine. I know that I am not going to buy an '04 Odyssey as I had a '99 (loved it), but will want some of the newer features, if I do get something. So waiting for information is no big deal for me. If I like it, I'll get one. Otherwise, I will reconsider a Sienna or stick with my Pilot.
Lastly, and I have said this before, what did everyone do before there was the internet and forums with the latest speculation and spy pics? We waited for the magazine to release information which was generally a few weeks before formal introduction or we knew about it when we saw a commercial or a new car on the road. Just because we have the latest technology to gather info from all over doesn't mean that the companies have to market their products to satisfy all of us "Geeks".
Now that is Ugly interior IMHO.
Honda interior is not slick, but it is more tasteful than the Freestar/Terraza for sure.