Honda Odyssey 2005+

bamapt

Thanks yates,
I will definitely be getting the tray and will make do with something to replace the mat. I am still undecided on the floor mats. I have two boys with one on the way. We have Desert Sand with the Ivory interior so I'm thinking the mats may be a good idea for protection from all the baseball and soccer dirt. I do wish they weren't all black though. Did you purchase your tray online or from your dealer?

yatesd

bamapt,

I purchased the cargo tray from handaaccessories.com They appeared to have good prices and reasonable shipping charges. I can't yet speak for the entire experience since I will not receive it until this Thursday (according to my tracking #).

I also have an ivory interior and I am still contemplating grabbing some inexpensive mats at Wal-mart. Who knows....

sma3

Regarding: "The second row windows are no joy either. (eman)", I have had similar problems in my 4Runner and what I have to do is roll down front AND rear windows. Have you tried rolling down the front windows (and sunroof if you like) at the same time as the 2nd row windows are rolled down? Did that help? This will allow air to enter in the front and leave through the 2nd row. I agree it would be nice to be able to crack the 3rd rows open, also. The 4Runner also has a roll down tailgate window so it gives me the option to let the air come in the rear windows and out the rear tailgate window (either approach works in 4Runner so I suspect the front-2nd approach may work in the Odyssey). Let us know if it works or not, thanks.

We took our 1st test drive in the '05 EX-L this weekend and really liked it. Drove the Sienna XLE right afterwards and we were not as impressed. However, my wife did like the the comfort of the front seats of the Sienna better. The Toyota sales schmoe was not the best. Very uninterested in us, which soured the experience a bit. The Honda sales person was very good. She did not pressure and was very well informed.

jim1462

I read that the Canadian Touring Ody does not have the Pax tires. Can anyone confirm, and if so I wonder what Honda's rational is. Also what sort of price break,if any, does Honda give on the on the Canadian Touring model.

jorge5

Great news!!!!!!!!!!! What was your portion of the bill (am assuming dealer picked up 50%).

thumper

I don't know if removing the armrests will allow you to position the seats any closer, since the seat rails aren't continuous. (The front is, but the back isn't)

We have two car seats in the second row, and with the seats as far forward as they'll go (so that the car seats are touching the front seats) we don't have too much issue getting into the back row.

*shrug*

--> Andy

buddybrad

When it comes to washing, myself and many others could write a book, but here are my basics:
I use only soap made for car washing unless I want to remove old wax and then I'll wash with dish washing liquid. I start on the roof and can get to all parts by standing in the front doors and on top of the 2 rear tires. If I'm waxing, I open the sliding doors to get the mid part better. Then I wash the outside glass. After that, I wash whichever part is in the shade and then do the part in the sun. This helps prevent spots. Rinse after you wash each section. Dry the roof, glass, sun, then shady side. If it's real hot out, dry the glass first. Wheels and tires come last due to excess dirt. A California Water Blade helps dry faster and use a micro fiber towel to finish things off.

On a new vehicle I would wash with Dawn, go over the vehicle with a premium clay bar, then a paint cleaner, and finally a paint sealant. It'll shine like no one's business! As to which products to use - that's a study in itself, but Zaino is very good though may not last as long as some others.

I make my own glass cleaner using 10% denatured alcohol and 90% distilled water. It works excellent on all glass. "Invisible Glass" is available at auto stores and is very good.

Check out: www.perfectautofinish.com
Gary has been a big help to me.

eman

thanks for the response - I now have 4 kids so I will be stuck in 2 minivans for awhile. Before kid #4 I had a 4Runner and loved it and miss it. The beauty was the back window cracked open 1" eliminated all air noise and let me enjoy the sunroof.

Befor you buy the EXL take it for a good ride on both highway and country roads. I am wondering if the auto noise control is out of phase or something. I drove 250 miles today on the highway and got a headache. (Other than the road noise the ride is very good - 80-90 miles is effortless and the car is stable which I expected from a honda).

Personally, my 01 Chrysler T&C was quieter and a pleasur to drive on the highway - only negative is resale value.

eman

thanks for the response - I now have 4 kids so I will be stuck in 2 minivans for awhile. Before kid #4 I had a 4Runner and loved it and miss it. The beauty was the back window cracked open 1" eliminated all air noise and let me enjoy the sunroof.

Befor you buy the EXL take it for a good ride on both highway and country roads. I am wondering if the auto noise control is out of phase or something. I drove 250 miles today on the highway and got a headache. (Other than the road noise the ride is very good - 80-90 miles is effortless and the car is stable which I expected from a honda).

Personally, my 01 Chrysler T&C was quieter and a pleasur to drive on the highway - only negative is resale value.

sma3

In the '05 Ody, can the audio of the DVD-RES be routed through the speakers of the stereo so that the entire car can hear it? Or does the RES audio only play through the headphones? Thanks.

kip2

There is a shoulder belt that drops out of the sealing. The middle seat is a great fit for our infant car seat, but is too narrow of our 4 year old's larger car seat--it moved all over the place because the seat is so narrow. I can't imagine this would be a comfortable seat for an adult on a short drive and certainly not a long drive.

jeffinrtp

Yes, the audio from the DVD can be piped through the whole car, or it can be piped to just the headphones while the front seat folks enjoy the radio or CD.

By the way, anyone know where you can buy additional wireless headphones that will work with the system? Honda provides only 2 sets, and we may need 2 more when we also have 3rd row passengers.

kip2

DVD-RES sound goes through the speakers to the entire car or to the headphones.

firefoxfrank

Can someone describe the security system of the '05 Ody? TIA

jracine

Hi,

PAX is not part of the Canadian Touring Package. Tne reasons are, I guess:

1) Not enough cars to justify the support (equipment, etc.)
2) Lots of us really need winter tires, which are not yet available qith PAX (I believe)

You will pay around 45K (Can) for a Touring, which come standard with NAV/RES

Hope this helps

sportymonk

Still agonizing over what to get. Pilot has poor mileage and the seats don't fold flat but when I looked at the Ody, the floor was very uneven, not truly flat. Plus it had the seat anchor points for the third row seats sticking up (memories of my Astro with the bolts sticking up slightly in the floor; boy did that feel good on the knees when crawling back there.

It doesn't look like things will slide in too easily with the uneven floor.

Thought I liked the beige interior but can't live with the black dash with beige leather. Saw a Pilot and didn't like the beige plastic dash pieces. Will go with Grey interior. Saw the Sage Green and its not dark green and the Slate Green and its not green either.

Comments please from Ody folks about the flatness of the floor.

Am getting concerned with all the Ody problems here, Pilot doesn't seem to have as many issues.

If I go Ody, will get EX-L, don't need DVD or REs. Will that help negotiate price?

sportymonk

Has anybody had problems with the sliding doors not shutting properly. Appears to be so automated that if they get the slightest bit off, they will be a big fource of wind noise which I am sure the dealer won't cover under warrenty after a little while. (Plymouth said adjustments like that were only covered for 90 days back in 84 when I got my Voyager.)

Any problems with sliding doors?

bbug1

Hi there,
We bought a Pilot in 03 and just recently got an 05 Ody EXL Nav/DVD
It sounds like you load things in your vehicles often. As a former Astro owner I know what you mean about those things sticking up---but the space was huge. Going to the Pilot we still managed to make many trips to Ikea and loaded down that little SUV inside and out. We haven't done any major loading yet in the Ody so I couldn't help you out there. Maybe you can go and mess around with the seats at your local dealer and see if it meets your needs.
The sliding doors are not the same as years back with tons of issues. There are no longer any pins to line up and that was a huge problem. Hopefully these will be good to us. I never thought I'd be in love with a van!

yatesd

sportymonk,

I just purchased an Odyssey a few weeks ago, and I really like it. However, I intend to use it primarily for people, dogs, and the occasional need to load long items. I think the floor is relatively flat and don't think there is any problem with the load floor itself.

However, I think the Chrysler stow-n-go is the most practical van for people who want to haul first, carry people second. Even the Toyota is slightly better in this regard, because the second row seats at least flip forward.

The Odyssey is a great people/cargo mover, but I wouldn't pick it as a vehicle to primarily to haul full length construction material.

P.S.- I almost forgot, Honda claims you can fold the 2nd/3rd rows of seats down and lay 4 by 8 sheets of plywood on top. You would want to lay a drop cloth down first, but that is another idea.

blackexv6

Drove an EX-L today. My first impression is that the van is still noisy, although a major improvement over the previous generation. Considerable road noise transfer through the tires into the cabin(like the Accord).

Van also had a rattle in the headliner above 2nd row seat - driver side. Salesperson was a little embarassed considering $30k vehicle.

Van felt lightweight and bounced over potholes with some noise (rattle?) in the cargo bay.

VCM operation was transparent.

Overall, Ody is still the best van on the market today for the price. Sienna is very nice also but too expensive.

vanbuyer

I'm trying to decide between the ODY and Sienna. If you had known about the road noise on the highway, yould you have chosen the Sienna instead?

diggin

Our floor is almost completely flat when the seats are folded so possibly the one you looked at needed some adjustment. Yes, the anchor points are exposed, but I don't think they would ever create any sort of issue...at least not for us.

We did consider the Chrysler/Dodge van because we had the option of a Chrysler employee discount, but decided to go with the Honda anyway. At first we were impressed with the second row stow-n-go, but then realized that we would hardly ever take advantage of it because I also own a full size truck so anything that we would need to haul where the second row stow-n-go would come in handy, we would just use the truck for it. Also, the Odyssey's second row seats are much more comfortable/plush than the Chrysler/Dodge.

As far as hauling plywood etc., I just hauled several sheets of 4x4 underlayment in the van and it worked great...no need to remove the second row seats of course. However, when they say a 4x8 sheet will fit, they DO MEAN a 4x8 sheet. If the sheet was any wider it WOULD NOT FIT. I can't speak for the length yet.

I do recommend the rear cargo mat if you plan on hauling anything more than people. It'll save your carpet and plastic floor pieces from getting stained/ripped/marred.

I wouldn't obsess too much about other people's complaints. Some people will find just about anything to complain about. While some truly are justified, many others probably are not. We couldn't be happier with our van.

majordad

Does anyone know if the cross bars for the 05 OD are the same as the ones for the previous generation? I've found the new 05's online for about $160 and the dealer wanted almost $300 for purchase and installation which sounded insane to me. Seems all you would have to do is emplace them on the EXL model. I really don't understand these nickle and dime tactics with such expensive vehicles.

BTW..Just logged 1K on my EXL-RES/NAV and I seem to find something better to enjoy about the vehicle everyday. Although the NAV voice commands are great, I think Honda could have offered some of the differing views like those incorporated into the Nissan NAV i.e. the bird's eye view or have installed a way to play DVDs on the NAV like the Toyota. Having a big 7-inch screen which can't be used for DVD viewing doesn't seem right. Also does anyone know how upgrades/updates to the NAV system will be implemented? I'm still a little pissed that my residence (street) is not displayed on the system although my community is over 2 years old. (And No, I haven't read my owners manual yet for the NAV functions)

mom2three

The honda all season mats are grey and I wanted black because I have the black interior touring. Picked up a set at Sears for the front, middle and back rows and they fit great and don't cost much.
I got a big long one for the 3rd row and two rectangles for the second row so that we can access the lazy susan. Then of course 2 for the driver/passenger. All in all I didn't spend more than $30.

birdmoore

The '05 Honda Odyssey all-season floor mats and cargo mat I received were black not grey.

m4mulvey

Does anyone agree with me that the 05 is a HUGE step backward when it comes to looks? I know that a van is not supposed to be much more than utilitarian but the previous model had clean lines and stood out somewhat from the pack. (ok so some hated that but not me and the missus).

Now it has echoes of Mazda, Dodge, whatever design. The tail end is very like the Sienna and as for those bug eyes up front... yuck!

I also think the new console in front is clunky to say the least.

isellhondas

We hear this every time there is a new design...

" Oh, it looks SO much better!"

" You wrecked it's looks"

go figure...

Actually, from my vantage point, I've heard A LOT more positive then negative regarding the looks.

It's a MINIVAN! How good CAN it look!

rand01

As they say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". One of the things my wife likes about the Odyssey is the fact that it does look different from the others out there. There are very few of these running around here right now so it always draws looks. For a mini-van, I think it looks pretty good, especially with the tall wheels of the Touring.

I personally would also like to have a full console between the front seats. I don't know if I'd call it "clunky", but not the best use of the space.

My opinion.

m4mulvey

I know that when it comes to appearances, what I may hate, others will love but one of the things I liked about the 99-04 Ody was that it was quite different looking from the pack without being gimmicky or contrived like some of the Nissans.

My biggest complaint about the 05's appearance is that it looks like a cross between a Mazda and a Toyota.

I guess if we all liked the same things, life would be pretty boring...

sportymonk

Thanks to all for inputs. I will be primarily a people and luggage hauler. Its just that once in a while (daybed for daughter in August; mattress in early September; artificial Christmas tree last week - all which wouldn't fit in trunk of impala. Got the tree home hanging out the back.)

Also tired of new front and rear rotors every 30 - 40 K miles.

cccompson

I agree that the '99-'04 body looks almost elegant by comparison but the new one is growing on me.

Sure wish they had tucked the sliding door track into the rear window and eliminated all those seams.

hansienna

Agree 100 %. The 99-04 Odyssey was the most attractive minivan but the 05 is not quite as attractive.

sportymonk

I like the chrome nose/grill treatment better on the previous version, its too large on the current model. Its not too bad on silver or gold but on the red and dark blue it really stands out.

smiro

Hi sportymonk

If you find a solution fro the Ody 2005 other than running rca cables back to front, could you let me know?

Thanks

smiro

attilauy

I agree, the older Ody is better in external appearance. It is more unique. The newer one is like a derivative of several minivans where parts are taken from them and made into the new Ody version. At first glance when I saw the 05, I thought it was a better model externally but quickly changed my mind after comparing it with the other brands. Any way, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. It is only me, after all.

sudipta

I picked up my new 05 Ody EXL-RES yesterday and just after driving less than 50 miles (in less than 3hours after pick up), suddenly the car stopped with transmission fuild leaking all over. The transmission does not work anymore, ie the car does not move at all. The dealer (Keenan Honda, PA) was nice enough to lend me a loaner car and immediately tow the car back.
However, I am concerned abot the quality of the car.
Did anyone have a similar experience with Odyssey's before, especially their transmission? How does Honda deal with such issues?

Thanks

Sudipta

stickguy

sounds like a hose of fitting must have popped off. In this case, sounds like a new tranny would be required.

If it was me, I would have a heart to heart talk with the dealership about a replacement car. They probably didn't even have time to process the paperwork. But, legally, they don't owe you anything other than a warranty repair.

yjfu

EX above models have rack only as the standard. Actually most of the applications need both rack and cross bar which should be in one package. From the cheapest mail order you can buy both at ~$230 and cross bar only at ~$135 which means cross bar is more expensive. Maybe it is one way Honda make money on parts. You can install x-bar easily within 1 hour by following the manual which save more time than done by dealer.

yjfu

My car has clicking sound every time at acceleration from 1st gear after PARK. The opinion from this forum is ABS cycling but I suspect it may be related to transmission. In addition to the clicking sound the dealer still can't fix the wind whistle noise around wind shield after 3 visits of dealer and my car is still at dealer. I suggest potential buyers hold off the purchase until Honda actually resolve these issues.

buddybrad

At least in Illinois, you have 48 hours to get out of a contract. That's a possible alternative if you are really bummed out. When we took delivery of our '00 Ody. the transmission was bad the day we picked it up. Besides leaving it with the dealer and getting a loaner I called the Regional Office just to go on record. They replaced the transmission within 2 days and we have lived happily ever after. It is a real disappointment to have this happen on a brand new vehicle, but let them fix it and forget about it. It'll be fine in the long run.

buddybrad

I think it's a toss-up which looks better between the old and new Ody. I like the front of the new one better, but the back is certainly no improvement. It's better looking than the Sienna by a hair. The Quest is really the coolest looking minivan IMHO, but the top of the line is overpriced and who knows about reliability and resale. The Quest has a unique dash layout and I give them credit for that.

The dashboard on the new Ody is the biggest improvement. I think it is very, very nice and from what I remember from the test drive, it was like driving a luxury car in interior looks and ride comfort. Now if mine will only get here!

sportymonk

Personally I wish Honda would put a dark brown dash on the beige models. The black dash top with the beige leather doesn't wow me.

stever

There's no law saying that there's a 48 hour period to cancel a new car purchase in Illinois.

If financing isn't approved then you can get a refund, but unless you negotiate such language in your purchase contract, you'll own the van when you drive it off the lot. If the tranny won't let you drive it off the lot, well, that's another story :-)

Illinois Attorney General

Steve, Host

surferjoe

Has anyone purchased a cargo tray for their 05 Odyssey? I'm wondering if the 3rd row seat can really be folded down with the tray still in place. I seem to recall someone questioning this in an earlier post.

Thanks.

eman

take them both for a good ride and turn the radio off.

I took the sienna for a ride and it was fine.

part of the noise I found also comes from the fan which seems to be mounted high on the dash under the window especially when set in the auto mode

eman

I am just catching up on the messages.

Yes the road noise is dissapointing and kills the excitement of a new vehicle, it also drowns out the radio when at low volume.

The drive train is very refined as you would expect in a honda, but at 4500# you think they would have done a better job on the sound insulation.

I also took a Touring for a ride over country roads and found that to be fine. the difference may be the PAX tires so I wouldn't mind hearing from touring owners. I just can't imagine that Honda would have spent more time and effort to differentiate the Touring - if so I would have considerd buying one

hawaii1

You are lucky in Illinois if you can get out of a contract within 48hrs here in my part of Ca there is a "No cooling off period law" and once the car is off the lot and you have signed all papers it yours!!I just went through with this on an SUV and I couldn't get out of it even though there were real reasons I should of been able to.

eman

I just took two 250 mile highway trips a couple of days apart.

the highway ride and feel is superb, you will do ninety if you don't watch the speddo

BUT

both rides left me with a headache - I just don't get it . This is not car I would want to take a long trip in.

madabout1269

I did purchase a cargo tray from Handa-Accessories.com for my touring and because they are genuine Honda parts they are sure to work,my seats fold down without a hitch

surferjoe

Thanks a bunch, that's just what I needed to know. I've purchased other products from that web site and been real pleased.