Honda Odyssey 2005+

stickguy

mainly so you can control it through the headunit. I have that on my Accord EX-L, and it is really nice, and much easier than using the little portable unit on the road.

Of course, you can't remove it, but in my case it came with the car, and I like it all built in. Not sure how much extra I would pay for the feature though.

As long as it doesn't need FM modulation, since that works like crap in my area.

sebring95

I've been an XM subscriber since day one. I'm not a big fan of the add-on units just from a use/visual point. I have an add-on in both my diesel trucks and my '03 Silverdo. In fact, I just upgraded my Silverado to a Skyfi 2 receiver. The integrated systems sound and work much better IMHO. Particularly nice is the system on the NAV equipped Ody because you get voice recognition, a larger screen, and more userfriendly presets. I have the Skifi mounted to the dash and it just looks unappealing. If you're going the FM modulated route, it's a headache and sounds like...FM radio.

artgpo

I have my MyFi wired into the radio at the antenna. The part is from Delphi for XM only. It sounds the same as an in-dash XM unit. I agree that an integrated unit is best. My Odyssey has an XM "ready"" head unit but it is about $600 for the dealer to do the add on of the XM receiver. I take my radio into the house and listen there or can carry it around or record five hours worth of programming and carry it onto an aircraft.

petras2

i just purchased a 06, am aware of tranny issues on the older models, anyone experiencing tranny problems with the new models? thanks in adance

sebring95

I've only heard of a couple and they were very low mileage. Manufacturer defect type of things. The old tranny problems didn't show up for quite a few miles, but I'd be very suspect Honda would do a repeat of those problems. Might be something new though, who knows.

agus

Mine is 2006 EX, slate green. I have noticed that the bumper color looks greener than the body. Dealer said that this is because of material difference. Body is made of sheet metal while bumper is made of plastic. I don't think so. I have other cars that have unoticeacble difference between these two parts.
Anyone can share their experiences with slate green color?

davant

SGM '06 Touring here... total dealer BS, it all looks the same morning, daytime, afternoon, eve, at night. Drive by your or another dealer and compare vehicles. Sounds fishy like something is wrong, any chance it was in a fender bender before delivery and repainted?

agus

It happens to the rear and also to the front bumpers.
I ordered this minivan about 3 months before delivery, because of the color that I picked. Dealer said it will be ready by first week of Oct 05 and the car came on time.
I'll try your suggestion to see another same color if they have problem. Thanks.

artgpo

I have the red '06 Odyssey and I have noticed a difference in the bumper color VS steel body. I do not believe either of our vans were in a wreck and repainted. It might just be as the dealer claims.

davant

Artgpo,
Thank you Mr. Honda dealer, LOL! Just kidding, guess it depends on the color, time of day, mood of the robot that painted them...

macakava

You may want to add some degree of color blindness as well

artgpo

You may want to add some degree of color blindness as well

cccompson

Hardly "total dealer BS." Color variation on Odyssey body parts is, sadly, one the worst quality control issue about the current body style. The bumpers are painted (with soft parts paint additive) separate from the body shell.

The front bumper on my Midnight Blue Pearl '05 Touring is the same color as the body. The rear (in certain light) is decidedly more violet. No chance of any previous repair as I first saw the vehicle still in its factory wrappings.

mchappell

Haven't seen the Odyssey in person yet - still doing some research...

How does the second row slide to allow access to the third row? Does the seat back move at all, or does the entire seat slide forward/back? We will have car seats in the two outboard, second row seats. It will therefore, I believe, be awkward to access the third row from between the two seats, or impossible if the 'plus one' is in place. My wife is reluctant to slide the two seats together as she is worried that the toddler will try to feed the newborn.

Thanks,

Mark

stickguy

the seatback tilts forward, then the whole unit slides forward. You would not be able to keep a car seat buckled in.

Even if you slid the seat over (side by side), you would still have a belt in the way, right?

Note that I haven't needed a belted seat for quite a while, so I don't know how latch seats would impact this, but you still (likely) wouldn't be able to tilt/slide the seat.

In the past, when I had a car seat, I found it easiest to leave the middle open, and use that as the aisle to the rear. I could manage (6' tall adult), and kids were no problem.

SO, if I had to have car seats in the middle outboard seats, I would take out the plus 1 and create a middle aisle.

sebring95

If there is no carseat in the outboard seats, there is a button to fold the back and slide the seat. Sort of like the passenger seat in two-door cars. However, if you have a carseat attached, that's not going to work. You can slide the seat forward and a skinny teen can squeeze through to the 3rd row. There is plenty of room to get around a forward-facing child. My 75yo mother climbs in past our grand-daughters as we have two forward-facing seats in the outboard positions much of the time. That plus-one seat is real handy to tend to a young child in the back. We had a Tahoe before and it was very difficult to access the middle 2nd row seat because there wasn't adequate space between the 1st and 2nd rows. No problem with the Ody. We don't even have to stop, my wife can fold the front console, climb into the back seat, and take care of whatever drama has occurred.

mchappell

Thanks for the replies.

I wasn't sure if there would be enough room to get to the space between the two second row seats if there were car seats in place, but it sounds like it shouldn't be a problem for our 13 year old.

Mark

nwng

I don't think there are any differences whether or not car seats are in place, the car seats are inside the second row chairs and they don't have any parts that stick outside the seats (the captain seats are big, if that is your concern).

aaykay

There is a new 2005+ problems and solutions forum now.

Check it out for issues associated with the current generation of Odysseys (2005 & 2006).

sebring95

I don't think there are any differences whether or not car seats are in place, the car seats are inside the second row chairs and they don't have any parts that stick outside the seats (the captain seats are big, if that is your concern).

There can be problems with legs. If the child is in the seat, it's hard to get around them in certain vehicles (i.e. our previous Tahoe). However, there is adequate room in the Ody to have an occupied child seat and still get around to the middle seat/walkway.

hayneldan

The new DCX vans with stow and go would allow you to stow the passenger side second row seat and still have access to the driver side second row for an infant seat or the third row easily.

sebring95

The new DCX vans with stow and go would allow you to stow the passenger side second row seat and still have access to the driver side second row for an infant seat or the third row easily.

You going to stow that seat with the carseat and the kid in it?? :P If you notice, we were discussing how to access 3rd row with two carseats in the outer middle seats.

nowakj66

Ody's are made in Alabama and Ontario, right? Is one factory deemed preferable to the other?

hayneldan

"You going to stow that seat with the carseat and the kid in it?? If you notice, we were discussing how to access 3rd row with two carseats in the outer middle seats."
I would not recommend storing the seat with the car seat and the child in it. Would you? I recommend placing the 2nd car seat and child in the 3rd row and storing the passenger side 2nd row seat. that would provide access to the third row for a teen ager and allow the stored seat to be available if needed for a 6th or 7th passenger. Your humor? is not appreciated.

rorr

"Your humor? is not appreciated."

Actually, I thought it was pretty humorous myself.

hayneldan, what was being discussed, here in the Ody thread, was whether or not the 2nd row seats would slide forward enough to allow access to the 3rd row even if child seats were installed in BOTH second row seats. If the person asking this question WANTED to put 1 car seat in the 2nd row and the OTHER car seat in the 3rd row, they could do this with any minivan. The whole question would be moot.

Obviously, they want to be able to reach their children in the 2nd row (and retrieve dropped toys, sippy cups, goldfish, etc.) without having to pull over and walk back to the 3rd row.

Why is that owners of DMC vans with sto'n'go must constantly invent scenarios which allow them to showoff this feature?

sebring95

I'm glad my humor is appreciated by someone. It's very important to me!

I like the kids as close to the front as possible. Safer, easier to get to them, and even with a stowed seat it's really not fun for an adult to reach/crawl to the 3rd row to buckle a child into their seat. I'm just thankful Honda has a Plus-one seat, certainly makes our life easier! Although I must admit sometimes it would be really nice if you could just fold the seat, kid and all, into the floor. Does the stow-n-go include sound-proof lining??

rorr

"Does the stow-n-go include sound-proof lining??"

Well, probably enough sound proofing to muffle road roar; but that wouldn't be near enough for a screaming 2 y.o. You'll probably have to supply your own sound-proofing.

Waitaminute, that'll never work. We all know that so many crushed french fries and soggy cheerios would have been dropped into the mechanism that the silly seat wouldn't even fold. Besides, you'd have to excavate all the plastic dinosaurs/etc. out of the storage bin to be able to drop the seat.

The roof rack might be a better option......

socalawd

recommend placing the 2nd car seat and child in the 3rd row and storing the passenger side 2nd row seat. that would provide access to the third row for a teen ager and allow the stored seat to be available if needed for a 6th or 7th passenger. Your humor? is not appreciated.

No I love the humor! BTW the two seats slide together and then you could have seating for 7 and access. But that wasn't what you wanted to hear. Enjoy your minivan and I'll make sure to stop by the 2005+ DCX van forum to tell them how much more fun the Ody is to drive!!

hayneldan

hayneldan - has it occured to you that your 'solution' could be implemented with ANY minivan? One doesn't need sto'n'go seating in order to put one child seat in the 2nd row and the other child seat in the 3rd row, should the parent so desire. I'm also fairly certain that one doesn't need sto'n'go seating in order to access the 3rd row, even in a Dodge Caravan.

True you even could do it in an Odyssey,If you first remove the middle jump seat, store it in the "lazy susan" and then slide the second row seat toward the center with the child and car seat intact, IF you haven't injured the child by removing and storing the center seat, and IF you have a small grandmother who is very athletic. And that process will only take how many minutes?

socalawd

True you even could do it in an Odyssey,If you first remove the middle jump seat, store it in the "lazy susan" and then slide the second row seat toward the center with the child and car seat intact, IF you haven't injured the child by removing and storing the center seat, and IF you have a small grandmother who is very athletic. And that process will only take how many minutes?

Chill your gonna hurt yourself!!

davant

Grandmothers are discussed in another forum...
Daimler-Chrysler.

=]

rorr

Wow. I'm beginning to get the impression that the only way to access the 3rd row in a Caravan is to actually stow one 2nd row seat. Shirley, that can't be true.

Please understand a few points:

First, the initial question in this subthread was from an individual questioning access to the 3rd row down the center aisle by a teenager while the 2nd row captains chairs had child seats in them. The possible answers to this question were either 'yes, the access will be fine' or 'no, the access will be a problem'. My answer to this question would be "access to the 3rd row between the 2nd row seats should be fine, provided the 2nd row car seats are not occupied until after the teenager has moved to the 3rd row".

See how easy that was?

Second, it has already been expressed that placing one car set in the 3rd row and one in the 2nd row is not an agreeable solution to the access question. Thus, the scenario being discussed concerns TWO child seats in the 2nd row. If you insist on using sto'n'go as your 'solution' to this question, one can only assume that you intend on attempting to fold the child seat into the floor with the 2nd row seat. It is not clear on whether this is to be attempted with the seat occupied or not.

Third, assuming that one DID desire to place one child seat in the 3rd row and one child seat in the 2nd row, one does NOT need sto'n'go seating in order to access the 3rd row. Again, access can be gained either between the second row seats, by sliding one 2nd row seat to the center, or by the usual means of temporarily folding/sliding the 2nd row seat forward to access the 3rd row.

Fourth, it is clear (to me anyway) that inserting the sto'n'go feature of the DCX vans into this discussion was an attempt to 'invent' a rationale for using sto'n'go. In other words, your solution wasn't just out of left field, it was out of a different ballpark.

mchappell

Wow - I didn't know my question was going to spark such a response...

The initial responses to my question were exactly what I was looking for. You guys are correct - A child seat in the 3rd row is not desired (per my wife). If that were the case, I could do that in our Suburban. Putting the car seats in our Suburban (with 2nd row bench) as described has two problems - First, getting to the middle of the 2nd row is difficult, and, second, since only the passenger side seat tilts and slides, it's far from simple to get to the third row.

My question was to confirm that, one way or another, 3rd row access would be simpler/better/easier in the Ody than in our Chevy.

Thanks for the help,

Mark

theshawn

We just bought an 06 EX-L and I'm noticing that the floor mats have lots of snaps that don't appear to snap to anything? Especially the 3rd row matt. Everyone else's mats this way? Part of why I am suspicious is that we bought it late on a Saturday night and they had to 'find' the floor mats, presumably because someone else had found our original floor mats. :confuse:

rorr

I noticed the same thing.

First, make sure that you got ALL of your mats. There should be a small floor mat which is stored under the passenger side 2nd row seat. It snaps to a couple of those snaps for the 3rd row floor mat. The purpose of this small mat is to cover the space between the two 2nd row seats when the +1 seat is removed. It then snaps to a couple of different snaps on the 3rd row mat.

If your dealer had to scrounge around for your mats, you may have not received the full complement. Also, you might check to see if any of your mats are lying in the storage well behind the 3rd row.

Hope this helps.

hayneldan

For those uninformed Odyssey owners the "Stow and go" seats do slide forward and rearward while upright and unstowed. Allowing access to the 3rd row without stowing.

socalawd

For those uninformed Odyssey owners the "Stow and go" seats do slide forward and rearward while upright and unstowed. Allowing access to the 3rd row without stowing.

From a Odyssey owner. Not knowing too much about stow and go is a plus. Also most don't care! Please save it for the Ody vs DCX van forum!! BTW I love pushing forward the seat while my child is in a booster. Stow and go is nice but useless for me 99.9+%(Removed all seats in one van once in 15 years plus of ownership of minivans) of the time!!

Claires

we already have an Odyssey vs. DC Minivans topic for those who wish to compare the seating options for these two vehicles.

artgpo

The '06 Odyssey seats are easy to slide both forward and back plus side to side. The rear seat is probably the easiest fold flat on the market.

rorr

"For those uninformed Odyssey owners the "Stow and go" seats do slide forward and rearward while upright and unstowed. Allowing access to the 3rd row without stowing."

Yes. Thaaank you.

sebring95

That's what I was thinking. I have my lazy susan full of stuff so we can't stuff the "plus-one" seat in there. I'm sure the sto-n-go would be full of dvd's, cd's, and other stuff as well.

dennisctc

The rear seat is probably the easiest fold flat on the market.

Ahh yes!! and I bet you can notice the nuances of CDs vs Vinyl albums. Pleaseeeee...I've tried 3rd row folding seats in all minivan....there's very little difference! This is just personal opinion - which one is easiest.

davant

You meant the Ford Expedition, not Explorer. We had one with power third row and sold it to get an Ody. Note that the Ody has tons more room behind row three than the standard Expie ever dreamed of (except the new XL, better discussed in yet another forum). The XP's easiest to use arrangement is the best followed by the next best, an Ody. The only tricky part sometimes is to get them to lean back equally when 'resurrected'.

artgpo

You are very negative toward the Odyssey.

I did check the folding seat on the Ody VS competition and stand by my opinion.

The 2006 Explorer offers power folding third row. Only wish Ford would have thought enough of the passengers back there to extend the curtain bags that far.

sebring95

Some folks just love to be negative to the Ody simply because it costs a little more. Why would you eat at Ruth's Chris when Ponderosa has steak for less? And why would you post on a forum for a vehicle you don't own nor have any intention of owning? We're very happy with our '05 Ody and would buy another one tomorrow if we were currently shopping. If Honda would release a Touring with plus-one seat, I would trade up tomorrow.

Claires

Let's wrap this one up. Since the original poster is investigating the Odyssey and wants to know about its seating, a debate about the seats in other vans is irrelevant and, more importantly, doesn't answer the original poster's questions. Those who wish to compare/contrast seating options in all minivans are welcome to continue their discussion here:

Which Minivan has easiest seat storage?

razorme

I'm just joining in, but we tryed a few combinations before settling on what to us is by far the best. We have one child seat in the 2nd row behind the driver, the 2nd row seats together (ie. 8th seat removed from van), and another child seat in the passenger side of the 3rd row (we have a 2006 with 3 anchors in the 3rd row).

It is quite easy to put the child into the 3rd row as we simply tilt/slide the 2nd row passenger seat forward to do this. After the kids are in, you have a comfortable 2nd row captain chair for someone to sit in. As a bonus, we can hang a DVD player from the headrest posts of the front passenger seat and have the 3rd row child watch with clear line of sight (we have an EX model).

The remainder of the 3rd row has a couple of shopping bins on it to hold some of the kids junk, and the 2nd row drivers side seat is slid back as far as possible since no one sits behind this, which opens up floor space to store groceries etc... (the double-stroller occupies the very back).

nowakj66

vaga

Just picked my 2006 Odyssey Touring up a couple of days ago and this ranking was one of the factors that influenced my decision. It's certainly too early for me to have much of an opinion on my particular vehicle's dependability, but we love the car and are very happy with the purchase.

We almost purchased the Infiniti QX56 instead of the Odyssey. Of course, the QX56 is a very different vehicle, but the overlap in functionality between the Odyssey and the Infinit were enough for it to be on our list of possible purchases. to make a long story short, the QX56 is on a couple of 'worst car of 2005' lists, and with all we had read about its quality issues, versus the Odyssey's "bullet-proof quality", we couldn't possibly have justified going with the Infiniti. And for approximately 20 Grand less than the Infiniti, the Odyssey feels like every bit as much (and more) of a luxury car! We love the ride!

phil22

The RES on my 2005 odyssey was working fine until the past month and then the sound stopped working. I can't get any sound out of the wireless headphones or wired headphones except a small amount of static. This is the case regardless of trying to listen to the DVD, CD, radio, aux input. I have changed the batteries and moved the many volume controls all over the place - the static volume is the only thing that changes. The static in the wireless is significantly louder (although it is only very noticeable when the volume is on the highest) when in the headphone reception area (2nd and 3rd rows as opposed to the front row or outside the vechicle.) I can't think of anything that may have caused this change in the RES audio. The DVD picture is fine. The rear speakers work fine also. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.