Cha - There are several reasons why Honda would choose not to equip the new Odyssey with AWD. However, the most important reason is that it is not necessary.
Don't be so quick to blame an accident on the lack of AWD when, in fact, stability control is likely more useful in terms of accident avoidance. My personal preference is to have a vehicle with competent handling dynamics assisted by ABS, stability control and traction control. To me, AWD is expensive, complex and likely just another source of aggravation.
As for the 05' Odyssey - it looks like they pulled a Freestar, albeit with a far superior starting point. In fact, despite the advancements made by DC and Toyota, I thought the 04' Odyssey was the best van around. The improvements for 05' should further widen the gap.
in a thunderstorm in a FWD car, you may need to stop driving. I used to go hurricane hunting in a FWD Toyota Corolla. Never had a problem getting around in that kind of rain. Not to mention the gully washers that I've driven through in Texas. Some people just drive too fast for conditions. They say ABS causes more accidents in certain conditions because of the false sense of security.
Cha didn't say where they were driving when the storm hit. Southern California roads can be pretty slick when a rain hits after months of sunshine. You have to drive for conditions, but I think tires make a bigger difference than whether the car is FWD or AWD/4WD.
Around our part of the country, when snow hits it is the 4x4s and AWDs in the ditch first. The #1 cause is people overdriving the conditions. Too much confidence is placed in the technology which is there to assist the driver's ability not replace it.
My best friend and brother in law just bought and got a great deal on a Navy Blue, 2004 Odyssey EX with DVD Player. I have always liked the Odyssey and considered purchasing one myself. At first, I was VERY impressed with his van - especially the nice Midnight Blue color and nice rims. I went inside and was even more impressed with the large and comfortable interior, the nice sound system and the DVD player. Then, the next day while in the van, I took a closer look around and started feeling around and was not impressed.
I really didn't get what all the praise was about and where it was coming from regarding interior materials of the Odyssey. I don't think the interior of the Odyssery has great materials at ALL! First of all, the front doors and door arm rests are hard...VERY HARD and uncomfortable to put your elbows and arms on. Second, the DASHBOARD, which is a MAJOR part of the interior of a car, LOOKS like it is soft to the touch, but it is actually HARD too! And it makes a hollow knocking noise when you knock on it lightly with your knuckles. The rest of the van is also full of hard plastics - especially the cargo area. So what is all this praise for the interior of the Odyssey, YET for the Quest, Edmunds states that they don't like the hard plastics in the interior when I found the interior of the Quest to be NICER and it had either the same amount or LESS hard plastic than the Odyseey. And the dashboard material of the Quest and door and door arm rest material are better and nicer than the Odyssey. I just don't get it.
Then, I made the mistake of DRIVING my brother in law's Odyssey. Yeah, it drove ok and it was easy to drive. But it didn't feel special in anyway. It hardly even felt NEW!! I normally drive a 2003 Accord EX and that car feels AWESOME and I love the ride, engine, feel and steering wheel - and interior and interior materials - of that car. But the Odyssey didn't impress me at ALL! It felt like an old Honda. It felt like my mother's first 1995 Honda Accord EX. In fact, it felt like my brother in law's busted 1991 White, squeaky, Accord LX that he still has. It felt the SAME! And the steering wheel is so thin that it doesn't feel good in your hands. The Quest felt a LOT better to drive and actually felt like a new car!
So I just don't get all this praise in favor of the Odyssey. Nice minivan..yes..but it doesn't have nice interior materials and the drive isn't that great. I can't wait to test out the new one coming out though. I hope it's a lot better! From what I am reading it's proving to be the best thing since sliced bread, but the same held true for the previous one. We'll see.
In addition, and I forgot to mention, in the cargo area there is a VERY audible squeak - it occurs while driving or when you are parked and press down by the rear bumper and make the van slighly jump up and down. It SQWEAKS VERY ANNOYINGLY and it is only a WEEK old! Does anyone have an idea of what that is?
Nissanfan??? I love our Ody and I also drive an Accord. A 04 EX-L stick. Luckily they aren't trying to sell em to everyone. Your brother evidently likes them.
I just spent about 2 hours in our 04 Odyssey. The seats are VERY comfortable IMO. Even on a 12 hour trip to Ohio recently I never got uncomfortable. I also love the ride and the way the van drives but then again I have no problem with the way a 91 Accord drives either.
As for the Quest. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder because I think the Nissan's interior is hideous.
I too miss soft touch material all over the interior. But since no one does it anymore, I just let it slide. Look at the dash of a 1993 Accord and compare it to today's black plastic Accord dash and you'd think the 04 was a lower tier model.
Actually, though he loved it when he bought it, he, too, noticed the disparity in interior materials and wondered why the Ody garnered so much praise regarding interior materials. Plus, the annoying squeak has him very perturbed. He contacted the dealer and they are waiting to see what they do about it.
I'm not trying to knock the '04 Ody at all. I like it, I just don't understand how "they" can say it has such great interior materials when the doors are SO hard you can't rest your elbows comfortably on them nor the top of the doors, and don't understand that the 2003 Accord has a soft touch dashboard, yet the Ody has a dashboard that sounds like hollow, hard plastic when you touch it - enough so to entice to knock on it lighly with your knuckles to see if in fact it is hard and hollow. Plus, the sqeak had me and my brother in law disappointed. So, how come all this praise for a 2004 Ody when it comes to interior materials, yet all this criticism for a Quest which has either equal or better interior materials? That's my question.
Plus, I mentioned the drive of the van. My brother in law came out of a very abused 1992, white, Honda Accord LX and HE even admitted that his new '04 Ody felt JUST like his old car and mentioned that MY '03 Accord felt a LOT better to drive. I HAD to agree with him. The '04 Ody's drive didn't feel new or special at all - it felt like an old Honda, not a new one and, for me, the steering wheel is way too thin. The Quest felt MUCH better when I drove it and it's steering wheel feels downright sporty and thick especially compared to the Honda. These things disappointed me since, in addition to being a "NissanFan" I am also a Honda Fan - perhaps I should change my sign-in name? These are just my observations. I would like to have your opinions on it and answers to the rear squeaking problem - if any others have experienced the same thing. Thanks.
We just finished driving our 04 Ody at an average speed of 90 MPH, with the front and rear AC on, with 5 adults and an infant in the van, with the DVD player going, and we still average 22 MPG and the van was VERY comfortable. The interior is put together nicely in my opinion. The materials could be soft-touch but I would take the hard-plastic in the Odyssey over soft-as-leather padding in the (IMO) hideous Quest interior.
We have had a 2003 Accord coupe and two 2004 Accord sedans. They do ride a bit "newer" as the Ody feels more like a 98-02 Accord. That said, the Ody will do 100 MPH like a champ, still handles well for such a tall, large vehicle, and it smooth as glass on the highways.
Are the cloth seats difficult to keep clean in the 2004's? I'm used to leather and worry that the fabrics will be a nightmare with kids. There are some great deals on 2004's right now but leather is hard to come by.
I think it all depends on how you take care of the cloth. Vacuum it often and clean spots as they occur. So far it has worked in my 04 .. although I only have 5500 miles on it.
I just noticed that Honda allows you to download a PDF of the Odyssey brochure from their web site. Currently, they have the 2005 brochure there. Was there a 2004 Odyssey brochure PDF prior to this? If so, can someone send me a link or email it to me (wolfenstein@netzero.net)? I would like a PDF so that I can email it to folk when I'm ready to sell my 2004 van online.
We purchased our 2004 Odyssey in August and have been averaging about 14 mpg. Most of the trips are very short (<5 miles) but the gas mileage still seems pretty low to me. Has anyone experienced this type of mileage? Is this to be expected? We only have 1200 miles on it, so will it improve as things break-in? I keep reading about everyone else and their great gas mileage and am really wondering about ours. People drive pretty fast here in the Sacramento area and my wife really likes driving her new van (our first NEW car!) but I don't think she's been drag racing all the SUVs around town. Any ideas?
Can anyone tell what the dealer will do in the 7,500 mile maintainence for Odyssey04? How much does it usually cost (I'm in NJ)? Is it worth it? Do I still get the warranty if I skip it or do it by myself? I heard that dealer only does a oil change and rotating the tires for this kind of maintainence job but charge a premium. Of course they do lots of "free" checkings. Please give you input! Thanks!
I recently moved to Salt Lake City from the midwest and I need to purchase new tires from my '02 Ody LX (about 38K on the original tires). Should I buy all-season or winter snow tires? I plan to ski and live up a steep hill. Any suggestions on specific brands or models of tires would be appreciated.
Karen, I am a new owner of a Honda Certified 2002 EXL. I have noticed that the digital clock has no apparent light and I have found that I have to turn on the interior lights to be able to read the time at night. Is this possible that it has no illumination at night? If you are not the person to answer this question, please guide me to the place that I need to pose this question.
Yes, the dealer will only replace engine oil & filter/washer and rotate the tires. You can change the oil and filter by yourself as long as you keep the receipt of the new oil filter. The warranty may be voided if you skip it.
I now do tire rotation at Walmart. It only costs $6. Make sure to show them the rotation diagram from the owner's mannual. It should be cross rotated (i.e., front tires go back straight but rear tires go to the front cross.) You can also do the oil change at Walmart for $13 or $14. I would bring a Honda filter and ask Walmart to give you a credit on the cost of the after-market filter they would use.
This forum is kind of dead now that the 05 Ody is out.
Just wanted to report in and say our 04 Odyssey which we have had 7 months and put 7,000 miles on is doing great! No problems to report (knock on wood). We had a recall done for some type of fuel sensor and had the oil changed at 6,000 miles. It's getting about 25 MPG on average which is pretty good for something of it's size and power.
ksn: Just have a mechanic or Honda dealer look at the van to tell you if there are any outstanding issues. They can't catch everything but it will give you a better idea of how it was taken care of.
Got our 04 Ody about 2.5 months back (manufactured in 08/04) and we are very happy after 3 months and 4500 miles. I parimarily use it for highway cruising. I get 22 mog, going at an average speed of 75 mph. Around town, mileage is a lot worse, probably around 15 mpg. So far no problems or recalls.
Just go to June 2004 issue of Car & Driver for a comparo between the 2004 Ody, Sienna, Quest, Grand Caravan, and Freestar in which the Ody was judged as the best overall especially in the sporty way it drives and handles. These C & D guys are very experienced,knowledgeable and respected in their evaluation of vehicles.
Some folks/groups may like the floaty/boaty feel of a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis - so these folks should look elsewhere from a Ody for that.
Your right. the 99-04 Ody is based on the 98-02 Accord chassis and should feel as such. But that was a very competent car and the Ody felt as such. The 05 Ody is based on the current Accord and should show performance improvements of the current Accord.
I have an 00' EX w/67k. just had the EGR replaced and now the catalytic converter went out. fortunately, honda had extended the warranty to 8/80 on these items. look out for door problems....ours has locked up a few times....also had trouble with the door buzzer going off even when doors were closed (still have this prob) and my only fix is to pull the fuse and replace. seems like when the dealer checks it out, they can't replicate so I just deal w/it. solid overall, but not entirely happy...drive a used sienna prior to your purchase for comp. sake.
we have a 99 ody LX built in aug 99 w/ approx. 75k miles. We didn't buy the LX since they were having problems with the electric door.
what to look out for - under warranty:
we have a new rebuilt transmission recently installed (warranty was extended to 100k, so no bills for this one),
door tends to stick and broke the door handle (4 kids) - they put in a teflon strip on the underside of the upper part of the sliding door -
egr valve replaced
some warranty issues with some wires in the engine compartment
other things to look out for
at least on the 99 - the loud speakers suck - i replaced with Infinity drivers
Honda front brakes tend wear out about every 24k miles
(don't use Napa brake pads - they wear well but are noisy as H***)
only use Honda tranny fluid - theirs has an additive that regular fluid doesn't have (really easy to do yourself by the way - no filters or pan gaskets involved)
I have a similar problem with the sliding door and am on my second handle. All my dealer can do is suggest I grease the weatherstrip.
Where exactly did they put the teflon strip? Did they tell you if there was a service bulletin out or is this sonething the dealer came up with on his own?
Actually, the 05 Odyssey seems more like the 1999-2004 Odyssey than any other vehicle. When looking at parts diagrams at San Leandro Honda, it is clear that the 2004 Accord has a much different chassis and suspension from the 05 Odyssey.
However, the '04 and '05 Odyssey have many chassis and suspension parts that look quite similar although they may not share the same part numbers. Compare the floor panels. They look similar and share few identical parts. Same thing with the front and rear suspension.
My driver side electric sliding door would not work, but I searched through this board and found a solution posted by wpalkowski...hope no one minds if I bring it up after more than one year (the helpful post was made on Nov 30, 2003, #6360, also see #6361), but it is a solution that could save you hundreds of dollars!
To get my sliding door to work, I pulled fuses #13 and #1 (figured it could not hurt) from the passenger side fuse box for about one minute, put them back in, and voila, door doing its thing again...and, being Christmas Eve, I believe I gained some extra brownie points with Mrs. Claus on this one :-)
The power outlet in my car has somehow come loose so that when you pull on whatever is plugged into it, the recptacle protrudes about 2 inches from the dash. The car is under a Honda Care extended warranty and the dealer has fixed other things but won't do this without payment since he says it is "not covered". I don't see why not and I thought I could just buy a $2 tube of epoxy and set it back in although I suspect it was never glued and was held in with some metal hardware. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Similar thing happened to my 99 Ody. I popped open the lower storage draw and pulled it out as much as I can. I reached behind it to find the wire for the outlet, and since I have skinny arms and a small hand was able to retighten the outlet to the receptacle. If you can figure a way to take the whole storage bin out it will be an easy job. Good luck.
As Dave594 stated, the lighter outlet is usually held in place by a big hollow bolt that goes over the lighter shaft on the back side of the interior dash wall.
Most likely that hollow bolt got loose over time and it self-unwinds itself with the enrgy provided by the vibration and motion while driving.
The challenge is to get behind the dash - and yes, skinny arms and a small hand are an advantage!
We have an '02 Odyssey and we're looking at replacing the tires. We live on Central California and don't have to deal with snow, but we do have rain, sometimes quite heavy. Can anyone recommend a good all around tire that will handle our frequent long road trips down I-5 (usually at high speeds), yet ride very comfortably and quietly? Thanks in advance.
Try the Dunlop SP Sport A2's. The treadwear rating is just average, but wet and dry traction is excellent. I've had two sets of these for my 300E and Volvo S70. Like you, wet traction was an important consideration. I've been very pleased, and they're a great bang for the buck.
We bought 4 Michelin Hydroedge in Spring 2004 and we love them (in Boston area) on our 2001 Odyssey EX. Outstanding traction in wet weather. They are ok in snow, nothing great, but servicable. We got them when Costco was running a discount, so our out the door price was about $80-$90 per tire. Some reviewers on tirerack.com have noted road noise. Personally, I have found them to be much quieter than the original Michelin Symmetry. Go see the ratings at tirerack yourself. Awesome tire in my opinion.
The Dunlop A2 is a fine tire, but it is not at its best on a very heavy vehicle (I have Dunlop SP 5000 on my Lexus LS400 and love them, but it is a different type of tire).
Comments
Don't be so quick to blame an accident on the lack of AWD when, in fact, stability control is likely more useful in terms of accident avoidance. My personal preference is to have a vehicle with competent handling dynamics assisted by ABS, stability control and traction control. To me, AWD is expensive, complex and likely just another source of aggravation.
As for the 05' Odyssey - it looks like they pulled a Freestar, albeit with a far superior starting point. In fact, despite the advancements made by DC and Toyota, I thought the 04' Odyssey was the best van around. The improvements for 05' should further widen the gap.
My two cents.
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
I really didn't get what all the praise was about and where it was coming from regarding interior materials of the Odyssey. I don't think the interior of the Odyssery has great materials at ALL! First of all, the front doors and door arm rests are hard...VERY HARD and uncomfortable to put your elbows and arms on. Second, the DASHBOARD, which is a MAJOR part of the interior of a car, LOOKS like it is soft to the touch, but it is actually HARD too! And it makes a hollow knocking noise when you knock on it lightly with your knuckles. The rest of the van is also full of hard plastics - especially the cargo area. So what is all this praise for the interior of the Odyssey, YET for the Quest, Edmunds states that they don't like the hard plastics in the interior when I found the interior of the Quest to be NICER and it had either the same amount or LESS hard plastic than the Odyseey. And the dashboard material of the Quest and door and door arm rest material are better and nicer than the Odyssey. I just don't get it.
Then, I made the mistake of DRIVING my brother in law's Odyssey. Yeah, it drove ok and it was easy to drive. But it didn't feel special in anyway. It hardly even felt NEW!! I normally drive a 2003 Accord EX and that car feels AWESOME and I love the ride, engine, feel and steering wheel - and interior and interior materials - of that car. But the Odyssey didn't impress me at ALL! It felt like an old Honda. It felt like my mother's first 1995 Honda Accord EX. In fact, it felt like my brother in law's busted 1991 White, squeaky, Accord LX that he still has. It felt the SAME! And the steering wheel is so thin that it doesn't feel good in your hands. The Quest felt a LOT better to drive and actually felt like a new car!
So I just don't get all this praise in favor of the Odyssey. Nice minivan..yes..but it doesn't have nice interior materials and the drive isn't that great. I can't wait to test out the new one coming out though. I hope it's a lot better! From what I am reading it's proving to be the best thing since sliced bread, but the same held true for the previous one. We'll see.
As for the Quest. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder because I think the Nissan's interior is hideous.
I do have to ask...why would anyone want to knock on a dash with their knuckles?
That's a new one and I thought I had seen it all!
Jimxo has started the new Honda Odyssey 2005+ discussion so please take the new model info over there.
Steve, Host
I'm not trying to knock the '04 Ody at all. I like it, I just don't understand how "they" can say it has such great interior materials when the doors are SO hard you can't rest your elbows comfortably on them nor the top of the doors, and don't understand that the 2003 Accord has a soft touch dashboard, yet the Ody has a dashboard that sounds like hollow, hard plastic when you touch it - enough so to entice to knock on it lighly with your knuckles to see if in fact it is hard and hollow. Plus, the sqeak had me and my brother in law disappointed. So, how come all this praise for a 2004 Ody when it comes to interior materials, yet all this criticism for a Quest which has either equal or better interior materials? That's my question.
Plus, I mentioned the drive of the van. My brother in law came out of a very abused 1992, white, Honda Accord LX and HE even admitted that his new '04 Ody felt JUST like his old car and mentioned that MY '03 Accord felt a LOT better to drive. I HAD to agree with him. The '04 Ody's drive didn't feel new or special at all - it felt like an old Honda, not a new one and, for me, the steering wheel is way too thin. The Quest felt MUCH better when I drove it and it's steering wheel feels downright sporty and thick especially compared to the Honda. These things disappointed me since, in addition to being a "NissanFan" I am also a Honda Fan - perhaps I should change my sign-in name? These are just my observations. I would like to have your opinions on it and answers to the rear squeaking problem - if any others have experienced the same thing. Thanks.
We have had a 2003 Accord coupe and two 2004 Accord sedans. They do ride a bit "newer" as the Ody feels more like a 98-02 Accord. That said, the Ody will do 100 MPH like a champ, still handles well for such a tall, large vehicle, and it smooth as glass on the highways.
Thanks in advance.
But, real short trips is the worst thing you can do to MPG, and the ody is a fairly heavy vehicle, so 14-16 around town isn't out of line.
It does seem to do much better on the highway.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
No big deal, it's at 6,000 miles no so we will have it done with the first oil change in a couple of weeks.
Steve, Host
Thanks,
Amy
Try the Honda Odyssey Owners: Problems & Solutions discussion (and say Hi to Karen when you get there <g>).
Steve, Host
I now do tire rotation at Walmart. It only costs $6. Make sure to show them the rotation diagram from the owner's mannual. It should be cross rotated (i.e., front tires go back straight but rear tires go to the front cross.) You can also do the oil change at Walmart for $13 or $14. I would bring a Honda filter and ask Walmart to give you a credit on the cost of the after-market filter they would use.
I am close to buying a single private owned 2000 EX Odyssey. Tires - Yokohama < 10,000 miles old.
Mileage is 83000.
What shoudl I be worried about ? Brakes ? What are the important things to consider after 80,000 miles on a 2000 Odyssey ?
Any advice is greatly appreciated
Just wanted to report in and say our 04 Odyssey which we have had 7 months and put 7,000 miles on is doing great! No problems to report (knock on wood). We had a recall done for some type of fuel sensor and had the oil changed at 6,000 miles. It's getting about 25 MPG on average which is pretty good for something of it's size and power.
ksn: Just have a mechanic or Honda dealer look at the van to tell you if there are any outstanding issues. They can't catch everything but it will give you a better idea of how it was taken care of.
Some folks/groups may like the floaty/boaty feel of a Crown Vic or Grand Marquis - so these folks should look elsewhere from a Ody for that.
rockycow
tried it last night....thanks for the tip. will post in a while to update.
what to look out for - under warranty:
we have a new rebuilt transmission recently installed (warranty was extended to 100k, so no bills for this one),
door tends to stick and broke the door handle (4 kids) - they put in a teflon strip on the underside of the upper part of the sliding door -
egr valve replaced
some warranty issues with some wires in the engine compartment
other things to look out for
at least on the 99 - the loud speakers suck - i replaced with Infinity drivers
Honda front brakes tend wear out about every 24k miles
(don't use Napa brake pads - they wear well but are noisy as H***)
only use Honda tranny fluid - theirs has an additive that regular fluid doesn't have (really easy to do yourself by the way - no filters or pan gaskets involved)
otherwise - a great van
Where exactly did they put the teflon strip? Did they tell you if there was a service bulletin out or is this sonething the dealer came up with on his own?
Thanks.
Actually, the 05 Odyssey seems more like the 1999-2004 Odyssey than any other vehicle. When looking at parts diagrams at San Leandro Honda, it is clear that the 2004 Accord has a much different chassis and suspension from the 05 Odyssey.
However, the '04 and '05 Odyssey have many chassis and suspension parts that look quite similar although they may not share the same part numbers. Compare the floor panels. They look similar and share few identical parts. Same thing with the front and rear suspension.
To get my sliding door to work, I pulled fuses #13 and #1 (figured it could not hurt) from the passenger side fuse box for about one minute, put them back in, and voila, door doing its thing again...and, being Christmas Eve, I believe I gained some extra brownie points with Mrs. Claus on this one :-)
Most likely that hollow bolt got loose over time and it self-unwinds itself with the enrgy provided by the vibration and motion while driving.
The challenge is to get behind the dash - and yes, skinny arms and a small hand are an advantage!
The Dunlop A2 is a fine tire, but it is not at its best on a very heavy vehicle (I have Dunlop SP 5000 on my Lexus LS400 and love them, but it is a different type of tire).