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Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans
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For an accurate check on trade-in values,go to the Forum in Town Hall titled "Real World Trade-in Values" and see what those who buy and sell vehicles have to say:
sysop "Real-World Trade-In Values" Mar 18, 2001 8:06am
Do people who buy Honda do so with the intent to get rid of it in 2 years? Otherwise, why the hangup on theoretical re-sale value that never exists in the real world?
Does a person want comfort, a nice discount at purchase with a theoretical low trade-in or.....utility, low MSRP and a theoretical high trade-in? Honda owners do NOT get a high trade in when trading a Honda on a new Honda.
Real-World Trade-In Values
1061 messages,Last post on Mar 18, 2001 at 04:43 PM
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#1056 of 1061 Ody Trade/ Brentwood & rroyce10 by philw2 Mar 18, 2001 (10:48 am)
Like the Lincoln LS, I also own Navigator.Trying to keep my trade difference as low as possible. The Ody I have, is a piece of junk. Have had nothing but problems. Would like to get out of it while they are still in high demand. Few months from now, supply may catch up, my best guess anyway, and depreciation get worse. Would like trade difference in the 3k or so range. Can get brand new TL for 26.5 or so. Maybe pick up a 2000 TL, good miles, $24k. Thoughts?
NOTICE the words:..."The Ody I have, is a piece of junk..."
It was, tho Consumer Reports's surveys seem to show that the problem went away about 3 years ago.
My family has owned three Hondas: a 93 Civic, a 95 Accord and a 00 Odyssey. We still own all three and haven't had any problems. Tenth of a second difference in the quarter mile isn't an issue. My main concern is reliablity, and I can tell you, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of "Chrysler minivan" is "failed transmission."
For me, anecdotal stories about a few friends who had problems with their Hondas can't compare with the volume of posts I've read over the past couple of years regarding Chrysler products.
phil2w has stated quite clearly in the Town Hall forum quoted above that his 99 Ody is a piece of junk. Might not be normal for a Honda, but who can argue with his facts? or Tayalynn who had a 99 Ody lemon?
Of course there are more accounts of problem DC minivans...they have sold millions more than the amount of minivans sold by Honda.
Well, just my thoughts.
On the other hand, maybe one is better than the other and trying to prove it can be a light diversion! How boring this forum would be if we just all agreed to disagree!
And I will re-iterate: At MSRP the Odyssey is the BEST BUY. Most DC buyers do NOT pay MSRP and that changes the whole buying scenario. Yes, hotspur did copy and paste a posting of mine correctly. I love my 99 GC SE and prefer it to a 99 Odyssey LX...but if I were buying now, I would get the Odyssey. DC eliminated the Trip Computer on all but the most expensive.
As usual, the unreliable, ignorant babblings of Consumer Reports make it NOT RECOMMENDED for purchase.
Maybe there's a transcript out there (something tells me your call would have been "screened" anyway, lol).
Steve
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
The kind of information reported is anecdotal, and is meaningful only in statistically large enough samples. In other words, if you have a 99 GC that has 100K troublefree miles, or one that puked it's tranny in 5K miles, it's not statistically meaningful. When a large number of people report on the same criteria, it becomes meaningful, but not predictive on an individual purchase basis.
Dave Kelsen.
I think people who report low mileage on the Odyssey need to re-evaluate their driving habits...and CR should be more objective in their testing. BTW, I love our 99 GC SE but would now wait for the excellent Odyssey LX if I were to buy a new minivan as it is the BEST BUY at MSRP. I saw a 2000 GC LE advertised in today's newspaper by a DC dealer for $17,450 by the same owner's dealership "Discount Outlet" that had a 1999 Sienna LE for $22,??? just 2 or 3 weeks ago.
DC's policy of discounts, rebates, incentives (although I got $4900 off MSRP in March 1999) is destructive to resale value just as is the abuse the many DC minivans get while in service as rentals, fleet, and/or government usage during the first year of a model year.
Another reason for me to look to Odyssey or Sienna next time IF our DC ever gives us problems.
However, I have been warned in another forum that my praise of our most excellent DC could bring bad luck!
Auf Wiedersehen and Pax Vobiscum.
However, was happy to discover that highway MPG was pretty consistant with other posters. Something like 24.5.
I'm new here and thought I'd throw in my $0.02 on the debate.
For starters, I'd like to say that we swore we would NEVER buy a minivan. We currently drive an Explorer, but after the second kid was born, we accepted the inevitable conclusion that the van was the sensible solution. We started looking about 6 months ago, and considered the GC, T&C, Odyssey, Sienna, Villager, and Windstar. We decided that our important criteria were as follows:
Cargo space for travel, seating flexibility, reliability, appearance, remote keyless entry, power sliding doors, purchase price, and resale value. We quickly eliminated the Windstar (overpriced, ugly, and lousy reputation), Villager (pricey and small) and the Sienna (pricey and too small as well) and narrowed the field down to Odyssey EX, T&C LXi or EX, and Gr. Caravan ES or EX. Drove and liked all 3 makes, so from that standpoint, I felt I was not going to make a bad decision. The Dodge guy kept bugging me even though I told him I was still in the comparison phase, so I eliminated the Dodge. I also noted that the resale on the Dodge was terrible compared to both the T&C and the Odyssey. Finally decided on the Odyssey EX over the T&C for the following reasons:
1. Reliability - Honda's historical track record is better than Chrysler. Even though I feel DC is working on that issue, I had concerns about this being the first year of production for the T&C vs. third year for the Odyssey.
2. Interior space utilization - Honda was easier to reconfigure the seats for our travels and liked the third seat stowage capability. This is important for our vacation travels. After we unload, we can pop up the last row and carry people again.
3. Initial price - I was surprised by this and expected that the Honda would cost a lot more since we were paying closer to MSRP, but the T&C with the options was actually several hundred $$ more expensive. We're getting the Odyssey for $750 below MSRP.
4. Resale value - no argument here. If we decide to trade it in after 5 years, it's worth a lot more towards the next vehicle.
6. Relative numbers - The fact that there are fewer Odysseys on the road means you aren't passing yourself all the time or getting confused in the parking lots. Granted, this may be "snob appeal," but since we drive an Explorer and a Camry, having something a little different is a welcome change.
The T&C had a lot going for it as well, including better color choices, but we decided that the extra bells and whistles on the T&C did not outweigh the benefits of the Odyssey. In the end, I like knowing that either van could have been the right choice. Things in the market are a lot better now than they were 10 or 15 years ago.
If the magic seat is so noisy, then why is the Ody quieter (according to instrumented tests) than the pre-2001 DC minivans which had no magic seat? It's disappointing to see this old wive's tale propagated by someone who should know better.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Chrysler was not asleep at the wheel as some of us are prone to think. DC minivans still offer the most of the desirable options.
And theoretical resale and trade in values are meaningless. Many people I know that own or owned Hondas NEVER were able to get the
"alleged" high trade-in value of their Honda even at a Honda dealership!
I like Odyssey, DC minivans, and Toyota Sienna. All have some
"Best" features. Even GM have a "Best Feature": 8 passenger seating
that can NOT be had on Ody, DC, Sienna. I happen to think GM FWD minivans feel crude and unrefined compared to DC, Sienna, Ody.
The Odyssey stores its Mickey Mouse spare just behind the front seats and under the floor. With the prop shaft in the AWD models running to the rear axle, this is not possible. That's why you won't see an AWD Odyssey anytime soon. The traditional place for the spare tire, which is just behind the rear wheels, ahead of the rear bumper, would be taken up by the 3rd row seat well, if so equipped. Again, as you can see, the hideaway 3rd row caused a number of design problems, hence the reason why Chrysler has abandoned the idea...for now.
I hope this clears things up.
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Here's a question, why doesn't Odyssey offer things like side airbags, leather, or at least a decent radio before offering a navigation system?
Also in what ways do you consider the AMCI comparison "bogus"?
All I'm saying is that Chrysler's engineers found that a 3rd row seat well would cause more road noise for their designs (again factoring in AWD).
I like the Odyssey, BTW, and have recommended it to several people without hesitation. I do wish that it did have side impact airbags, and AWD though (that's not possible with its current design). Its interior noise level is acceptable, but by no means as low as the Sienna.
Godd luck! Keep it civil everyone!
Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Since this post is Honda Odyssey vs Chrysler minivans, dissenting opinions on either is the name of the game...altho I do agree with you that people should not use derogatory names in reference to another Town Hall participant.
Best thing to do is test drive 2001 DC van and compare. As Buddy Hackett once said " I didn't know how bad heart burn was until one day I didn't have it." Same for noise
Hot spur
That DC commisioned the AMCI comparison might make the results suspect but not necessarily bogus. As to noise, wife and I drove to Honda dealership in a 1996 I&C. When we got on the same highway in the Honda we turned towards one another at the same time and said "noisy". Perhaps the Honda measures quieter then the pre-2001 DC but all noise is not created equal. Compare 90 db of your favorite music to 90 db of baby crying. I read somewhere that Honda might use Active Noise Control (ANC) in the Odyssey.
Frankly I expected more of the Honda since I had owned a 1990 Accord. The Accord had a very nice interior fashioned from high quality materials. The Odyssey clearly is not up to that standard.
For me, Honda needs to fix the interior, the road noise and upgrade the sound system to be competetive.
Then I started reading your attacks, er, uh -- postings. They just kept on coming and coming, ad nauseam. I can't help but think of the kid at every school who gets angry with others if they don't play his way. Why do you insist on attacking those who don't agree with you? Everybody has an opinion -- you're entitled to yours. But please, don't try to ram your opinion down my throat. You've gotten your point across. Now please just SHUT UP!
I imagine should Honda execs ever read this board, they'll probably cringe, knowing that your rabid attacks will probably make those on the fence go toward the competition, as I believe I may have. I'm not saying that I've completely made up my mind to buy a DGC -- but your rantings have made it a bit more attractive to me, while somewhat turning me off to the Ody. Please do us a favor and enjoy your Ody in peace, and leave the rest of us "fools and idiots" alone.
Oh, and if you're going to compare apples and oranges, please use the same model years. I really don't care that an Ody is quieter than a "pre-2001 DC." But then -- that's just my opinion.