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Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans
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Comments
Have your daughter get the Honda. Sure it's a little more $$. You could even buy after market or OEM wheels, a roof rack and more and still be ahead of the curve after less than a year given the stone like drop in value of DC products. Take a look in the classifieds some day at the number of 2 year old DC products out there for sale. Look at the asking price of these vehicles and figure on knocking off another $1K or more because there are so many of them out there. Look for a used Honda Odyssey (if there are any) and note the asking price. Do you really want your daughter to be in this position when she decides to sell her vehicle?
Seriously, I believe both the ODY and DC vans are likely good vehicles.
We have a '96 Dodge Caravan, which has been excellent with no problems except for routine-battery and tire-up until this spring when the AC went out and cost a lot of bucks to repair-dash disassembly to get at the evaporator. Hopefully that will be it for a while. The 3.3 liter V-6 is more than adequate. After all these are minivans, not sports cars!
I think the DC vans look better, but that probably won't convince true believers in Hondas to switch.
The rest of the arguments in this discussion one versus the other are mostly minor. The bottom line is, buy what you like and don't look back. If you don't like what you bought, next time go to something else.
Anyway, pick the vehicle you are comfortable with. You make the payments so you don't need to justify your choice to anyone.
Am I the only one who loves the Ody01 posts?
May be true but you can bet that after owning it for a while you sure won't have a padded billfold, well maybe the bill part anyways.
Wife like Honda tray better than console. With console, she have to take out and throw out window to yell at kids in back. With Honda she fold down tray and yell at kids - break up fights. DC van fast and torquey. Honda faster and torquier. (Moderator hold reins very tight these days! Not want wagon to go off road:-)
Do you really think you are getting your value paying that much for an ODY when you could get huge discounts on the much more available and discount priced DC product line?
Dmatthews3, you will certainly unpad your billfold even more quickly buying at near MSRP for your ODY.
Only those who lease or trade every 2-3 years will come out ahead of the DC option. And anyone who leases or trades every 2-3 years is blowing cash on depreciation no matter whose van they buy.
The PT Cruiser took the Compact category for the second straight year, the VW Golf was a third year winner in the Mini category
Honda and Toyota margin spread move even. Mean less room for negotiate. Why buy DC just cuz get more money off? If TC sticker for $40,000 and I buy for $28,000 I feel better cuz I get good deal? Must be reason for deep discount. How dealership to make up margin - service and warranty work? Why buy Seiko watch for $100. Timex tell time just as good for $25. Odyssey compare to DC Caraven EX - made to compete on price and features. Used to be no discount, pay sticker price. Still that way?
Got 2001 Odyssey EX after much comparing. Sedona now first choice: same size engine Odyssey, 5 speed automatic, longest warranty. Odyssey and Chrysler tie #2 choice.
The marketing types who establish the DC and Honda MSRP's, dealer incentives, dealer margins, holdbacks, and special spiffs are often lost in their own fog of computer printout research and their personal notions of what will make the "typical" customer respond.
Edmunds readers, by and large, are not typical customers.
YES...The Odyssey LX was our first choice in March 1999 and we placed a $500 deposit on a $23,615 MSRP Granite Green Odyssey LX March 16, 1999 at Ken Garff Honda.
Inasmuch as we wanted to travel before the 5 months waiting list time, we purchased our 2nd choice 1999 GC SE on March 20, 1999 for $22,590 with a very nice $4900 discount off the $27,490 MSRP.
We had zero problems until a coolant leak at 35,002 miles which was fixed the next day under warranty at NO COST to us.
Our 2nd daughter needed a 2nd vehicle so we offered to sell her the exceptionally nice 1999 GC SE and get a new 2002 minivan. The Honda dealer would not order one without a NON-refundable $500 deposit. Complete satisfaction with our 1999 GC SE was compelling reason to buy a 2002 Chrysler Town & Country on January 26, 2002 trading in the 1999 GC SE which was immediately purchased from the dealer by our daughter and her husband. Had an Odyssey LX in Havasu Blue been available on January 26 we would have purchased a 2002 Honda Odyssey LX since we feel the Chrysler T&C eL at $24,330 MSRP gives equal value to a Honda Odyssey LX at $24,690 MSRP. Each has unique, very nice features.
We have had zero problems in the 2002 Chrysler T&C eL in 8040 miles and it has delivered an AVERAGE 23.0 MPG at last refill at 7881 miles.
YES. My sister has a 2001 Odyssey EX that I drive frequently as she and her husband have me bring it home from the airport and drive it back to pick them up when they fly to various places all over the USA. Both vans drive nicely, are very quiet, perform well, and my wife and I would be just as happy with a Honda Odyssey as we were with our 1999 GC SE and now our 2002 T&C eL. I am the former Carleton1 who was banned and got a new Town Hall ID after getting permission from Edmunds.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
What actually happened was that Carleton1 had a beguiling way of pulling Odyssey owners' chains, resulting in multiple flame battles throughout the Odyssey threads.
As a result, the very patient and slow-to-censor Karen, driven nuts ... ummm, ... to an angered state by the constant battles, banned Carleton1 from posting in Odyssey fora. He was not banned from Town Hall.
Whambam: Unofficial Historian, Town Hall
We loaded up the family of six in the Town & Country today for a little college road trip. We drove a total of 210 miles and visited Santa Clara University and UC Santa Cruz which was alot of fun. Anyway, the 3.3 V6, despite only having 158 horses, did a fine job of climbing the steep and winding hills leading down to Santa Cruz. Our top speed was 87mph on a straight away and the van felt just fine at that speed w/ 6 passengers and A/C.
The Infinity 10 Acoustic system is perfect for long trips and keeps the car rockin'. There was never a moment of silence!
I had Infinity sound system in 96 Dodge Grand Caravan. Honda sound system not as good.
I rent many DC short version van many times. One time Sport Version. Short version van handle much better traffic Honda and Grand Caravan. No Infinity sound system rental DC van. Sound not so good Honda.
On another note I too will start making fun of Ody01 as you have requested :-))
As for looks, Honda van have nice body lines, look nice. DC van look like box the Ford Focus comes in. 4adodge, I not laugh at ody01, I laugh with him.
Tomtom - Ford margin is factory margin. They get it as soon as the truck is shipped off to the dealer. You'll not tap into in save for dealer incentives, holdbacks and special spiffs. My point is that just because they offered you $25K in trade for your van, don't think you have somehow managed to avoid the infamous DC depreciation curve. Glad you are happy with your deal on the Navigator - that's the only thing that matters.
Think dangerous drive 87 mph even nice Chrysler or Odyssey. Hope your van have very good tire. Glad no accident at high speed.
Disagree pat84. Sedona most look like Windstar. Chrysler minivan nicer look than Windstar. Odyssey van look different all minivan.
Sedona most look like Windstar but better: larger standard V6, 5 speed automatic, much better warranty.
I don't see the Windstar looks anything like the DC van. Yes, Ody look very different than the other minivans out there but it doesn't mean that's good ---> Pontiac' Azteck
Odyssey much more class van than Sedona. Have very solid name Honda behind product. Sedona likely have only tow truck behind product.
Wondering how far O.T. you have to go before you get falgged? Not trying to be smart, just want to know. This is a DC vs Ody thread yet some posts stray into areas such as speculation about a poster's country of origin, previous existance, other minivan comparisons, etc. Not that I mind. In some cases there are no other outlets for these comments. How does this work?
Again, I'm not trying to be cute - just want to play by the rules and stop having posts rejected.
Thanks
dmathews, when pat84 said he had his Odyssey over 100mph with six passengers I did not hear you criticize him for unsafe, fast driving. Especially considering that with six people on board the rear of his Odyssey was probably one inch from the ground and his head lamps were probably pointed towards the sky instead of the road in front of him. I'm sure they made perfect skylights.
I don't see how anyone could say DC vans look like the Ford Windstar. Owners of DC vans should be insulted by that remark!
When a topic gets swamped with posts that have little to do with the title, then we step in and try to get folks back on topic, or otherwise try to insure that Town Hall is a welcoming place for everyone to enjoy reading and posting in.
Hope this helps!
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Brakish like brackish water, neither salty or fresh. Joe like person neither Korean or Carlton.
Edmunds, Car and Driver and other experts wrong. Odyssey not best van. Best van is one you drive.
Odyssey best van me, bdaddy, whambam, pat 84, dmathews 3, many people.
Chrysler minivan best van 4aodge, chryslervan1, tomtomtom, swampcollie, Carleton1, many people.
Nissan Quest best van Steve.
Most Odyssey owner Town Hall. Now many Sedona owner Town Hall. Where are all Chrysler minivan owner?
Difficult understand trade Odyssey for Avalanche.
MPV look like Odyssey have little girl baby, have curvy like woman, more feature, less money, slider door window roll down very nice feature.
Buy MPV for wife now Ford put real engine in van. Old engine good power only for Tonka Toy car.
Honda use QFD (Quality Functional Deployment) to mate voice of customer to voice of engineer. Give customer big engine, ABS disc brake, 5 speed transmission, side airbags, automatic doors and more, all standard. Other vans have many option groups to get same features. Honda engineer smart.
No window move kids not tempted to put arms legs head out window feel like going zoom zoom.
Agree slider door window nice.
MPV go fast only when draft on Odyssey exhaust.
Volvo good car. Designer happen have railroad boxcar fixation.
Bdaddy make good point danger children rear window. Bdaddy smart man, get fooled by DC low price, not think ahead low resale.
Ody owner drool when MPV owner roll down window and show off kids. Good looking kids = good looking van.
Many driver signal approval rare & valuable DVBP Ody EX by hold up one finger. Very strange not smile, look angry.
Why Honda engineer make 8 different shades gray? Honda have most money, best look wheels all vans on EX model. DC wheel cover look like moon cap on 51 Ford.
Whammy watch out don't get termites on giant Sequoia. Wife not happy and might not understand. Ask for divorce. Then Whammy get to buy much prized old Volvo designed by rail engineer with money left from check.
If DC name van Sequoia, must change name mine to Big Willie. Not want name same like DC.