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Honda Odyssey Future Models
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http://www.ai-online.com/issues/article_detail.asp?id=462
Anything that reduces fossil fuel consumption worths embracing.
All cars have crumple zones. Basically, they design a strong stiff cage around the passengers, and design the extremities (ie engine compartment) to crumple in a controlled manner, and spread the forces around the safety cage. Pretty much the front/back of the car sacrifice themselves to save the middle.
Downside of course is the amount of damage in a relatively minor crash, upside is if the entire structure was stiff, the occupants would absorb the brunt of the forces.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Admitted openly to him that I liked the Ody better in every way but noise and that if noise was really much better than '04 I'd be buying it. He came back and said that his manager hadn't wanted to pre-sell me one because they didn't want me to be buying it so "tentatively." So, does this mean that the sales manager has test driven the '05 and already knows that it really isn't much quieter than the '04 ???
What did I do so wrong to actually be refused to put a deposit down? I'm kind of flabbergasted ! I'm not going to say which dealership it was because frankly I might still try to deal with them if I can get better treatment in the near future--and I guess I don't want to "damn them" with so little knowledge on my part.
I'd appreciate feedback!
Next time, I would recommend going in with the greatest of enthusiasm and just casually making sure that deposit is refundable just in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
With the last model, you could not even get a test drive anywhere in NJ. When the dealer called to tell us our 2000 was in, we were allowed to take a lap around the parking lot and that was it! If demand is similarly crazy, dealers will not even keep a demo model on the lot. One dealer near here kept a demo van in 99 and had people coming in from 100's of miles away to drive it- but he ended up selling it because it was pointless as he was able to sell every Ody he could get without a test drive.
But remember bamaboy saying that the '05 Ody will be quieter than the '04 Ody?
Bamaboy said HE did not THINK the '05 Ody was quieter than the Sienna, but he said it was quieter than the '04 Ody.
I don't remember him saying whether the '05 Ody was equal to the Sienna interior noise level.
But I think as long as it is significantly (noticable) quieter than the '04 Ody, it should be all good.
You need to relax. If you worry about the interior noise and other issues, you need to test drive the car before making any decision. And we are talking about few weeks from now.
I cannot speak for the rest of the world but in central New Jersey from 1999 into 2001, I don't think too many people got test drives before buying. You put your money down, waited 6 months for the van to come in and then it was take it or leave it. If you did not want it they had dozens of people on the wait list behind you who would take it.
I had a great deal of past happy experience with Honda. The car was getting absolute rave reviews from critics and owners alike and the worst case scenario was that I would drive it for a year and then sell it for maybe 5,000 less than I paid.
BTW, something to think about when test driving. Make sure that the salesperson or you brings proof of insurance (required in Colorado). When I test drove the '99, we were rear-ended (pretty minor). When the cops came, the sales lady didn't have her insurance card (I never thought to bring mine). It ended up that if he gave the other guy a ticket, I would have received a ticket as well for "No Proof of Insurance" and this requires a court visit. So, nobody was cited. Actually, it may have been good if I had been cited as I could have used it as leverage to get the '99 for less than MSRP to cover any fine, time away from work and inconvenience. Now, I always make sure that the salesman has his card and I carry mine as well.
1. He confirmed that the NAV and RES come as a package. The stereo system is incorporated into the NAV touch screen and controls. It is not located elsewhere on the dash. If you don't get the NAV, then a conventional stereo system is used instead as the spy photos show.
2. Only the Touring model has the 18" PAX run flat tires instead of 16" conventional tires. If a PAX tire gets a flat and you can't get it fixed or replaced within 8 hours, Honda will pay for your lodging and rental car expenses. The tires are suppose to be able to be repaired or replaced at any Michelin retailer or Honda dealer. The dealer didn't know the cost of repairing or replacing the tires.
3. The 8th seat is available on all models. It can be removed from the van or stored in the lazy susan space after the lazy susan is removed. The lazy susan can be stored in the spare tire compartment in the back. He wasn't sure, but that probably means the 8th seat can be stored in the spare tire compartment. If the spare tire compartment is empty in the Touring model, then the Touring model will be able to store both the lazy susan and 8th seat.
4. The dealer said the extra horsepower was very noticeable when accelerating. The Honda factory people encouraged the dealers to accelerate hard to show how much faster the new Ody is.
5. Only the Touring model has the power lift gate and the parking sensors. The parking sensors are a dealer-installed option on the other models.
6. The dealer does not have the price information yet but was told that the prices would be about the same or only a little higher than the 04 models, even with the additional standard safety features.
7. VCM is only available on the EX-L and Touring models.
That's one crazy thing!
really, you want your kids opening it in the garage? for me - the marginal convenience (?)wouldn't be worth the complexity, weight, reliability, and the possibility of the hatch hitting the garage door. crazy.
- Dropping or picking up the kids at school, rec center, etc. You can open the doors and the hatch so that backpacks/gym bags/etc don't have to be put in stashed on the floor or on their laps.
- Have you tried pushing a shopping cart through a parking lot with a couple inches of snow, or worse yet, slush on the ground? Those little wheels aren't made to do this easily. That's when you have to carry everything you bought. Then, when you get to the car, you have to set them down in the snow or slush to open the hatch. It's a mess.
Yes, it's a convenience and adds weight/complexity, but I also never thought that there was a real need for power sliding doors...until we bought our Dodge GC and the kids couldn't close the doors. With our '99 Ody, this was very convenient, and unlike some other people, we never had a problem.
For example, along with the memory seat for the driver, the Touring model is suppose to have power adjustable pedals, which I don't remember being mentioned earlier. This, as well as the power rear hatch, may be important for some people with short drivers in the family.
I was driving, so I couldn't stare (don't want to crash the Sub...Then I'd have to buy TWO Odys. But here are my impressions of what I did see:
- Looks just like the mildly disguised pics already posted. "H" on the grill was blacked out with tape and there was some tape on the tail lights.
- Was at least an EX-L as it had a moonroof.
- Desert Rock color...very nice.
- Looks better in person than in the pics (IMO). Even my wife liked it better and she loved her '99.
- 2nd Gen was more "sinister" in appearance from the front with the narrow headlights.
- 3rd Gen was more "imposing". Looks massive with the bigger grill/lights and higher hoodline in front (less slope).
- Looks bigger than the 2nd Gen. But that could be due to the front end.
- Didn't notice if it had the PAX tires...Once again, I was driving at the time.
- There was a 2nd Gen Ody in front from Ralph Schomp with either a DEMO or FULL USE tag (Demo for test drives, Full Use for employees). I saw the 2nd Gen pull onto the main street near my home...didn't see if the '05 was behind it, though. Maybe just a coincidence. I drove by Invesco Field at Mile High, but didn't see any gathering...thought that the Ride and Drive might be there since MA had theirs at Foxboro Stadium.
Anyway, if the pics are any good, I'll post them on Odyclub. If they are just like all the others (probably are), I won't bother.
Texasmom, Lynn,
Before you ask, I don't know if it was quieter than the 2nd Gen. JK :-)
Wow, cant believe your luck. Seems these things are really starting to pop out all over the place. Wonder if we will see any here before Sept. release date? Doubt it.
I asked my husband whether they had just showed a picture of it or actually given any info. He said that it would "be out" on September 22nd. I asked him if that was all they'd said and he said "They said it had electrodes you could attach to your kids so that you could zap them when they were misbehaving."
I tried to get him to be serious and tell me what they really said and he just came up with some similar very funny comments, but wouldn't tell me--so I assume that either he wasn't paying attention or that's all they said. There was a picture of it on the screen but I don't even remember what color it was--I only saw about one second of it.
But, they sure chose a good audience for it, huh? I mean parents of sports kids are all watching the series off and on, right? Even more targetted than the Olympics, perhaps.
P.S. We dominated the Houston teams in all three scrimmages. They were very sportsmanlike and I believe we were, too. I hope we do as well in the real season. Go Austin !!!
If you promise you'll wait for actual Ody pricing, I will drive all over Denver all week (or until Thursday when I leave for LV for a Karate Tournament). Once I find the guy in the 05, I'll tell him he has to let me know if it is quieter than the '04 because he's losing a good customer!!
Actually, I hope nothing more than the best for you and your family. I hope that you can hold out a bit longer for true, Honda-released information. But you have to do what is right for your personal circumstances...just like everyone else. It has been a pleasure discussing opinions with you. You are very pleasant person, even in disagreement, and a valuable voice in this forum. Take care and keep us updated with Quest.
Don't forget the rear seat in the Quest is a one piece design, and not as practical as the 60/40 split design. Could be a deal breaker for some.
Tell your DH to be careful that he isn't making a penny wise, pound foolish mistake that many of us have made. Here are some financial advantages that the new Ody has over the Quest:
1. The resale value of the Ody will probably be much higher than that of the Quest because the Quest does not seem to appeal to many buyers. You may save $4000 on the front end of the deal but lose much more than that at the back end. Some people say that they will keep the vehicle until it dies, so resale value doesn't matter. Then the vehicle get totaled in an accident, and they discover that the insurance settlement is low because the used car value of the vehicle is low. In fact, the main reason the vehicle is totaled rather than repaired is because of the low value of the vehicle.
2. The new Ody is expected to get much better gas mileage than the Quest. Based on 15000 miles per year, you may be able to save about 200 gallons per year. How much is that worth to you over the time you will own the vehicle?
The Quest has some liabilities that may be important to you:
1. If you are concerned about noise, read Edmunds' review of the Quest: "exhibits excessive road noise at highway speeds. One editor commented that her daughter would complain that she could no longer hear the movie she was watching once the Quest hit the freeway." What's the point of having an entertainment system if your children can't hear it on the freeway? Car and Driver also listed as a low the squeaks and rattles of the Quest.
2. Several reviews have commented on the huge turning circle of the Quest. The Quest will be a lot less maneuverable than the Ody.
The EX-L NAV/RES with some dealer-installed options may have many of the most important features of the Touring model at a much lower cost and without the expensive Michelin PAX tires. It may fit your budget and offer a better compromise than the Quest.
I don't want to be a party pooper, but it is better to avoid rushing into a decision if you are ambivalent about it. We made that mistake and ended up getting rid of a car we bought only a year after we bought it.
lynnw -- looks like the '05 Odyssey is quieter than the Sienna, and the power liftgate is an option. If you can wait for another week or two, when pricing, trim level specifications, and dealer-installed options are revealed, you might find an EX-L w/RES+NAV is within your budget.
When I can finally test drive the '05 Ody I hope that an '05 Sienna will be available somewhere nearby to compare it with on the same day.
I know they won't hold the '05 Ody for very long and wouldn't it be a kill if I had the '05 Ody sitting there, available to test drive, and no '05 Sienna to be found within 50 miles?
I wonder if my "auditory memory" is good enough to compare cabin noise from test drives that I did a week or two before with '04 Sienna and '05 Ody.
Heck, I'd be okay with finding an '04 Sienna to compare it to, but there aren't even guaranteed supplies of those on Austin lots as the year closes.
When do the '05 Siennas come out and why did Honda make its announcement on the Little League World Series before Toyota has made its date public for Sienna release?
Bama Boy and others haven't made similar statements about noise level so far as I know.
# Road Noise! Is it better then the Toyota Van? Can you hear your self think at 75 mph?
*YES IT IS, AT 60 MPH, 4db QUIETER THAN SIENNA
=====
I think the measurements come from Honda, as I remember seeing dB levels posted by someone after some Ride & Drive event.
Those quoted decibel readings mean absolutely nothing unless they compared the Sienna and Ody on the exact same road on the same day close to the same time.
For example, heres a Q&A from 2005hondaodysey:
Q: Road Noise? What are they saying?
A: 68db at 60 mph
Q: Road Noise! Is it better then the Toyota Van? Can you hear your self think at 75 mph?
A: YES IT IS, AT 60 MPH, 4db QUIETER THAN SIENNA
According to Car and Driver, the Sienna was only 67dBA at 70mph! Does that mean the '04 Sienna is quieter than the '05 Ody by 1 significant decibel at 10 more MPH? NO, it does not.
4 decibels quieter than Sienna? I would really love to see/hear that!
68dBA at 60mph seems VERY loud to me, if the Sienna is only 67dBA at 70MPH.
These answers don't mean anything at this time.
Again, I really like the new Ody a lot and I would still buy EVEN if it were 1dBA louder than the Sienna, but those numbers just seem unreal. FOUR decibels quieter??????????????????????????????
Also, will the Touring model get optional 8th seat? Didn't we already get confirmation that it will?
Then about 3 seconds with text saying "Coming September 22"
Then you get exactly a 7 second side view of the Ody. The multi-spoke wheels someone spoke of previously look to be wheel covers - (at least I hope they are)....they are 10 spoke wheels and appear to be 16".
Hope this helps.
In any case, the only test that matters is when I sit in the van, the road noise doesn't bother me :-)
In general I would prefer to sit in the quietest minivan. But since we just can't seem to have everything in life, we have to factor in other variables like features, looks, etc.
Who knows yet? I sure hope the new Ody IS 4dBA quieter than the Sienna. But we'll need Car and Driver to do another sound level test with Sienna Vs Ody.
So far, I have not heard ANYONE say they FEEL the Ody is quieter after the initial Ride and Drive thing. Has anyone noticed?
http://www.hondacars.com/models/little_league.asp?ModelName=Pilot- &bhcp=1&BrowserDetected=True
and
http://www.hondacorporate.com/community/?subsection=littleleague
1. VCM (standard in EX-L as well)
2. Stabilizer bar is 24 v. 23 mm
3. Wheels are 18.1 alloy vs. 16 alloy on EX, 16 with covers on LX.
4. PAX tires (235-710R-460A 104T) v. All season (235/65R16 103T)
5. Tire pressure monitoring system
6. Tri-zone automatic climate control v. manual rear in EX and manual in LX.
7. Leather wrapped steering wheel and knobs.
8. Automatic Day/Night rearview mirror.
9. Beverage Holders (17 v. 15)
10. Third row power outlet (4 total vs. 3)
11. Removable Center Console
12. Power moonroof (included on EX-L as well)
13. Power tailgate
14. Fog lights
15. Auto dimming mirrors
16. Auto on/off halogen headlights
17. Body colored parking sensors front and rear
18. Chrome tailgate garnish
19. 8-way power driver seat w/memory (EX power seat has no memory)
20. Stowable Plus One Seat (the 8th seat) is listed as standard on EX only.
21. Heated front seats (EX-L also)
22. 360 W 6 disc in dash 7 speakers including subwoofer v. 120 W 6 disc in dash with 6 speaker for EX.
23. Programmable multi-information display.
24. Miles to empty indicator.
25. Compass.
That's it. Hopefully some of these features will be options on the EX and more than anything I hope the 8th seat will be an option on the touring.
I glad about the compass, chrome tailgate garnish, and leather steering wheel and KNOB?
I'm assuming the know refers to the shifter knob?
I just love this competition game. The Sienna Limited has 17"tires so the Ody Touring gets 18"!
But it's not just that. I agree with Honda on keeping certain things "less", like 7 speakers instead of 10 speakers.
Both are great, but I am liking the new Ody more even before it is released.
Yeah, I hope the 8th seat will be an option on the Touring. It just seems like a great idea.