Can I get some info on the Honda Odyssey please

[dvcfamily41801]

Our lease is up on our Accord in June and we are looking to purchase an Odyssey. We just do not know the best way to start considering I know they have a long delivery (unless you luck out and a deal falls through) and we are not in a position to be without a car.

We are driving to Hilton Head May 11-16 and ideally would love to have it by then, as some people have mentioned I could "get out" of my lease a little earlier since I am purchasing another Honda. I am also hoping because we could not afford the miles with the lease and our other car is a Honda Civic and there is no way we could do a drive trip that far LOL!

Can anyone share any info on this? Are you happy with it? Which model do you have, etc...

Thank you!!

 

[CamColt]

I dont own one, but I wish I did. They are a great car. We have test driven them and really checked them out(BIL works for Honda). If they werent so expensive we would be getting one when we go to get a new car(hopefully this weekend), but for now I think we are getting a new CRV.
As for the delivery time, that has been my 1 complaint with Honda since we got our first CRV 5 years ago. Long story short we didnt get it when it was promised to us and they really gave us the run around(and we were an employees family!!!). But since we got it, I have had no other Honda complaints. Sorry,I know thats not what you wanted to hear inyour situation, but I thought I should warn you of what can happen.
Good luck!

 

[dvcfamily41801]

Originally posted by CamColt
I dont own one, but I wish I did. They are a great car. We have test driven them and really checked them out(BIL works for Honda). If they werent so expensive we would be getting one when we go to get a new car(hopefully this weekend), but for now I think we are getting a new CRV.
As for the delivery time, that has been my 1 complaint with Honda since we got our first CRV 5 years ago. Long story short we didnt get it when it was promised to us and they really gave us the run around(and we were an employees family!!!). But since we got it, I have had no other Honda complaints. Sorry,I know thats not what you wanted to hear inyour situation, but I thought I should warn you of what can happen.
Good luck!

Wow!! You got to test drive one? We can't even get to that LOL. I have finally resulted to just aksing people in a parking lot or whatever how do they like them LOL. I feel like a dope but I am hoping sometime someone will say want to peek inside one

I am thinking of starting to do my research with dealers now to get an idea of delivery time, I would rather them tell me to start in say a month or so then to have me start in a month and them say ooooh, gee, sorry, should have started sooner

Thanks for your reply and enjoy your new car

 

[DVC-Don]

I have two neighbors who really like theirs. I looked at them, but they are going for $2000 above sticker price around here. I got a Ford Windstar set up similar for $5000 less.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I also have friends who love their Odyssey. But so many people love them that Honda dealers won't deal on them at all around here! No cheap financing or down payment rebate or anything. Price has to be no object, which for us, is not the case!
Robin M.

 

[kdonnel]

I have one. It is a 2002 EX with cloth.

If you want to buy it on your way to Hilton Head there are at least 5 on every lot here. They day we bought ours my brother in law bought one also. They had 5 ready to sell on the lot and 7 that had come in that day. I bought one of the ones from the lot and my brother in law bought on of the 7. He wanted white I wanted red.

We have had it for about 7 months now and no problems. We were actually able to get it for sticker. That also included the VHS entertainment option. So either they gave us the entertainment system or took about $1000 off the price.

Our daughter loves the fact she can open and close the side doors.

We have been on a few 5 hour trips with me, my wife, our 3 year old daughter, and 2 month old son. Everyone and everything fits.

It definitly is more costly then any of the other vans from a domestic or foreign maker.

We have averaged about 20 miles to the gallon in the city and get about 24 on the highway. It has LOTS of power and you never have problems merging into traffic.

 

[NancyIL]

We have a 2000 Honda Odyssey LX, and we waited for it for almost 7 months. We love it, though.

 

[Olaf]

I have a 2002 Honda Odyssey and absolutely love it. It's decked out with a GPS and we added a DVD in car system. It's a terrific minivan and my DH is thrilled that it actually has some power. Basically, it will move it when he pushes the pedal. Honda service has been wonderful as well.

We used to have a Ford Windstar--so glad to see the last of that car.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

Originally posted by NancyIL
We have a 2000 Honda Odyssey LX, and we waited for it for almost 7 months. We love it, though.

7 months WAAAAA I guess I better get moving then?! Glad to hear you like it though!

 

[dvcfamily41801]

Originally posted by Olaf
I have a 2002 Honda Odyssey and absolutely love it. It's decked out with a GPS and we added a DVD in car system. It's a terrific minivan and my DH is thrilled that it actually has some power.

That is what we are leaning towards, the EX with leather and the DVD system. But I am thinking, I would opt to save the cost of the DVD player and purchase one of the portable ones for around $300, or less for the VHS.

Thanks for the info everyone, this is exactly what we need to hear

 

[holycow]

I've got one too...1999 and it is still going strong with 80,000miles on ours....we really love this car and were very fortunate to get it when we did...Our dealership had you sign up for the color you wanted and then when it came in the first person to get there got it!...we lived about 5 miles from the dealership so we only waited a week!...I would start calling dealerships in the area...check prices and what they will do for you...maybe since your turning in your lease they will work with you...

my Dh says when we get another new car we'll just get another one!...

Holycow

 

[snoopy]

I guess I'm the oddball, but I hated my Honda Odyssey. Couldn't get rid of that thing quick enough. It ran well, but I never felt comfortable in it, maybe I'm too tall for Honda Odysseys? My husband, who is 6'3" (I'm 5'10") absolutely refused to drive it.

In any case, it was certainly a good car to have on the resale. I ran an ad in the paper and sold it within 1 hour of the ad posting.

BTW, that was the only car I have ever paid sticker price for. It about killed me to do that! Never again, and I sure wouldn't pay more than sticker for it. But again, thats jmo, I'm obviously in the minority. I didn't have to wait for ours, there were a few on the lot when we bought it in early 2000.

 

[RNMOM]

We have a 2001 and love it. It is the EX. My only complaint is you HAVE to be in park to open the sliders or the alarms will drive you nuts. It puts a damper in the kids hopping out at the curb...

DH is 6'4" and I am 5'2". We both fit well. DH felt it has much more leg room than the Sienna, which I originally wanted.

I am trying to talk him into trading in for a new one this spring. We had a 6-8 week wait but were called by the dealer about 2.5 weeks after order that it came in. We had also been called for a dark green one shortly after order if we wanted to take that one. Ours is granite green. Kinda gray actually.

We just drove to Orlando from Cleveland over the holidays with 5 large adults in it with all our trappings. The teens had a lot of stuff. We were all comfortable. It drove like a dream. Even the 17 yr old we brought with us who has "muscle cars" and a caddy to drive liked it a lot.

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by RNMOM
We have a 2001 and love it. It is the EX. My only complaint is you HAVE to be in park to open the sliders or the alarms will drive you nuts. It puts a damper in the kids hopping out at the curb...
QUOTE]

Im sure that is annoying, but be thankful. A local child was killed last year getting out of their Windstar. The mother forgot to put it in park, it rolled down a hill, hit a pole, and the sliding door slammed on the childs head. So, if a little annoyance could save someones life someday, its well worth it.

And I should not be reading this thread because you are all making it sound so good, Im ready to change my mind and go for the Odyssey. All I can think of is our drive to Florida in August, and thats looking so good.

 

[akasleepingbeauty]

We have a 1999 Odyssey - we waited 5 months for ours. Luckily, my dfil had an extra car we could borrow in the meantime since I had to turn in my lease car.

We love ours and hope to keep it for quite a long while. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that there was no leather option or GPS option when we purchased so we had to go without.

I love the automatic sliding doors - a Godsend with small kids and arms full of groceries etc. The fold-down backseat makes changing from seating to storage and back sooooo easy. I am 5'5" and dh is 6' and we both enjoy driving it. Overall, a great buy and we are much happier than we were with our Plymouth Grand Voyager (we had 3 of those before the Odyssesy).

We did pay list price for ours but no more thankfully and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

 

[clutter]

I'm on Odyssey #2.

Sold my first one to Carmax for way more than I thought. I sold it because it was one of the first manufactured, and there were a lot of wacky warranty issues. #2 is great, no problems since may. I waited maybe 4 or 5 weeks, becaue I wanted red and they were making less of them. Other colors would have been faster. I paid list price. I'd call around to various dealers to see what they're doing. I won't deal with a dealer that isn't up front with me about price.

As far as getting out of your lease, can you sell your car for the residual plus your last months payments??? If you can, you can just pay it off whenever you want to.

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

We own a 1997 Accord (190k), 2002 Civic (20k) and 2001 Odyssey (20k) .... I love the Odyssey! Only complaint would be that I don't think the driver's seat is that comfortable compared to other cars that we have. Everything else is great (especially the magic seat).

I previously owned a Caravan and was VERY HAPPY to PART with it ... you can't believe how much I spent on that piece of CRAP (trans, 3x on the a/c, etc) !!!

We got our Odyssey within a month of ordering it and paid sticker.

Just a side note on the 2001 ... they just sent out a note for an extended warrenty (100,000m) on the trans!!!! I think they are proactive when they think there might be a problem (unlike the Caravan where they swear all problems have been fixed) -- but I hope I don't have to go there AGAIN!!!

I am always hearing of problems with mini-vans, but I think that Honda puts out the best. They certainly stand behind their product and always try for a quality vehicle (unlike the big 3!!).

Best of luck!

 

[ChiTownZee]

When we get rid of our grand cherokee I want to get a a minivan. I was considering the honda, but now that Toyota redesigned the Sienna for 2004 (which comes out in March or April of this year I believe) I'm going to wait to see that one. It has more room now, with a SPLIT 3rd row seat that hides.