Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Vans & Minivans Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans 
7485 messages, Last post on Mar 23, 2008 at 7:43 AM
You are in the Honda Odyssey Forum. Your Host is Karens
|
Let's see what $8,000 can buy used, shall we? 1997 Odyssey, 119K $7999 1995 Odyssey, 124K $7295 1998 Town & Country, 102K $6995 1999 Grand Voyager, 84K $6595 2000 Grand Voyager, 72K $5898 1999 Grand Caravan, 87K $5198 2002 Windstar, 51K $7195 2001 Windstar, 76K $5475 2001 Venture, 88K $7488 2000 Venture, 95K $7028 Just a sampling from the local Auto Trader. Interesting, in that sub-$8,000 price range, how much newer of a van I can get for the money than a used Odyssey. They are newer, they have fewer miles, and they are all V6 powered. There aren't hardly even any 99-up Odysseys for under $10,000 let alone $8,000 But I'll be honest. I would not touch a Windstar or Venture at any price because of powertrain reliability. Then again with horror stories of Toyota engine sludge, Honda automatics failing, and Chrysler automatics limping along in 2nd gear, there aren't ANY minivans that are 100% reliable. The Chryslers are more forgiving, I guess. At least they CAN limp home. If the $5198 Caravan is still there when we get to the dealer with checkbook in my wife's hand, it's coming home with us after a rigouous test drive and getting it up on a lift to check for trans leaks. The 2000 Grand Voyager and 2000 Venture are on the same lot. Venture is a Warner Brothers edition with DVD player and OnStar. Too bad it's in a Venture, because my wife really wants OnStar. If only GM had offered the bulletproof Buick 3.8L engine as an option in those vans. They dropped it after the 1996 model year back when they were still dustbuster-looking Lumina APV's.
|
|
|
After another classifieds search in the newspaper a few minutes ago, I did find one 1999 Odyssey in my area at a Mitsubishi dealer for $5995, but it has 139,000 miles on it. Can't be financed with those miles, otherwise I'd jump on it. Or not. It's green...trying to avoid green...wife doesn't like green...I don't like green...our house is beige with maroon trim so green doesn't go except at Christmas time... |
|
|
Replying to: occupant1 (Nov 23, 2006 9:19 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: 97xpresso (Nov 24, 2006 2:19 pm) Oil cap underside, oil dipstick, and trans dipstick are cleaner on the Dodge, too. But both have freshly changed oil and pink trans fluid so I guess it's OK. Other small item to note is the Dodge has the Infinity sound with the CD/cassette deck. But those sell on eBay for $100-$150 and the speakers in the Chrysler sounded fine to me, no scratching or popping. I just need to find a way to wire in an input for my iPod Shuffle. Maybe I'm just stuck using one of my old CD player-to-cassette adapters for awhile. I hope they still work. The Venture is gone, thank goodness, I was afraid my wife would insist on the OnStar if it was available at the same car lot even for $1100 or $1800 more. I won't buy a 3.4L van just to get that, she'll have to wait until we replace the Lumina in a year or two and then I'll look for a Superior Blue 3.8L Impala LS or LT for her. My wife is mildly interested in the high mileage Odyssey, but it is green. Even if the dealer can finance it with that many miles (I doubt it, they don't offer in-house notes), I think a lower mileage van may be a better deal for the family. And that Chrysler is the lowest save for that 2002 Windstar, which is priced below Edmunds TMV Trade value, so I'm leery of it for that reason only. |
|
We're expecting our third child and made the decision about a month ago to get a minivan. I want something very safe so looked at Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Data first so see what Minivans would be the safest on the road. I ruled out Kia and Hyundai because no long term reliability data exists(and a bias against them as my wife's college car was a Hyundai Scoupe and it was piece of  %#.) Anyway what was left was Honda, Toyota, and Dodge. I really thought going into this we'd buy a Dodge as hands down you can buy a loaded new van for about $4,000 or $5,000 less then the Honda and Toyotas. Here are the reasons we didn't. #1. The second row stow and go seating is the most uncomfortable car seat I think I've ever sat in. The first day we looked at them, my back was bugging me and man there was a world of difference between the Honda and the Dodges back seats. The Dodge second seat is extremely short and hard. #2 the ergonomics of the Honda driving controls are better and quality seemed better. My wife commented that some of the controls on the Dodge felt like they could fall off. #3 No Stability Control. A must have option in my opinion. We ran the Dodge at 70 on the interstate and swerved from lane to lane and there was so much body sway, I thought it would flip if we jerked the wheel any faster. The Honda was much more stable when doing the same thing. #4 Curtain side air bags are only available on the high dollar versions of the Dodge where as it's available on all levels of the Honda. These airbags are the only thing that make the Dodges half way safe in a side collision. In defense of the Dodge the current version is pretty dated and due for a restyle in the next year or two. The Dodge's 3.8 engine was strong and the transmission was fairly good for being an old 4 speed. I liked the Honda's exterior styling best, but I think the Dodge's still looks really good for as old as it is. It's certainly better looking then the Toyotas. Hopefully Dodge will catch up with the next version in styling and substance. We bought a Honda EX at the end of the day. I'd sure like to buy domestic(I grew up with Dodges and have driven GM's my entire adult life), but they just don't have anything in the pipe that compare with the Honda in my humble opinion. 
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: bobber1 (Nov 25, 2006 7:35 pm) The new DCX vans will be on the road by this time next year.
|
|
|
Replying to: bobber1 (Nov 25, 2006 7:35 pm) I highly suspect that you drove a model without the "Touring Suspension" option. Said option includes (among other upgrades) front and rear anti-sway bars. Both of our DGCs have the upgraded suspension and the difference between them and the various rental Caravans I've had while traveling has been like night and day. Looked at from another perspective, when optioned with the Touring Suspension, the DC minivans have been considered by the car rags to be the best handling vans out there, bar none. I second that as I've driven our neighbors Odyssey any number of times. We live in an area of rolling foot-hills covered with winding roads, in that environment the Ody cannot even hope to keep up with our Caravans. Best Regards, Shipo
|
|
|
Replying to: shipo (Nov 27, 2006 3:35 am) Which rags? I'm curious to know what else they said about the DC vs. Ody and whether you believed that, too.
|
|
|
Replying to: 1997montez34 (Nov 26, 2006 4:59 pm) Which happens to be the vast majority of drivers. Everyone is an expert until they get into a major crash, of course. I wonder if DC will be using this as part of their advertising for minivans until they get stability control? The Viper doesn't have stability control, either, so maybe there is some corporate philosophy that would bolster shipo's remarks in regard to their uber handling models.
|
|
|
Replying to: cpsdarren (Nov 27, 2006 7:24 am) I don't remember off hand, the last time I read up on these was a couple of years back when we bought our second van. That said, I really appreciate a good handling vehicle (my last three cars were German made, the last two of which were BMWs, and the last one had the Sport Suspension), and it only took a quick test drive on some challenging roads to discern the best handling minivan each time we bought. I understand that Honda has since redesigned the Odyssey (2005 I think) and that I have yet to drive one of these newer models; however, I've yet to hear anything that suggests that their handling is any better than the previous version. That said, if ride compliance and isolation from road noise and road imperfections are more important to any given individual, then the Honda seems to have the edge in that department. Given the choice between handling and road feel versus ride compliance and noise isolation, I'll pick the former every time. Personal preference. I'm curious to know what else they said about the DC vs. Ody and whether you believed that, too. As best as I can recall, the Ody and the DC minivans were pretty neck and neck in the reviews I've read and also in my personal experience. That said the following is a list of a few subjective opinions: - I like the seats in the Gen3 and early (pre-Stow & Go) Gen4 vans the best. The Ody is a close second here and the later Gen4 vans are a distant third. - The ergonomics of the DC minivans seem to be more logical to me, that said, it could well be that I'm just more used to them. - The Honda power doors seem to be nicer than the ones on our Gen4 DGC ES. - The Honda seems to have a little more power in the upper RPM ranges than either of our 3.8 liter vans, that said, the DC vans have much more usable low RPM torque making urban driving easier. - I hate automatic transmissions and as good as both units shift, I still don't like them. That said, the Honda shifts smoother, unfortunately that smoothness seems to come at the expense of some frailty when compared to the much maligned DC minivan transmission (of the three Odysseys in our neighborhood, they have needed a combined four replacement transmissions while the three DGCs which are of a similar age and mileage, have only needed a single transmission (our 1998), and that one went at 109,000 miles). - The Honda and Gen4 DC vans have better brakes than the Gen3 DC vans by a significant margin. - I'm not a fan of garbage collecting (especially if you have a family) hide-a-seat systems and as such I much prefer the fold-n-tumble rear and middle seat system of the early Gen4 DC minivans. That said, the stowable Honda seats are FAR more comfortable than the rear stow-n-go seats of the late Gen4 vans. The Gen3 vans have the most comfortable rear seats of the group but, yikes, that bench is both heavy and awkward. If I think of others I'll post them later. Best Regards, Shipo
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Vans & Minivans Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2007 Dodge Caravan
2011 Honda Odyssey
2010 Chrysler Town and Country
2003 Chrysler Voyager
2000 Plymouth Voyager
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
