Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans - Car Forums

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Honda Odyssey vs Dodge/Chrysler minivans - READ ONLY

7485 messages, Last post on Mar 23, 2008 at 8:43 AM

You are in the Honda Odyssey Forum.

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What is this discussion about? Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Chrysler Voyager, Plymouth Voyager, Van

#917 of 7485 Hello Again Carleton1 by dchopp

Jan 15, 2002 (4:52 pm)

Hello again Carleton. I remember you back in 1999 anxiously waiting
The arrival of your Odyssey when all of a sudden you bid everyone goodbye and announced you just bought a Dodge Caravan. I had a 2000 Odyssey on order for 5 month
And when it got down to the last month, my wife announced she didn’t want the van anymore. She wanted an SUV. It must be a women’s thing. After renting a few vans, she liked them and told me, I can have the SUV and she wants a van. I always wanted the Odyssey, but after renting a few D.C., I am at the cross roads on what to buy. I read your comments on the 2002 Odyssey. I only wish Chrysler had that disappearing third seat.
That seat would come in handy as I travel across the U.S. visiting my kids. I would hate to leave it at home to make room for our entire luggage and then wish I had it when I arrived at my destination. I will have to take another look at the Chrysler Vans at the auto show next month. BTW my Suv and my Wife are up for sale.
DCH

#918 of 7485 tj 610 by jmnygaard

Jan 15, 2002 (5:14 pm)

Since the weather is keeping business slow, you might have the time to check out the latest news reports re: DC minivans catching fire. It seems there is an easy fix but Chrysler has been slow about doing the fixing. The Sienna has apparently also had a fire problem, although it hasn't been to quite the same extent as the DC minivans. No matter what people say to trash the Odyssey, no one has ever claimed they are fire traps.

#919 of 7485 dchopp: If you need alot of room for luggage but the seating later by carleton1

Jan 15, 2002 (7:08 pm)

The Odyssey would be the logical choice and the Magic Seat would fit your needs. On the other hand, you can get extra space in the DC minivans by sliding the one piece rear seat forward and folding it flat or fold and tumble the 50/50 rear seat forward. However, you would not get as much total room for luggage keeping all seats in the DC as you will with the Odyssey.
Each van has advantages and either is a good choice.

#920 of 7485 jmnygaard by 4aodge

Jan 15, 2002 (7:26 pm)

I'm curious, when was the last time you saw a Chrysler, Dodge, or Plymouth minivan burst into flames?

#921 of 7485 Mine Would Have Burned by dkrab

Jan 15, 2002 (8:02 pm)

My '91 Plymouth Grand Voyager with the 3.3L engine would certainly have "burst into flames" if I had not noticed the smell of gasoline. It was leaking fuel in EXACTLY the same location as described in the Detroit News article:

http://www.detnews.com/2001/autosconsumer/0112/16/a01-368263.htm

What really bothers me, I mean REALLY bothers me, is the fact that Chrylser is forced to recall only the 96-00 model years. Obviously, they have lied to the government by telling them the '95 and older vans are somehow different. The body is different, sure, but the drivetrain is THE SAME. Either the NHTSA is too understaffed or just too stupid to know better. Chrysler should be forced to recall ALL 3.3L and 3.8L, no matter how old. It's not just a simple defect, it is a safety risk. And it affects them ALL.

Chrysler is counting on it's customers to be so uninformed as to believe the '95 and older vans are not affected by this issue. THEY ARE! It's as if they want you to believe that the '96 vans were completely different from the ground up. I am truly insulted by that. It's not even a clever lie.

Sorry to get on my soapbox about this, but it really infuriates me that a car company would be willing to risk lives to save money, and at the same time insult it's own customers (I know, welcome to the real world). I know that most of them don't leak gas, but it is beyond question that they have a greater potential to leak than most other fuel rail designs. Chrysler has acknowledged this with their proposed fix. Come on, DaimlerChrysler, do the right thing by your past customers! Spend the money to foster goodwill. You will reap benefits later. If these companies (it isn't just DC) would just stop living quarter to quarter, maybe they would fair better against foreign competition.

Thanks for letting me vent.

#922 of 7485 Thanks! by wholigan

Jan 16, 2002 (9:15 am)

Just wanted to let you all know how completely entertained I am by this discussion! I had been off the web for a couple of weeks and the SPOON comments were fabulous!

My daddy is bigger than yours! He He!

Everybody relax - its a discussion about a frickin car. In the scope of what is important in life, does it even matter?

#923 of 7485 Chryslers Rear Seat--Carleton1 by dchopp

Jan 16, 2002 (2:49 pm)

Hi again. I plan to put that third seat to the test at the Autoshow. Then I will see if it fits my needs. I sure do like there looks. I also like the fact that I can put in the acc. that I want with out having to step up to another model and getting crap I don't want like power doors and climate control. Have you looked at all at the Ford Windstars?--DCH

#924 of 7485 dchopp: We almost got a new Windstar 3 years ago by carleton1

Jan 16, 2002 (3:22 pm)

Our DC dealers never had any brochures to look at and I had not seen the Odyssey when we started looking seriously at minivans in January 1999. The GM FWD troika were unappealing, the Quest/Villager and Sienna a little too small, so we looked at Windstars which we liked very well except it was very difficult to get into 3rd seat.
    We were negotiating a trade and the used car manager would not believe me when I told him our 91 Astro CL had never been in a wreck and we got it NEW. His arrogant attitude caused us to walk.
    We had decided to get the Odyssey but with a 5 month waiting list we got a 99 GC SE instead. We have been very pleased with our GC but I feel we would have liked the Odyssey just as much.
    We are going to look at all minivans side by side at the Annual Auto Show this month. It will be fun to sit in and compare all of them under one roof once more. We test drove a Kia Sedona and were favorably impressed with the power, the smooth quiet ride, and the entire van. However, the Sedona feels about the size of the short Caravan/Voyager, Sienna, Quest/Villager.

#925 of 7485 Four Hours at the Annual Auto Show by carleton1

Jan 18, 2002 (6:05 pm)

Closely compared minivans again where all were under one roof.
    DaimlerChrysler had the most variety with 4 T&C (LX, LXi, LXi AWD, Limited), Voyager eC, Caravan eC, and 4 Grand Caravan (eL, eX, Sport, and Sport AWD). Most brands were represented by only one model: Odyssey EX-RES, Sienna Symphony, Windstar SEL, Mazda MPV EX, Venture WB, Montana Extended Length 7 pass, Silhouette Premiere, Eurovan MV (camper), Quest ?, Villager ?. There were 2 Sedona: an LX and EX with leather.
    Each minivan has nice features. Eurovan has by far the most interior volume while MPV, Quest, Villager, Sienna and Sedona felt the smallest with Voyager/Caravan almost as small.
    For us it is a difficult decision between Odyssey LX or GC eL / T&C eL. The Odyssey has much more cargo space behind 3rd seat, the most powerful engine with 5 speed transmission and the Magic Seat. However, the GC / T&C eL have Triple Zone Temperature Control, complete overhead console with compass/outside temperature/Trip Computer, and the padded armrests on front doors.
    I talked to the Honda salesman who took a customer on a test drive of the 2002 Odyssey EX-NAV-Lthr on December 29 just after we drove it. The customer has ordered a 2002 Odyssey EX and will be trading in his 2000 Odyssey EX. Used Odysseys are selling for as much as they did new.

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