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Article Comments - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan vs. 2007 Honda Odyssey Touring

185 messages,  Last post on Jan 16, 2009 at 5:58 PM

You are in the Honda Odyssey Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Odyssey, Dodge Caravan, Car Comparisons, Van

Messages Page 11 of 19

#98 of 185 Re: Article Comments - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan vs. 2007 Honda Odyssey Tou by icvci

Nov 02, 2007 (10:19 am)

Replying to: KarenS (Sep 04, 2007 6:07 am)
I'm a big time Honda guy. Call me a fan boy if you'd like. However, living in Big3 country and working for them now, has me giving the home-town favorites another shot.
 
So, my friend who happens to work for Chrysler lends me his new 08 Grand Caravan SXT with the 4.0 for a little jaunt to lower upper Michigan.
 
I'm buying one. Period.
 
This vehicle is quiet. Near silent. That is, until you put your foot into it. No problems hearing the kids in the back. Little to no wind noise, and it was a very windy day to boot.
 
The engine and tranny are super smooth. The extra horsepower is super nice for passing and merging. The GC easily passed slower cars and didn't waste anytime hunting for the right gear.
 
The stereo is killer. Ours had the 9-speaker, 506 watt, 7.1 channel surround sound Infinity system. The sound was clear, loud and had great depth. And who can argue with letting one kid watch Shrek, while the other watches Sponge Bob Square Pants on SIRIUS TV all while I get to listen to whatever I want on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, regular radio OR my iPod through a USB port???? Talk about keeping the peace.
 
The front seat is wide and supportive and there is a nice ledge on the door for your arm to rest. Thank you Chrysler.
 
We also enjoyed the swivel and go seating. My wife sat facing the rear while the kids sat facing forward. (The DVD screens only face one way due to safety concerns ((so I was told)) so, the kids likely won't want to swivel.)The seats are incredibly easy to swivel and, from my limited time in them, were very comfortable.
 
I really liked the storage bins in front of the 2nd row seats. Great touch. It's nice to have things available but not right in front of you while traveling with kids. It keeps the area clear for all of the important stuff, like 4 pillows and 22 stuffed animals.
 
The gauges were easy to read, the controls were all in the right places. (And who complains about that anyway????) Seriously, if you can't learn where stuff is in your car, how do you find your way home every evening???
 
The interior lighting is a HUGE benefit. LED lighting throughout. Turn em on and the van lights up like a firecracker. Drop a crayon or lose a shoe? No problem. Stop your crying and we'll find it. Good thinking Chrysler. Oh and there's this really neat green/blue ambient lighting around the overhead console. It's a really cool touch that brought me back to my days as a kid riding in a conversion van.
 
Things I didn't like? There were a few trim pieces that needed a better fit. Specifically the rear lower piece on one of the 2nd row seats and the painted silver plastic on the inside of the drivers door. They need to create a rubberized bin to hold your MP3 player. There is an opening but, it's not large enough to hold a video iPod. The torque steer is a little overwhelming but, hey, the van is filled with my most prized possessions so, I can lay off a bit. The TV is kind of gimmicky at this point. There are only 3 stations, Nick, Toon and Disney. Hopefully they get some ESPN so I can take this beast to a tailgate.
 
It's close enough to a perfect fit. (It's not like the Honda kills it, they're just better at different things.) The Dodge/Chrysler is better at keeping an entire family happy.
 
I love Honda. I'll be buying a Chrysler.

#99 of 185 Re: Article Comments - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan vs. 2007 Honda Odyssey Tou [icvci] by dennisctc

Nov 02, 2007 (1:11 pm)

Replying to: icvci (Nov 02, 2007 10:19 am)
I drove a 2008 T&C Limited a few weeks back, here in Rochester MI.....LOVED IT and agree completely with you but one question. Did you have any issues with the gear shift lever? On the one I drove it was clunky and rough shifting from P to D etc....it just felt like garbage!!

#100 of 185 Re: Article Comments - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan vs. 2007 Honda Odyssey Tou by icvci

Nov 02, 2007 (1:26 pm)

Replying to: dennisctc (Nov 02, 2007 1:11 pm)
Nope, the one I drove felt just fine. Perhaps it's just a case of getting used to the positioning? I'm used to the lever being in that position thanks to our CR-V.
 
Or, maybe it was just a bad one. It wouldn't be unheard of for there to be problems with the first ones off the line.
 
Actually, I was quite happy with the nice smooth action of the shifter. I've got to admit, I went through this van with a fine tooth comb looking for things to hate and came away with very few. Maybe 2-3. I didn't like where the button was to change the display under the speedo. If you use your left hand to change it, you can't see what you're changing it to. I didn't like the door sills, they sounded cheap when I stepped on them. And I didn't like the feel of the interior plastics. A nice soft touch rubber would be nice for the door panels. Nothing I can't live with but things I'd like to see in the future.
 
The powertrain warranty and the fact that I plan on driving it into the ground (so resale means little) make the decision pretty easy.

#101 of 185 Re: Article Comments - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan vs. 2007 Honda Odyssey Tou [icvci] by dennisctc

Nov 07, 2007 (4:21 pm)

Replying to: icvci (Nov 02, 2007 1:26 pm)
Nope, the one I drove felt just fine. Perhaps it's just a case of getting used to the positioning? I'm used to the lever being in that position thanks to our CR-V.
 
Definitely not a positioning issue, it was the mechanical operation of it, it had to be bad.

#102 of 185 Re: Money Matters [aaron_t] by ducksdad007

Nov 08, 2007 (1:48 pm)

Replying to: aaron_t (Nov 02, 2007 9:29 am)
Well I did it, bought a new 2007 Odyssey. Got 3 years free maintenance. We drove it to Tampa, Fl. 2 weeks ago. About 800 miles. It was a very nice drive. Not as comfortable as the Grand Caravan, the ride wasn't as smooth, but what the hell, I'm trying to stop spending money on transmissions. The accessories are not as nice as the G. C. But I';m gonna live with this one for quite awhile (I hope)

#103 of 185 Re: Money Matters [ducksdad007] by dvsutton

Nov 08, 2007 (8:43 pm)

Replying to: ducksdad007 (Nov 08, 2007 1:48 pm)
Sounds more like you're going to live at the Honda dealership service department. The trans on my wifes Odyssey went out twice in 20k miles. You are going to be utilizing that warranty a lot. Get familiar with your Honda customer complaint hotline phone number. You're going to need it.

#104 of 185 Re: Money Matters [dvsutton] by dennisctc

Nov 09, 2007 (5:23 am)

Replying to: dvsutton (Nov 08, 2007 8:43 pm)
Yeah the grass is always greener on the other side but seldom is.

#105 of 185 Re: Money Matters [ducksdad007] by icvci

Nov 09, 2007 (9:24 am)

Replying to: ducksdad007 (Nov 08, 2007 1:48 pm)
I'm sure you'll love it. The Odyssey is a great van and Honda makes some of the most worry-free vehicles on the road.
 
It sounds to me like both Chrysler and Honda have had some tranny issues. I find it funny that those with bad experiences ignore the facts and act as if ALL trannies from one or the other are sure to fail.
 
It doesn't really add much to the thread.

#106 of 185 Re: Money Matters [dvsutton] by vinnyny

Nov 09, 2007 (5:47 pm)

Replying to: dvsutton (Nov 08, 2007 8:43 pm)
I'm on my fourth Ody and have never had a significant problem with any of them. Other than replacing trim pieces my kids have managed to pry off and one broken storage bin (they stood on it), the vans have required nothing but oil changes and tire rotations. The two Chryslers I've owned were absolute junk, but that's just anecdotal evidence.

#107 of 185 Re: Money Matters [ducksdad007] by tedebear

Nov 10, 2007 (12:47 am)

Replying to: ducksdad007 (Nov 08, 2007 1:48 pm)
Not as comfortable as the Grand Caravan, the ride wasn't as smooth, but what the hell, I'm trying to stop spending money on transmissions.
 
Were you not aware of the lifetime powertrain warranty on the GC? The transmission is part of that.

Messages Page 11 of 19

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