Minivan - there, I said it

[kaisen]

The biggest contributor to the old Odyssey's road noise was the well from the stowable third seat. When it was being used as a seat, that large well acted as a drum cavity, amplifying road noise. With the seat stowed, it was noticeably quieter. Part of the give and take of the flat-folidng seats.

E

[89911]

I've owned a 2005 Honda Odyssey for over 6 months and it fits the bill fine. Although its my wifes primary car, it is really not that bad. I've tried the big SUV for a few years but gave in because my wife hates how they drive, the poor gas milage and the fact that she could'nt even park it in some downtown garages. We have 3 kids and are usually hauling around some friends so the 8 seat capacity is usefull. Throw in the XM radio, navigation, decent sound system, backup video monitor, good gas milage, and its not bad for a wife's kid hauler. Looks are OK. Avoid the Touring if you don't want to deal with Runflat tires and the added expense of changing them for winter.

[craigster59]

Go with the Odyssey. Reliability, comfort, re-sale, and the "Cadillac of mini-vans".

[aways]

If you've got more than two kids, a minivan is the ONLY way to go. We've got three kids and our Toyota Sienna fits the bill fine. Overall, though, if I had it to do all over again, I'd go with the Honda Odyssey, which I think is a bit better designed and possibly more reliable.

[gr8fl4porsche]

Thanks for all the help guys - I requested a quote for the Odyssey yesterday. We have been driving AWD's for some time now, so it will be a tough decision to go with a front wheel drive. We like to camp during the rainy months and tour the mountains seaching for good snow so the AWD always comes in handy though not required.

I have been reading up on the run-flat tires and while the Michelin system seems to be better on the Honda than the other one on the Toyota - I have never found carrying a spare and changing a flat once or twice a decade to be that much of a bother.

[89911]

We put four Blizzak tires on the Odyssey for the winter. With traction control and front wheel drive, we have had no problems with grip and snow.

[targa911S]

I've had 4 Dodge Minis. I can't see myself without one now. Just way too easy to fill up with junk and go. Plus they ride like a car.

[gr8fl4porsche]

Finally pulled the trigger and placed an order for the Odyssey. It was a tough choice between the Honda and the Toyota but in the end the Honda handled better and the rear seats were more comfortable when in the reclined position.

Thanks everyone.

[vash]

i made fun of them, until my coworker pushed a button and the side door slid open...

me i am childless, and wouldnt be caught dead owning one. when the family visits, and with me living near san fran, they visit often, i just rent. damn convienent, with that room for seven.

make yourself feel better, order some fiskes for the van.

[PeteBrown]

We have a '05 Ford Freestar SEL with the 4.2l V-6 and it does a nice job of hauling our family of five around, plus we have room for one or two friends. I use it for work related travel and have logged 37,000 miles in 16 months. It's a great highway sleeper where you can cruise at 80 and no one notices you. Mileage is typically 20-21 on the highway and we've even towed an 18' boat 800 miles last summer.

It's been trouble free in contrast to my friend's '05 Toyota Sienna that has been in the shop half a dozen times already. YMMV

[Vipergrün]

The Odyssey rocks! Traded to a Pilot cuz we needed 4WD.

[David McLaughlin]

Well, thanks to this thread, I was back on TireRack.com looking for some new rolling stock for Amy's van. There's a few really nice 18" rims available for the Sienna. Add some new sneekers too and we'll be rollin!

But before I do that, I need to fit op something to keep the van from heeling over so much in the corners.