Post by redpenmama on Feb 16, 2014 16:39:05 GMT -5
With two kids now and multiple 12-hour drives a year to visit our family, we (well, I ... but I have convinced H) want a minivan. We looked at a few today and liked the Honda Odyssey. Any input, likes/dislikes? Or would you recommend another make/model? My H is anti-Chrysler so we are basically choosing between the Odyssey and Sienna.
On a related note, has anyone used the Costco Auto Program to buy a car? It basically eliminates the negotiation, which I hate and quite frankly am not good at. It's no commitment, so we will probably get quotes that way, but I wonder if anyone has found it to be useful.
We have the Odyssey. I have a few friends who have the Sienna. Honestly, in the end, you can't go wrong with either.
For me, I've just always had a slight preference for Honda's, and I MUCH more prefer the dashboard and gearstick on the Honda than the Toyota (the Sienna has a gear shift that you have to move right and left as well as up and down. Hate it.).
I would recommend driving both and see which you prefer.
We went the sienna because I wanted AWD. Had it not been for that I think I would have gone with the Odyssey. I like that those middle seats slide side to side as well as front to back. I also like that it has more than one tether in the third row for front faxing convertibles. The sienna only has one. Ultimately though, I think either are great.
Post by mollybrown on Feb 16, 2014 17:06:59 GMT -5
I plan to get a Honda Odyssey one day, whenever I can justify a minivan. We're Honda loyal, and therefore not even considering the Sienna. As ECB said, I'm sure you can't go wrong with either.
We got pricing through the Costco auto buying program when we purchased our last car. That was a good starting point, and we managed to negotiate lower than that quote. You probably aren't supposed to do that, but we saved quite a bit of money over the Costco price. I wouldn't expect to use the program to get the best possible price.
LOVE out odyssey! And I used the costco auto to get prices then I took that price to a closer place. The only two dealerships the costco program gave were about an hour away but the closer one matched the price
Jumping in.... We would also like a Honda odyssey. We haven't decided between new or used? Anyone have any experience buying a used minivan?
Ours is a 2007 that we bought in 2009. we've been VERY happy with it. This year was the first year we finally had a major mechanic bill. Brakes was the biggie! But prior to that - it's been pretty maintenance free.
We found it on a BMW lot w/ only 11,000 miles on it. We know they wanted to get it OFF their lot!
We have the Odyssey. I have a few friends who have the Sienna. Honestly, in the end, you can't go wrong with either.
For me, I've just always had a slight preference for Honda's, and I MUCH more prefer the dashboard and gearstick on the Honda than the Toyota (the Sienna has a gear shift that you have to move right and left as well as up and down. Hate it.).
I would recommend driving both and see which you prefer.
Almost this except we usually liked Toyotas. We went with the Odyssey because of the dash board. It would have been a downgrade from what we were replacing. We also got a good price on a barely used one. We love the van.
Post by BlueNotebook on Feb 16, 2014 17:28:46 GMT -5
I love our 2009 Odyssey. We bought it the summer of 2012. With two kids, the sliding doors are wonderful. It handles like a car. I can move from the second row, buckling the kids in, to the drivers seat without getting out. When DS is freaking out I can sit in the 'plus one' seat between the kids and make DH drive. I seriously love this thing. The only thing I don't like is how it handles in the snow. But my last car was an Explorer that plowed through snows like a dream so my expectations were high.
Jumping in.... We would also like a Honda odyssey. We haven't decided between new or used? Anyone have any experience buying a used minivan?
We bought our 2008 Odyssey used. It was in great condition with low mileage for the age, and we've never had any major problems. We bought it from a Honda dealer so it was certified pre-owned with a good warranty and DH got them to throw in a bunch of extras for free. :-) He's good at that negotiating thing.
We had a family Odyssey for 12 years until my dad sold it to another family 3 years ago. I don't know about modern Odysseys and babies but I did use the Coscto Auto program to get a quote for our current car. We ended up buying it for about $1000 cheaper than the quote at a different dealer. We didn't bargain down from the quote, I just compared the prices after the car buying was over. However, we did hassle a lot and have to ditch the Coscto-"approved" dealership and buy at another to get it cheaper. And all of this was done pre-baby so I may not have patience for that kind of stuff anymore.
Post by redpenmama on Feb 16, 2014 21:07:32 GMT -5
Awesome, thank you all for the responses! Everything I have read has been overwhelmingly positive, and your responses confirm that. We need to test drive both but are definitely leaning toward the Odyssey.
We LOVE our Odyssey. Purchased a 2009 Odyssey in 2012, low miles. The convenience is awesome. We live in the snowy/ icy tundra and it goes great in the snow. Like PP mentioned, handles like a car, easy loading/ unloading, comfortable. Absolutely makes my life easier each and every day. We were wavering between the Odyssey and the Sienna. The Siennas we drove seemed to handle a bit looser, perhaps a bit more tippy feeling around tight corners/ cloverleaf exit ramps. But the Sienna is also a really great vehicle. I really don't think you can go wrong with either one.
We LOVE our Odyssey. Purchased a 2009 Odyssey in 2012, low miles. The convenience is awesome. We live in the snowy/ icy tundra and it goes great in the snow. Like PP mentioned, handles like a car, easy loading/ unloading, comfortable. Absolutely makes my life easier each and every day. We were wavering between the Odyssey and the Sienna. The Siennas we drove seemed to handle a bit looser, perhaps a bit more tippy feeling around tight corners/ cloverleaf exit ramps. But the Sienna is also a really great vehicle. I really don't think you can go wrong with either one.
Can I ask where you live? (or at least how much average snow you get a year) We live in the snowbelt of Ohio (2nd or 3rd snowiest city in the US) and I haven't had a car without AWD since high school so while I love the Odyssey, the no AWD freaks me out
I have nothing useful to add except ilikedonuts um .... I was thinking you were a west sider. I'm starting to think you may live closer to my hometown?! I grew up in the place with lots of Amish.
Definite East sider and quite close to that. I'll PM you!
[/quote]Can I ask where you live? (or at least how much average snow you get a year) We live in the snowbelt of Ohio (2nd or 3rd snowiest city in the US) and I haven't had a car without AWD since high school so while I love the Odyssey, the no AWD freaks me out [/quote]
Upper midwest. I think we are currently at over 50" of snow and over 40 days in a row of below freezing temperatures. I haven't seen the blacktop on the road on the streets in our neighborhood for over 3 weeks because they are covered in snow and ice. There is a pile of snow in my front yard that is so high I can't see the street out our front window. I feel very comfortable driving the odyssey in the snow. It is front wheel drive but heavy enough that it goes really well in the snow. I drive it every day and have never gotten stuck.