Topic: Road Trip: 2015 Honda Odyssey

[Autos_Editor]

An Indiana Odyssey
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[mixmanmash]

Hey Jacob,

The loose steering has a lot to do with the factory tires that Honda puts on.  Once they wear down a bit they do get better.  I have about 13k kms on the factory tires and it is definitely much tighter than it was when new.

[bombastic]

"Price as Tested: $50,205" - wow, this rig is expensive..... No thanks....

[dkaz]

You can get the nicely loaded EX for $36k or base model for $32k.

[Hannibalsmith]

You can get the nicely loaded EX for $36k or base model for $32k.

Agree. This is the classic fully loaded tester. I paid $36K all in (Ontario HST) for my 2014 EX. Cash deal with a $3,000 incentive at the time. These things are super useful. From carrying two adults, my three kids and two of their friends to loading up with 4 X 8 drywall sheets, this thing seems to do it all.

[mixmanmash]

You can get the nicely loaded EX for $36k or base model for $32k.

Agree. This is the classic fully loaded tester. I paid $36K all in (Ontario HST) for my 2014 EX. Cash deal with a $3,000 incentive at the time. These things are super useful. From carrying two adults, my three kids and two of their friends to loading up with 4 X 8 drywall sheets, this thing seems to do it all.

I agree.  Along with the run to IKEA for some flat pack goodness.

[Blueprint]

Best.Family.Car.Ever.

We love ours, paid about 33k$+tx in 2012, and did a lot of long stints to our soon-to-be-sold Maine beach house.

Steering never really felt loose, our Ody is hyper-stable on the highway. Maybe different oem tires? We still have the original Continentals on, and nothing really changes with the Blizzaks during evil white stuff season.

Our fuel economy is about the same on hilly/speedy road trips, but a flatlands trip to Ottawa netted me 8.6 l/100km.

[Noto]

Officially the SWEETEST, most ADORABLE article ever written.  Period.  Bar none. 


Proud father moment?


Most amazing photograph of all time?  Seriously, Jacob fricken Black vacuuming a minivan, which he drove, at only 3mph over the speed limit?!  TOO CUTE.

Who cares about the Odyssey when the article was just so adorable?  I was impressed, however, with the results of the HondaVac!  And 9.9L/100km in a V6 minivan loaded with Jacob's beer belly is really, really reasonable.

Also adorable is that Jacob gave credit to Maddie for the photos!

Amazing.  Simply amazing.

[whaddaiknow]

Apart from two polar opposites named bombastic 
and
NoTo who is deeply troubled by his unbridled attraction to Jacob     

I give my vote, as the others did, to the Ody as the Best.Car.Ever. We also got ours (EX with RES) in May of 2012 and bought it out just about a week ago after the lease expired.
The steering has never been loose, the van tracks perfectly straight on the highway. The fuel economy is phenominal for the size and weight of the vehicle, and the versatility is great.

And Jacob, you gotta quit posing like that in front of the camera. You know, NoTo is already barely keeping himself together, you don't want him to go completely bonkers... 

[JacobBlack]

It's not loose, it's super-light and vague right in the middle of the wheel. Was busy as hell on the highway for that reason.
I often wish I could get you guys to drive the car I'm reviewing just to say "see, feel that sh*t?!" - my wife who is in the same industry was also surprised by the vagueness of the steering on centre.
But, I also think this was the most epic road trip car I've ever driven. It's insane how much you can do with it. I am a big time minivan convert.

[Noto]

But, I also think this was the most epic road trip car I've ever driven. It's insane how much you can do with it. I am a big time minivan convert.

^^ I grew up in a 1992 Toyota Previa.  We went camping every weekend (3 boys, plus the older folks). Never had an issue fitting our massive amount of crap in the back.  You can do so much with these things and don't have to pull a trailer behind you, etc.  I, too, am a huge fan, but Lady Noto will never, ever drive one as her family hauler growing up was a BMW 5-series.  "We fit just fine", she says.  ...as the four of them drove to Norfolk Virginia for a 7-day cruise with small duffel bags.

[dkaz]

I love my Odyssey as well. It's a bit older than some of yours, and the transmission is not in great shape, but coming onto a full year of ownership (unlike the MPV and Sienna), I have no intention of getting rid of it. Ok, I had no intention of getting rid of my Sienna either until I had a chance to buy an Odyssey EX in running condition for $1,000. All round it's just a fantastic family hauler. I'll probably get a newer style in 4 to 5 years.

[Blueprint]

But, I also think this was the most epic road trip car I've ever driven. It's insane how much you can do with it. I am a big time minivan convert.

I ditched an unreliable 18 month old Passat for an Ody in 2003 and never looked back. It simplifies family life so much, yet will eat riced Civics for lunch (esp. my old 2003). Incredible in the snow too.

I got my intro to my sideline with Car and Driver (long story!) and took part in their 2004 minivan comparo in Florida (June 2004, go through the boxes in your basement, I'm in there and wrote the sidebar). Drove all vans above 100mph through the Everglades and back. But living with one for 12 years...makes you wonder why people buy these crossover 3-row barges with no trunk.

[Weels]

But, I also think this was the most epic road trip car I've ever driven. It's insane how much you can do with it. I am a big time minivan convert.

I ditched an unreliable 18 month old Passat for an Ody in 2003 and never looked back. It simplifies family life so much, yet will eat riced Civics for lunch (esp. my old 2003). Incredible in the snow too.

I got my intro to my sideline with Car and Driver (long story!) and took part in their 2004 minivan comparo in Florida (June 2004, go through the boxes in your basement, I'm in there and wrote the sidebar). Drove all vans above 100mph through the Everglades and back. But living with one for 12 years...makes you wonder why people buy these crossover 3-row barges with no trunk.

Ta dah:
Although, the cover story of that issue might have been a bit more interesting... 

[Blueprint]

Yup, that's my 15 minutes of fame right there.

Went to 3.0 a few months later 

I miss that hair 

You'll see me at the wheel of the Sienna in the main article. Notice that the Quest is missing one fog light. That happened after I ran over a de-treaded retread (in a 90 mph convoy, I had nowhere to go but over it). At the driver switch stop, we surveyed the damaged and noticed that once we stop for the night, we would have to plan a duct-tape job for the belly pan, and one fog light had been somehow perfectly removed from the van - nothing broken around it. I felt bad, but was told that things like that happen all the time.

Once we got to the hotel, we went to mend the Quest's belly pan, only to learn that the driver after me ran over another retread, and the entire belly pan had vanished. So if you find a huge slab of black plastic in the Everglades while hunting gators, now you now where it came from.  We still needed the duct tape to hold the pre-prod GC's overhead console together.

Minivan road trips don't come more epic than this!

[bombastic]

Apart from two polar opposites named bombastic 
and
NoTo who is deeply troubled by his unbridled attraction to Jacob     

I give my vote, as the others did, to the Ody as the Best.Car.Ever. We also got ours (EX with RES) in May of 2012 and bought it out just about a week ago after the lease expired.
The steering has never been loose, the van tracks perfectly straight on the highway. The fuel economy is phenominal for the size and weight of the vehicle, and the versatility is great.

And Jacob, you gotta quit posing like that in front of the camera. You know, NoTo is already barely keeping himself together, you don't want him to go completely bonkers... 

I drove both GC and Oddy in 2011. Ended up with GC with 10K$ less for the same features. So I'm standing my position. NO THANKS!!!

[dkaz]

SE Plus vs. an LX, sure. But if you want features in the Grand Caravan, it quickly adds up. The minimum asking price for models with automatic tri-zone temperature control and power sliding doors from my local dealer was $36k after $8k cash on the hood with a lot of features added on, Security Group, Tow Package, Entertainment Package, etc. I was just interested in a Crew Plus with absolutely no packages. I guess the dealer doesn't make money on those.

$36k I'm buying an Odyssey EX or Sienna LE.

[mixmanmash]

SE Plus vs. an LX, sure. But if you want features in the Grand Caravan, it quickly adds up. The minimum asking price for models with automatic tri-zone temperature control and power sliding doors from my local dealer was $36k after $8k cash on the hood with a lot of features added on, Security Group, Tow Package, Entertainment Package, etc. I was just interested in a Crew Plus with absolutely no packages. I guess the dealer doesn't make money on those.

$36k I'm buying an Odyssey EX or Sienna LE.

This.  I spent many hours behind the wheel of a late model GC or TC and they just didn't feel as solidly screwed together as the Ody or Sienna.

[mixmanmash]

Best.Family.Car.Ever.

We love ours, paid about 33k$+tx in 2012, and did a lot of long stints to our soon-to-be-sold Maine beach house.

Steering never really felt loose, our Ody is hyper-stable on the highway. Maybe different oem tires? We still have the original Continentals on, and nothing really changes with the Blizzaks during evil white stuff season.

Our fuel economy is about the same on hilly/speedy road trips, but a flatlands trip to Ottawa netted me 8.6 l/100km.

The tires on the 2014+ Touring are a Michelin.  I found them a little vague on centre, but once the wore down a bit, they are just fine.

[tooscoops]

SE Plus vs. an LX, sure. But if you want features in the Grand Caravan, it quickly adds up. The minimum asking price for models with automatic tri-zone temperature control and power sliding doors from my local dealer was $36k after $8k cash on the hood with a lot of features added on, Security Group, Tow Package, Entertainment Package, etc. I was just interested in a Crew Plus with absolutely no packages. I guess the dealer doesn't make money on those.

$36k I'm buying an Odyssey EX or Sienna LE.

they make money on those at dodge... if you pay closer to msrp that is... those advertised specials are not only a cheaper car with less markup, but a 3k+ discount which puts us in the red on those...

now, with that being said, currently, say you want a crew plus with no options, sale price is 33095 without taking off any dealer discount. we make money, but don't stock many of those. like everyone in here, customers start seeing the price get to the mid-30's and start wondering what they get elsewhere. and while they may get more stuff on the GC, the price isn't cheap enough to warrant them looking like they want the cheap route to their friends!

so yeah... 31500 would buy you a crew plus... that's heated leather, touchscreen, back up cams, power doors and all that you would expect on the more expensive vans. keep in mind it's like an ex-l for the mid 40's that would be comparable (but the GC would be missing things like a sunroof, blind spot etc that can be put on)

but with that being said, i do agree that the sienna and odyssey seem better put together...