Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-50
Nothing - new vehicle.
Adults can fit comfortably in the third row. We traded in our Honda Pilot because the third row is really not intended for use by normal-sized adults. Kids are OK - no adults. The Odyssey is a different story. I was able to sit in the third row with the second row seats in their rear-most position, and my knees were still 2-3 inches away from the seatbacks. There would be ample room if the second row passengers moved their seats forward even slightly, which they can easily do without compromising their comfort as there is a huge amount of legroom for the second row.
The engine is the same as offered in the Pilot - 255 HP, 3.5L. However, the EX-L and Touring models have a new variable cylinder management system. At cruising speeds, it shuts off three of the six cylinders to conserve fuel consumption. This allows it to achieve a reported 28 mpg for highway driving. We haven't taken it on any extended trips, so I can't confirm this, although Honda is pretty accurate (in my experience - this is my/our fifth Honda) in their mpg estimates. The activation and deactivation of the three cylinders is imperceptible, and the only hint that the system is working is the "ECO" light on the dashboard. However, this light doesn't necessarily mean that the system is active, but rather than the engine is running at its most efficient.
The DVD system is much more valuable than I anticipated. I wanted to consider some aftermarket DVD installation, but my wife wanted it integrated. Other than fighting over what to watch, our kids are mesmerized by the system. The DVD loader is up front at the bottom of the center console. The system has a removable remote control that is very handy. It also includes two wireless headphones that have very, very good sound quality. They allow the kids to watch/listen while we listen to the radio over the regular speakers.
The cargo room is huge. Even with the third row seats up, there is still a large and deep well at the rear. We have a stroller and other stuff back there and haven't had to fold down one of the rear seats yet for extra cargo room. We routinely drove our Pilot with the third row seats folded down because there wasn't enough usable cargo room when they were up.
The dual power sliding doors are great. They can be opened or closed from buttons on the dashboard or via the remote. The kids can also open and close the doors without having to slam them.
The ride quality is near-luxury. Our Pilot had a good ride for an SUV, but the Odyssey is much smoother.
I just bought my Odyssey - EX with Leather lst night with dvd and find it impressive. I drove from College Park MD to New Castle DE. The handling is very comfortable. The features are very attractive. The seats are cozy.
The 8th seat is too small and is not flushed with the other two on its side, so it's not as comfortable as the Toyota Sienna. No memory seating!
My sons love it. I have to wait for my wife's opinion now (I bought it for her because she fell in love with its looks).
It's a great vehicle. The only problem is that it is too pricey! One problem is: Why not put MP3 or CDR/W in the cd player? The car companies always do that: They give you a nice feature but take away others.
My step-brother hates the Eco light, but I think he's being too picky. There do seem to be a lot of lights.
I really liked the short drive I had in his van. It does have a very short turning radius for a van.
Rock hit my air conditioning condenser near the radiator. Leaked. Had to pay mucho big bucks to repair. Not a warranty item. And it is a 2005 model. How ridiculous.
How is everyone's fuel mileage in this van? Ours stinks. We are getting at the best possible 16.3mpg, highway driving. The service center at Honda tells us it's b/c we are filling up at Hess Gas Stations, isn't that stupid. We've had in the shop 4 times now and they tell us it's fine, they hook it up to there computer and it says fine. We are NOT HAPPY! There excuse is it's a minivan... hello yes we know that. It is stickered at 20/28. WE have the EX-L. Anyone else having problems??
We have a LX. Just averaged 25mpg on a 1000 mile FLAT (no mountains) Thanksgiving Trip. In summer, with A/C running in mountains, mileage was MUCH lower - - around same 16-17mpg. Seems mileage is improving now the 2005 LX has 10,000 miles on it... and it is winter... no A/C...
We loved our Odyssey - new in May '05 - until winter. It does NOT handle well in the snow. It seems to have very poor traction. I cannot make it up any driveways with any slope to it at all while other soccer moms are passing me by in their much older minivans. I wish someone out there had warned that this is not a vehicle for the Northern hemisphere states. Otherwise - a very awesome, smooth, car-like, gas-efficient, comfortable, roomy, minivan.
Maybe you should try snow tires mom.
I have a 2005 Odyssey which has TWICE had a rock come up break the air condenser. Honda fixed first for free, I picked the car up in winter and didn't know until later ac was out, this one is on me. Service manager at Honda dealer told us to put chicken wire under car. Sounds like he has seen this before. Are there a lot of these out there or did I hit lotto twice in 18 months?
Why would one expect a manufacturer to cover the cost of replacing a part damaged by debris thrown up from the roadway?
That is what insurance is for, one would look silly walking into a car dealership demanding that the manufacturer replace a windshield because a rock thrown from a transport truck broke it, why would an AC condenser be any different.
7/14/06 honda odyssey 2005 a/c stop working due to what the dealer say that it was a rock that hit the condenser is not cover in the warranty. I advise the dealer how they know that it was a rock or a debri from the street. how is this condenser tested, do they have any testing result, they got very upset until they admitted that the repair shop has to make a certain quote montly income and also that the mechanics work on commision. that they can repair it, but they are afraid of the honda corporation not honoring the warranty. maybe next year buy toyota, or american m.a.n.
I must say, we are very happy with our Odyssey. It has come in handy for many trips that our family has taken.
The only thing we have been disappointed with is the breaking of the A/C condenser. Before we took our vehicle into the dealer because the A/C was not working, we read this site and many others to hear about others problems. And sure enough, as soon as we called to make an appointment, we were told by the Honda Dealership Service Representative that a rock must have hit the condenser and caused it to leak. I find this has been the answer that everyone seems to be getting lately. I also found it amazing that my problem was diagnosed over the phone, before I even got a chance to bring the van in. Of course this is not a warranty item since something must have struck the condenser to damage it. I am currently in contact with Honda Customer Service to come to a resolution to this problem. I suggest others who have had this problem or are having this problem with the condenser, to contact Honda. This will be the only way we can have them look at the problem and possibly make a design change, so we will no longer have to worry about a rock hitting the condenser.
Just like my Honda Accord with 237,000 miles, could it be that the AC compressor is the only major part that ever goes out on my car? Should I be mad and buy a car from another manufacturer and have it nickle and dime me? NO!!! I think I will stick with Honda and fix my compressors.
We have a 2005 Honda Odyssey with 22K miles. Air condition stopped working last weekend. Took the car to dealer and was told a tiny stone hit the AC condenser. The damage is not covered by manufacture warranty. Repair cost is over $800. The damage in fact is caused by poor design and defective condenser. I checked the web and found that there have been many complaints on AC condenser problem across almost all Honda vehicles. Has anyone gotten Honda to fix the problem?
Same story as many above. A small rock hit the condenser in my 2006 Odyssey, causing the A/C to fail. Dealer said that road debris was not covered under warranty.
While I was still at the dealer, I called Honda Customer Service to file a complaint. All you need is the VIN number, the name of the person you worked with at the dealer, and the reason why you think Honda should fix the problem. I'm currently waiting on a call back from the case manager at Honda.
The cost of the repairs was around $650.
It seems to me that even very small rocks could cause this problem. The next question is how to prevent this in the future. I'm concerned about some of the aftermarket grilles restricting airflow to the condenser: http://mrgrille.com/MrGrille-Honda-Oddyssey-Page.html.
To answer the above question about how it's different from a rock hitting the windshield, here's how:
1) Honda could have easily protected the air condenser with a grille. It's not practical to protect the windshield, but the air condenser is just bad design. Just take a peek under the front bumper... there is absolutely no protection at all for such a fragile and expensive component!
2) When a rock hits your windshield, it rarely forces you to replace the entire windshield. Small dings in the windshield are annoying, but you can live with them. With the air condenser, even a small rock causes complete system failure.
3) The air condenser is much lower to the roadway than the windshield, so it is much more likely to encounter rocks and debris.
Really...a simple grille would have avoided the entire problem.