So I was pretty well sold on a GC, especially due to the stow & go; allowing mommy to transport kids, and me to occasionally use as a work vehile/stuff hauler.
I had NO CLUE the newer Odysseys had dipped below $20k though. I'm seeing lots of '13s and 14's for $15k-20k
Thoughts? I promise I'll E36 M3 or get off the pot soon :/
I actually don't know the answer, so I'm not answering to be a smartdonkey.
Can a Odyssey fit a 4x8 flat even if you remove the seats? The GC can with stow n' go, obviously.
And you'll never be the guy who says "Oh our Odyssey broke again, but we are so grateful to be taken care of by the good folks at Honda's R' us for only $3K on our two year old car, we love Honda!" because that line is totally getting old.
My buddy just got a 2015 Odyssey EX for like 21k
I bought a 2010 EXL in 2013? for around the same its paid off now and is a fantastic vehicle. Definitely get the power sliding doors. I know some people on here disagree but with a 3 and 7 yr old that's the main feature my wife says she would not do without.
Pretty sure you could put a 4x8 in there with the seats out. My buddy fit an entire 8ft sectional in there in one go. I can fit a full size 2 kids power wheels in there with the middle row still in for the kids. For what it's worth I don't see many differences besides styling between my 2010 and the 2012-2017 model. Same engines, same interior. I can't speak to any personal experience with the GC. In our 4 years? and 60-70k miles of ownership we have done tires, brakes, and oil changes. I bet you I could put 4x8 sheet of plywood in there standing up between the middle row seats without even having to take the seats out
What's up with the issues with VCM/ auto trans issues. I just had a buddy buy had few year old one and it had the VCM issue pop up still. However the GC has the Pentastar which is a powerful motor but both of my cylinders head cracked on my '14 Wrangler at 15k miles so I can't vote for that.
How about a Suburban?
I've put a 4x8 sheet in our 07 Odyssey with the front seats out. Its tight, but it fits (designed to have just over 4' of clearance between rear wheel wells). The front seats are not particularly difficult to remove, but they are cumbersome for sure.
The brakes annoy me (lots of travel), the suspension is squishy, and the engine mounts in ours are going, which is greatly exaggerated when on 3cyl. Suspension and mounts are easy fix/repairs. Other than that, its a good car. Its quiet & comfortable on the highway.
I have no experience with the GC.
The Honda is moderately more entertaining to drive---- but these are minivans after all, so handling dynamics take a back seat to utility. I prefer the Dodge's interior, as it is relentlessly practical, and easy to clean. They really thought these products out, and it shows in the design. My GC has 13 cup holders! Yes, I can have a 12 pack open, and another in my hand! Very important of course!
If you and the wifey fall in love with the Honda--- you can't really go wrong. They have had trans issues in the past, but besides that, they are pretty trouble free from what I understand. The GC is more versatile with the Stow and Go, and far less expensive. But if you love the Honda, go for it---- -chances are either rig will work for your needs.
and I hear Hennessy Honda offers great service! 
I have an Oddy, and have put a couple hundred grand on two Chryco minivans.
Buy the Honda if you want an Accord. Actually, skip that and buy a Accord. As a people hauler the Honda is fine, but as a stuff hauler, it sucks.
I have no useful input, but we will be having this same discussion over which used van to buy in a couple years, so I'd love to know whether the Hondas still have the trans issues. I know our friend had a trans covered under warranty on her 2013.
In reply to Joe Gearin :
I assumed the GC's were way less expensive too, but the 14/15 Oddities are going for $15-20k with lower miles than the GC fleet/rentals have.
I'm not going all Honda Fanboi (I'm a total car slut...we currently have Hondas, Mazdas, a Caddilac, a BMW, Festiva, and a Land Rover,) but the Oddy seems more creature-comforty, and I actually really dig the looks...especially in white or blue, in "touring" trim.
Hell, I really do need to just go spend a couple hours with each.
While I know the Honda doesn't have stow & go, do the 2nd row seat backs at least fold "flat?"
You are welcome to come drive ours whenever you want. Stow n go is amazing and I love the pentastar. Best implementation of a cartridge oil filter I’ve ever seen
We are brand agnostic as well. At the time we bought we seemed to think the Honda felt better than the other two we looked at Seinna/GC but I have only owned the one van
After two Odyssey vans (2000, 2005), we bought a Sienna in 2015 when we needed another cheap van. Afraid of the transmission issue with the older Hondas.
Bought an 04 Sienna with a fresh Jasper transmission and 138,000 miles. 31,000 miles later, still driving it. Only replaced tires, brakes, hoses, and some suspension bushings.
You're looking at a whole different set of vehicles, so this isn't really intended as a comparison, but still wondering why the Sienna isn't a consideration?
With the depreciation factor, it might be worth looking at a Kia.
You could get a 2015 or 2016 CPO Sedona in the mid to high teens. CPO will get you warranty on the drivetrain up to 10/100k.
The second row seats in the Odyssey are more comfortable than the Grand Caravan, but don't have the Stow N Go (which doesn't bother me). I like the brakes on the GC better, and the Odyssey has more room.
I'd drive both and see what you and your wife think. When we were looking years ago, the Siennas were significantly more expensive, especially if you wanted dual power sliding doors.
I like my sister's 2014? Touring Elite Odyssey. The only weird thing is on long sweeping on ramps the power steering can't decide how much assist to deliver. Of all the people in my family that have driven the van, I'm the only one that's noticed this quirk.
I drove my sister in laws 2014? GC early this year and liked it.
I rented a 2016 Nissan quest this past weekend and liked it as well. Fit an 81 inch long couch in the back no problem.
This post hasn't been much help. I do know that on the recent Odyssey they got xenon/HID whatever headlights and they're better than what dodge has to offer.
I don't know if you read my review linked, but they really suck at hauling 4X8 sheets of anything. Our Honda has a cargo opening that is about 4'2" wide, and that measurement is mid way up the opening. So you are forced to levitate the sheets of drywall or plywood and get them through, effectively, a slot in the cargo opening. With only 2" for your fingers!!! Then the stuff rests on the floor (I don't want drywall or lumber sitting on the leather seats folded flat-ish) in a well beneath the trim. When it's time to remove the sheets, you have to manage to get your fingers under the lumber even though down there the cargo floor is about 4'1" to lift it up.
The Honda is good at people hauling, but no better than the Chrysler offering. Out of the nearly 50 cars I've owned, this is the only one I regret buying.....and I've owned older European cars!! Daily driven!!!!
Let's be honest. Most of us don't buy these vans for us anyway so the one he buys is going to be the one SWMBO likes the most for whatever reason vs whether it fits 4x8 sheets of plywood
In a recent survey, 3 out of 4 dentists recommended the Kia Sedona for their patients who minivan.
We drove the 2012-2013-ish Sedona and liked it, but it was notably smaller inside than the 2012 T/C we ended up with.
I don't know about other trims, but the T/C Limited gets bi-level HID projector lights. As I age, I've decided those are a must for me.
Are the newer chrysler transmissions anything to worry about? (Pentastar engine and newer)
I drove my moms 2012 a year and a half ago for a day and really liked overall, drove it again a few weeks ago and it felt sorta clunky. But maybe am just overthinking it? It was just a short drive, fluids were cold, and mostly at 30mph or less.
We just stuck a hitch on it and will now be pulling a boat in and out of the water maybe twice a year, just to stick the boat in the garage for the winter. On the plus side the boat ramp is practically right next to the house.
I am really asking for ME. Still on the fence...do I go bigger minivan in a couple years (moving up from Mazda5), or F150 supercrew (because doing truck stuff occasionally and my commute is super short so who cares about mpg?)
In reply to failboat :
I don't know. I think all of them are iffy on transmission longevity past 200k miles. Ours has 125k or something like that and it's fine. Obviously everyone has had their issues over the years, Honda couldn't make an automatic between 00-05 and I've never been a huge Honda V6 fan anyway, so the GC and the Pentastar was a big win, and stow n go made it perfectly clear. WIll buy another in a few years when this gets tough around 200K.
I do have anotehr failure to report, sort of, though. I had a recall for a shield in the steeing column, and after they touched it, the cruise control switch broke. It was $33. I'm not upset enough to yell at them.
In reply to failboat :
My 2008 GC just passed 193K miles with little attention paid to the transmission. It's not the smoothest shifting automatic (base level 4 spd) in the world by far, but it gets the job done. Maybe this weekend I'll check the fluid level again...
As we've entered deer-dodging season here in the PA/NJ suburbs (and the weather is cool enough to not require A/C), the GC is back to being my primary daily driver. Right now the inside smells like an old motorcycle dealership after hauling DRZ parts two weekends ago.
In reply to Duke :
Well that's another positive towards the T/C.
failboat said:Are the newer Chrysler transmissions anything to worry about? (Pentastar engine and newer)
I have the 6-speed / Pentastar combo. I don't know about physical longevity, but they're not spectacularly smooth in regular driving. Not terrible, but not very modern feeling. That being said, I drove ours all over the mountains of western Pennsylvania for a 4-day weekend this summer, shifting the hell out of it with the autostick, and it never missed a beat.
The 5 speed Honda is pretty smooth. The 6 speed is better. I assume the 10 speed is even better. Performance of the van gets significantly better with both of those as well.
The 5 speed O/D lockout sucks because it drops to 3rd. There is no way to force 4th gear for those long highway hills.
I would agree if you need a stuff hauler very frequently, the Odyssey isn't your best option. It certainly works fine for the occasional van-load-of-crap though.
You'll need to log in to post.
