Most popular Honda Odyssey for sale

This is my first minivan. End of an era of "cool cars" for me, or is it?

Needing plenty of hauling capacity (newborn twin girls) and wanting the most new van I could get, I started my research with two top selling minivans in mind: Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

After test driving both, and checking out web sites/forums for research and opinions there was a clear winner: The Odyssey with Touring trim -- and navigation and DVD.

Sure, it cost way more than all others, but it was more responsive to drive. It also offered other features not on the Toyota such as run-flat tires ("who wants to change tires in the rain? Not me. Sold."), cylinder deactivation (more MPG), roll down windows with shades built-in the door. It was a done deal.

Now that we've had it for just over 2 years, the navigation really pays off (no need to print out Google Maps, and you can even look up destinations on the way like restaurants or hotels), the DVD player is the "backseat parent", and the seating flexibility has been very handy. Plus, no mechanical issues.

Now, if I could only find some chrome spinners for the run-flats...

I guess I will never know.

In summer of 2003, the new 2004 Sienna had just come out, but was in short supply. And supply situation was worse for package we wanted. Kids' school was about to start, so I could not wait longer. That made it an easy decision. Also, I felt that the strong Honda Odyssey reputation cannot be wrong.

Looks like I got what I paid for. And I will have to thank new Sienna for bringing down prices of Odyssey that summer.

Now about my Ody:

Engine - no problems at all.

The power doors are reliable - no complaints after 3 years of use.

Rear seats are heavy - much heavier than I expected. So although I like airport trips as I get to drive long distances in comfort of Ody, moving rear seats is not something I look forward too.

The bench (3rd row) is heavy too. I guess that's how it should be, but it means my wife would never be comfortable folding it down or opening it up.

One real complaint I have is tire noise. Noise make it impossible for driver to listen to anything that folks in bench are talking about. It might be better in models without power doors, but for me this has killed the fun of family trips.

Mileage is not great either - I am getting only about 20 mpg even on freeways.

Best van on the market for power, quality, and performance! If you are someone like me who just couldn't see yourself in a van but need one, this is the one for you!