My Wife is wanting to sell her Suburban and get a new Odessey mini-van or Pilot SUV. The Odessey has more room (3 kids + 2 dogs) but... ITS A MINIVAN. The Pilot is a bit cramped but has 4-wheel drive. Both have Honda's 3.5L engine and 5-speed Auto.

Anything else I should consider? [Note: Keep her happy = keep S2K.]

Regards,

 

Have you looked at the Nissan Armada?

 

My wife has an Odyssey, and she loves it. More to the point, I don't find it terrible. It has some pretty nice git-up-n-go (more than I'm used to having in a Mini-Van), and it feels tight and well made. Add to that the convenience of that third row "disappearing" seat, and an optional DVD Entertainment system -- a must for keeping your kids quiet and reasonably happy on long trips -- and it really is a winning combination.

I'm not sure the Pilot offers anything really useful over the Odyssey. OK, an SUV is a little more "cool", and the next time we have 6 inches of snow in Dallas, that 4-wheel drive might come in handy. Otherwise, the Odyssey seems to me to be a much better people-mover and stuff-hauler. And as a bonus, I think the Odyssey is cheaper.

 

They are essentially the same thing under the skin. I would recommend test driving and see which you like better (feel, features).

My father now works at Vandergriff in Arlington. I can guarantee you the least-hassle experience will be there if you ask for him. Head down there, ask for him, and tell him who sent you.

 

Well, either are better than the Suburban. The current Ody is about to be replaced with the new '05 coming out. If you don't have to have the latest and greatest, you can probably get a pretty sweet deal on an '04 since the '05 should be coming in the next few months. Keep in mind that even though the current Ody is in its last year of this generation, it is still, IMO, a class leader. From everything I've heard, the current Ody handles pretty well (esp. for a minivan) and the '05 will be better. Also, the J35 pumps out quite a bit of power making it a screamer for a minivan. Certainly the Ody has more useable space.

The Pilot is a nice SUV, but for a family, my nod goes to the Ody for overall utility. Too bad you didn't have this question a couple months ago: the Ody lease deal was impossible to beat -- something like $1K down, $250/mo for an EX-RES on 36 months.

Do you really need 4WD?

Ryan

 

They have some great deals on the Odyssey right now to clear the lots for the '05 model. I picked one up as my utility vehicle and I love it. Much better than the '02 Yukon XL I had. Its my daily drive now while I build a new turbo motor(20+ psi) for my S.

 

I think I would go with the Pilot. Easier to spell.

Actually, I think the Odyssey is probably the best big box people hauler on the planet. It's comfy, handles competently, gets decent fuel mileage and has a right ton of space.

Plus, it's a Honda.

 

If you are looking for a people mover(not a tow vehicle) then you can't beat a minivan. The Pilot is way to small for dogs/kids. I would recommend a 04 seinna or a 05 Oddy.

btw, the specs on the 05 Oddy are in cartalk. I wanted to wait for the 05 Oddy, but ended up getting a Seinna. The van is incredible in any kind of weather. When it snowed in February, I kept slamming on the gas to see what it would do. The van(with VSC, TCS, Brake Assist, and offcourse ABS) was stable as a rock.