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The Odyssey’s are pricey because they are such great vehicles. Our 2007( which we paid about 27 k for new) is at 150,000 now and still runs like new. Some minor normal repairs along the way, but zero major repairs on it. Perfect vehicle for a family of 5. Hands down favorite for us when taking long road trips(it’s coming back from a trip to Branson as I type this).

When we were looking it came down to the Toyota and Honda. The Toyota was a little quieter, but we thought the Honda handled better. Both great choices.
 
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I bought a Pacifica last August. Had to switch from a truck to something that could handle 4 kids to accommodate some big changes in life. I really like it. It's not a sports car but the V6 provides some go when you need it. Really comfortable and rides great. I got the one with the electronic safety package so it's got auto stop, park assist, 360 cameras, and adaptive cruise. Really like all that stuff.

Doesnt handle great in the snow. Breaks traction pretty easy. But it was a tough winter and I always got where I needed to go. You just need to know how to drive in snow.

I spent a lot of time shopping around and looking at crossovers and mid-size SUVs. After driving many of those and most of the mini vans as well I landed on the Pacifica. It honestly drove as good or better than anything else. The one that stands out as better was maybe the Mazda CX-9. That was a fun vehicle to drive. But honestly for your money you get SO much more with a minivan. Much more space and extra features for a lower price. AWD is nice, but it is not the end all be all feature for a vehicle.
 
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aforstate said:
My mom has been driving Odysseys for years for the grandkids. Every one that I've been in has been awesome. I've borrowed the most recent one for a couple of Colorado trips. Can't go wrong in my opinion, but an actual owner would surely be able to tell you more.
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We had to get an entire new transmission in our 2018 Odyssey with less than 2,000 miles on it.
 
Pacifica is generally considered to be the best minivan at the moment. If you want AWD, Toyota makes a Sienna with it. If you are not offended by style, might take a look at Ford Flex. Technically an SUV, but you can get AWD and exit/entry is a little easier than tall SUVs. I agree with the post that tires are more important than having AWD.
 
brianhos said:
We had to get an entire new transmission in our 2018 Odyssey with less than 2,000 miles on it.
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Bummer! Surely Honda covered that? Honda has been noted for having weak transmissions for quite a while. Was one of my concerns buying one, but we have had zero problems.
 
I’ll add a vote for the Pacifica. I think it looks and feels “cooler” than other vans (relatively of course).
We love that the seats fold into the floor. Tons of storage and room. Drives nice and rides comfortably.
Sorry but anyone trying to compare a small SUV to a van must not have kids. The siding doors alone are life changing with kids.

One thing that did catch us by surprise is that it did not come with a spare tire. Now they have repair kits instead. I think that’s starting to become standard in new vehicles but just FYI.
 
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Bobber said:
Bummer! Surely Honda covered that? Honda has been noted for having weak transmissions for quite a while. Was one of my concerns buying one, but we have had zero problems.
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Yeah they took care of it, but quality in Honda has gone way downhill in the last 10 years.
 
Bobber said:
The Odyssey’s are pricey because they are such great vehicles. Our 2007( which we paid about 27 k for new) is at 150,000 now and still runs like new. Some minor normal repairs along the way, but zero major repairs on it. Perfect vehicle for a family of 5. Hands down favorite for us when taking long road trips(it’s coming back from a trip to Branson as I type this).

When we were looking it came down to the Toyota and Honda. The Toyota was a little quieter, but we thought the Honda handled better. Both great choices.
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We still have our 2009 Odyssey with 195,000 on it. Doesn't burn any oil. No major repairs even though I haven't been completed timely on all maintenance. Normal wear and tear stuff.

I would say what you get depends on how long you plan to keep it. If you want to make it through one mini-van or about 10 years, then get the odyssey or sienna. I have owned the chryser/dodge products and so have some of my friends, they end up doing fine but get rid of them at about 125000 miles as things start to cost more in repairs. Not saying they are bad, it just seem to me based on my experience the Honda lasts.
 
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BoxsterCy said:
Not to get to off-topic here but IMHO most of the all-season tires that car manufacturers place on their new cars are compromised towards fair weather driving because they offer a smoother and quieter ride and longer life. A couple Audis ago I had some great all-season Pirelli tires that were pretty good winter tires. Of course people bitched that they didn't last a zillion miles. A lot of the all-season are still pretty good in accumulated snow but not so good on slippery glazed over stuff. People should pay more attention to their tires. Love the tire reviews on the Tire Rack especially when you can zero down to your make/model comments from actual owners in your region.
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I swear by winter tires. I switch the for the regular tires in the spring. You can really tell a difference. Well worth the money.
 
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nfrine said:
About the only drawback to a minivan is the winter-time traction compared to an AWD. If tires are at all worn, they sometimes handle like a pig on ice. Otherwise, a solid choice for a family vehicle.
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We have an AWD Sienna and love it. It handles pretty well on the snow and ice. The gas mileage is a little rough, but I’ll take the safety any day.
 
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NorthCyd said:
Based on what? Most recent reliability report shows different. 2013-17 reliability saw a dip, but it is better the last two years and are at an all time high. Vehicles overall are better than ever.
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Not going to get in the middle of this, because I have no data, but how exactly do they determine a 1 year old car is reliable? Just seems like that is enough time to determine that something is a piece of junk or not, and that is about it.
 
CyCloned said:
Not going to get in the middle of this, because I have no data, but how exactly do they determine a 1 year old car is reliable? Just seems like that is enough time to determine that something is a piece of junk or not, and that is about it.
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It's based on 3 years of study. So the 2019 report only covers the 2016 and earlier models. The JD Power vehicle dependability study. The only one I know of.
 
cyfan92 said:
I never understand the need for awd living in the suburbs. The roads are plowed every hour and if it's going to be horrible, you just plan ahead
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I have AWD Quattro in my Audi, it's kinda the package most come with. I like the Quattro but AWD is WAY overrated, especially by the SUV crowd. If you have decent tires FWD is plenty good for normal driving and you'll get better mileage for not carrying the extra weight and driving another set of wheels. I was driving around scores of spinning SUVs a couple times this winter. Not because I had AWD but because I had tires more suited to winter. The wider the tracks get on cars the more their all-season tires come up wanting in snow and on ice but they will talk the magic of AWD even as they are driving and spinning into a ditch.
 
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We are nearing home, having almost completed our second WA-IA-WA road trip (3800 miles total). Four kids, including a two year old so its packed FULL. We drive a 2018 Pacifica with under 18,000 miles on it. It's a great vehicle. The display says about 28mpg during the trip. Normally get about 23mpg in daily city driving with start/stop feature. The 3.6L engine isn't fast, but paired with the 9spd transmission it moves just fine even loaded. Cruised comfortably at 80mph across Montana and held 70+ going up the passes. Let me know if you have specific questions.

I'm sure the Honda and Toyota are a little more peppy to drive, but neither have middle row seats that fold flat into the floor. We've used the feature many times going back to our previous Grand Caravan to haul garbage to the dump, pick up new appliances and dispose of the old ones, etc.

Regarding snow, our old Grand Caravan did better in the snow than the AWD CR-V it replaced. That was when we lived in the country in IA on a gravel road that didn't get plowed often.
 
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