In article <d51a8$43207a02$45281424$14895@ALLTEL.NET>,
"Keith Warren" <keith_warren@alltel.net> wrote:

> We are looking at new vehicles and the Odyssey and Pilot are on our list of
> options. I'd like to hear from owners about likes and dislikes, gas mileage,
> etc. I am well versed in the brand and quality and general product specs,
> what I'm looking more for are the intangibles from those who have actually
> owned/driven one of these for a while.

02 Odyssey EX-L w/factory rear entertainment system: love the car, love
the power, love the size. (Don't get the SUV; it's not worth it, and
it's much smaller than the van built on the same platform.) I can put a
full 96" couch (48" wide, no less) inside this thing and close the
hatch. Try THAT with an SUV.

Goes through snow like nobody's business, even on factory tires.
Currently we have 38K on the clock.

The transmission was subject to a recall. No replacement was called
for; they added the oil jet kit. Still, it disappoints me that Honda
engineered something like that so badly.

At 35K miles and 42 months, the idle air control valve went bad. Dealer
went ahead and warrantied it anyway. Good thing; it's a $300 repair.
Now, I'm a Honda guy from way, way back--and my experience has been that
things like this never used to happen. So the disappointment with
Honda's engineering isn't exactly going away.

Love the electric sliding doors. If they're available on the next
vehicle I buy, I'll get them no matter what.

I paid a $1500 premium for the factory rear entertainment system.
Nowadays, $300 at Target buys a dual DVD player with dual screens to
hang on the headrests. I'd go that route now, I think, unless the fee
for a factory system is significantly less than $1500 now.

In the end: I'd do it again, no question. But if Lexus made a minivan,
I'd take a strong look at that first.