My wife and I like many soon-to-be parents were due to replace our car. With a baby on the way, we decided to look for a vehicle that could carry all the necessary accessories that come with having a child. We both owned Jeep Grand Cherokee's and based on the limited space in SUV's, the higher stance (which makes getting a child in and our much harder) and the lower fuel efficiency, we decided against another SUV. So that left us with 2 choices, a car which couldn't possibly hold our stuff, or a minivan. We both had previously made the statement to our friends and family that "that would be the day" that we owned a minivan. Well after coming to the conclusion that image was the only reason we would not own a minivan, we realized that image does not carry a stroller, pack-n-plan, and several other accessories.

Once the minivan hurdle was jumped, which minivan was easy. I have owned two other Honda's so that's where I started. But I did do my homework, in spite of my bias. When considering which car to buy, it came down to 3 things, Price, Features, and re-sale value. I should also add a 4th which is quality. So the Odyssey was priced much higher at the entry-level than most minivans, but I think you will find features on the Odyssey at the LX entry level others do not have, such as the "magic seat" in the 3rd row. No more lugging heavy seats out. It also allows you flexibility as you do not have to plan when you need to take the seat out, it simply folds into the floor in two steps, and is easily done by my 110 lb wife. At the higher end, EX-L, EX-DVD, and EX-Sat, I found that the Honda at full sticker was more competitively priced than any of the American Mini-vans, by as much as $6000.00

The last clincher for us was the resale value, when we first looked at the used market, it was only a few thousand less then new. That is certainly not true for the Chrysler's.

Finally we test drove the Odyssey, my wife was concerned it was too big, and the she couldn't see well while driving. Well after a few miles those concerns were mitigated. It is an incredible car, it's 240HP V6 w/5 speed transmission accelerate smoother than any car I've owned. It handles like a much smaller car, with a very tight turning radius.

It's a total package for us, comfort, performance, quality, and good design. We bought the EX-DVD which comes standard w/leather interior. We have had our child for less than a month now, and already see that we have made a great choice. I'd recommend this van to anyone, even those without children. Did I mention that with all rear seats, stowed or removed, you can get a full sheet of plywood on the floor and shut the gate? Great vehicle!!!
Amount Paid (US$): 30,360
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: EX-L DVD