Honda Odyssey Vs. Chrysler T & C

[BPeter]

Hey, anybody own a minivan? That is probably a stupid question, but I am looking for a little advice. I am looking at a used van, either a 2004 Honda Odyssey or a 2006/07 Chrysler Town and Country. I have read some things about the Odyssey (my preference) transmissions, so I am little leary. We might be picking one up tonight from a reputable dealership. They have one of each and they deal strictly with one owner, non accident, non smoker, primo used vehicles. The Honda has 34,000 on it, Brand New Tires and Brakes. Anyone have any bad experiences with an Odyssey (or even better yet, can you tell me you love yours).

Also what do you think of extended warrenties on Vehicles. They offered one up for 6 yrs/100,000 for $1397.
Thanks,
Bryan

 

[jayn_j]

Uh, you have heard bad things about Honda transmissions, so you are considering a Chrysler???

My Voyager went through 3 transmissions in the 200k I owned it. Most of my aquaintences had worse luck than that.

Check the following page:
ConsumerReports.org - The best and worst used cars: Buying used car, used car review, used car rating

Note that the Odyssey appears on 'best of the best' and Town&Country appears on 'worst of the worst' list.

 

[thecristman]

I would rather own a 100,000 mile Honda than a 5,000 mile
Chrysler any day. The Chrylers have the worst reputation in the industry and if you do decide to buy one, better make friends with a good transmission shop, because they fail often and frequently.
The last time Chrysler made a good car was in 1969 when I bought my Hemi Road Runner, oh wait, that was a piece of junk too!

 

[navychop]

Avoid the warranties. I bought one from Warranty Gold, after carefully research. They were the largest, rated rock solid. Within weeks, rating dropped and they went into bankruptcy. Lost it all, no coverage at all, no refund. I was consoled by others who told me not to worry, they probably would not have paid out on repairs anyway, as the policies on these extended warranties seem designed to avoid anyone cashing in much on them.

I loved my Caravan and Grand Caravans. And every single transmission I put into them. 70,000 mile transmissions. Shops seemed real experienced in swapping them out. I now have a Honda Accord. It would be hard to go back to an "American" car after this Accord. In fact, looking at a Smart Car or VW diesel Jetta for a commuter car now- no high mpg "American" cars. Look at the Odyssey first. Only if there's some sort of problem with it, would I look at the T&C. Even though my boss's T&C has been flawless for the last 4+ years.

 

[flyingsquirrel]

I have a 2003 Odyssey that you would have to pry out of my cold dead hands.

There is no comparison between an Odyssey and a TC. My company bought a TC for moving stuff around. But two of my partners and I have Odysseys. That should tell you something.

But this is a used car and you should have a couple things checked:

1) Take the Ody for a ride. Park it on a slight downhill grade. Open Both automatic sliding doors at the same time. They should open at the same speed. Then close them both at the same time. Repeat the procedure on an uphill grade.

REASON: Alignment is critical on these things and if this baby has been in an accident, you will know it from this test.

2) Have a mechanic check the motor mounts. If this has been subject to a lot of rough STOP and GOOOO driving, the motor mounts will show it.

FYI: The 105,000 service is EXPENSIVE. You have to change both timing belts as well as a bunch of other crap and it can run $1800. But it is usually the first service.

As a long time HONDA and ACURA owner, I tell people the following: Before you go our and buy a used one, go test drive a new one. Old Hondas are still Hondas. They should drive like new. Really. If they don't, there is something wrong with that particular car.

Have fun and buy the Honda.

 

[Hall]

It will be a shame if you report back here that you ended up buying the Chrysler....

Hell, when I saw "Honda Odyssey vs Chrysler....", my first thought was "this must be a joke thread" !! I have to admit, if I were planning to keep the Chrysler for 2 years at the most, I might get one. The Honda though, I'd drive 'til it died of old age.

 

[webbydude]

Just to add more fuel to fire, the Odyssey shares a good deal of drive train and underpinnings from the Accord. The only positive thing I can say for the T&C is the engine (not tranny) is fairly reliable. Mitsubishi did a fairly good job for Chrysler when they farmed it out to them.

 

[navychop]

Good stuff, squirrelly one. I'll have to keep it in mind when I go shopping for used vehicles.

 

[BPeter]

That is more or less how I felt about it. I did a decent amount of research on Consumer Reports, Edmunds and the like. The Odyssey more or less is "the" minivan, and it appears that the '04 had less problems as a whole than even some of the earlier Ody's. I drove it last night for the first time. Shifted wonderfully. Drove like a BMW. Smooth, responsive, agile. I really liked it. We drove the T & C. I wasn't impressed. I think my wife might have preferred it. It was 2 years newer, with 12,000 less on the odometer (and $2,300 cheaper). I know two people who have a Dodge or Chrysler and have had minimal if any issues. Like anything, you can get a lemon on the best brand, or a great vehicle out of a lower end brand. I appreciate the feedback flyingsquirrel, that is exactly what I was looking for. Too bad I didn't see your reply until after I had driven it, I would have checked the doors. I was a little nervous because with 34,000 on it, the brakes were pulsing badly on it when my wife drove it, and that seems a little premature for brake issues. They have since put on brand new brake rotors on the rears and pads all around. They also let me pick new rubber to be included in the price. We noticed a little over spray on the gas tank and tailpipe, and a little area on the front air damn that appear to have recieved some paint. The sales person assured me that any paint would have been on the plastic bumpers to touch up scratches and scrapes and make it look new again. This particular dealer spends time finding the right vehicles to sell, and they stake a very well known reputation on it, so I can only take them at their word. She mentioned they would not purchase or sell a vehicle that had damage to any body panels, and offered to provide the Carfax report free of charge. I am feeling pretty good about it, so I will probably pick it up tomorrow evening, and maybe drop it by my independent mechanics garage to check the motor mounts. Thanks guys for all the advice. Bryan

 

[thecristman]

That is more or less how I felt about it. I did a decent amount of research on Consumer Reports, Edmunds and the like. The Odyssey more or less is "the" minivan, and it appears that the '04 had less problems as a whole than even some of the earlier Ody's. I drove it last night for the first time. Shifted wonderfully. Drove like a BMW. Smooth, responsive, agile. I really liked it. We drove the T & C. I wasn't impressed. I think my wife might have preferred it. It was 2 years newer, with 12,000 less on the odometer (and $2,300 cheaper). I know two people who have a Dodge or Chrysler and have had minimal if any issues. Like anything, you can get a lemon on the best brand, or a great vehicle out of a lower end brand. I appreciate the feedback flyingsquirrel, that is exactly what I was looking for. Too bad I didn't see your reply until after I had driven it, I would have checked the doors. I was a little nervous because with 34,000 on it, the brakes were pulsing badly on it when my wife drove it, and that seems a little premature for brake issues. They have since put on brand new brake rotors on the rears and pads all around. They also let me pick new rubber to be included in the price. We noticed a little over spray on the gas tank and tailpipe, and a little area on the front air damn that appear to have recieved some paint. The sales person assured me that any paint would have been on the plastic bumpers to touch up scratches and scrapes and make it look new again. This particular dealer spends time finding the right vehicles to sell, and they stake a very well known reputation on it, so I can only take them at their word. She mentioned they would not purchase or sell a vehicle that had damage to any body panels, and offered to provide the Carfax report free of charge. I am feeling pretty good about it, so I will probably pick it up tomorrow evening, and maybe drop it by my independent mechanics garage to check the motor mounts. Thanks guys for all the advice. Bryan

I wouldn't worry too much about the brakes. That is just a sign of the previous owner doing a lot of stop and go driving or riding the brakes. Good luck with the car.

 

[joestein]

We just leased at 2008 T&C touring. I have always been a Honda/Acura guy, but we decided to lease a mini-van versus an SUV (Giving back my MDX in a couple of weeks).

I just don't like the Odyssey. I thought that the interior of the T & C is very nice (though it could use some soft touch material) and the outside is very sharp (espcially the grill).

Sometimes, Honda/Acura, could learn a bit about car design style from some other manufacturers. We can't stand the look of the new MDX and what is with the new grills of the Acuras, they are just UGLY!

Price wise, I pay about $365 a month on the T & C, with only taxes and fees paid at delivery, so it is hard to beat that cost. And, its only a 3 year lease, it will be under warranty for the entire time.

Joe