We picked up the wife's new 2024 Odyssey (Touring trim) on March 26, and just getting the chance to post up about it.
We've really, actually needed a van for years, having a 3-yr-old, 2-yr-old, and 1-yr-old.
Back in December 2020, the wife had her 2018 Civic hatchback 1.5T 6MT, which we loved, and had driven around Appalachia for our honeymoon, but someone rear-ended her and totaled it, and, with her expecting our first child at that time, she decided on a new 4Runner, and it served us well for 3 years. I'd been hinting at a van for a couple of years, but she loved her 4Runner and never liked minivans.
But, a couple of months ago, we learned that we'll be having a new baby around October 2024 timeframe, so she was like, "We're gonna have to get a van, aren't we." I said, "Yep."
We actually decided on this vehicle sight-unseen, never having driven or ridden in one, just from reading about it and doing research online, YouTube, etc.
She asked me what we'd get (she likes cars, but doesn't nerd out on them like I do), and I already knew that the Odyssey was the only choice for us, due to the sweet J35 and Honda-built 10-speed automatic combo.
Really, it was the only choice, given the other options on the market (Sienna's hybrid-CVT powertrain and inability to remove 2nd row seats ruled it out, and I've never been a Chrysler guy or a Korean car guy).
From the reviews I'd watched and read, everyone said that the Odyssey rode and drove extremely well, and in the short time we've owned it, I have found that to be the case. I find the acceleration to be more than adequate. At sub-7 seconds 0-60, it's much quicker than the 4Runner, and matches some sports sedans from just a few years ago! And the engine has a great growl to it when you rev it up (redline is almost 7000 RPM)!
Handling and steering is also very nice. At 4500 lbs unloaded, you can definitely feel some weight behind you, but it's not obnoxious or anything. We have some curvy, hilly country roads around us, and I've set the transmission to "SPORT" mode, and it's quite fun! Definitely not going to match the pace I could set in my old WRX or anything, but respectable! SPORT mode programming does a great job holding a gear out in the curves, and it even has paddle shifters if you want to completely control the shifting yourself.
We went with the Touring primarily for the rear-seat entertainment system. We don't let our kids have phones, and we don't own iPads, and we're delaying that as long as possible, however, we don't mind them watching some TV, and they enjoy it. Having some of the luxury features, like leather interior, moonroof, heated/power seats, auto climate control, etc. sort of softens the blow of the wife having to get rid of her beloved 4Runner, also.
Ride is actually really good, even with the 19" wheels that the Touring comes with. I'd say it's an ideal compromise between good handling (for a large vehicle) and compliance.
So far, everything seems to be of very good quality and fit & finish. Of course, I realize that this is a far more complex vehicle than my 2007 Tacoma, or the wife's old 2021 4Runner, and won't be as reliable over time (complexity = increased maintenance requirements). But we considered it and decided that the compromise was worth it to us for the increased convenience, utility, and economy. Even with the 280-HP V6, this is capable of matching the highway fuel economy of my old 2016 4-cyl WRX, which is impressive ( I usually got about 27 MPG highway in that car).
One thing that my wife has commented on is the convenience of the "magic slide" middle row seats that the Odyssey has. It's a lifesaver with one kid who's still not able to climb into her seat by herself, and another coming later this year. Right now we have the 1-yr-old in one of the middle seats, so we can put her in her seat and then slide it over in order to make room for one of the other kids to climb into the back row and get into their seat. Then there's room to assist them in buckling up. And then we just slide that middle row seat back to the outboard position (we have the middle seat of the 2nd row removed). It is really nice.
So far, we're really enjoying it, and I think the wife is warming up to it after seeing how much more convenient it is.
So far we've taken 1 road trip in it (to Memphis and back for Easter), and I really enjoyed driving it. Very comfortable seat, though it doesn't have the leg room that my Tacoma or the 4Runner had (I'm 6'2"), but definitely not unbearable. And that's my only (minor) gripe with the car. The passing power of that engine is really nice, and, again, it sounds great. Very quiet interior, also, despite the fact that only the windshield is acoustic glass (the Elite trim level, which is about 5 grand more, adds acoustic glass all the way around).
I went back and forth a bit in my mind about muzzling the VCM (variable cylinder management) system. A lot of folks decide not to muzzle them on this 3rd gen VCM system, as they say that they don't have near the problems with oil burning caused by 3 of the cylinders shutting down during partial load that the older iterations of VCM had. There's also the theory that most of the oil burning problems/ring coking is due to infrequent oil changes by unscrupulous owners, and that those who tend to be more conscientious about oil changes and maintenance in general don't tend to have issues. And that theory sounds very reasonable to me.
But, in the end, after considering it and doing the research, I could see little benefit to leaving it enabled, and decided not to take the chance, so I ordered and received an S-VCM muzzler, and will be installing it in the next couple of days.
Still on factory fill oil right now, and not in any big hurry to change it. I'll probably go with whatever name-brand 5W-30 or 10W-30 I can get a deal on. I'm not concerned with using just one type of oil in it, though I've always used some flavor of M1 in my truck since I bought it new in 2007, and it's seemed to work very well (currently the truck has 0W-40) over its current 290,000+ miles. I'm thinking about using Honda OEM filters at least while it's on factory warranty.
Washed it once so far (2-bucket method, Meguiar's Gold Class, Griot's Garage 3-In-1 Ceramic Spray Wax).
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