What Honda for our family?!

I have spent many hours during the last 6 months researching vehicles. Only to find myself trying to decide between 4 very different vehicles.

What I do know is that I want a Honda. In general they seem to have many standard features that are options in comparable vehicles, they run forever, have very good residual value and are safe.
Here's the rundown: I have two kiddos, 12 months and 36 months, plus me and my DH.
I would like to buy a vehicle that will fit all of us comfortably and in a few years we will likely need the extra room for kids friends, family, etc. BUT, a vehicle with all of those extra seats right now seems like such overkill. A pilot for a family with two toddlers? But a smaller vehicle, most likely, wont fit our needs very long.
Another note is that in 2-4 years we may be moving to a a mountainous area in New Hamshire.
Approx 30K budget.

2008 Honda Element: (unless they make 09's)
It only seats 4. Less than 20K with the realization that we will need a larger vehicle in a few years. So cool though!

2009 Honda Pilot:
Easy favorite. Tons of great standard features. LATCH and top tethers galore. Can easily handle all of the kids future friends. But seriously, it's huge and unnecessary.

2009 Honda Accord:
Practical for our current needs. But kind of boring and if I was going to buy something that can seat only 5, I might as well get the Element with plans on trading it in in the future for something larger.

2009 Odyssey:
I know that it will fit our needs now, and to the end of time. I am realistic and know that this should be the vehicle I buy. But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I saw a brand new 2009 van roll out of just being detailed, all sparkly and smiling, and I thought to myself "That is just U.G.L.Y".

OR-
My husband wants to buy me a giant 2008 Toyota Tundra. Then, at some point, he will take over the pickup and I will get a new vehicle.

Care to share your thoughts?

I would get the Pilot! If you really don't like the van then I wouldn't get that because you will always want something else but never REALLY need anyhting else. I think you will outgrow the accord and the element and NEED to get something else for more space. If you go with the Pilot you will have room and style.


All of you van owners out there please don't be offended by what I said about the van. I personally drove a van for 8 years. I just sold it about 6 mths ago. I now have an Acura MDX and I misss my van so much. However, not all people are van lovers. I do think that once you own a van it's really hard to own something else because vans are so practical. DH was tired of the van and really fed my NEED to get something else. If I had it to so all over again I would have gotten a new Odyssey!


I have 3 children however and OP only had 2 so unless you are thinking of adding to your gang then I would go with the 2009 Pilot! It has more cargo space!

I LOVE my Odyssey!! Although mine is 2001 and I would love to have a newer version with LATCH in the 3rd row!

When I was pregnant with DS1 we got a Honda CR-V because I didn't think I'd ever want a van (That was when the plan was 2 kids)! Well, right before getting pregnant with DS2, I changed my mind! I love the sliding doors (no worrying about hitting other cars!), and when mom comes she can fit with the rest of us. I also love how roomy and how much storage. About 2 yrs ago I fit 3 adults and 4 kids in it on a drive from No.CA to AZ. We didn't even fill the trunk above the 3rd row headrests! I was amazed! And of course, now that we're having a 3rd, I'm definitely happy we have the van already!

All that said, if you really don't want a van, I'd go for the Pilot, but that's because I think the Element is ugly! I really don't think the Pilot looks that big, and you have the option of the 3rd row when you need it. Don't know about storage though when you have the 3rd row up.

Anyway, that's my :twocents:.

FWIW, I have been driving a Plymouth Voyager minivan for two years.

I would get the Element. It's more affordable than the Pilot, so you could get it now, have some fun, & then trade it in in a few years for either the Ody or the Pilot (I'd do the Pilot, but that's me...I can't swallow the idea of a minivan!).

The Elements are pretty cool. I test drove one & have to say....I was shocked at how much room they have! And at that price...you don't need to worry too much about trading it in a few years down the road.

As you said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I HATE the Element! It looks like a box.
I traded my Odyssey 2 years ago for a Pilot and it! We have 4 kids ( 2 teenagers) and have no problem with everyone fitting. It drives like a dream! The safety rating on it is excellent! :thumbsup:

My DH has a Tundra and it is a BEAST! It is horrible to drive. I can't tell you how many times I have scraped his rims and he's gotten so mad at me for that. It's super hard to park anywhere. Plus the safety ratings aren't that good. :thumbsdown:

I would get the Pilot!

I personally do not think the Pilot is overkill for a family of 4. What do you currently have that will be coming from?

Don't feel bad for not likely the Oddy or not wanting a minivan. If it isn't what you like then it isn't the right choice. Just because you become a mom does not mean you have to all of a sudden love minivans. I bought a brand new loaded Sienna a couple years ago and while I did love it...I wasn't in love with it. I hated it when we were out as a family and it just wasn't me so I got rid of it and got another SUV. There is nothing wrong with a mom refusing to drive a minivan.

IDK if they've changed it on recent models of the Element, but one thing to keep in mind is it is VERY hard to get a rf kid in the back seat of one because of the doors and how the seats are positioned.

The seats are set pretty far back, you pretty much have to squish the kiddo between the roof and top of the seat, or get them in from the other side. My friend has one, and hates it when she has to take her kids in it.

Iluvbabies57 said:

IDK if they've changed it on recent models of the Element, but one thing to keep in mind is it is VERY hard to get a rf kid in the back seat of one because of the doors and how the seats are positioned.

The seats are set pretty far back, you pretty much have to squish the kiddo between the roof and top of the seat, or get them in from the other side. My friend has one, and hates it when she has to take her kids in it.

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Oh and there is nowhere to put a rf'ing tether in the newer Elements as everything is encased in huge plastic panels.

I'd get the Pilot. Even tho Tundras have big discounts right now, they're still pretty expensive and the gas mileage is pretty bad to horrendous. If he really wants a truck, is a Ridgeline out of the question? They're dirt cheap right now. Pretty frustrating. We paid about $28,000 for ours. Same model is going for about $23,000 now. Yes, it's pretty ugly (but so is the Pilot IMO) but from a storage standpoint, it's amazing. So roomy. Fit a 50" Vizio plasma tv from Costco in the back seat. In the box! And having a trunk has been a life saver.

My neighbor has an Element. I LIKE it! Exterior is a little weird looking, but the interior is so roomy and fun. They have an infant and haven't mentioned any problems RF with the infant seat (SnugRide).

codex57 said:

If he really wants a truck, is a Ridgeline out of the question? They're dirt cheap right now. Pretty frustrating. We paid about $28,000 for ours. Same model is going for about $23,000 now. Yes, it's pretty ugly (but so is the Pilot IMO) but from a storage standpoint, it's amazing. So roomy. Fit a 50" Vizio plasma tv from Costco in the back seat. In the box! And having a trunk has been a life saver.

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Did you ever have a car seat rearfacing in the Ridgeline? Is there much room?

I've stuck a SnugRide rear facing in there. Currently there's a Recaro Como in there rear facing. Plenty of room, altho we're not the tallest people. I'm only 5'7", but I'd estimate there's about 4 inches or more before we hit a seat back. I haven't tried a Blvd, but eyeballing it and comparing to the SnugRide, I'd say the Britax takes up even less room than the Recaro. Oh, and this in the center position. LATCH, which is nice cuz not all Hondas have LATCH in the center from what I understand.

I still think the Pilot is better for the future. I'm just throwing out the Ridgeline as a possible option cuz of the mention of the Tundra and how cheap the Ridgeline is right now compared to both the Pilot and the Tundra. I happened to mess around carsdirect.com last nite, and if the Ridgeline is only $3 or $4,000 more than an Element and several thousands less than a Pilot, it's worth considering. I love it, and I generally don't like trucks/suvs. I'm a sports car kinda guy. Plus, when nasty weather hits, it's nice to get into the vehicle from inside a garage. Pilot and Ridgeline both fit in a standard garage (neighbor has a Pilot). Tundra isn't gonna fit to my knowledge. A few in my neighborhood, but they're all parked outside.

My dh's Tundra fits BARELY in our 2 car garage.

Honda Pilot!!

I have one and just have 1 kiddo and it isn't too much. I think it's the car that will most likely fit your needs now and later. The Odyssey isn't bad but I don't know that you quite need a minivan plus the Pilot would be better for where you are moving if you get 4 wheel drive.

Thanks guys! Off to do a little pickup reasearch... my DH might really like this idea.

Sorry, I just checked in detail. I discovered why I remember there being so much room. It's cuz the seat is rear facing from the center position. The seat extends over the shoulder sections of the front seats. However, the passenger seat is currently all the way back and if the Recaro were behind it, the top would hit the head rest. If you install behind a seat, then you may not be able to RF and have the seat all the way back. At least not with the Recaro. The Blvd seems to be smaller, but I'm just estimating.

codex57 said:

Sorry, I just checked in detail. I discovered why I remember there being so much room. It's cuz the seat is rear facing from the center position. The seat extends over the shoulder sections of the front seats. However, the passenger seat is currently all the way back and if the Recaro were behind it, the top would hit the head rest. If you install behind a seat, then you may not be able to RF and have the seat all the way back. At least not with the Recaro. The Blvd seems to be smaller, but I'm just estimating.

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I'm small, 5'5" but DH isnt, he's 6 foot something and like 225. I have never seen him drive anything without moving the seat all of the way back.
So the BLVD could go behind the passengers seat. When he is in the truck I am sure he will want to drive it.
I talked to him about it and he wants me to go test drive one.

But I like to do lots of research and there is such a ridiculous amount of trims available for pickups, I'm having a hard time with just a simple comparison.

My sister has an Element that she left at our house for 2 months just over a year ago when she went to Europe. It is really nice. (She's single, but got it because she can carry two bikes not taken apart with the back seats down!) I drove her to the airport with my two kids (DD FFing in RYS harnessed, DS RFINg in Connection) and her bike in a box, and her luggage. I was impressed. I think it would be great for a family with older kids/teens or someone who frequently has adults in the back seat because there is tons of leg room back there! When I installed my WZ RFing for DS last winter DD could stand between the WZ and the back of the front seat! The rubber floor is AWESOME and there is a lot of storage in and around the front seats. It bugged me that my sister had all sorts of junk in hers, but hey, it's hers and not mine. LOL.

I do agree that it's hard to put a RFing child in the back, especially in a tall convertible seat. An infant seat is much easier, and it's not hard to take the whole seat out either. It wasn't as bad as a 2 door car at all, but not as easy as a standard 4 door. If I didn't need extra seats and I had two kids I'd probably consider it, especially if I wasn't going to be able to RF any kid for too much longer.

I will say, however, that the older the kids get the more I like having extra seats. I can drive a friend home with us, or take another mom and her child with me on a a playdate. Honestly, there are tons of time I wish we had more than 5 seats, and once baby gets here we won't even be able to have grandma ride with us home from the birth center :-( As much as I love my 5 seater Jeep I'm thinking when our lease is up we'll be needing something with more seating. So, I'd consider your lifestyle because that may become and issue for you.

If it was me (with two kids) and I wanted an Element, but only for a few years, I'd probably get a really nice 1-2 year old one with warantee left, put the rest of the $$ I was going to spend in a savings account to save for when I wanted something bigger. You'd be saving gas in the meantime AND making money off savings, even if you only put $50 in savings a month if you have extra because the Element would be a lower car payment. Also, you wouldn't loose much value like your would with a "new" vehicle since as soon as you drive off the lot with something new you have lost a significant amount of money. Anyway, just my opinion.

My DH is jealous. He LOVES car shopping!

I have a 2005 Honda Odyssey.

In about 2 years, once my kids are done with strollers, i'll get me a honda Pilot. I've always wanted one, but i want all my kids to be FFing then, so i'll have to wait. i love love love the Ody however!

2mykids said:

But I like to do lots of research and there is such a ridiculous amount of trims available for pickups, I'm having a hard time with just a simple comparison.

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What do you wanna know? I haven't kept up (in high school and college, I could pretty much rattle off detailed specs for just about every car listed in the back of Car & Driver), but I'm still pretty familiar with a lot of import cars. I always know way more than any salesperson I've encountered. I only test drive when I've figured out the exact model car I want. Sort of like a confirmation that I like the car that ended up at the top of the list. I like to research the cars first too, instead of using the test drive to help narrow cars down. Too much pressure from sales people so I like to limit my test drives.

I did a lot of research into the compact import trucks before I bought the Ridgeline. It was actually down to the Nissan Frontier vs the Toyota Tacoma. Tacoma was winning, primarily cuz of looks and cuz I've got two BILs who are Toyota mechanics. Then, I remembered Honda had a Ridgeline. We don't tow and we don't go offroading. We just needed something to haul furniture, gardening supplies, and other household stuff around. But otherwise, we were looking for a more car/suv-like experience. The Ridgeline is perfect cuz of the storage capabilities both inside the cabin (rear seats are split 60/40 and flip up so you've got a ton of space back there) area as well the in-bed trunk (not sure how truck owners carry a stroller AND a baby without a trunk). And trying to find a Tacoma with rear air bags was not easy. The Ridgeline comes standard with a whole cocoon of air bags, plus the AWD is standard as well, and you can lock it if you get stuck in the muck or need to go down a boat ramp to unload a small boat or jet skis.

Hondas are easy. They don't have options. They just have a few trim lines and it's pretty easy to some up. Mid-level with the basics, or fully loaded with a moonroof and/or leather/navi. The Ridgeline has a base level (kinda like the typical Honda DX trim) as well as a similar base option that includes the tow package.

Every other company is a bit more difficult cuz the trim packages also have option packages and individual options within them.