Am I crazy for wanting an Odyssey?

msg221

Well-known member
Mostly because the majority of the time it will just be me and DH riding in it but after DH's accident last month where his 2014 Accord was completely demolished and by the grace of God he survived, I am hesitant to go back to driving a sedan. I was thinking how nice it would be to have a vehicle that could accomodate four car seats so that we could have all four grandkids in one vehicle when they stay with us. I also loved the spaciousness of a minivan on road trips when my parents had a Sienna which my brother later inherited and drove until it was totaled in an accident last year. We do at least two a year and often times my brother and SIL join us so it would be great to have the room. We have a trip planned in September when my nephew gets married and we will have my two aunts here from Holland so having a minivan then would be great.

I am actually at a Honda dealer right now, waiting while my CR-V has its oil changed and tires rotated. While I was waiting earlier, I found the salesman who sold us the Accord and the CR-V and I took the Odyssey for a test drive. I loved how it drove and the fact that it doesn't feel like I am driving some huge vehicle (like my DH's old Tundra did). That test drive really makes me want one even more! I think I'd feel much safer in it with the additional bonus of having room for four kids and comfortable road trips.
 
ADS

BookMama

Senior Community Member
I don't think it's crazy. My parents are on their third Odyssey and they haven't had a kid at home in 20 years. ;)
 

jwilliams

New member
You are in no way crazy. My mom has driven a van since it was just me at home. She likes having the space, the flexibility and how the driver sits in a van. Her 2012 Ody is her 4th van and by far her favorite vehicle ever! She was sold as soon as she took a turn in the Ody and realized it actually handled nicely. Vans are handy; I say get one if you want to!
 

lgenne

New member
My mom and her sister both bought minivans in the last year for hauling grandkids. Neither was sold on an Odyssey, but I think they're nuts for going with anything else!
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
My dad has a Sienna for hauling stuff! Bonus that it's safer than his last car and holds all his grandkids if needed :)
 

jjordan

Moderator
My parents bought an Odyssey about 10 years ago and just recently replaced it. And they actually kept the Odyssey instead of trading it in because it was worth more to them to haul firewood and dead deer (etc) than the money the dealership was going to give them for it as a trade-in.
 

MomToEliEm

Moderator
We are still enjoying our 2014 Odyssey we bought last summer. Even though I don't have younger kids in carseats, it works great for our family of 4. I can haul a lot of stuff in it, and the kids say it is a lot more comfortable than the sedan on our long road trips. If I had to do it over again, I probably would buy another one.
 

2BunniesMommy

Well-known member
I don't think it is crazy at all. I got a van when I only had one kid. Dh who had said he would never drive a minivan liked it just as much as I did and we got a 2nd one two years later. Loved the space and the sliding door, wonderful in parking lots with it being so windy here. We had a 2003 Windstar and a 2004 Freestar. Freestar from 2/08-1/13 and the Windstar from 2/10-12/13. Got rid of them only because we were for sure done at 2 kids and both vans were in bad shape and only getting 11 mpg and we didn't want to put the amount of money needed to get them working right since they both had over 100,000 miles.

I love the mpg I now get in my 2010 Honda Insight, but boy do I miss the space in the vans. With how much better Hondas do long term and how safe they are, I am betting if one of our vans had been an Odyssey we would still have it. We are driving to Phoenix at the end of Sept and I am already stressing about how cramped we are going to be and whether or not we will even have room for enough packed clothes for the length of trip we are taking, but the car also has a pretty low weight limit and DH and I are not small and DD2 is in a Frontier, so we will probably just have to plan on doing some laundry while away.

If it were just you and DH and no grandkids or godkids (is that a word?LOL) I would think it was silly, but since you do have a decent number of kids that you see a decent amount of time, it makes a ton of sense and if you do get one, I would be shocked if you didn't love it. The Odyssey was actually my dream car from about 2000 when I test drove one up until a few years ago when I decide 2 kids is my limit. Even with just 2 kids we found having the extra seating came in handy fairly often, but now that we have been in a car that just holds the 4 of us, it hasn't ever been an issue, so who knows. Dh has an expedition now, old 1997 one, it has the removable 3rd row, we took it out for cargo space with the plan we'd pop it back in if we needed to transport others but never have. Thought we would at some point since we were used to have 7 seats, but nope.

Although, based on how well the Accord held up in Bill's accident, I wouldn't be afraid to get another either.

Oh, almost forgot to say, my MIL replaced her Camry with a Highlander with a 3rd row a few years back mainly to be able to take grandkids places with her. She has just my 2 kiddos often on Sundays, so the car would be fine then, but with having the Highlander we have been able to go on trips with her and all of us many times and it has been great as well as when her 3 grands that life out of state visited and my 2 spent the night with her they were all able to go out and do stuff the next day, never could have if she'd still had the Camry, so even thought she doesn't use the 3rd row often, it sure has been a good thing enough times that she has no regrets on it.

(wow, since I didn't get to submit what I wrote at work yesterday, I have thought of a lot more!)
 

SavsMom

New member
Not crazy at all.
You'll use the space, you like how it drives and you'll feel safe driving it - there is no reason not to get it :)
 

msg221

Well-known member
I told my DH about my test drive and he seemed to be more on board with the idea after I went on about how nice it was. If we do get it, I will take that to work since I have less of a commute. He will drive the CR-V, which I am driving right now then when that lease is up in two years, he can get whatever he wants.

I also think that given his leg injury and that it may be a year before he's back to "normal," according to the doctor, he might appreciate having the comfort and room in the minivan, especially if we are driving to CA in September.
 

aporthole

Active member
Hold out another month or two and get the new Pilot! The Odyssey is wonderful for full time mom duty but since it would just be grandkids, the Pilot would be more fun. The new 2016s are all redesigned and have optional captain's chairs 2nd row (or the standard bench like the current ones). They have tether anchors for all 2nd & 3rd row seats.
 

msg221

Well-known member
Hold out another month or two and get the new Pilot! The Odyssey is wonderful for full time mom duty but since it would just be grandkids, the Pilot would be more fun. The new 2016s are all redesigned and have optional captain's chairs 2nd row (or the standard bench like the current ones). They have tether anchors for all 2nd & 3rd row seats.

We are planning to wait a few months anyway since DH can't even walk yet, let alone drive. Trust me, I know all about the redesigned Pilot and would love to get one, but I doubt there will be much room to negotiate on the price. I was at the Honda dealership this past weekend and was told they would be at the dealership on June 18th. I can't wait to see it in person! I love the redesigned body style. Much better than the box on wheels!
 

jwilliams

New member
I think the Ody will be much easier to get into/out of for your DH. I've seen several people with mobility issues using my mom's van and it seems to work nicely.

I liked the box on wheels look. Of course, I loved my Element, which was pretty much literally... a box on wheels!
 

msg221

Well-known member
I think the Ody will be much easier to get into/out of for your DH. I've seen several people with mobility issues using my mom's van and it seems to work nicely.

I liked the box on wheels look. Of course, I loved my Element, which was pretty much literally... a box on wheels!

Good point, especially since we have that road trip at the end of September. I think having that extra bit of leg room will be much more comfy for him, especially since he will likely only be a couple of months into his outpatient PT.

He also mentioned to me that maybe if we got the Ody, I'd be more agreeable to doing more in-state road trips! He's probably right!
 

Guest

New member
Minivans have an old and untrue rep. It's supposed to be the vehicle for "soccer moms". Well, aside from whether there's anything wrong with being a soccer mom, it's not true anymore. A SUV is the "soccer mom" vehicle now. The great majority of SUVs aren't even "real" SUVs anymore. They're basically station wagons or minivans without the sliding door. They don't even look tough or rugged anymore.

As a parent, we tend to be more practical. The minivan really is the most practical vehicle for a family that needs more space than a sedan (and doesn't tow a lot). You need to jump up to a monster vehicle like the Suburban to match the people and cargo carry abilities of a minivan, even tho the minivan is smaller than a Tahoe. Plus those sliding doors will make your back thank you if you still have small kids in car seats.
 

allibut

New member
I got a minivan because I have three kids. But after seeing mine, my aunt went out and got one. She has no kids, but has 4 labs who she takes to classes and dog shows. Also, my minivan gets better gas mileage than my previous car did, a Taurus.
 

1mommy

New member
Is it really that "uncool" to get a minivan? Personally I've never cared overly much about being cool, but I know some people would rather poke their eyes out with a fork then buy a minivan and I never understood why. If its the most practical car best for families, car seats, gas mileage, safety etc, then why not? But I know I'm pretty boring... right now we only have 2 kids, but if I were ever to have a 3rd I would consider upgrading to a minivan so I could haul the kids around easier.
 

allmyboyz

New member
I have a 2014 highlander that is great w two kids in car seats. My husband is one of the minivans are sooo uncool ilk. Wasn't planning on more kids for a few years anyways. Well #3 is due in October and I am really regretting not pushing for a minivan. I still plan on only using second row for seats but the ease of use of a minivan cannot be beat. Just loading due to sliding doors is so much easier (less chance of dinging cars next to you and more space) let alone having decent cargo space and seat placement options when using third row. IMO if you have three or need to seat adults in back with kids a minivan is the way to go. Suburbans might be big but soo unwieldy when loading kids in back.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,655
Messages
2,196,895
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top