Used Minivan Spotlight-Honda Odyssey (1999-2004)

While Chrysler claims to have invented the minivan (Renault actually invented it a year earlier with its plastic bodied Espace), the Caravan sure did refine the concept. For years the Caravan reigned supreme as the minivan of choice as the Ford Windstars and Nissan Quests of the car world withered on the sales vine. It was not until Honda released its second generation Odyssey that the Caravan finally had some competition.

The Odyssey offered class leading space, refinement and more storage nooks than your average family of seven could ever need. It also invented the rear magic seat which allowed the third row bench to disappear flat into the load floor. Chrysler then copied this notion with its conceptually superior Stow n' Go which allowed all rear rows of seat to disappear into the floor but gave owners two rear "Captains Chairs" that were flimsier than one of John Edwards marital alibis.

The Odyssey also offered something to minivan owners that the Caravan never could-unassailable reliability. For years the Odyssey has even outranked the Toyota Sienna in the quality stakes all the while maintaining its lead as a far better packaged minivan concept. The Sienna is good but the Odyssey is just better.

So does the Odyssey make sense as a used buy? Of course it does. This minivan can cover epic mileages without even a hiccup and has served thousands of families dutifully for years. Here is a buying guide to help you find the best used Odyssey minivan for your money.

An Owner's Story-Katrina Tet has owned her Green 2001 Odyssey EX since it was new. Nicknamed "Lilly" by her three children or "The Mama Mobile" by her husband, Katrina has nothing but kind things to say about her Odyssey. Understandable given she has 118,000 miles on it and has yet to have any mechanical problems besides a burned out digital clock and a CD player that malfunctioned after one of her kids fed it pennies. I don't think Honda engineers its CD players to withstand such treatment.

Although it has treated her well Katrina was reticent at first to drive a minivan, "I was resistant to a minivan because around here EVERYONE has one (like station wagons from a bygone era), but it was the most practical choice. Not only did we need easy access to the baby car seats (crouching down and in to our Toyota Corolla at the time was no fun and actually left me with a few bruises to the head! Likewise hiking up into a Suburban would not have been very practical even if I was taller!), but we also needed a vehicle that could fit ALL of the baby paraphernalia - the stroller, diaper bag, portable seat and later a porta-potty, double stroller etc."

When deciding on the Odyssey among the myriad minivans on the market these factors swayed Katrina and her husband's decision, "When we looked around at various minivans, the Odyssey stood out for a few reasons: Honda's reputable workmanship and lack of maintenance issues, the smooth ride in comparison to others, and the cargo space. But the biggest thing that impressed this new mother was that it had the best crash test ratings!"

After owning the Odyssey for a while a few of its features have become absolute essentials for Katrina, "I love the keyless entry which helps me juggle kids, groceries and opening the car, the sunglass holder since I always misplace sunglasses (that's why I own four pairs!), and the cup holders throughout the car. I love that the onboard garage door opener has three buttons. Not only have I programmed our garage, but other family member's garages as well! A big bonus has been the climate control buttons throughout the van. Each child is able to adjust the flow of ac individually onto their location when it is on. The folding center tray between the front two seats seems like a great idea, but in reality we've just kept it up the entire time. Why fold it down?"

There have been a few occasions where Katrina wished for a little bit more space but even she realizes that she probably wouldn't want to have to drive anything much larger, "We recently went on a two day camping trip with three kids (only one in a booster seat now) and it left the car PACKED! I understand why I see all those storage units on top of minivans these days! So, if I could recommend any additions to the minivan a miraculous "more storage" would be my request. Perhaps wider like the Ford F-150 to fit three car seats across because then you could still put the back row flush to the floor? In all seriousness, I don't think a minivan could ever fill all your needs on a family vacation. That kind of vehicle would probably be as big as an RV anyway and I definitely don't want that."

When asked if she would buy another Odyssey Katrina said, "in a heartbeat" as she loves the power, the space and most especially the powerful sound system that lets her rock out to ABBA when the kids aren't in the car. I guess that means she must have replaced that penny filled CD player.

While Katrina likes the look of the Lexus SUVs she does admit that she will definitely check out whatever new Odyssey is available when "Lilly" finally gives up the ghost. Given Katrina's luck with her 2001 Honda Odyssey EX, that might be a long time coming.

What To Look For-The Odyssey comes standard with a 210 horsepower (upped to 240 horsepower in 2002) 3.5 liter V6 engine that still sees duty in Acura and Honda products to this day. This engine is pretty much bulletproof mechanically but does require servicing every 7500 miles. If your engine burns a lot of oil that is probably due to a neglected engine. These motors really need new oil regularly-do so and they will serve you for thousands of trouble free miles. So if you are buying from a private party ask for service records to prove that the Odyssey has been taken care of. This engine is rated 18 city/25 highway by the Federal Government.

As Odyssey's are pretty much exclusively used by families expect a little wear and tear in carpets, leather and cloth upholstery. Even when you buy used it might pay to have the fabric and leather scoth-guarded by a detailing professional just to keep juice and milk stains from starting to smell. If you find an exceptionally clean Odyssey, expect to pay a little bit more for it. The interiors, while sturdy, tend to take a beating.

Do keep in mind that EX models add traction control to the usually standard anti-lock braking systems so from a safety standpoint these are the more desirable models. The Honda Odyssey received 5 star front impact and side impact crash test ratings from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Problem Areas and Recalls-There were some reported issues of transmission failures in 4 speed automatic transmission models (1999-2001 partial) that should have been replaced under warranty. Apparently a batch of transmissions were afflicted with a bad bearing that would break apart under high temperatures and render the transmission inoperable. Honda responded to the problem by extending the transmission warranty to 93 months and 109,000 miles. Why 93 months? Why 109,000 miles? I have no idea. But at least Honda cared enough to own up to the problem and offer extra coverage just in case.

When test driving the Odyssey you are looking at be aware of how the transmission is shifting from gear to gear. Honda transmissions should shift smoothly and without any hesitation from gear to gear. If you sense any hesitation or the transmission bangs into gear walk away. This may sound like a terrible problem to have but most Chrysler minivans have transmissions that need replacement by at the very latest 80,000 miles and usually go out at 60,000. And they offer no warranty. Trust me. I used to work at a Chrysler service garage.

Engine Knocking-(1999-2000)-Knocking noise may come from noisy serpentine belt tensioner.

Engine Misfire-(1999)-May occur if the EGR port in the intake manifold clogs requiring installation of a new PCV hose and manifold end cap.

Check Engine Light-(1999-2003)-Light may come on in regions where salt is used on roads because EVAP solenoid fails.

Doors-(1999)-A replacement fuel door clip may be needed if sliding door will not stay locked.

Sample Prices:

2003 Honda Odyssey EX--$11,988-64,000 Miles-(Dealership)

2003 Honda Odyssey EX--$10,295-95,876 miles-(Dealership)

2000 Honda Odyssey LX--$8,995-65,000 miles-(private seller)

2001 Honda Odyssey EX--$6,475-137,500 miles-(private seller)

Competition-When shopping for an Odyssey be sure to check out the Toyota Sienna and even the Kia Sedona. The Kia has decent quality ratings and you can find used editions very cheaply. Do keep in mind that the 10 year/100,000 mile Kia warranty slips back to 5 years/60,000 miles on used versions. If you are looking for something new that isn't a traditional minivan or SUV but has the same space parameters check out the Ford Flex. It is positively huge inside.