Filed under: Car Buying, SUVs, Honda
Honda prices 2008 Odyssey from $25,860
click above image to view more pics of the 2008 Honda Odyssey
The 2008 Honda Odyssey, which went on sale four days ago, has been priced at $25,850 for the base model LX, which is a $205 increase over the previous model. The EX model has also gone up by $265 to $28,960. The two engine choices available are a 3.5-liter, all-aluminum, SOHC VTEC V6 with 244 HP, and a 3.5-liter, all-aluminum iVTEC V6 with 241 HP and variable cylinder management (VCM). The VCM can shut down two or three of the V6's cylinders for better fuel economy just like in the Accord sedan.
The '08 Odyssey has gotten subtle exterior tweaks including a new grille and front fascia. The 5-star crash-rated people carrier also gets Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, a 4-way power passenger seat, rearview camera placed in the rearview mirror, and side-view mirrors tied to memory settings with reverse tilt-down. Inside, there are new colors and textures for the instrument panel, new seating fabric, another storage bin, and a standard AUX input for the stereo. Buy away, soccer moms.
[Source: Honda]
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Steve B. 10:19AM (10/22/2007)
Didn't you get the memo?
The trendy soccer moms of the 80's and early 90's who bought minivans prefer vehicles such as the Expedition and Suburban/Tahoe these days. The minivan still sells, no doubt, but not as the trendy vehicle for people avoiding the stigmatised family truckster of the day. (remember, the minivan was for people who didn't want to be seen in a Country Squire)
It will be interesting to see what the next step is, when children who grew up riding around in SUV's don't want to drive the mommy-mobile of their parents.
Reply
mark.hinman 10:34AM (10/22/2007)
What goes around, comes around. The next generation will not want to be seen in SUV's so they will go back to wagons.
graviton 10:38AM (10/22/2007)
I have a 2007 Odyssey and love it for its capacity for cargo and occupants, something an SUV will never match. The engine is surprisingly powerful too and allows me to pass people when I need to without a sweat. I'm sorry, but the rugged off roadiness of SUV's is almost never used by the people who own them but you can never have too much space. Thus if you are comfortable enough with your perceived image, buy the minivan you won't be sorry.
sk 10:50AM (10/22/2007)
graviton, I don't agree entirely with your statement. Look at the new GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook. They offer about the same if not more interior space as a mini van. But then they are CUV's and not SUV's. Actually I would call them mini vans without sliding doors.
graviton 10:58AM (10/22/2007)
@sk
can you remove the second row seats from those vehicles?
ItGuy 11:54AM (10/22/2007)
Cargo/people capacity in a minivan? Who are you kidding?
8 people in a minivan and, what 2 inches of cargo space?
5 people in a minivan and some cargo room
5 in an SUV + cargo room
8-9 in an SUV no cargo room
What's the difference?
Mike 1:14PM (10/22/2007)
I know the minivan has the stigma attached to it, but to me , form follows function. The sliding doors everyone so loves to hate, make the vehicle much more garage-able, especially with kids. And the ability to move from the front to the back on occasion, without having to get out of the car make traveling with young kids that much more appealing. I don't have the room in my garage for the Acadia/Outlook/Enclave back doors. I love the idea of Stow-'N'-Go, having grown up with a full-size Conversion van, which was lots of fun lugging the bench seat and captain's chairs around. Before too long, I'll probably have either a Caravan/T&C or an Odyssey in my garage. My biggest complaint is that GM hasn't licensed the OnStar technology to any company that makes mini-vans, and that the ones that GM made with OnStar were so bad. The piece of mind it gives me in my Vues is well worth the $$.
Justin 1:34PM (10/22/2007)
Hey sk,
graviton has a point. It takes a 5000 lb lambada to match the cargo space of a 4000 lb minivan. Also, the lambada has worse aerodynamics and a higher center of gravity, hurting handling and mpg.
cuv's/suv's are less space efficient in design due to their higher ride height/ground clearance.
Mr. Oak 11:12AM (10/22/2007)
@ graviton: That you would ask that question explains why you are driving a mini-van in the first place. Next time, before you buy evaluate all that is available, maybe you won't end up driving a "dork-mobile" in the future.
BTW: The answer to your question, is no. You cannot remove the second row seats in the Acadia\Outlook, they fold flat into the floor. Same result.
Reply
why not the LS2LS7? 11:40AM (10/22/2007)
No, I just watched the video on the GMC site. The third row folds flat into the floor. The second row kinda crunches up against the first row in a way that doesn't really make them go away and certainly restricts the recline of the front row.
graviton 11:50AM (10/22/2007)
Ahhh another man that is so sure of his rugged manliness that merely sitting in a vehicle strips him of his identity.
Kumar 12:16PM (10/22/2007)
hehe,
I'm with gravitation on this one. To each his own. There's no need trying to defend the acadia, but we all know the entire purpose of minivans are to be as useful as possible to families, while anything with a -UV is an excuse to jack up the price.
Mr. Oak 12:31PM (10/22/2007)
I have never owned a truck of any kind. I'm a car guy through and through.
77 T-Bird - Used NYC car. Everything was wrong with it.
80 Corolla SR 5 hatchback Indestructible car.
82 Volvo 262 - Plagued with electrical issues.
81 Mercedez 240D - Great car
87 Corolla SR5 coupe - Great car
87 Celica GTS - Gearbox Syncros crap
88 Eagle Premier - Vapor locking issues
96 Audi 100S - It's a @#$%@ VW
98 Mazda 626 - Transmission issues
04 Lincoln LS - OK car.
Next car: 09 CTS (wagon?)
Would not be caught dead in a mini-van.
k.w.a 11:15AM (10/22/2007)
Steve B. didn't YOU get the memo?
Expeditions/Suburbans and other large SUVs are out. CUVs are in now. Better get yourself an Outlook/ Acadia or an Edge or something. Or be really cool and get a Ford Flex!
Reply
rwcmick 11:23AM (10/22/2007)
Active head restraints have been added for the front passengers. I'm sure Honda wanted to get this feature added quickly so as to get back into good graces with the IIHS. The Kia Sedona/Hyundai Entourage had stolen IIHS's "top safety pick" because they have the active restraints. The '08 Odyssey should now be able to join the Korean twins at the top of the list.
Bluetooth hands free cell phone capability is now available, but only on the top end models. I think this is a mistake. A huge chunk of buyers in California will be scrambling for hands free operation when the new laws kick in on January 1, 2008. Why not lead the pack by offering this feature on the whole range?
Reply
Mobius_1 11:29AM (10/22/2007)
The Japanese (International) Odyssey is the best-looking minivan I've seen
Reply
why not the LS2LS7? 11:42AM (10/22/2007)
Are you really telling me that if I buy the premium engine I lose 3HP? Now, I know I'd never miss 3HP, but if Honda really puts these figures out there, they're complete boobs at marketing. Just strip the base model of 3HP and no one would be the wiser.
Reply
SLVR6 12:31PM (10/22/2007)
Honda cannot just "strip" 3hp from the power rating of the lower model. The newer SAE J1349 rating system for engine power prevents that from happening. Sad but true, it seems Honda has given little power likely to the exhaust system to attenuate the changing sounds from the motor when using cylinder deactivation. Funny, I almost wish the would just omit the power rating from most documentation as it means nothing as to how the vehicle drives (baring performance vehicles). Putting peak torque and 90% torque band would be a better metric to go by. You can tell I am not in marketing!
Reply
Ford Wannup 1:12PM (10/22/2007)
@ Itguy:
to best answer your question, go look inside an Odyssey, then look inside Explorer....compare how much space there are behind the third row.
Reply
ItGuy 3:25PM (10/22/2007)
There's pretty much nothing in either vehicle. So what's the point? If you want to lug 8 people + luggage you're either towing a trailer or rooftop carrier with either vehicle.
And I'd bet the transmission gives up in the Honda under that type of abuse well before the Explorer.