Comments on: 2009 People Mover Comparison

By: Marcello

Marcello — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:34:28 +0000

Good review. However how adout the VW Multivan it never gets mentioned. could do with a review also..

Fellow readers STAY AWAY FROM KOREAN MADE CARS and make sure they have timing chains and not belts.

These cars develop problems at around four years of age and are very costly to fix and hence there are plenty for sale. Sure there are plenty of good ones but its a cheaply made car with cheap labour like the chinese ones.

By: Kitadake

Kitadake — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 12:46:50 +0000

I generally agree with your comments but I’m a bit surprised about plumping for the XC90 for 5 kids: that middle seat in the second row is just an arm-rest, I don’t recall there being that much leg room in the back and there’s no way you’d get a milk-crate in the back let alone a 60 litre crate of anything. The car that we really liked was the Picasso, so again I’m a little surprised about the comment about leg-room in the rear, it’s nothing like the Territory or Prado which DON’T have any leg-space at all in the third row.

If you want a spacious 4WD diesel check out the new VWs: they are now (2011) available with auto AND diesel AND 4wd: prior to now you could only choose any two of those. I think that they are about the same price as a new XC90.

By: Frank from Oz

Frank from Oz — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:11:32 +0000

I certainly hope the CX9 has 3rd row curtain airbags, I’m thinking of getting one!
Have you looked at Merc R class. Not sure if the long wheel base model is back, but out of our price range anyway.

By: iMax buyer

iMax buyer — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:14:12 +0000

We’ve just bought an iMax CRDi (2010 model with armrests and rear wiper). It’s only been on holidays (around 4,000km so far) but we have been quite impressed. It rolls along the highway very nicely and we get pretty good economy for pushing such a large vehicle (tanks have varied from 8.1 to 9.2 l/100km, the latter including city driving – I haven’t had a full city cycle yet).
The air conditioning is very powerful which is great.
Around town it is very much a van, with leisurely take off, but you soon get used to it and to be fair it climbs very well, as long as you have more than 2000rpm on board (which is about 112km/h in lock=up fifth). Although it is big, the large mirrors and great turning circle help.
Seating is comfy enough, even for three adults on a long trip in the middle row. Rear row is ok, though leg room could be better.
Downsides: lack of seating flexibility!! Lack of Cruise control!! Lack of front parking sensors. Needs a few bags of cement in the back when empty as the ride is a bit bumpy – though it settles down very nicely when loaded.

Problems noticed: Front doors make a rubbing noise on bumps – though the vehicle feels tight.

By: JP1000

JP1000 — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:33:36 +0000

I have five kids, Miss 11, Mister 9, Miss 8, Mister 6 and Mister 20 months. That means that Mister 6 and Mister 20 months currently need Standards Approved child restraints.

My current lease runs out on my Volvo XC90 next week, and I’ve searched everywhere for a replacement and much as I’d enjoy a change, I’m going to extend the lease because absolutely NOTHING can beat it. Here’s why.

My kids generally don’t like to sit in the third row, no matter what the car, so we have a rotating roster for the four older ones. That rules out the pretend seven seaters (Citroen Picasso, Ford Territory, Toyota Prado etc) that don’t have proper under-thigh support for growing limbs.

The boot must cope with a stroller plus four school satchels. Ditch the Dodge Journey, Holden Captiva, Kia Rondo, Mitsubishi Outlander / Peugeot 4007, Peugeot 308, Subaru Tribeca, Toyota Kluger and similar. Try fitting a 60 litre crate into any of them.

I insist on lap sash belts in all seating positions. Scrub the Grand Carnival.

I need for the kids to be able to get themselves in and out of the car easily and operate the seats. Say goodbye to the Land Rover Discovery.

I want rear air conditioning. Dump the VW Caddy Maxi Life.

I want full length curtain airbags including the third row. Mazda CX-9, get out.

I don’t want the top tether straps to attach to the seat backs, not hang from the roof or cut diagonally across the boot space. Sayonara Mitsubishi Grandis and Honda Odyssey.

I live in the country and need all-wheel drive, not to go rock hopping but for the added security in the wet (it floods here from time to time. See you Tarago.

Is there anything out there that will even match the Volvo, let alone beat it?

Does anyone apart from Volvo build a seven seater that does not treat the third row as second class citizens?

Oh, and I don’t have over $100K to spend on a Mercedes GL-class either …

By: sam

sam — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:10:39 +0000

i strongly agree with ur view.. and more over its high time they come up with better transmissions (automatic) And when Every other Car manufacturer id using a turbo in some of their cars whats pulling honda back?????????????/

By: Jessica JacksonGee

Jessica JacksonGee — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 05:00:46 +0000

We have had nothing but trouble since we bought our odyssey 2006. It has limited seating room unless the child is under 8. Once they reach 8 and over there is no room for their feet. The middle seat is indeed too narrow, we didn’t even use it until the new baby came giving us a total of 7 in he car and a very tight fit with the 2 car seats. Yes it is luxury and good with fuel but only if you have 5 in the car with the ocassional full load instead of as an everyday car for a family of 7. There is no heating in the back and no extras like blue tooth or stacker cd and as for parts good luck finding them as they stop making some for this younger model and if you do they cost three to four times a normal car cost then add labour. There is no storage for trips or even groceries unless by yourself and the seats are folded down. We had to invest in a storage pod. And as for dogs, unless you want them cooped in the boot area with no room to move don’t bother taking them. Definately Not practical for a big family!

By: Jessica JacksonGee

Jessica JacksonGee — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 04:53:38 +0000

We have had nothing but trouble since we bought our odyssey. It has limited seating room unless the child is under 8. Once they reach 8 and over there is no room fro their feet. The middle seat is indeed to narrow, we didn’t even use it until the new baby came giving us a total of 7 in he car and a very tight fit. Yes it is luxury and good with fuel but only if you have 5 in the car with the ocassional full load instead of as an everyday car for a family of 7. There is no heating in the back and no extras like blue tooth or stacker cd and as for parts good luck finding them and if you do they cost three to four times a normal car cost then add labour. There is no storage for trips or even groceries unless by yourself and the seats are folded down. we had to invest in a storage pod. Definately Not practical for a big family!

By: Adele Gillies

Adele Gillies — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:48:13 +0000

Thanks so much for such a diverse group of reviews. I currently own a 2003 Odyssey with 130,000 kms on it, and am now faced with the decision of either upgrading it, or spending $4-5,000 getting the gearbox replaced. I have no idea after reading some of the above comments on Honda’s newest Odyssey what is the best option for our family of 7!!!!!

I have loved my car for it’s ability to take my 4 kids, grandma, husband and 2 dogs out and about. I have stuffed it full and put a pod on top to travel 100′s of kms up and down the coast, from ballet, football, baseball and parties.

My husband has refused to be part of the process, either way, so I’m asking you for your thoughts and comments….. fix the car and drive it for a few more years, doing what it does best now, OR, trade it in for approx($10,000) and get something else.

I look forward to replies. A

By: Gavin

Gavin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:12:14 +0000

… sorry, cut myself off:
- I’m 6’2″ and my wife 5’1″ but neither of us can get properly comfortable behind the wheel. The seat/steering wheel alignment just isn’t right, somehow. And why is there no memory of the electric seat adjuster on the Luxury model? I’d swap that for the largely useless (in WA) glass sunroof any day.
- Rear (middle row) seat is too narrow for two teens and a littlie still in a booster seat. The middle seat has a stupidly positioned buckle which makes it nearly impossible to use when a booster is in place. Heaven help you if you need to use seats with tether straps, given where they mount …
- The middle seats don’t jacknife/fold, so you’re left with a big lump when they are folded (with the seatbacks on the cushions). Also, they don’t return to their previous setting when slid forward to rear access, which is very annoying.
- When the rearmost seats are folded (electric – very useful) there is an incredibly annoying well behind the middle row into which everything slides when you brake (including the dog). Older Odysseys had a cover for this which is absent in the latest model. Also, you cannot fit a cargo net or barrier, which is a major safety oversight if you want to travel 5-up with serious luggage.
- The roof rack capacity is measly which means you can’t store much in a roof box and, because there are no fixed roof rails, putting the roof-rack bars on and off is a major pain.
- The body kit on the Luxury model is very low and makes even speed bumps in car parks a challenge.
- The stereo is pretty poor for a car of this price.
- Main beam headlights are useless for country driving, even though the dipped beams are very good.

In short, there are just too many compromises for us with this car. It is incredibly annoying because it SHOULD be excellent, but Honda has skimped on a number of really important areas. They should use the 3.5 V6 from the Accord, and get someone with kids to design the interior. We’re going to do what we should have done all along, and trade this for a recently secondhand Volvo XC90 when a good one comes up locally.