Acura MDX vs Ody

[EXLNavi]

I will need a people mover soon. I was thinking of the Ody, but after looking at the MDX I found it more appealing.

What are the pros and cons of each?

[dampfnudel]

I will need a people mover soon. I was thinking of the Ody, but after looking at the MDX I found it more appealing.

What are the pros and cons of each?

Odyssey Pros: New generation, lower price, very good reviews
Odyssey Cons: shorter standard warranty

MDX Pros: longer standard warranty
MDX Cons: FMC coming in 2006, higher price (but everything except Navi is standard)

Those were the first things that came to my head.

[stiller fan]

acura in general: first, made by honda, but parts and work almost double the price..... you'd be paying for a overpriced pilot, IMHO.....

[Agile]

Depends on what you are looking. The MDX will be have a better interior when it comes to luxury. And you will have AWD.

I have looked at SUVs before we bought our last 4 vans. Everytime I come to the conclusion that you are really paying a premium to drive a SUV. If you look at them with the same features, less AWD, there is a substantial difference in price. stiller fan makes a great point about parts/service. You are paying for the loaner vehical etc.

I love the Ody and would recommend it to anyone that was looking for a van.

[dragoncoach]

As mentioned earlier, it depends on it's intended use and number of persons you USUALLY carry. We have 4 in our family but I sometimes cart around the basketball team or the in-laws. I like the ability to carry 8 in a pinch and the carrying capacity as well in a smaller package than the van. Our Pilot is about 13" shorter and was also a big consideration because of garage space available. My wife never wanted a van either which is the most important factor. We considered the MDX but decided the $8k difference wasn't worth it. For what it's worth, the second row seats in the Pilot slide foward to allow 3rd row passengers more leg room which the MDX didn't do in '04. List your need then weigh them with the pros and cons of both vehicles. You'll come to a logical choice. I'm a Honda guy but the Toyota Sienna is pretty nice and, of course, you should consider the Pilot.

[jintegra]

Excellent points, dragoncoach. I've sat in the 05 Ody a few times (it was a dealer shuttle van) & it seems very nice, but I am always weary about 1st model year vehicles; the problems always seem to be more the first year it is out. If you can't wait & are shopping for a large minivan, check out the Sienna - it's about the same size, & should be just as comfortable. I believe it's also available with AWD (since you mentioned MDX).

[BenjiBoy650]

I don't believe you are really paying a premium to drive an SUV. Compare Odyssey and Pilot prices, they are remarkably similar. You are paying the premium to drive an Acura, which I think for some people is reasonably justified. Just go read the Odyclub forums, see how many people are complaining about dealer service.

Pay 40K for a fully loaded Odyssey Touring R+N and go in with a problem and they serve you with an attitude like...yeah, whaddya want me to do about it? Well, what the hell, fix the damn vibration at 70MPH, that would be nice! And while you're at it, there's no more coffee! :D

So if you have a nice dealer, go for the Ody. If you really hate the dealers, see if you can justify the difference in price.

I drove the Odyssey but not the MDX. The Odyssey kicks the Sienna out of the water in nearly every aspect except maybe ride comfort. And you know it's going to hold its value real well. The MDX will depreciate quicker, but still better than anything else out there I'm gonna say.

[VTECaddict]

if the vehicle is primarily to move 5+ people, then the Odyssey is the better choice. if you only have more than 5 people very rarely or only for short trips, then the MDX should be OK. the Ody is longer and has more room for people and their things. with the third row up, the MDX (and Pilot) dont have much storage room left in the back, and those in the third row arent exactly comfortable unless theyre kids.

also remember the MDX requires premium fuel, the Odyssey requires regular. the Odyssey has sliding doors, so its easier ingress/egress for rear passengers, especially in tighter parking spaces.

the Odyssey is also cheaper. for $2000 less than the price of the "base" (premium) MDX, you can get an Odyssey EX-L with RES and NAVI. you could get the Ody Touring with RES and NAVI for over $1000 less than the MDX Touring.

but if course if you dont like the idea of driving a "van" (IMO, a pretty cool van...and this is coming from a 18 year old ;) ) then its no use buying a vehicle that you dont really want.

[Agile]

I don't believe you are really paying a premium to drive an SUV. Compare Odyssey and Pilot prices, they are remarkably similar.

You actually pay about a $1,000 more for the EX-L RES Pilot over the and EX-L RES Ody. To me that is a premium. Additionally, here in the midwest, they were not dealing at all on a Pilot compared to the Ody when we bought ours.

While the Ody and the Pilot are much closer than most, mainly because I feel the Pilot is a pretty good deal. My brother just bought a 05 Jeep Laredo. His sticker was within $300 of our Ody. We have leather and and RES as well as a few other options that he does not have. The van is built better and seats 3 more people if necessary.

[BenjiBoy650]

You actually pay about a $1,000 more for the EX-L RES Pilot over the and EX-L RES Ody. To me that is a premium. Additionally, here in the midwest, they were not dealing at all on a Pilot compared to the Ody when we bought ours.

Pilot also has AWD. Where do you find AWD for $1000 these days? :)

The Pilot is actually quite a nice car. We drove an 04 Ody and 04 Pilot EX-L back to back, and the Pilot really surprised me because I have always been an Ody lover and SUV hater. The Pilot felt much more luxurious and had a firm ride, felt just like an European car with the leather and all. Even had a nicer exhaust/engine growl! But with the new 05 Ody I'd say they're pretty much at the same level now. But hey honestly some people do need the AWD, especially considering that the Ody tire size are probably hard to find in snow tires, and the Touring model can't have its tires replaced at all without replacing the wheel.

[Agile]

I have never driven or rode in a Pilot. I talked price before we drove either and it ended up about a $1,700 difference at the time so it was no contest in my mind. FYI - The non Touring Ody does just fine in the Nebraska snow.

I cannot figure out how someone would buy something besides a Pilot in that price range. Doesn't make sense to me.

I think the MDX takes it up another notch. I think they are really dealing on MDX's right now as well.