Honda Odyssey EX vs. Chrysler T & C Limited

I like to do my homework before buying a vehicle. I've owned an '89 Dodge Grand Caravan, '91 Plymouth Grand Voyager, '96 Chrysler T & C and then I had to decide... would it be a 2003 Honda Odyssey EX or Chrysler Town & Country Limited? Consumers Reports, Edmunds and other sources choose the Odyssey for reliability over the T & C. The Odyssey had 245 hp. vs. the 215 of the T & C.

As this was my first new vehicle ever, my wife thought I should purchase the Odyssey. After much thought, we did, an EX with leather and DVD. I drove it for a few days and thought, this is a Japanese van. If felt Japanese and although it was peppy, it wasn't what I wanted - it was bare bones and somewhat basic. It had a fair amount of road noise and the Alpine Stereo was noisy - not clear sounding, like what I was used to with the Infinity 10 sound system in my '96 T & C. After awhile, it began to hurt my ears. The "console tray" was nothing more than a piece of plastic that would fold up between the seats or down. There was no glove box light, no compass or temperature readout, let alone a trip computer. Don't get me wrong, Honda is a good product, but it is still a ways away from all the great ideas that the T & C has in it. I had 48 hours to return my Odyssey for a full refund, which I did to relieve the pit in my stomach for buying the wrong vehicle. I also had a hard time justifying the hefty price tag of $30,000 .

I had also been looking at the 2002 Chrysler T & C, as they were on sale at the end of the year. Along with that, I wanted to see what was new for the 2003 models. Hmmm... sunroof, integrated DVD. That sounded good. Business was a bit slow and the salesman made me an offer I couldn't refuse on an '03, with the above mentioned items, of course.

The EPA gas mileage is nearly identical between the two vehicles. Yes, Honda has the fold down under 3rd seat, which is a neat idea. Actually, I like the storage tray for groceries that came with the T & C. I compared the whole list of features that came on the T & C Limited. There were many more on the T & C, many which came on the '96 LXi that I had. The sound system was far superior and easier to use. The "indeglo" gauges and ambient lighting in the T & C gave it a much more sophisticated look vs. the plain Honda Gauges that looked like they came right out of a Civic. Then there's the automatic sliding doors on each side. With the Odyssey, you have to wait for them to open. No manual opening allowed! With the T & C, you have the choice. And the T & C gives you the option of a rear power liftgate, also. That's nice when the grocery cart is full and it's raining.

Honda doesn't offer automatic door locking at approx. 15 mph. That's a great safety feature. Both vehicles have front and side air bags. Honda's has sensors to detect if someone is laying against the side of the seat, Chrysler doesn't. For the heated seats on the Honda, you have to reach down by the front of the door panel. On the T & C, it's above the radio. Both have radio controls and Cruise on the steering wheel. I found the Chrysler easier to control.

The seats on the Chrysler wrap around you with suede leather inserts on the upper part of the seat backs. They are more comfortable than the Honda's and heat up fast on those chilly mornings. The driver's side is 8 way power, the passenger is 4 way power. Honda only offers power on the driver side. The memory seats and outside mirrors is a great feature. I'm 6'0" and my wife is 5'6". We're constantly having to switch the controls and you can have it linked to your key remote so the van is set for you when you plant yourself in the seat. With the Honda, you're out of luck. The console between the seats has two compartments, one large with a storage tray just inside the door for a few CDs, glasses, etc. and a larger compartment underneath the tray for larger items or the optional 12 pack cooler for sodas. The front compartment is set up with a cell phone holder and a hot outlet for charging your phone. This console can be moved to the middle bucket position or you can purchase another and have two. That's what we opted, so the kids can store their things in the 2nd one. The console is a nice touch for those things that you don't know what to do with and it looks much nicer than a plastic flip-up tray.

Did I mention the sunroof? It is electric and slides back or pops up in the back. You get wind buffeting if you don't open the rear vent windows, if the front windows are up. It's still pretty quiet with the sunroof and vent windows open. If you love sunroofs, this is a MUST! The only drawback is that you lose the sunglasses compartment when adding the sunroof.

Another nifty feature is the automatic night dimming rear view mirror. There is no need to flip a lever for day/night driving. Chrysler has expanded this feature to include the driver's outside mirror. No more glaring lights!

The climate control in my opinion, is far superior to the Honda's. It offers three zone climate - driver, passenger and rear. It controls fan speed, temperature and chooses which vents for the air. If it's cold, it will blow out defrost and floor. If it's hot out, it will choose dash vents. You can override it at any time to your liking. It also waits to start blowing until the air is warm enough on cold days.

The interior lights are bright, functional and intuitive. After you start the vehicle, they slowly fade to black. Nice touch! The overhead console gives you outside temperature, a compass, fuel economy computer and tire pressure monitor. Honda, how difficult is that to add to your vehicle? Both vehicles have a homelink system for garage door openers or security gates.

The 3.8 litre engine is powerful and quiet. The transmission shifts flawlessly. From what I understand, this is a Mercedes Benz transmission with improved reliability. The four-wheel disc brakes stop smoothly and without extra effort. I like them even better than my '96 T & C, which had front disc, rear drum. It handles well and absorbs bumps without incident. There are no squeaks or rattles in this van.

If you're into changing your own oil, the oil filter position has been redesigned at the front with a perfect drop into your oil container - no drips off the engine or frame members.

The fit and finish of the outer skin is great. We purchased an Inferno Red T & C. I like it much better than the darker colors, which show up dirt rather quickly.

My only complaint with this vehicle is the split rear bench seat. Chrysler designed it so that one person could remove the seat in two pieces. That part I like. What I don't like is the uncomfortable spot in the middle where the split is. There you will find the two inner hinges for the seat and not enough padding, almost making the van a 6 passenger, rather than a 7. If you get the chance, order the full bench, rather than the split.

I understand that this minivan is quite popular in Germany. They offer a turbodiesel version that gets in the upper 30's to low 40's for mpg. and offers a standard transmission. That could help out the middle class family's budget! How about it Chrysler?

I had my reservations about purchasing another Chrysler product. I have paid for numerous repairs on the previous generations. But in all honesty, Chrysler has a lot of great features and with Daimler Benz now in the picture since 1998 or 1999, you can bet that quality has been a main concern to improve their image and market share.

You know what? I didn't get a pit in my stomach when I purchased this vehicle. It was about $2000 more than the Honda Odyssey EX, but I picked up the sunroof and a lot more features. The trade-in may not be as good with the Chrysler, but I'm not planning on trading it in for quite some time. Besides, I believe that the trade-in value will go up as the reliability ratings do with it. This is a great people hauler and for me, fun to drive. I look forward to going to work and coming home more, because of the T & C Limited. This is a great vehicle for mom or Mr. Mom, as in my case.