1995 Honda Odyssey from North America
Summary:
The best vehicle I have ever owned
Faults:
Tape deck started eating tapes at 175,000 miles.
Starter needed replacing at 197,000 miles.
Back light for the A/C controls went out sometime around 200k miles.
ABS light came on at 215,000 miles.
Original radiator hose sprung a leak at 230,000 miles. (I should have replaced this earlier as part of regular maintenance)
Some wiring needed replacing (didn't keep the car from running or driving fine) at 230,000 miles. Replacing it made the ABS light go back off.
General Comments:
This car was just a great family car. It had room for our family to grow from one kid, to two, three, and four. At that point we decided to get a little more room, so we got a newer van and this became my "daily driver" commuting to work and running errands. I took out the middle seats then, so I had a four-seater with the back folded up, and a "truck" with the back down. Very versatile, and hard to replace with anything. The car was still going strong when we passed it to another family. I had just been on a 1500 mile trip with it the week before, and it did everything it was supposed to do.
It doesn't have a lot of pick-up. I have driven 15-passenger vans lately that had a similar feel when you put your foot on the accelerator. It's adequate, but not a "performance car" to speak of.
The cabin has lots of room for the overall size of the car.
I love being able to fold the seat down in the back. I know a lot of cars have that now, but at the time it was made it was still a rare and exciting new feature.
I like the swing-open back doors okay, although having another Odyssey with sliding doors, I do prefer those.
It had bucket seats in the middle, which were kind of nice, but I would have rather had the middle bench seat for extra seating.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th July, 2010
2nd Nov 2011, 19:12
I am the original poster.
Update: 212,000 miles and still going strong!
My biggest complaint was not being able to install a tether anchor for my child's forward facing car seat. By the Grace of God & after almost 3 years of searching, I finally did it! You have to take up the carpet, unscrew a bolt and then install the top tether anchor. The part number is 82410-SE3-C01, called a "plate assembly," available for approx. $13-$15 per part from a Honda dealership.
If you are a first generation Honda Odyssey holder and need to find out how to install the top tether anchors, visit this thread: http://www.odyclub.com/forums/20-kids-safety/12160-1995-gen1-second-row-tehter-anchor-position.html
Now I REALLY love this van!