family-friendly cars - help please!

[SusieQ]

Hi everyone! My name's Susan, I'm new to the site. Anyway, I was wondering if I could get your help with something. I'm a young mother from Ohio - my daughter is four - and just found out that my second is on the way. Hooray! Now that we've got the news, though, my husband and I are thinking that it's probably time to get a new car... and I need your advice.

We definitely want a Honda - they sound so reliable! - but we're stuck between the roomyness of an Odyssey and the gas mileage of a hybrid. I'm really not an expert and neither is Bill (but don't tell him I said that!) and I could really use your help. People on this site seem to really know what they're talking about, and it's nice to have this girl racer garage to ask you all what you think.

So, what's the better family vehicle... hybrid or odyssey? And is it true there aren't going to be any more acura hybrids, just civics? Are they good cars? I want to learn!

Thanks everyone for your help.

Susan

[gansedrifto1]

Originally Posted by SusieQ

Hi everyone! My name's Susan, I'm new to the site. Anyway, I was wondering if I could get your help with something. I'm a young mother from Ohio - my daughter is four - and just found out that my second is on the way. Hooray! Now that we've got the news, though, my husband and I are thinking that it's probably time to get a new car... and I need your advice.

We definitely want a Honda - they sound so reliable! - but we're stuck between the roomyness of an Odyssey and the gas mileage of a hybrid. I'm really not an expert and neither is Bill (but don't tell him I said that!) and I could really use your help. People on this site seem to really know what they're talking about, and it's nice to have this girl racer garage to ask you all what you think.

So, what's the better family vehicle... hybrid or odyssey? And is it true there aren't going to be any more acura hybrids, just civics? Are they good cars? I want to learn!

Thanks everyone for your help.

Susan

i recommend the honda element. although not the most gas friendliest car. it looks good, pretty roomy for size of 4(for now) and its a honda!! pretty roomy, 18-21 on city/ and 20-21 on city. ( if that aint enough, then damn you need a prius or a hybrid accord. hybrid accord...>< but yea for roominess with decent gas mileage you can go with the element. if you have more money to spare, you can always go acura. they are also honda. you have the tl, the mdx, and rdx but their gas mileage is pretty decent. roominess will vary. in the end its a balancing act on what you want more. more gas mileage or roominess... and how much you want to spend. choose wisely and gl

ohh its also well priced @ 18,000 and other options vary. go bling though. if you have young children in your car, safety should be the first priority. an acura although a lot more pricey will provide as slightly better investment. i dont know how many accidents there are in ohio, but if you get into an accident, hondas and japanese cars although a lot better now, still turn into sheet metal. so better make sure safety comes first. a much luxurious car like acura is better.. no doubt but that is up to you to decide if safety is going to weigh out a couple few thousand dollars and on top some luxury goodies !! (btw acura does not have any vans, only suvs and sedans) so rdx, mdx, tl and tsx are all very decent contenders. if you want room, go with the suvs or the tl. tsx is a tad small for a full family, but you can

[SusieQ]

Originally Posted by gansedrifto1

i recommend the honda element. although not the most gas friendliest car. it looks good, pretty roomy for size of 4(for now) and its a honda!! pretty roomy, 18-21 on city/ and 20-21 on city. ( if that aint enough, then damn you need a prius or a hybrid accord. hybrid accord...>< but yea for roominess with decent gas mileage you can go with the element. if you have more money to spare, you can always go acura. they are also honda. you have the tl, the mdx, and rdx but their gas mileage is pretty decent. roominess will vary. in the end its a balancing act on what you want more. more gas mileage or roominess... and how much you want to spend. choose wisely and gl

ohh its also well priced @ 18,000 and other options vary. go bling though. if you have young children in your car, safety should be the first priority. an acura although a lot more pricey will provide as slightly better investment. i dont know how many accidents there are in ohio, but if you get into an accident, hondas and japanese cars although a lot better now, still turn into sheet metal. so better make sure safety comes first. a much luxurious car like acura is better.. no doubt but that is up to you to decide if safety is going to weigh out a couple few thousand dollars and on top some luxury goodies !! (btw acura does not have any vans, only suvs and sedans) so rdx, mdx, tl and tsx are all very decent contenders. if you want room, go with the suvs or the tl. tsx is a tad small for a full family, but you can

Thanks so much for your reply! Safety is definitely my number one priority, and thankfully we're able to spend a few extra dollars on it. So is the Acura safer than the Civic and/or Odyssey then? Also, do you know if it's true that they're not going to be making the Acura hybrids anymore? We'd love to get a hybrid for the gas mileage, but really we just want a safe, family-friendly car for the kids that isn't too bad for the environment.

Thanks again gansedrifto... and anyone else who has suggestions, too!!!

Susan

[UltraMagneticAL]

you know, the v6 hybrids aren't really getting that great mileage. their four cylinder counterparts still get better mileage. the only hybrid worth their gas savings are the four cylinder variety like the insight...and the civic...sorta. if gas savings really is your only reason for getting a hybrid, then you might as well just opt for a four cylinder version of the car and save a ton of money.

i think all hondas are safe when it comes to accidents. they crumple easily...which is a good thing for safety. the energy of the impact is transferred onto the car and not it's occupants.

also hondas burn really efficiently and clean. and don't be so concerned about your car polluting the environment. 3 burping moose will release more CO2 into the air than your car will over the course of a year. no joke.

oh and have you looked into the VCM technology of the odyssey? it actually turns off one bank of cylinders and runs as a 3 cylinder van when there's not much load. my mom has one and it's proven to be VERY economical on our long drive family vacations. but it still motors around like a v6 in city streets.

i think the honda fit or the crv (both get in the 30mpg range) would be perfect since you need a compromise between space and mileage.

[SusieQ]

Originally Posted by UltraMagneticAL

you know, the v6 hybrids aren't really getting that great mileage. their four cylinder counterparts still get better mileage. the only hybrid worth their gas savings are the four cylinder variety like the insight...and the civic...sorta. if gas savings really is your only reason for getting a hybrid, then you might as well just opt for a four cylinder version of the car and save a ton of money.

i think all hondas are safe when it comes to accidents. they crumple easily...which is a good thing for safety. the energy of the impact is transferred onto the car and not it's occupants.

also hondas burn really efficiently and clean. and don't be so concerned about your car polluting the environment. 3 burping moose will release more CO2 into the air than your car will over the course of a year. no joke.

oh and have you looked into the VCM technology of the odyssey? it actually turns off one bank of cylinders and runs as a 3 cylinder van when there's not much load. my mom has one and it's proven to be VERY economical on our long drive family vacations. but it still motors around like a v6 in city streets.

i think the honda fit or the crv (both get in the 30mpg range) would be perfect since you need a compromise between space and mileage.

Wow I've never heard of this VCM technology. Sounds amazing! A lot like how you can't tell whether the hybrid's on or off when it stops sometimes (at least, in my brother's hybrid you can't). An Odyssey at 30 miles per gallon sounds like the best of both worlds!

[UltraMagneticAL]

the odyssey actually gets closer to 26mpg i think is what the honda website says.

[SusieQ]

Originally Posted by UltraMagneticAL

the odyssey actually gets closer to 26mpg i think is what the honda website says.

Thanks! It sounds like interesting new technology.

[HondatechAV6]

take a look at the new accord. it's is HUGE, there is a ton of trunk space and you get VCM on the v6. the rear seats can fit a 6'5" 'woman' comfortably.

the odyssey is nice for carting around 5 kids, but if you only have only two kids and plan on no more, the accord for comfort or the civic for fuel economy(hybrid will feel sluggish compared to an ex) will be fine.

if you want comfort and safety and don't mind fuel cost - try an acura mdx or acura RL. the RL has something called SH-AWD but if you are driving around your daughter you will never ever use it.






P.S.

Originally Posted by UltraMagneticAL

also hondas burn really efficiently and clean. and don't be so concerned about your car polluting the environment. 3 burping moose will release more CO2 into the air than your car will over the course of a year. no joke.

Co2 is a byproduct of combustion. perfect combustion produces 23lb of co2 from just one gallon of gas - which is ok for the environment. it's when co and nox get involved it gets icky.

[SusieQ]

Originally Posted by HondatechAV6

take a look at the new accord. it's is HUGE, there is a ton of trunk space and you get VCM on the v6. the rear seats can fit a 6'5" 'woman' comfortably.

the odyssey is nice for carting around 5 kids, but if you only have only two kids and plan on no more, the accord for comfort or the civic for fuel economy(hybrid will feel sluggish compared to an ex) will be fine.

if you want comfort and safety and don't mind fuel cost - try an acura mdx or acura RL. the RL has something called SH-AWD but if you are driving around your daughter you will never ever use it.

P.S.

Co2 is a byproduct of combustion. perfect combustion produces 23lb of co2 from just one gallon of gas - which is ok for the environment. it's when co and nox get involved it gets icky.

Thanks HondatechAV6. I appreciate the response and your advice on the Accord. But I don't think that what you say about all that co2 being ok without other chemicals being involved is quite right. These days you can hardly go a week without reading something in the papers about all the problems Co2 emissions are causing for the environment.

[HondatechAV6]

perfect combustion would yeild only co2 and water. 8lb of water and 23lbs of co2 per gallon of gas. i was merely commenting on the incorrectness of the statement about a moose burping more co2 than your car does in a year.

co2 is becoming a concern because of global warming, but as a byproduct of combustion it's perfectly normal and acceptable. there is nothing you can do about co2 from an engine.

http://www.epa.state.il.us/air/vim/g...pollution.html

[Symbolic]

Just for the record, lately the Honda Odyssey has been having loads and loads of problems with their transmissions blowing out. I work for Honda Motor Co., Inc at the corporate offices. The reliability of the transmissions on the Odysseys is not very good. We've heard stories of people going in to have at least 5 or 6 transmissions replaced before they hit 100,000mi.

Honda has given an extended warranty to these vehicles because of the this major problem. I haven't heard anything on the '08 models yet, but just as a pre-caution, because I wouldn't want anybody to purchase a new vehicle and have to take it into the dealership every other week for problems, just know that there is/has been a major issue with Odyssey AND Accord V6 transmissions within the last few years.

[HondatechAV6]

that's odd...we rarely see 03+ accord v6 trannys or 05+ oddy trannys. maybe....one every few months on the accord side and so far none on the oddy side.

do you have specifics on the areas they die?

[UltraMagneticAL]

Originally Posted by HondatechAV6

i was merely commenting on the incorrectness of the statement about a moose burping more co2 than your car does in a year.

How is the burping moose an incorrect statement? research has been done and a moose does burp a LOT and they do burp out more co2 than the average american car in the course of a year....but i think the number of cars to moose is greater

[Symbolic]

Originally Posted by HondatechAV6

that's odd...we rarely see 03+ accord v6 trannys or 05+ oddy trannys. maybe....one every few months on the accord side and so far none on the oddy side.

do you have specifics on the areas they die?

No real specifics at this time, but they could have fixed the problem with the 03+ accords and 05+ oddysseys.