The LX had some utility features that set it apart from the other trims and Honda has ignored that. First, not everyone wants a middle seat in the 2nd row, and even if one removes it in the other trims, there is not the cool step over to the 3rd row that comes standard in the LX. Instead there are big metal pieces that one could quite easily trip over. The magic seat arrangement does not fully solve that either as 2nd row passengers don't really want to sit away from the window! Second, if one is using the van for utility purposes, having manual sliding doors can be a HUGE advantage. They open and close much faster, and if one is constantly opening the doors anyway, the power doors always leave the owner concerned of later having a fairly large repair bill from power doors motors that break down later from heavy usage. Not cool. If one needs to use the doors extremely regularly then the sliding doors are just plain better. Third, blind spot mirrors (an under $10 addition) can make this vehicle just as safe, if not safer, than the upper trims. Blind spot mirrors don't have separate bulbs that can go out unexpectedly and generally provide a safer feeling. Fourth, the fabric seats in the base are very durable and easy to clean when needed. As opposed to leather that can scuff and generally wear over time. It's not that the leather is not great, but without having to spend an additional $3k these seats are just fine. Fifth, the LX has a bit more room to store things in the back area on the sides. That side storage in the back of the van can be very helpful at times. Some other trims have that extra space too back there, but not all. Instead of discontinuing the LX what Honda really ought to have done for '22 and onward is added the upgraded color display to the LX. Simple as that. They just disregarded the fact that there were some people out there that really preferred the LX for some specific reasons. I'm not saying there are not reasons for all the different trim levels in the Odyssey, but for heavens sake, please don't ignore those that enjoyed some of the unique feature that the LX provided. Honda, do the right thing, bring it back.
Getting Rid of LX Trim Level in '23 Was Mistake!
jeffwb70
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The LX had some utility features that set it apart from the other trims and Honda has ignored that. First, not everyone wants a middle seat in the 2nd row, and even if one removes it in the other trims, there is not the cool step over to the 3rd row that comes standard in the LX. Instead there are big metal pieces that one could quite easily trip over. The magic seat arrangement does not fully solve that either as 2nd row passengers don't really want to sit away from the window! Second, if one is using the van for utility purposes, having manual sliding doors can be a HUGE advantage. They open and close much faster, and if one is constantly opening the doors anyway, the power doors always leave the owner concerned of later having a fairly large repair bill from power doors motors that break down later from heavy usage. Not cool. If one needs to use the doors extremely regularly then the sliding doors are just plain better. Third, blind spot mirrors (an under $10 addition) can make this vehicle just as safe, if not safer, than the upper trims. Blind spot mirrors don't have separate bulbs that can go out unexpectedly and generally provide a safer feeling. Fourth, the fabric seats in the base are very durable and easy to clean when needed. As opposed to leather that can scuff and generally wear over time. It's not that the leather is not great, but without having to spend an additional $3k these seats are just fine. Fifth, the LX has a bit more room to store things in the back area on the sides. That side storage in the back of the van can be very helpful at times. Some other trims have that extra space too back there, but not all. Instead of discontinuing the LX what Honda really ought to have done for '22 and onward is added the upgraded color display to the LX. Simple as that. They just disregarded the fact that there were some people out there that really preferred the LX for some specific reasons. I'm not saying there are not reasons for all the different trim levels in the Odyssey, but for heavens sake, please don't ignore those that enjoyed some of the unique feature that the LX provided. Honda, do the right thing, bring it back.
The 'some people that really prefer the LX' are the minority in this vehicle segment and it doesn't justify the costs of keeping it on the production line. The Odyssey is designed as a family hauler for passenger usage. You want a utility vehicle, look at utility work vans for that purpose. These less desirable models are harder to sell and stay on dealer lots longer. Just like with manual transmissions, there just isn't the demand to warrant producing them. Simple as that.
Spot on. And this is in the middle of a supply chain shortage, they'd rather dedicate resources to the higher trim levels that more people buy.
Always remember that the main point of a minivan from the perspective of the manufacturer is mostly family hauling, not utility use.
The LX had been produced for years and years. Clearly there was a lot of demand for them. Dealers never had to order them; they did so because they knew some people were looking for the LX. Granted, the LX and the Elite are the two trim levels that were probably the most niche of the bunch. But they had very different purposes that are nonetheless crucial to the brand. The Odyssey is not like the Accord in the sense that the LX and EX are just subsets in the bigger trim levels anyway. In the Odyssey each trim level represented very specific needs and each trim level is unique in its own way and not necessarily carried over in every way to the trim level above it. Now your point about the shortage is well taken as the EX is hardly, and I mean hardly at all being pushed out either. It seems at this point only the EX-L and up are being sent out. But to say no one is missing the LX is not right either. And dealers really really know this. These were not progressive trims, but instead very unique offerings.
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consumers spent around $2,100 more on motor vehicles in December 2021, compared with December 2020, simply by buying higher trim levels than they might have in the past.
Automakers have changed their lineups to focus almost exclusively on the models that sell the fastest. They know that consumers generally want more features, not fewer, which raises prices
www.capitalone.com
Automakers have changed their lineups to focus almost exclusively on the models that sell the fastest. They know that consumers generally want more features, not fewer, which raises prices
New Car Prices Are Up $7,200 Over Last Year: Here's Why | Capital One Auto Navigator
Four factors are driving up prices of new cars, trucks, and SUVs in 2022.
www.capitalone.com
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There actually has not been that much demand for LX even in the sedan segment. The dealers barely had one or two LXes compared to dozen EX-Ls pre COVID as well. I understand that you are a LX person and my Accord was a LX. But. Dealers truly did indeed have trouble selling them and were "forced" to take the allocation and get stuck with 'em. They did actually stay the longest on the lots too.
I don't think so. The main point of any vehicle from the perspective of the manufacturer is to make the most profit possible for the manufacturer. Higher trim does that better, especially in times of supply chain issues driving production limits.
Perhaps I worded that a bit poorly. I was referring to what the manufacturer thinks most people will be using a minivan for, and they use that knowledge to decide what to prioritize when it comes to trims.
If most people using a minivan will be using a minivan for X, making a minivan that is purpose built to do X well will lead to more people buying said minivan, even if there are a few people who are not using a minivan for X.
@WiiMaster, I know you were talking about what people will buy. Everyone (except me and a few other oddballs) wants a rolling entertainment room. So, that's what makes business sense to make. Notihng personal, just business, like in The Godfather.
When I got mine 20 years ago, to be my wife's daily driver and family hauler (with two teens), I would have ordered an EX instead of an LX (we were waiting for Havasu Blue to go into production). Except I did not want the power doors. Too slow, too prone to problems, no upside for my family. We waited 3 months for the color to go live, and I bought RKE, 6 CD changer, rook rack and tranny cooler as accessories, installed them myself.
Every time I read a post about issues with the power sliders, I'm thankful I dodged that bullet. Every time I help a fallow paddler load/unload, and have to stand back while a button is pushed to slooowwwlllly open or close their hatch, I think "what a waste of time". I also use self checkout at the store, to just get it done faster. Chacun a son gout.
When I got mine 20 years ago, to be my wife's daily driver and family hauler (with two teens), I would have ordered an EX instead of an LX (we were waiting for Havasu Blue to go into production). Except I did not want the power doors. Too slow, too prone to problems, no upside for my family. We waited 3 months for the color to go live, and I bought RKE, 6 CD changer, rook rack and tranny cooler as accessories, installed them myself.
Every time I read a post about issues with the power sliders, I'm thankful I dodged that bullet. Every time I help a fallow paddler load/unload, and have to stand back while a button is pushed to slooowwwlllly open or close their hatch, I think "what a waste of time". I also use self checkout at the store, to just get it done faster. Chacun a son gout.
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On the contrary, I am thankful that mine has power doors. My 3 yr old son can open the door himself to get in. I have seen kids trying to do things on their own, and a non-power door might get them into trouble if it rolls back to a close by its own weight ( I'm not familiar with those, so might be wrong).
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Honda would eliminate every trim level except the Elite if they could. Like @Ted said, Honda's purpose is to make as much money as they can and 4-wheels-and-a-seat stripper models don't help do that.
The high-content trim levels are also the highest margin versions - it doesn't cost Honda $25,000 to kit out an LX into an Elite (which are mechanically identical in identical body shells) but that's how much extra they charge. The difference goes right out of your pocketbook and into Honda's.
The high-content trim levels are also the highest margin versions - it doesn't cost Honda $25,000 to kit out an LX into an Elite (which are mechanically identical in identical body shells) but that's how much extra they charge. The difference goes right out of your pocketbook and into Honda's.
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Making as much money as they can also includes volume. They didnt sell lx models at a loss and if they were losing sales to competitors because of lack of lower trim offerings they would certainly have a response. The people that want a minivan for utility purposes probably arent buying new anyway. Who buys a new minivan and fills it with plywood and sheet rock?
As for fabric upholstery thats a non starter if buying used for me. I dont want seats someones little satan spawn has thrown up or wiped boogers all over.
I also dont understand the I don't want Power doors because they might break thing. okay that's fine then you'll have manual doors. With proper maintenance they shouldn't break in most cases all you got to do is hit them with a leaf blower and some white lithium spray grease about every couple of months. Rollers. Cables and tracks. 5 min a side.
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The most brutal truth of minivan marketing is that the companies who produce them would probably be happiest if they didn't make them at all - Honda would probably rather see all of us driving Pilots, Toyota would rather see everyone in a Sienna driving a Highlander, Kia would rather see everyone in a Sedona or Carnival driving a Telluride. I'd throw Chrysler and Dodge into this list but I don't think even they know what they're trying to sell these days. Every minivan's greatest market competition is the similarly-sized SUV the same company sells, not other minivans. Especially if there's a three-row version. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the Honda Pilot cannibalizes more Odyssey sales than the Toyota Sienna does.
No, they didn't sell LX models at a loss but they also didn't sell them at a maximized profit either. There's every reason to believe that if those LX body shells had been kitted out as Touring models, they would have sold just fine anyway. There has been a very deliberate move by Honda and Toyota in particular to push minivans upscale, where they're basically saying "I guess we can make these things if people really want them but they're going to have to really make it worth our while". Top end models have blown well past $50,000 in the States and the base models start a hair under $40,000. Honda is selling all the Odysseys they want to without resorting to LX trim levels. They don't have to reach that low to achieve their sales goals.
In Canada, a 2024 Odyssey only comes in three trim levels - EX-L is the lowest with a base price of almost $52,000 Canadian dollars ($38,600 USD at today's exchange rate). These vehicles aren't being marketed as practical, useful family transportation for everyone. You can get Pilots, Passports and CR-Vs with cloth seats but not an Odyssey - that tells you at least a little bit of where the marketing is at for these things now.
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