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Trip Report and 3000 mile update for 2001 LX

1K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  CPSDarren 
#1 ·
Just took our 2001 Odyssey LX on its first highway trip. We drove about 340 miles each way, mostly on interstate. We had 2 adults, a teenager, a toddler, an infant and the associated baggage. I figure almost 600 pounds of people and cargo. After the trip, the van had 3000 miles, and is now about 3 months old.

The first leg we averaged 25 mpg through heavy rain, fog and 30+ mph cross winds. The van handled very well up to 70 mph. At that point, it started to feel a little unstable due to either wind or possibly hydroplaning. Road noise was moderate-high, mostly because of the pounding rain.

The second leg we averaged about 22 mpg, as we started to get some headwinds and also used the defroster with A/C to reduce fogging. We also had slower traffic from the even more severe rain and a minor slowdown from an accident, too. The headlights worked well, especially in conjunction with the 2001 foglights I had installed. They came in very useful to see the lines at the side of the road in the worst parts of the rain storm.

The return leg averaged 25 mpg again. This time in clear weather with minimal winds. The van handled very well, and the ride was nice and smooth, absorbing the occasional pothole very well. Wind noise was light. Road noise was mostly due to the tires. Concrete ranged from a medium drone to a loud howl. Asphalt ranged from almost none to slight tire noise. I should note our LX has the Michelin Symmetry tires, which our dealer added along with the cargo tray and mudguards. Handling was great up to 80 mph (didn't try faster). The cruise control worked very well, holding the speed very close to the set point. We've never had a "pull-to-the-right", and this trip was no exception.

The seats were very comfortable for the whole trip. None of the 3 adults had any complaints.

Excluding this trip, we had been averaging 16-17 mpg, mostly in suburban commuting in the Chicago area. I'm sure that will improve when the weather and traffic improves this spring, plus the engine will be broken-in a bit more at that point.

We also purchased a video entertainment system, which worked very well for our toddler. I wrote a review on that in the Audio/Video forum.

The Odyssey has been great so far. We purchased it for the excellent safety ratings and also for the seating configurations which we need for cargo and carrying older adults in the 3rd row along with our toddler and infant in the second row. At the purchase, we ruled out most vans on the basis of poor or lacking crash tests or other safety issues. The remaining contenders were Sienna and Windstar. The Sienna rear seats were too small for our needs, though otherwise it was a great option as the fold-forward rear seat was almost as functional as the fold down rear seat in the Odyssey. The Windstar seating and packages didn't appeal to me, though it was also a nice van. Plus, it was more expensive with similar features, even with a "good deal". MPV was a possible choice, but like Sienna was a bit small. I liked it's styling the best of any minivan though.

Our dealer (Rich at Elliott-Demick Honda in Michigan City, IN) charged MSRP, and we also got the cargo tray, mudguards and Michelin Tires thrown in at that price (tires apparently courtesy of a buyer who backed out). We added the remote keyless entry and the 2001 foglights later. I also got a great deal on some wheels from an Acura TL on ebay. They are the exact same size as the Odyssey alloys, and even accept the Honda center caps. Finally, I also purchased and installed the Honda leather steering wheel wrap and a set of black Weathertech interlocking rubber floormats for the first and second rows. These are nice for the snow and dirt, and also for containing the mess from the toddler.

No regrets so far. No problems whatsoever with the vehicle. Loading the kids is far easier than in the Saturn it replaced (though it was also a great car). No major complaints, though I do find the audio to be very medoicre, even for a factory system. I also find the gear shift lever a bit awkward, and the rear wiper spray a bit feeble.

I have some pictures, along with some links on minivan safety and child seats at my site:
http://www.caviller.com

[This message has been edited by caviller (edited 02-11-2001).]
 
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#2 ·
The Ody makes a perfect road trip vehicle. We have taken one trip from Houston, TX to Jackson, MS.

We've had the van a month and we already have 2500 miles on it.



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Jim
'01 GG EX
 
#3 ·
Just took another highway trip, 300 miles each way. Averaged 25-26 mpg with the air conditioning on about 75% of the time. Cargo was 3 adults, 2 kids and corresponding luggage. Most of the driving was cruising around 70 mph. The AC was very efficient, even in the sun with temps around 80 using recirc and the 2nd fan position front and rear. Wind noise was moderate at 70-75 mph. Tire noise was minimal (new asphalt) to very loud (old concrete).

Now have 7000 miles on the 2001 LX. Problem list includes:

1) Slight vibration at 1500 RPM (about 45-55 mph) in overdrive with light acceleration. Seems like the typical shift cable problem. Anyone have a TSB on this?

2) Driver's window rattles when rolled down only slightly.
 
#4 ·
Caviller,

We also bought our Ody from Rich at Elliot-De Mick. I was very satisfied with the dealership. No hastles, hard sell or unwanted extras. Just completed a short 160 mi. round trip. 2 adults and three kids. The Ody handled very well at all speeds up 80. None of the reported problems such as shimmy or pull to the right. Just as you said the van was super smooth and quiet on asphalt and noisy as hell on old concrete. In fact, after an hour of old concrete I was beginning to get irritated so much that I was tempted to pull over to take a noise relief break.

Unfortunately, I don't find the front seat as accomodating as most of you do. I think I would have a hard time of it if I had to take a long trip, say across country. I can't help feeling like I'm sitting on a picnic bench in the Ody.

At one point we were going up a not to steep incline (2 ~ 3% ?) and I had some jerk on my tail so I punched it. I was taken back by how fast the Ody jumped up to 80. Not the same as my Camry but it was quicker than I thought it could be for a van it's size.

I have the same situation in that my passengers window rattles when partially open (app. 3 "). This is troublesome but I think it's a design problem.

There is also a high fixed pitched noise that I hear whenever I step on the gas pedal. This only occurs after the engine has warmed up. Someone else described this as being similar to the old sound of gas being sucked into a carburator.

Other than my lousy paint job, which I'm still trying to work out with Honda, I'm pretty happy so far at 1100 miles.

Averaging 18.3 in town and 23.3 on the road (no air). Hope to see some improvement as it gets broken in.


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Tom
2001 SS EX
 
#5 ·
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by caviller:
Tire noise was minimal (new asphalt) to very loud (old concrete).
</font>
Yep, those suckers sing, don't they? We've had our Ody for just under 5 months and we have 7,000 miles too.

I have a half baked list of TSBs that will eventually go online. I need to get back to work on it. I'll see what I can find.


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Jim
'01 GG EX
 
#8 ·
Just took a few hundred mile trip in the 01 EX. Three people, some luggage and a cooler that plugs into the console. No problems, don't remember any wind noise, no temperature problems (we were in the desert), had the A/C on all the time. Did not get uncomfortable in the seats.

Great Van

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2001 EX, White, Trailer Hitch, Back-up Sensor, Heartland Console, Mudflaps,comp/temp Mirror,Muth signal side mirrors
 
#9 ·
Just completed 993 mile road trip in 8,000 feet elevation as well as desert. Two people (sometimes four people), luggage, cooler in accessory slot. Van ran great. Seats comfortable, smooth ride. Averaged 23.67 miles per gallon. No temperature problems.

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2001 EX, White, Trailer Hitch, Back-up Sensor, Heartland Console, Mudflaps,comp/temp Mirror,Muth signal side mirrors
 
#10 · (Edited)
Road Trip updates...

We've made this same trip two additional times, or 4 total including the previous updates. Both recent trips were with 2 adults, two kids and luggage. Both times were with the A/C on most of the time in decent weather conditions. Most of the trip was at 71-72 mph, which was right on 2000 RPM with the A/C in 4th gear.

Fuel economy was just over 25 mpg in both cases. For the most recent trip, I decided to run a few tanks of 93 octane premium through on a whim (I otherwise use 87 octane exclusively). Hardly scientific, since the wind speed and other variables weren't kept constant. Even so, there was no difference in fuel economy in my single sample. All of our highway trips have been 25 mpg plus or minus.

Our overall mileage is 19.5 mpg after 19000 miles. City mileage is between 18 and 19 mpg, better in the summer, worse in the winter.

No new complaints on the Odyssey overall. The biggest ongoing complaint is the howl of the Michelin Symmerty tires on concrete. I hadn't noticed the slight transmission 'dieseling' noise for some time, but I did notice it frequently on this trip. My city driving rarely gets to the sweet spot to reproduce the noise these days.
 
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