sleeper

yeah the overinflated football/trash can design fad started and ended with the quest. and all that plastic? oh my....

i dunno, i kind of like the open cab-forward design of the dash area. it really lets you see just how you wasted your money.

bob shiftright

Honda Odyssey C/D June. 2004:

0-30 2.7 0-60 7.5 1/4 mile 15.9@88mph

Exactly HOW FAST is the Acura TSX with the automatic?

BTW, the Acura MDX is built on the same platform and it's about the same size as the Odyssey. Cleverly disguised, but it's the same platform!

elduderino

Minivan sales feel the impact of crossovers
Dale English
http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffa...ml?t=printable
Twenty years ago Chrysler revolutionized the automotive world when it brought out its boxy alternative to the venerable station wagon, the minivan. It was an instant success, copied in various forms by me-too competitors, and by the turn of the century now-stylized vans grabbed off 7.7 percent of the American light vehicle market.

Since 1999-2000, minivans' marketplace share has tailed off to a nine-year low of 6.6 percent in 2003, according to data from Ward's Auto World. Conventional wisdom suggests that minivan sales are being eroded by competition from so-called crossover utility vehicles -- car-based SUVs -- who's piece of the pie has grown from 3 percent in 2000 to 9.7 percent last year, according to Ward's.

In fact, the newest thrust against minivans is coming from big SUVs such as the Cadillac SRX, Lexus GX470, Nissan Armada and Dodge Durango -- all of which are, or have, added third row seats. In all, there are now 18 three-row SUVs on the road, compared with 17 minivan models.

Yep...that's what they're workin' on...

iceman2cuol4u

The Sienna is right now the best lux minivan. My mother has one (Limited XLE) totally loaded and it is very nice. I agree that it should be branded a lexus. If anyone wants to take a look, here are some pics i took of it a long time ago. Here they are

Pics

gfxdave99

I would just concur that I think that the people going to the luxury brands for kiddy haulers are getting SUV's...

bbbuzzy

I think you are all missing the point. Have you ever looked inside a three year old minivan. They are almost always trashed. Who wants to wipe baby puke off a leather seat attached to a $50K vehicle?

phile

Unfortunately, that's true. But there are still people who'd buy a luxury minivan - just not as many as those who'd want an SUV. Although I honestly think the more sensible person, especially with younger kids, would choose a minivan regardless of an SUV's "advantages" simply because it's so much easier to get in and out of.

provench

Let's just say that my wife and I when driving our 2004 Ody have surprised a few folks wanting to "pass that slow van off the line"

The new Ody's are old school VTEC fast The open up a lot like my GS-R did ... have to get the revs up pretty good and then it's like a turbo

xizor

Maybe minivans will make a comeback when the tuner crowd has kids and soccer games.

This is what every minivan looks like in Hong Kong, fully kitted w/ fogs and spoilers.

provench

To be honest ... that looks like a wagon to me Funny how "wagon" has become passe and how minivans are the "cool thing". Personally, I wouldn't want anything smaller that our minivan (US Ody size) ... if we did, we would have bought a wagon. To me it is a very practical option vs. a full sized SUV gas hog

phile

That's the Honda Stream, it's more wagon than it is minivan. Also it's Civic-based and not as big as what we'd expect from a modern minivan, which is anything but mini.

xizor

They seem to have a hybrid form in Asia, bigger than our US wagons (car w/ a hatch) but smaller than our bloated minivans.

BTW: do you know which Honda minivan/wagon has its rear lights all on the D pillar (the area surrounding the rear window). It looked gorgeous.

elduderino

Dude! Dodge Magnum, Pacifica, Audi Avants and Allroads, Mazda5 Sportwagons, Lexus IS300 SportCross, Mercedes and BMW bring back the wagon - I think wagons are back and minivans are passe!

sleeper

i had a '94 saturn sw2 (wagon) which i turned into kind of an economy sport wagon (http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7205). i knew back then that wagons were making a comeback and lo and behold, they sure enough did. sport wagons have always been liked, but never got the attention they really deserved. kind of like brunettes. but i hated it even when i had the saturn because i felt i had something pretty unique. soon everyone and their mothers were driving sports wagons. i remember the fad picked up after the wrx wagon and mazda 3 wagon came out in the mid '90s.

like i said before, can't wait to see an acura sport wagon.

SPUDMTN

I'd take a wagon over a minivan--the Audi Avants & Mercedes E-class wagons are drop-dead gorgeous (and on the verge of sexy)

provench

Function man ... function! And no ... nothing beats a good minivan for function for a family of 4+ ... not even close.

phile

I think Honda uses that design on more than one model, but I'm pretty sure it's the Stream, and perhaps some other JDM vehicles.

SPUDMTN

Ehh...screw function...let's buy a car with some emotion

Though I guess you're right...you can't beat the function of a van

Junkster

They look great, but I would be afraid to put a two year old with a bottle of juice in that type of a car... can you imagine what kinda mess they would make in a 40k+ car?

I've actually seen some of the doctor's cars who have kids. I've seen a RX330 with multiple spongebob stickers on window, huge chocolate stain on the rear leather, funky smell... I sweat, I'm getting a stripped down sienna to fall around my brats when they come along.

Junkster, who thinks that's all hypothetical... about having kids

phile

LOL, I spilled soda all over my CDs when I was trying to put the soda can in the cupholder. Thinking I'd nailed it, I let go and the soda spilled on its side and went all over. So it's not just kids who damage cars

Phile, who doesn't mind kids.

98AccordEx

Nevermind the Sienna, check out the pics of the new 2005 Ody in TSX Automotive News.

MTL_TSX

Nissan's Quest is the nicest van on the market, besides the ugly center console which I admit is really of a horrible design, the rest of the van is just so nice thought.
Cant compare it to any other mini van, i mean look at the skyview on the roof, that's just so nice!
you gotta try it, and yes we own one
fully equipped, leather, skyroof, and everything,
just missing the nav wich cost 7k more though :'( and includes 2 rear dvd screen.
if you think nissan is not a luxury brand, and i agree to some extent, then rebadge it with infiniti and you've got your luxury mini van...
i just love my quest

dzuy

no luxury minivans - b/c moms with big families need room - not luxury

Junkster

I think you might be off a bit, dz-to-da-hizzle...

Moms these days be trippin' fo' mo' bling bling. They be bouty bouty fo mo features offered on lux cars, yo. What drove them SUV sales? moms, b, who wanted da bling factor.

Junksta, whose keepin' it real

bob shiftright

Thought it was hypothetical, too. Had the kid, and still have the dog, and W was a Girl Scout Troop Leader until just a couple of years ago and also had a Merc wagon with velour seats, not vinyl or leather, followed by an Oddy with cloth seats. Both of which still look decent. It depends, do you expect your kids, your dogs and your life to be under some control, or completely out of control? If it's all going to be out of control buy 'em a '95 Buick wagon and let 'em trash it!

For kids, dogs and drywall, I'd still buy a Sienna or Oddy over leasing a Mercedes, Volvo or Audi wagon because it's a better box on wheels for carrying stuff around even if it doesn't impress the neighbors! Just so long as it's the wife, not me that has to drive it most of the time!

An you can beat a TSX automatic with an Oddy at the dragstrip!