Pontificate.

Oldsificate?

Nicely played, CAT.

Sensibiliscate? ForMyWife-iscate?

One's a van and the either is not.

I would also look at the C6 Z06.

Crossover vs. minivan
5 seats vs. 8
285hp vs. 248hp
19/27 mpg vs. 19/28

Ford: Parts are available to keep new vehicles coming out.

Honda: Parts and production are affected for many models. With supply going to be limited for months to come, dealers can start asking for higher prices over invoice.

Thanks for the specs Canyon...

Anyone have any experience with either?

We have a 2001 Oddy with 268,000 miles. Never any major mechanical problems. The seats still look brand new. Tons of room. Comfortable for trips. Drives well, pretty decent power. Constantly 20+mpg, usually 22. On trips 24mpg.

My folks just traded for a 2011. Haven't done more than a test drive at the dealer. Quieter than our 2001. 43 more hp than our 2011. Uses a cylinder shutoff system and a six speed auto on the top of the line to achieve 28mpg highway. Lots of bells and whistles on the top model.

I really like the Edge over the Odyssey, driven a few of the new Edges and MKX Crossovers.

Pretty impressed.

Steve, if you need a contact in the Houston area, I can hook you up.

We bought a CPO Odyssey over a new Edge... but we decided that we could drive a van. Best decision for us, EVER! Doors open themselves, kids can climb in easy, runs like a top and can move when it needs to.

I move a lot of 04-05 Honda Odysseys, all of them have held up well. I routinely see them still running great with high miles like Canyon's has. I like the Edge, but they are different vehicles and hard to compare. You have to decide if you want a Van or a Crossover.

[This message has been edited by AgsWin (edited 5/6/2011 11:18a).]

Why Edge vs Odyssey? Why not Pilot versus Odyssey? We are considering those two. My wife was always against a minivan, mainly because of the exterior look, but after driving the new 2011 yesterday, she seems more willing. But she still likes the Pilot, too, and you can find used ones dating back to 2009 model year.

If you are carrying small children, there is nothing better than two powered sliding doors. I like the Edge, but I wouldn't be shopping it against the Odyssey.

Dad has a 2011 Edge. Interior is awesome, I haven't driven much but I think it has plenty of power. His mileage has been a bit disappointing I think, but it may have improved, I'm not sure. If it's big enough for your needs, the bang for the buck on it is incredible IMO.

Mom has a 2005 Odyssey. It has been pretty darn reliable. Still pretty solid sqeak-wise. One sliding door has had to be repaired I believe. There is a shimmy in the brakes that Honda has never done anything about (feels like warped rotors or something). It has been on many cross country and cross state trips and has never not gotten us where we're going. Awesome people hauler.

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One sliding door has had to be repaired I believe. There is a shimmy in the brakes that Honda has never done anything about (feels like warped rotors or something).

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One thing that helps is to silicon spray the rubber around the doors. The weatherstrip gets sticky, and the door motors strain to pop it open, leading to premature failure, IMO.

When our brakes get old, you get a pulsing/shimmy. New pads, turn the rotors, problem goes away.

If you ever carry >4 people, you'll be glad you have the Oddy. We've considered a smaller vehicle for when the Oddy finally croaks, but the rare times we need the room, it's priceless.

Why not a Pilot? Have you seen a pilot? Plus, the Odyssey has more usable space and better fuel economy. I liked the edge I drove, but I don't know if it would really get the 27mpg as the estimate says. I can buy on the Z plan, so a limited Edge is pretty reasonable. I have a 6 year old and a 15 month old, and like the idea of sliding doors, and room for my kid's friends. Also, the van would be nice for a weekend mtn bike trip.

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But she still likes the Pilot, too, and you can find used ones dating back to 2009 model year.

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Drewbie96,

Get the Odyssey. I had an '09 Pilot and didn't like it plus the mileage sucked.

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There is a shimmy in the brakes that Honda has never done anything about (feels like warped rotors or something).

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Uhm....buy new rotors, no more shimmy.

After narrowing it down to the Odyssey, Pilot, and Mazda CX-9, we went with the CX-9. Thanks for everyone's input and it was a very tough decision because we wanted the utility of the Odyssey, but my wife wanted the drivability of her Acura TSX. The CX-9 was the best choice for us right now and it should accomplish all of our needs until our 18 month old is a little older and has a brother or sister. When that time comes, we will know if the CX-9 still fits our needs.

Until then, we are going enjoy the heck out of the CX-9, which by the way, is a fantastic vehicle for the money. Both of us fell in love with this car after driving it. I can see us fighting over who gets to drive. While the Odyssey might have been a little more comfortable on long trips, I could not see us fighting over who gets to drive.

If you are looking for something like an Acadia, Explorer, Pilot, Odyssey, etc. I would make sure you drive the CX-9.

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If you are looking for something like an Acadia, Explorer, Pilot, Odyssey, etc. I would make sure you drive the CX-9.

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A little late to the party, but:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/1105_three_row_crossover_suv_comparison/2011_mazda_cx_9.html

I did read this article before we started shopping around. The only one's the wife would consider in the article were the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, and Mazda CX-9.

GMC and Chevy still have a lot to prove in my opinion and I don't see their sales tactics to be changing at all. Some friends purchased a comparably equipped Acadia for about $6K more than the CX-9. Why?

We both liked the look of the Ford and wanted to really consider them, but after driving it, I think Ford missed the mark. It felt way bigger than it was and the Microsoft Sync system was not very intuitive. At least for something you will be messing with while driving. Of course, over time it will become easier, but even the sales guy couldn't figure out how to get the backup camera to come on and you need it, especially in the poorly organized Ford dealership parking lot that we were in.

We did drive the Toyota Highlander a few months back, and we liked it, except that the steering felt the same when parking as when you were driving 75 mph on the highway. Meaning, it felt like you could lose control with the slight lane change or aggressive manouver at highway speeds.

Our personal research supports the article.

The new Explorer may be a "miss" for Ford. The reviews from several sources are very mediocre. The nice looking package is held back by the driving experience.

The funny thing about the CX-9 is that it isn't very new. It is still damn good. My sister's CX-9 is an impressive vehicle. Good choice.