MamaBearTeacher Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Sorry, another post about the Odyssey. We are thinking of buying one. I liked driving it. I felt like I was closer to the windshield or something and my visibility onto the road was better than my current Grand Caravan. The salesman said that is because of the way it is designed. But ... I drove it on a cloudy day. I am now wondering if I would find it too sunny on a sunny day. I am very sensitive to having sun on my face and I find it really bothers me in my current van. I wonder if the Odyssey would be better/worse. What is your experience with the sun in the driver's seat? Also, is it also comfortable visibility-wise to drive on the highway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 I was in your exact situation 10 months ago. We went from a DGC to a Honda. We have a 2015 Honda. I haven't noticed it having any more sun on my face at all. It has great visibility on the highway. I miss a few things about my DGC. The stow and go seats. And the extra storage. I think it had better glove compartments. I hate the storage compartment btwn the front seats. You can't move it. I have a person in the jump seat so there is no foot room for them because of this. Stupid design. You can take it out but then you lose that storage. But overall you can feel the difference of quality in this car compared to the DGC. So much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 My Sienna is sunnier than my old Odyssey. I am a Toyota hater now in fact. We plan to go back to the Odyssey eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthwestMom Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Ha ha, I'd like to help, but here in Seattle it's been so cloudy I can't even answer the sun-on-your-face question. I feel like i have great visibility though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Our Honda has a blind spot over the shoulder and the frame where the passenger side door meets the sliding door. But, I think most minivans are going to have a blind spot somewhere. It is just different, so I have to be mindful. Also, ours has the backup camera but no beeps! I am terrified that I am going to back into something after driving vehicles with proximity warning beeps for so long. I think we've had the thing for a year, maybe two, and I am still paranoid. But, I also switched over to bifocals after we got this van so that makes me nervous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 I don't notice sun in my face. I have a model with a sun roof (which they call a moon roof I think), but it has a sliding cover so if the sun is directly overhead I just shut it. But it's nice to let in extra light on gray days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 Our Honda has a blind spot over the shoulder and the frame where the passenger side door meets the sliding door. But, I think most minivans are going to have a blind spot somewhere. It is just different, so I have to be mindful. Also, ours has the backup camera but no beeps! I am terrified that I am going to back into something after driving vehicles with proximity warning beeps for so long. I think we've had the thing for a year, maybe two, and I am still paranoid. But, I also switched over to bifocals after we got this van so that makes me nervous. Agree on the blind spot. And I DO have an issue with the sun. I'm short(ish), 5'3" and I keep a cowboy hat in the van because the visor does not come down low enough to block the sun. I never had this problem in my old van (GMC) because it had a higher seat and a double visor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 I have a 2007 Odyssey, and I live where the sun shines bright 350 days a year. I have never had a problem with the sun on my face, except right before sunset, driving directly into the sun, the same as any other vehicle. I will second the caveat about visibility. I sit rather low in a seat, so I have to have my driver seat all the way up in the highest position. Even so, there are HUGE blind spots around the Odyssey. The mirrors don't show the areas to the side behind the front seats. Also, the airbags make the frames around windows very wide. Mine doesn't have back-up cameras, and I have backed into a few things over the years, especially things that are narrower than the frame (a telephone pole in an alley) and objects shorter than my rear window (back-up camera would help). I have also changed lanes into people driving next to me. I have to be VERY careful about checking mirrors and taking the time to LOOK before changing lanes. The only other issue we've had is that it won't go on snow and ice, at all. I literally have to park it for two months every year because I can't get it out of the driveway. Fortunately, we still have our old Outback that will claw its way through anything. They may have improved this feature in the last 9 years, but you will want to consider it if you live in a snowy place. Other than those two things, though, it's been an awesome vehicle. We've not had to do anything to it except replace oil, filters, and tires, and it has almost 200,000 miles. (oh, I guess we have had some bodywork done after I backed into the telephone pole and the car that was double parked behind me.) ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 (edited) We just bought a 2016 Odyssey, and I literally live in the Valley of the Sun. With tinted windows and my sunglasses I am fine, even driving west around 5:30 PM. 😊 Just drove it on a 2,000 mile road trip, too. It's great on the highway. I know you didn't ask about this at all...but we got the special edition that comes with a vacuum in the trunk. I love that feature so much! I'm always vacuuming out my car these days! Editing to add that in addition to the back up camera, we've also got a side camera on the passenger side, which I love, love when turning right or changing lanes. I feel a lot more confident in this newer van than my old Odyssey (2005). Edited July 12, 2016 by Sara in AZ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share Posted July 12, 2016 Ooh, is the blind spot a regular blind spot you have with all vehicles or a lot worse? That sounds scary for changing lanes. it's good to hear that it doesn't get too much sun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Ooh, is the blind spot a regular blind spot you have with all vehicles or a lot worse? That sounds scary for changing lanes. it's good to hear that it doesn't get too much sun. The blind spot is much worse in the Odyssey than any other vehicle I've owned, but I've never driven any other minivan. It may be a minivan thing, more than an Odyssey thing. There are two different types of blind spots in my 2007: changing lanes blindspots and backing-up blindspots. Changing Lanes: The area behind the front row, directly next to the vehicle, does not appear in the side mirror. Normally, looking out the side window would show you this area, but in my Odyssey, the seatbelt, the side window frame, and the driver headrest form an obstructive wall, allowing only about two inches between the headrest and the window frame to see out through the middle window. You're sitting high, too, so short vehicles just seem to disappear. I have added a small convex mirror to my driver side mirror, and I aim my mirror out so that I can just barely see my tail light in the edge of the mirror. That helps, but I still have to take the time to focus on what I'm looking at (little concave mirror, main side mirror, down out the driver window, then the 2-inch gap through the back window,) before I change lanes. Changing lanes to the right is a little easier because the big convex mirror on the passenger side works better, and I have a much better view out that middle window. I still have to be careful and take my time, though, otherwise I will inadvertently change lanes into someone driving behind/beside me. I've never caused an accident, but I hate it when they honk and yell and flip me off. (It has happened to Dh too, so it's not just my height or my recklessness). A previous poster mentioned it too, which makes me know it's not just us. Backing Up: The other thing that causes blind spots is the geometry of the inside of the van. There are side airbags all around the car, which makes the window frames super wide compared to older cars. This may be true of all newer cars; I don't know. Backing up is a challenge because the rear window is obstructed by all the headrests sticking up into the line of sight. The rear window seems is rather small way back there, and it's high off the ground. I don't have a back-up camera, and I wish I did! It would make a huge difference. I have backed into things, even though I was looking, because they were either obstructed by the wide window frames or because they were short and close to me. Even though I was never moving very fast, the damage was expensive to repair. Again, my Odyssey is a 2007, and the newer models might not have these visibility issues. Plus, they have back-up cameras and alarms and such. I'd highly recommend that you go drive one again, with visibility in mind. Park in a parking lot and have someone walk slowly around the car, stopping every couple steps, so you can get a feel for any blindspots. Park next to another car, and pull forward a little bit (until their front bumper is just behind your driver window) and see if you can see them in the mirror and down through the windows. It is workable. You may just need to adjust your driving to compensate for the decreased visibility. I am not sorry I have my Odyssey, and I would buy another one. It's been a great vehicle. I do wish someone had told me about the blindspots so I didn't have to learn the hard way. And, I wish someone had told me that it was useless in snow, but that's another subject that may not apply to you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 Wow! Thanks for explaining this so well! I will test drive again. I realize when I test drove the last time they took me on a circuit where I made only right turns. The blind spot is much worse in the Odyssey than any other vehicle I've owned, but I've never driven any other minivan. It may be a minivan thing, more than an Odyssey thing. There are two different types of blind spots in my 2007: changing lanes blindspots and backing-up blindspots. Changing Lanes: The area behind the front row, directly next to the vehicle, does not appear in the side mirror. Normally, looking out the side window would show you this area, but in my Odyssey, the seatbelt, the side window frame, and the driver headrest form an obstructive wall, allowing only about two inches between the headrest and the window frame to see out through the middle window. You're sitting high, too, so short vehicles just seem to disappear. I have added a small convex mirror to my driver side mirror, and I aim my mirror out so that I can just barely see my tail light in the edge of the mirror. That helps, but I still have to take the time to focus on what I'm looking at (little concave mirror, main side mirror, down out the driver window, then the 2-inch gap through the back window,) before I change lanes. Changing lanes to the right is a little easier because the big convex mirror on the passenger side works better, and I have a much better view out that middle window. I still have to be careful and take my time, though, otherwise I will inadvertently change lanes into someone driving behind/beside me. I've never caused an accident, but I hate it when they honk and yell and flip me off. (It has happened to Dh too, so it's not just my height or my recklessness). A previous poster mentioned it too, which makes me know it's not just us. Backing Up: The other thing that causes blind spots is the geometry of the inside of the van. There are side airbags all around the car, which makes the window frames super wide compared to older cars. This may be true of all newer cars; I don't know. Backing up is a challenge because the rear window is obstructed by all the headrests sticking up into the line of sight. The rear window seems is rather small way back there, and it's high off the ground. I don't have a back-up camera, and I wish I did! It would make a huge difference. I have backed into things, even though I was looking, because they were either obstructed by the wide window frames or because they were short and close to me. Even though I was never moving very fast, the damage was expensive to repair. Again, my Odyssey is a 2007, and the newer models might not have these visibility issues. Plus, they have back-up cameras and alarms and such. I'd highly recommend that you go drive one again, with visibility in mind. Park in a parking lot and have someone walk slowly around the car, stopping every couple steps, so you can get a feel for any blindspots. Park next to another car, and pull forward a little bit (until their front bumper is just behind your driver window) and see if you can see them in the mirror and down through the windows. It is workable. You may just need to adjust your driving to compensate for the decreased visibility. I am not sorry I have my Odyssey, and I would buy another one. It's been a great vehicle. I do wish someone had told me about the blindspots so I didn't have to learn the hard way. And, I wish someone had told me that it was useless in snow, but that's another subject that may not apply to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Are you getting one with a back up camera and side camera? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 Are you getting one with a back up camera and side camera? Just the back-up camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Just for the record, I have a 2012 and haven't had any particular problems with the blind spot. I mean, it has one, but my DH's truck is worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 The blind spot is much worse in the Odyssey than any other vehicle I've owned, but I've never driven any other minivan. It may be a minivan thing, more than an Odyssey thing. There are two different types of blind spots in my 2007: changing lanes blindspots and backing-up blindspots. Changing Lanes: The area behind the front row, directly next to the vehicle, does not appear in the side mirror. Normally, looking out the side window would show you this area, but in my Odyssey, the seatbelt, the side window frame, and the driver headrest form an obstructive wall, allowing only about two inches between the headrest and the window frame to see out through the middle window. You're sitting high, too, so short vehicles just seem to disappear. I have added a small convex mirror to my driver side mirror, and I aim my mirror out so that I can just barely see my tail light in the edge of the mirror. That helps, but I still have to take the time to focus on what I'm looking at (little concave mirror, main side mirror, down out the driver window, then the 2-inch gap through the back window,) before I change lanes. Changing lanes to the right is a little easier because the big convex mirror on the passenger side works better, and I have a much better view out that middle window. I still have to be careful and take my time, though, otherwise I will inadvertently change lanes into someone driving behind/beside me. I've never caused an accident, but I hate it when they honk and yell and flip me off. (It has happened to Dh too, so it's not just my height or my recklessness). A previous poster mentioned it too, which makes me know it's not just us. Backing Up: The other thing that causes blind spots is the geometry of the inside of the van. There are side airbags all around the car, which makes the window frames super wide compared to older cars. This may be true of all newer cars; I don't know. Backing up is a challenge because the rear window is obstructed by all the headrests sticking up into the line of sight. The rear window seems is rather small way back there, and it's high off the ground. I don't have a back-up camera, and I wish I did! It would make a huge difference. I have backed into things, even though I was looking, because they were either obstructed by the wide window frames or because they were short and close to me. Even though I was never moving very fast, the damage was expensive to repair. Again, my Odyssey is a 2007, and the newer models might not have these visibility issues. Plus, they have back-up cameras and alarms and such. I'd highly recommend that you go drive one again, with visibility in mind. Park in a parking lot and have someone walk slowly around the car, stopping every couple steps, so you can get a feel for any blindspots. Park next to another car, and pull forward a little bit (until their front bumper is just behind your driver window) and see if you can see them in the mirror and down through the windows. It is workable. You may just need to adjust your driving to compensate for the decreased visibility. I am not sorry I have my Odyssey, and I would buy another one. It's been a great vehicle. I do wish someone had told me about the blindspots so I didn't have to learn the hard way. And, I wish someone had told me that it was useless in snow, but that's another subject that may not apply to you. For the snow, have you tried studded snow tires? It's the only way we can drive a non AWD vehicle in the winter here. Work very well on our Nissan NV, got them after the first snow when I got stuck on a flat parking lot. Grrr. Other option is to go for a mini van with AWD- the Toyota Sienna, my favorite:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamiof5 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 You gals are GOOD with describing all this stuff!!! I just don't think of/can pinpoint exact stuff like this. All I can say is I've had Odysseys since 2006, love them! Now we have a 2011, no cameras 😞. I don't think I have problems with too much sun? I mean, it feels fine to me. Also in the Valley of the Sun. Snow? Dh had to drive us through a BAD storm once, and he managed. I have never driven in snow, at all...so I can't give an opinion on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamiof5 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 We just bought a 2016 Odyssey, and I literally live in the Valley of the Sun. With tinted windows and my sunglasses I am fine, even driving west around 5:30 PM. 😊 Just drove it on a 2,000 mile road trip, too. It's great on the highway. I know you didn't ask about this at all...but we got the special edition that comes with a vacuum in the trunk. I love that feature so much! I'm always vacuuming out my car these days! Editing to add that in addition to the back up camera, we've also got a side camera on the passenger side, which I love, love when turning right or changing lanes. I feel a lot more confident in this newer van than my old Odyssey (2005). I have been meaning to dig the thread about your dd, but now that I see you here might as well. Have been thinking of her!!! Really hope you have all been able to adjust somewhat to the casts ordeal. Sorry this has nothing to do with Odysseys. I just really have been thinking of her and I wanted to let you know really quick 😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 You gals are GOOD with describing all this stuff!!! I just don't think of/can pinpoint exact stuff like this. All I can say is I've had Odysseys since 2006, love them! Now we have a 2011, no cameras 😞. I don't think I have problems with too much sun? I mean, it feels fine to me. Also in the Valley of the Sun. Snow? Dh had to drive us through a BAD storm once, and he managed. I have never driven in snow, at all...so I can't give an opinion on that. I live in a high snow, but extremely flat area, no problems ever. We do put snow tires on the van in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 I have been meaning to dig the thread about your dd, but now that I see you here might as well. Have been thinking of her!!! Really hope you have all been able to adjust somewhat to the casts ordeal. Sorry this has nothing to do with Odysseys. I just really have been thinking of her and I wanted to let you know really quick 😊 Thank you! PM'd you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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