"We're seeing Honda dealers discounting the Odyssey more aggressively as they scramble to hang on to market share," commented Paul Timoteo, President of Car Cost Canada. "It's quite an about-face for them as the Odyssey was the darling of this segment for so long, consumers had little room to negotiate. And it's only going to get more interesting with the launch of Nissan's new Quest this summer. From the previews we've seen, it looks like a break-though design that should shake up the segment like the Altima did a few years ago in the family sedan class."
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| Once the darling of the market, , the Honda Odyssey is now being offered at deep discounts in a scramble to hold onto market share. (Photo: Honda) |
Hot on the heels of the Quest is the upcoming Ford Freestar, replacing the current Windstar and due for release early this fall. It, too, boasts more room, a claimed best-in-class V6 and enhanced safety features. But if you need to buy that Wally World Family Van sooner rather than later, the '03 minivans from the Big 3 offer excellent value and an ace up their sleeves: rebates totaling thousands of dollars that you won't find on the new kids on the block. Sites like www.carcostcanada.com and www.freeinvoiceprices.com can help buyers find up-to-date information on invoice pricing (the price the dealer pays), factory rebates, incentives and special cash-back programs for the vehicles you have in mind.
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| With the innovative Nissan Quest just coming to market, and likes of the new Ford Freestar (shown) on the horizon, the minivan segment won't be disappearing any time soon.(Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
Rather than fading into oblivion and giving way to SUV-mania as many analysts predicted, the minivan is evolving and moving beyond simple family transportation to new levels of performance, features, technological innovation and style. Hitting the road in one of these sweet family haulers - the kids happily entertained with on-board DVD - is now an automotive experience to relish rather than endure. Competition really does improve the breed.