After market remote starter vs oem one - Honda Odyssey

[Double Trouble]

Hi guys, I'm about to buy a 2013 honda odyssey (urgh, I know) to haul the wife and kiddos around.

The dealer wants about $700 to add a remote starter option to the vehicle. Can I get a good aftermarket one for less, or should I just bite the bullet and pay the $700? I think that's kind of expensive, but I don't know if there are good aftermarket ones that can be installed for less.

Opinions?

 

[fstime]

There is no OEM Honda autostart, they just hire a third party installer to do all the dealerships work.

Yes, $700 is a lot, I know someone who negotiated it down to $350 which is much more sane, this however was in the winter when I assume things were slow.

 

[phucheneh]

I've seen dealer-installed remote starts (the manufacturer sells them and writes the instructions) that are no better than aftermarket. They don't utilize the factory gear to do anything in a superior way. Prepare to have a key zip-tied to the inside of your dashboard.

 

[Kaido]

iirc when we got our 2013 Civic, the dealer said don't bother buying the cruddy OEM Honda one, go with a better aftermarket one. Python has one called SmartStart that you can even start from your smartphone...no range limitation:

http://www.viper.com/smartstart/

You're probably already aware, but did you know about the new 2014 Odyssey?

http://automobiles.honda.com/2014-odyssey/

 

[Double Trouble]

Thanks for the information guys, I declined the option for the OEM remote starter.

iirc when we got our 2013 Civic, the dealer said don't bother buying the cruddy OEM Honda one, go with a better aftermarket one. Python has one called SmartStart that you can even start from your smartphone...no range limitation:

http://www.viper.com/smartstart/

Now that looks interesting, being able to start from the phone would be pretty cool. I'm going to check into that one.

You're probably already aware, but did you know about the new 2014 Odyssey?

Yep, the 2014s hit the showroom tomorrow, which is why I was able to get a very very nice deal on a 2013 EX-L (can't afford the touring or touring elite models). I'm sure there are some nice things in the 2014 that the 13's don't have, but the dealer was offering some substantial price reductions and 0.9% financing for the life of the loan..... so I bit the bullet.

Wifey was extremely happy with her new Odyssey. Neither of us can stand minivans in general, but with our recently born 3rd child, we needed a vehicle with a little more space than what we had.

 

[bigi]

meh. You should do one for $300 or so.

Dealers use 3rd party contractors to install remotes anyway.

I used known installer for my 2007 Ody and I chose remote I wanted.

 

[SSSnail]

The only reason I'd get the dealer's option is for warranty purposes, or if you can negotiate the deal down as you're buying a car from them anyways, or both.

 

[NutBucket]

Yeah, from dealers that want to charge $600 for a stupid add-on alarm that's so expensive they leave it in the car (deactivated) if you don't pay for it.

 

[Kaido]

Thanks for the information guys, I declined the option for the OEM remote starter.

Now that looks interesting, being able to start from the phone would be pretty cool. I'm going to check into that one.

Yep, the 2014s hit the showroom tomorrow, which is why I was able to get a very very nice deal on a 2013 EX-L (can't afford the touring or touring elite models). I'm sure there are some nice things in the 2014 that the 13's don't have, but the dealer was offering some substantial price reductions and 0.9% financing for the life of the loan..... so I bit the bullet.

Wifey was extremely happy with her new Odyssey. Neither of us can stand minivans in general, but with our recently born 3rd child, we needed a vehicle with a little more space than what we had.

Yeah, I figured since you'd probably be getting a great deal on the 2013 model :awe: imo the EX-L is the best model to go with, more rubber on the tires = nicer ride (17" on the EX-L vs. 18" on the Touring). I would take an Odyssey over a Toyota Sienna these days too - Hondas just seem to last forever! Plus they upgraded the Honda engine to 248 HP (the old ones were pretty anemic, my wife called it the Gutless Wonder haha), so it has more oomph.

The only catch with the SmartStart system is that you have to be in an area that gets 3G reception, both in terms of coverage and in terms of say not being in an underground concrete parking garage. Generally it's pretty good, but if you live out in the boonies you may want to verify coverage first. But it's convenient because if you're running around inside with the kids, you can whip out your phone and turn on your car, get it cooled down or heated up, and be ready to go without having the seatbelt buckles scorch your hands. There is a yearly fee (I think the base is like $49/yr for the basic remote start subscription; security & GPS tracking are also available), but it beats having to go out to a window and aim the remote at the van, especially if you're inside the house, at work, at the end of a movie in the theater, etc.

Also, I would recommend either Wet Okele or Coverking Neoprene seat covers for the entire car (not cheap, but worth it if you have kids) and Weathertech rubberized form-fit floor mats. This way both the seats and the floor are protected and easy to clean (removable).