Stow 'n Go seating is genuinely brilliant, fold the second row flat into the floor and suddenly you're hauling plywood sheets where car seats used to be. The interior space embarrasses most three-row SUVs, and it drives better than any minivan has a right to. But auxiliary batteries die with alarming frequency, transmissions have failed at 24,000 miles, and electrical gremlins will put you on a first-name basis with your service advisor. Owners either adore theirs after 150,000 miles or regret it after 30,000, there's almost no middle ground. If you're buying used, budget for an extended warranty. If you need the utility and can stomach the risk, nothing else in the segment offers this combination of space and versatility.
The Grand Caravan is the budget minivan that invented Stow-n-Go seating and still undercuts the Odyssey by thousands, but the 2008-2020 models have a transmission problem so predictable owners call them 'ticking time bombs.' The pump fails before 100k miles, the replacement costs $4,000-$7,000, and you're suddenly underwater on a van that was supposed to save you money. Buy a 1996-2007 model with the 3.3L V6 if you want the space without the drama, or skip straight to the Honda if you can't afford to gamble on a $6,000 repair bill two years in.