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How Honda Wheelchair Van Insurance Really Works

If your ever in a accident in your wheelchair van and have insurance questions or need your to have repairs made contact the experts at the Mobility Center in Bridgewater, MA with your questions 508-697-6006

We all know that we need to carry insurance on our Honda wheelchair vans. We understand that it’s a legal requirement and we recognize the value of being properly insured in case of an accident. Most of us are not insurance experts, though. In fact, some aspects of vehicle insurance confuse many of us. Let’s look at how wheelchair van insurance really works.

What Are You Buying?
When you insure your Odyssey or Element, what are you actually buying? “Insurance” actually consists of many different elements. Your policy may or may not have provisions covering all of them. They include:

Bodily Injury Liability: This covers you if your Honda hurts or kills someone in an accident.
Comprehensive: This covers damage to your Honda from non-accident sources like weather and vandalism.
Property Damage Liability: This is legally required everywhere. It’s the portion of your insurance that covers damage to the other party’s vehicle after an accident.
Collision: This covers damage to your Honda if it’s involved in an accident.
Medical Payment: This provides coverage for you and/or your passengers for medical expenses related to an accident.
Uninsured Motorist: If someone who doesn’t have insurance injures you, this will cover you.

The limits of your coverage and your deductibles for each element of your policy will vary based upon what you’ve purchased from your insurance company.

What Determines Your Rates?
How do insurance companies decide how much to charge you for that coverage? They look at a variety of factors.

Your actual vehicle is an important part of the puzzle. The value of your Odyssey or Element will have an impact on the price of your policy, because the cost of covering replacement and repair vary based upon the vehicle.

There’s more to it than that, though. Insurance companies also look at the vehicle type to help determine how likely you will be to utilize your insurance coverage. That’s why it’s cheaper to insure an Odyssey than an Element–minivans tend to have fewer significant claims than do small SUVs.

You can also expect the modifications you’ve made to your Honda wheelchair van to influence policy pricing. You may be an excellent driver, but the fact that modified vehicles tend to be involved in a relatively high number of claims is reason enough for insurance companies to increase premiums on wheelchair vans, in most cases.

You are part of the pricing equation, too. Your personal driving record, age, gender and any license restrictions you may have will influence the price of insurance. Non-driving related factors such as home ownership, credit rating, and where you live will also influence pricing. Insurance companies look at multiple variables to determine your probable level of risk.

Finally, the policy limits and coverage you select will influence your insurance pricing. If you’re only purchasing the minimum requirement of liability insurance in an effort to “stay legal,” you’ll spend a lot less than you would for full coverage with all available protections.

Purchasing insurance is always a process of balancing the best possible coverage with affordability. The levels of coverage you need and the amount you can spend will, obviously, vary based on a series of individual factors. The most important thing to remember is to be certain you have adequate coverage to meet both the legal requirements and your personal needs.

You’ll also want to consider insuring your mobility aids, vehicle modifications and equipment. Most vehicle policies will cover your Odyssey or Element, but they won’t cover your lift or ramp. They’ll replace your bumper if you get in an accident, but they won’t necessarily pay to fix your low-effort steering system if it’s damaged.

Insuring a Honda wheelchair van isn’t really a complicated procedure. When you understand the different kinds of coverage and how rates are set, the process is even easier to understand.

Prepare Your Mobility Equipment For the Colder Weather

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Cold temperatures not only slow wheelchair users down, but can also slow down their vans and accessible equipment. For example, if you use a hydraulic wheelchair lift, you may have noticed that the colder the weather, the slower the lift reacts. The cold thickens the fluid, making it move slower through hoses, valves and cylinders.

There’s not much you can do about that, but preparing other equipment for cold weather is important to help avoid accidents and breakdowns.

If you live in the New England area · call our Mobility Center today (508) 697-8324 · We’ll rust proof your wheelchair accessible vehicle, give you an oil change, tune-up, and/or semi-annual ramp/lift service and have any other accessible equipment checked before the temperature dips. If you ask we can also check your battery, antifreeze level, heater, brakes, defroster and thermostat.

Do It Yourself:

Purchase winter wiper blades that cut through snow and ice.
Keep the gas tank at least half full. It reduces condensation and makes your vehicle easier to start on cold mornings.
Buy tires that have MS, M+S, M/S or M&S on them, meaning they meet the Rubber Manufacturers Association guidelines and can bite through mud and snow.
For better traction and control, rotate tires so the best ones are in the front.
Get an electric engine block heater. It warms the engine so the motor can start. It connects to normal AC power overnight or before driving. In extremely cold climates, electrical outlets are sometimes found in public or private parking lots.
Cold weather is tough on accessible van batteries. Buy one with greater starting power, higher cold cranking amps and reserve capacity for energy when the engine isn’t running.
Use synthetic oil to make starting a cold engine easier.

Before you drive:

Keep rock salt on hand to melt ice off walkways for a safer wheelchair ride.
Clean the snow off the roof and hood so it doesn’t “avalanche” onto the windshield and block your vision.
Clear the head and tail lights for best visibility.
Scrape the ice off mirrors and windows.

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Here at VMi New England Mobility Center and Automotive Innovations we’ll service and repair your wheelchair accessible vehicle and/or equipment even if you didn’t buy it from us! So bring us your mobility van no matter the year (old or new), chassis (Honda, Dodge, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, excreta..), or conversion (Side Entry, Rear Entry, VMI, Braun, Ricon, Rampvan, Elorado, Amerivan, excreta..)!!

Honda Odyssey vs Toyota Sienna – Which Is Better For Families?

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Honda Odyssey vs Toyota Sienna

When you’ve got a family and an active lifestyle, minivans just make sense. Sliding doors and plenty of doors and plenty of room
you and your family can get where you’re going with all the soccer equipment, science fair projects, and car seats that need to come along. Assuming that you’ve already figured out your budget and determined that your family really needs a minivan, the next step is to start comparing models.

The Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna are two popular models that many families carefully consider – here’s a look at the pros and cons of each model and how they compare to one another.

The Basics

Seating: Both models offer standard seven passenger seating, which is a 2-2-3 arrangement (two seats up front, two in the second row, and three in the third). Eight passenger seating is available in both models, only you must upgrade to get it.

Safety: According to federal crash test data, the Honda Odyssey is a bit safer than the Sienna, with a 5-star overall crash test rating instead of the Sienna’s 4-star rating. The IIHS, which also evaluates crashworthiness, rates the Sienna and the Odyseey the same, stating that they are both “Top Picks.”

Fuel Economy: The Odyssey has a slight advantage here as well, with EPA fuel economy ratings of 18mpg city, 27mpg highway on the EX and LX, and 18mpg city, 29mpg highway on the Touring models. The Sienna is rated at 18mpg city, 25mpg highway across the board.

Powertrain: Both vans come standard with powerful 3.5L V6 engines and front-wheel-drive. However, the Sienna offers optional (and class-exclusive) all-wheel-drive that consumers in cold-weather climates may find useful.

Pricing: When similarly equipped, the Sienna is a little less expensive than the Honda. However, it’s hard to do a direct price comparison as many options are offered in expensive packages. It’s also important to remember that incentives (such as cash back or low interest rate financing) can change the equation. SO, be sure to compare the total cost of both vans before you buy.

Still, the Sienna is likely to be less expensive than the Odyssey when it’s all said and done.

Warranty:
Both 3-years/36,000 mile Basic, 5-year/60,000 mile Powertrain, and 5-years/Unlimited mile Corrosion/Rust Thru. The difference really comes down to the features and safety ratings.

2013 Honda Odyssey Pros and Cons
The biggest benefit to owning and driving the Odyssey is it’s agile, almost sporty driving feel. Minivan buyers who don’t want to feel like they’re driving a big old van will surely appreciate this feature.

Additionally, the Odyssey’s excellent fuel economy rating (up to 29mpg on the highway) can be a nice benefit if your regular commute includes a good portion of highway use. Finally, many people like the Odyysey’s third-row seating design a bit better than the Sienna’s.

The biggest con of the 2013 Honda Odyssey is the higher price – you’ll pay a little more for the Odyssey compared to a similar Sienna. Additionally, some people find that Honda’s option packages come with a lot of features they don’t want or need. SO, if you’re looking at the Odyssey, it’s a good idea to make sure you understand what features come with the numerous packages available.

2013 Toyota Sienna Pros and Cons
Many minivan buyers appreciate that the Toyota Sienna is a good-looking vehicle that doesn’t scream “minivan.” The Sienna’s optional all-wheel-drive system (not available on a side entry wheelchair converted van) is a big benefit to folks that live in climates where snow and ice are a common occurrence. Finally, Toyota’s standard 2-year/25,000 mile roadside assistance and complimentary maintenance program is a nice benefit as well.

The cons of the 2013 Toyota Sienna focus more on driving characteristics than anything else. Reviewers often dislike the Sienna’s milk-toast steering response, indecisive transmission, and generally mushy feel. The Sienna also missed the mark a bit in federal crash tests, earning only a 4 star rating. However, the IIHS – which is a non-profit that also tests vehicle safety – rated the Sienna a “Top Pick,” so it’s not wise to ding the Sienna too heavily for their lower score.

The Winner Is . . .
Call us to help you pick out the ideal wheelchair minivan for your family. 508-697-6006

Drivers looking for safety, fuel economy, lots of space, and a good price. Considering how close the Odyssey and Sienna are in all of these respects, a case can be made for either vehicle.

Give us a call or come the Mobility Center to give both of them a try first hand

Why does Honda make wheelchair vans?

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Why does Honda make wheelchair vans?

Truth be told, Honda isn’t in the business of making wheelchair vans. It is in the business of making great vehicles that readily lend themselves to wheelchair van conversion. Models like the Odyssey and the Element would sell well regardless of their use in wheelchair van circles. Honda undoubtedly appreciates their popularity in the accessibility market and takes that under consideration when making the vehicles, though.

As we continue to see an increased demand for accessible vehicles and the reputation of Honda wheelchair vans continues to grow, we can undoubtedly expect to see more Odyssey conversions on the road.

Honda’s Wheelchair Vans

The Odyssey minivan are extremely popular conversion targets and are happily used by thousands of people who rely upon wheelchairs.

These Honda wheelchair vans don’t roll off the assembly line ready for use. They start out as standard passenger vehicles and are then modified by conversion experts for wheelchair use. That happens because people hold the Odyssey and Element in high regard.

Honda isn’t known for full-sized vans, but two of its smaller vehicles have strong fan bases in the wheelchair van community.

Honda’s get strong marks from their purchasers on a number of fronts. Here are three of them:

◦First, they’re aesthetically pleasing. The Element is one of the more attractive vehicles that are well suited for conversion and the Odyssey impresses critics year after year with its good-looking design.
◦Second, Honda has earned their reputation for reliability and cost-effectiveness. These are sturdy, reliable options that consistently provide a great deal of bang for the buyer’s buck, matching the manufacturer’s overall profile.
◦Third, conversion pros have turned the process of making a stock Honda into an impressive Honda wheelchair van into a science. The adjustments necessary to make the transition are proven and effective. Put simply, these vehicles make great wheelchair vans.