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Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna

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Comments

  • cpsdarrencpsdarren Member Posts: 265
    Sadly, free information exchange via links is not allowed on these forums. It's in the 2006 Honda Odyssey category. There's only a handful of full reviews, so it should be pretty obvious. If not, check my profile for email.
  • ginamcdginamcd Member Posts: 2
    Found it! Thanks--it was very helpful.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    Links are allowed here -- you can't promote another online auto community, but we encourage you to share information that'll help other members. Link away :-)

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  • cpsdarrencpsdarren Member Posts: 265
    Excellent. I'll keep this post bookmarked in case I ever get a warning for linking a non-auto community lol.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    Well... you can't promote anything that might make you money either -- like your business, your eBay ad, etc. :) But otherwise, feel free.

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  • cpsdarrencpsdarren Member Posts: 265
    Ah- that would indeed rule out Epinions, then.
  • 3kids4me3kids4me Member Posts: 8
    Sooooo much of it comes down to personal preference in creature comforts, what options you want (Toyota has I think 17-18 option packages, and Honda has them all bundled into the different models).

    We bought an 06 Ody EX-L RES, and my brother and SIL just bought an 06 Sienna LE w/ DVD and upgraded sound system.

    My husband and I love our Ody, and my bro and his wife love their Sienna, BUT they both say they wish they had a sun roof and dual automatic doors (only their passenger side door is automatic, driver side is manual) I am not missing anything with my Ody. It's got it all!

    You should go to the Toyota dealer and grab a Sienna to test drive, have your wife go to Honda and grab an Ody, then meet up in an empty parking lot somewhere so you can do a literal side-by-side comparison and drive both immediately.
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    Thanks for the advice.. The verdict is in and we purchased an 06 Odyssey EX-L..

    We liked the Sienna, but the Odyssey had all the features we wanted at a better price. We also preferred the handling and performance of the Odyssey to that of the Sienna.

    For the record, we drove the Odyssey/Sienna/Town and Country/ and the 06 Kia Sedona back to back... The Odyssey was our favorite..
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Congratulations on your new wheels.

    I also prefer the handling of the Odyssey to that of the Dodge and Toyota...it drives about like an Accord, which is one of the best handling sedans in its price range.
  • davantdavant Member Posts: 294
    Even as a proud '06 Ody Touring owner I continue to compare the latest models in the hopes I'll find something I like better. I agree with statements that the Ody is Accord-like, maybe they should call it the Accordessy or the Accord-wagon? I recently drove a Toy'Sienna XLE Limited and although it was lovely, it remains van-like and the package goulash sickens me. I am impressed with certain gee-whiz features like the distance keeping cruise and Blue-tooth, MP3 compatability. I was excited to try a Sedona as it is supposedly the safest vehicle on the road this year IAW informedforlife.com. Unfortunately I feel it was an unsuccessful attempt to copy an Ody moreso than the Sienna. I commend the Koreans for raising their bar and having a great 'value'. Value to me though is more than a laundry list of one-upmanship features. It takes polish and finish, something this frequent test driver feels the Ody wins at over all others including the Kia and Toyota offerings. Maybe '07 will change the game?
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    I agree with you on the 06 Kia. Since I did not qualify for either of their $2K rebates (loyalty, or competitive bonus), the price of the Kia vs the Honda was very similar and I preffered the Honda.

    As for Toyota, their vans are nice, but I just did not like the handling and ride of the van as much as Honda. I also wanted leather and stability control and the cost of the Toyota was higher than the Honda..

    I think if Toyota puts their new 3.5L engine in the Sienna, offers a model that has more precise handling, and makes stability control standard without raising the price of the van it will become even more competitive...
  • fred222fred222 Member Posts: 200
    I think if Toyota puts their new 3.5L engine in the Sienna, offers a model that has more precise handling, and makes stability control standard without raising the price of the van it will become even more competitive...

    It is called an Odyssey!
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    Yeah, except the Toyota 3.5L makes 268HP......
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Yep, heaven forbid someone make do w/o that 24 horsepower!

    Just kidding guys; have a great weekend. :shades:
  • greenonegreenone Member Posts: 5
    Yesterday I drove a 06 Sienna LE and 06 Odyssey EX over the same route. Drove the Sienna first, and then the Odyssey. When driving the Odyssey it seems every bump and crack in the road was magnified in the van giving my wife and I a pretty bumpy ride. Is this normal for the Odyssey? It felt like the tires were overinflated. We didn't have time to drive another Odyssey for comparison.
  • hansiennahansienna Member Posts: 2,312
    The Sienna has a smoother ride while the Odyssey can safely be driven more aggessively.
    BTW, at 6:06:06 AM on 6/6/2006, our 2006 Sienna LE odometer read 3221 miles. :shades:
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    You'll feel somewhat more road imperfections in the Odyssey than the Sienna. My wife and I noted a difference between the two as well and noted that the Sienna definitely felt smoother.

    But the isolation does have a cost as we felt that the Odyssey was more responsive and felt better 'planted'.
  • baccus49baccus49 Member Posts: 60
    I guess they heard dc_driver, since the new Siennas will have the 3.5. Build date is November 06, and sell date is January 07.
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    Yeah, smart move by Toyota. More horsepower and a lighter engine to boot..

    Any other specs to post? 6 speed tranny? More standard features?

    Dang, the minivan field is heating up.
  • fred222fred222 Member Posts: 200
    Yeah, except the Toyota 3.5L makes 268HP

    Interesting. The Odyssey weighs more and has more HP and gets better mileage than Toyota which takes premium gas!
    I am sure the Toyota 3.5L engine will get really lousy mileage.
    I guess that Toyota is used to playing catch-up to Honda in the minivan market.
  • hansiennahansienna Member Posts: 2,312
    My 2006 Sienna LE runs very well on 85 octane and does NOT require premium. (However, I will use 87 octane when driving at the lower altitude in southern Nevada and southern California). :shades:
    My 2006 Sienna is also getting much better gas mileage than my son's 2001 Ody EX.

    Read in the Odyssey forums where many Odyssey owners are complaining about the LOW gas mileage that does NOT come anywhere near EPA estimates. :confuse:
  • ctsangctsang Member Posts: 237
    Honda still does not have AWD. You get what you paid for.
  • cpsdarrencpsdarren Member Posts: 265
    "Honda still does not have AWD. You get what you paid for. "

    Assuming you want AWD and would pay extra for it.
  • cpsdarrencpsdarren Member Posts: 265
    "My 2006 Sienna is also getting much better gas mileage than my son's 2001 Ody EX. "

    Only relevant if you drive exactly how your son drives, at the same time on the same routes, with the same tire pressures, same AC usage, same load of passengers/cargo, etc.

    "Read in the Odyssey forums where many Odyssey owners are complaining about the LOW gas mileage that does NOT come anywhere near EPA estimates"

    Do all Sienna owners get EPA estimates, then?

    I get 19-20 in short trip suburban driving and 24-27 highway depending mostly on AC use. That's a bit better than our last Odyssey.

    According to Transport Canada, Motor Trend and MotorWeek tests, the Odyssey was also slightly higher than Sienna. In Consumer Reports testing, the Odyssey was slightly better on the highway than Sienna, slightly worse in the city but they tied for the overall and trip ratings.

    Personally, I think both are pretty reasonable for 4500 pound vehicles. I don't think fuel economy is a real issue when comparing them. On the other hand, I wish they'd offer a smaller, more efficient diesel or diesel hybrid for those of us that don't need 0-60 times of 8 seconds or less but would appreciate a significant fuel economy improvement.
  • mcase2mcase2 Member Posts: 160
    Yeah, Toyota is trying to catch up with Honda in the lousy milage department. Complaints are widespread about the Ody. The Consumer Reports actual milage test place the Ody city miles at around 12 mph.
  • blackexv6blackexv6 Member Posts: 503
    When driving the Odyssey it seems every bump and crack in the road was magnified in the van giving my wife and I a pretty bumpy ride. Is this normal for the Odyssey? It felt like the tires were overinflated.

    Yes, the Odyssey does have a rough ride with significant road noise. Honda lovers like to blame the ride choppiness on overinflated tires.

    We regret buying our '06 Odyssey EXL/RES+NAV. Not only do you feel every road imperfection but the Odys have a lot of design problems/bugs that Honda is working on.

    Chech out the Ody Problems & Solutions thread for many unhappy buyers. Our car has 5 significant problems from the factory: loud droning/humming noise at 2000rpm (A-pipe exhaust), rear engine mount bad, bad power steering rack, power slider door handles difficult to open, & finally the notorious Honda V6 tranny issues (abrupt downshifting/slamming into first gear).

    Buyer beware...I would buy a Sienna if I had to do it over. They are built much better but you will pay $2-5k more for equivalent options.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Why haven't you had the lemon law invoked? If all of the problems you report here are actual legitimate problems (transmission trouble? door handle malfunction?) you should get your money refunded by Honda.
  • blackexv6blackexv6 Member Posts: 503
    thegraduate - check out the Ody Problems & Solutions thread...I am not the only one having these problems. Also, you can check other forums...all of the problems I listed are common among +05 Ody owners.

    Unfortunately, the lemon law only applies to 3 unsuccessful attempts to repair the vehicle. Honda is smart ennough not to let the repair history get to that point.

    Honda will eventually fix the problems, but who wants a Beta car for 35K?
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    My aunt has had none of these problems in her 2005...the only issue she had was when a maint. tech wrecked her car AT the dealership!
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    "Something doesn't pass the smell test".

    Umm, I think you are on to something...

    I have driven three 06 EX-L Odyssey's and none of them seem to have this "droning" issue..

    I do see some common issues posted on the 05's on the problem boards, but the majority of them seem minor to me and it was the first year of a completely new design. As for 06's, I do not see many issues. So far my Odyssey EX-L (purchased in April) has had zero issues.

    I know of some transmission issues with the previous generation of Odysseys, but have only seen one or two issues posted for the current generation. Blackexv6, I have never experienced the transmission issue you posted, and I do not see this as a "common" issue on any of the Odyssey boards that I am a member on. I think you are reaching on a number of the "issues" you posted, this one being the biggest.

    Consumer reports rates the 05 Odyssey as "average" for reliability and the 05 Sienna as "above average". Again, the 05 Odyssey was the first year of a completely new redesign. I expect the 06 Odyssey to get an "above average" rating.
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    I completely agree with you on your points. My 06 Odyssey EX-L is not broken-in yet and and I am getting 17-19 city and 24-26 highway with the A/C on the whole time.

    I expect my numbers to jump even more when the vehicle is broken in over the next couple of months. Overall, I am happy with my MPG, and hope to get close to 20/27 down the road. Truth be told, I could also improve my driving habits a little more to squeeze another 1-2 MPG.. I just enjoy driving the van too much for that :)
  • ctsangctsang Member Posts: 237
    Honda doesn't even give you a choice.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    They have the capability with SH-AWD from its Acura models, and real-time AWD capability from its SUVs, I imagine that it isn't exactly a lucrative market (AWD vans, that is) judging by the relatively few in stock at Toyota dealers.

    Of the more than 2,000 Siennas available in Birmingham, only 52 are AWD models. That's a whopping 2.5% of market share.

    Doesn't look like Honda is missing much, IMO.
  • rorrrorr Member Posts: 3,630
    "Honda doesn't even give you a choice."

    Correct. The Odyssey is not available with AWD.

    And this is only an issue for those folks looking for minivans with AWD. I guess those folks can scratch the Odyssey off their list.

    I wonder if Honda will survive.....
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    How many minivans on the market offer AWD? Not many... I am sure that Honda did a business analysis on this and determined that the demand did not meet the cost of producing, and selling an AWD Odyssey.

    Perhaps Honda will offer this in the future if gas prices continue to rise and folks look for alternatives to large SUV's...

    We did not even consider an AWD minivan when we were looking since we figured that the Odyssey with traction control should be sufficient for the amount of snow we get here in Northern VA...
  • davantdavant Member Posts: 294
    Green1,

    Sorry to hear about your problems. See below as one of your 'common' problems has a solution for you and others:

    (Your quotes precede my comments as I'm too tired/lazy to do it right, LOL).

    "Our car has 5 significant problems from the factory: loud droning/humming noise at 2000rpm (A-pipe exhaust)"
    - Resonation solution still in work by Honda, this IS a common complaint. Expect a coupon from Honda for an additional trade allowance before you'd see a fix, LOL.

    "rear engine mount bad"
    - Not what I would call common but I have seen this elsewhere in another forum. Chalk it up to poor QC? Should be covered by OEM or Extended Warranty if you got one.

    "bad power steering rack"
    - Stuff happens. Not that we would expect this on any new vehicle much less a Honda. Bad as in ____?, Warranty will cover it.

    "power slider door handles difficult to open"
    - Elsewhere I've seen a mod you could probably do yourself that adjusts the door latches making them much easier to use so even a child could operate them from the outside. I haven't done it myself but have seen positive feedback it works well. Dealer will probably adjust to spec only.

    "finally the notorious Honda V6 tranny issues (abrupt downshifting/slamming into first gear)."
    There is a software update/recall/TSB available to fix this problem, contact your dealer. You can see issues at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/results.cfm or another site lists all recent Honda TSB's (can't sort by vehicle though) at http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Honda/index-post.html

    Regarding the rough ride... I think it's sportier than the torsion bar rear suspension Sienna and comparible to an Accord. Put that crisper 3.5L and Independent Rear, plus move the DVD player up front in a Sienna and now we're talking!

    I don't think you have a lemon, maybe an early or Friday afternoon build, LOL.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    This isn't the Odyssey Problems & Solutions topic. Can we get back to comparing the Odyssey with the Sienna? And while we're at it, let's bring civility back in style here.

    Thanks.

    ClaireS, Host
    imageDrive on over and see me!

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  • mevandemevande Member Posts: 190
    Might me 2.5% in Birmingham AL (hello little snow there :) , but in the Midwest is a nice alternative to a gas guzzling SUV w/ 4*4
  • nylajnylaj Member Posts: 24
    My family got mighty comfortable in the Sienna last weekend and my husband and I really enjoyed driving it. However, I'm a Honda lover and I am reserving final judgment until I drive the Honda this weekend. If the Honda isn't smooth, I imagine my family will favor the Toyota. I'm used to the ride of a Honda and typically prefer the tighter, more agressive (don't know the right technical term) handling of the Honda. The softer ride Feels nice if you are the passenger, but as the driver, I'd rather DRIVE the Honda. Is the Honda nice enough in the creature comforts for my family to appreciate as much as the Sienna? The Sienna was really nice inside and it enjoys the advantage of having been the first for us to test drive. It's been on everyone's wish list all week. Note: The girls did not like the armrests though. My question remains, will the Honda outperform the Sienna and override the current bias towards the Sienna?
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    Honestly, I think the creature comforts (interior layout, fit and finish, comfort, functionality, etc) are almost a wash between the two vans from my perspective.

    The real difference is the ride/handling. The Sienna's ride is smoother than the Odyssey and it tends to absorb the bumps in the road slightly better. To me, it felt very much like the test drive that I took in the previous generation Camry.

    The Honda will definitely feel more responsive with regards to handling. Both me and my wife felt it accelerated (especially in passing situations) better than the Sienna, but to be honest, the Sienna felt more than adequate from a performance standpoint (they are both minivans at the end of the day).

    Price wise it is very close, depending on what options you want. The Honda has more standard safety features (namely stability/traction control), and packages their vans a little less confusing (although the Toyota will give you many more options assuming you can get them in the color you want).

    It all comes down to the test drive... :)

    Good luck and keep us posted. IMHO you really cannot lose with either minivan...
  • mkk62mkk62 Member Posts: 6
    I also tested both OD and sienna and the sienna seemed more near luxury market while honda was a honda, nice but not luxurious.....loooked cheaper inside....
    the ODys did appear to handle a little better....Does anyone think that the 2007 will have the larger engine? order date for 2007 is sept 06 delivery 1-07....baby arriving december....should I wait?

    thanks
  • mkk62mkk62 Member Posts: 6
    if you are a costco member, they have the sienna limited with nav and option #3 (everything) for 600 above invoice (37,800 vs 43000 MSRP) YOu ahve to ASK for the costco price .....they will give it to you.... I bet that the price is as good if not better than the odyssey price....Costco members check it out...

    mk
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Might me 2.5% in Birmingham AL (hello little snow there , but in the Midwest is a nice alternative to a gas guzzling SUV w/ 4*4

    But with 17/23 MPG, that's about the same as cars like the 4WD Honda Pilot with 30 more horsepower, not a compelling case in any light for that whole "gas-guzzling" thing (although I think vans are better people haulers than SUVs)
  • pcsrpcsr Member Posts: 10
    I have owned an 05 Odyssey for 18 months and have had lots of issues. I would love to call the car a lemon, but I more fondly refer to it as the one that must have been manufactured after the New Year's Eve shop party.

    We have (4) recalls to get performed, I put them off because I hate going to the dealer. Our biggest complaints are:

    1) Droning noise at 2200 RPM's - the dealer said I was nuts and the noise is normal - like heck it is. My wife and I both hate the noise as it makes the car most unpleasureable to drive around town. On the highway it runs pretty good, around town - I simply hate it. I am wondering if anyone has had luck getting this addressed/fixed by their dealer?

    2) Brake grinding - Wow this one catches your attention. Sounds like you are crushing rocks when you go down a hill. Dealer said Honda is working on a fix, after replacing the pads, we have the same issue. Any news on this issue?

    3) Very poor radio reception on AM. The dealer replaced a cable, but the reception still stinks. I know, it is only AM - but FM isn't all that much better and I really miss baseball games while driving.

    4) Road noise appears to be very loud. Again, I was told I am nuts....still, I don't like the noise level.

    5) One of our rear doors stuck last week and we could not get it to close - only happened once, but it was a frustrating experience.

    6) Has anyone checked the color of your bumpers? Mine stink. We have a silver car and the bumpers are like grey. The dealer told me that the plastics cause the problem, I told her that I bought a Honda, not a Hyundai and Honda Engineering should have known better. She also said I was more sensitive than other buyers - I guess the monthly payment makes me that way. They offered to re-spray my bumpers, something I was reluctant to do with a brand new car...I am surprised more people are not angry about this - it drives me nuts.

    7) The last thing is the gas mileage, or lack there of. We average <18 with a 60/40% around town/highway. Went on a trip over the weekend and barely hit 20 on the highway at 65-70...boy I got close to 25 with my Dodge van so this is a real disappointment. I am mad that none of the research firms pointed this out and I think the sticker ratings are on the criminal side. Honda should be accountable for what is a serious miscalculation. I know we drive faster these days and I know the van is not light, but to be off by 30% is just plain not right. I bought this car specifically because it was rated the best at gas mileage and I feel like I got ripped off along with the environment.

    On a scale of 1-10, I give the car a 4...and I am being generous. It has a pretty nice interior - lot's of good features.Safety appears good, but I hope I do not need to rely on them(with the brake issues and recall on the airbag sensor). Highway driving is tight and not too bad since we had the tires re-balanced. Lot's of cup holders and pretty good rear storage. But, terrible gas mileage, that god awful humming noise at 2-2.2k rpm's, road noise - that I swear travels right through the sound system, the two-tone color of the bumpers, and my lack of confidence in the auto will make this my last Honda for a while. It's a shame, I thought I was making the best choice for my wife and kids.
  • 05ody05ody Member Posts: 103
    Wow, I love my Odyssey, the way it handles, the power, the pick up, but ive been having basically the same problems as you and I bought my van just about the same time as you! about 18 months ago. We have the EX cloth, do you? We are getting that exact same hummin noise as you at the same rpm's, around 2000-2200 and the road noise seems pritty bad, and that brake gringing noise drives me off the wall. it seems to be comming from one of the rear brakes. I thought eather the brake pads or the rotars, but you said replacing them did nothing. We have had the air bag sensors replaced as well and one time I was driving downtown Toronto going onto a free way and the traction control light came on, but once I shut the van off and on it shut off again and hasnt came on since. We thought maybe somehtinng like salt maybe got inbetween the sensor. Gas milage seems okay, abit more then my Accord but it is a bigger, heaver vehicle. We noticed the paint fading at the bottom of the front bumper (we got the slate grey pearl), and this is also happening ot my 98 Accord, but the Accord is also 8 years old and we expect some fading on the fornt bumpers due to alot of highway driving. The Accord never did this when it was only a but more then a year old. This is our third Honda, and this is the only one that I am thinking twice about. I knew I shoud of got the leather! maybe would not have got this van. I keep thinking lemon...
  • loncrayloncray Member Posts: 301
    My wife and I have had our Ody Touring for about 6 weeks now - and haven't had a single problem. I have one nitpick - I wish the seat memory feature also memorized mirror positions. That's it. Other'n that, the thing is the flat-out nicest vehicle either of us has ever owned. We're taking it on vacation at the end of the month and expect to be happy and comfortable with it.
  • pcsrpcsr Member Posts: 10
    We have leather and it is pretty nice - a little hard, but nice (I think we had to get the leather to get the DVD, but we would have preferred the cloth). I need to go back to the dealer for the recalls:
    - air bag sensors
    - front door inner handle cable freezes - in cold weather
    - wire harness connectors need more greese - leads to
    corrosion and a variety of electrical problems
    - MIL stays on after oil change (malfunction indicator
    lamp)
    My dealer told me that Honda was working on a solution to the wheel grinding. I saw a message a month or so ago that stated they came out with new pads....we will see. I think it can be a huge safety issue as it scares you and god forbid it happens during a real issue that causes you to think differently.

    Can't believe your gas mileage is OK, boy ours stinks. I am averaging 17-18 mpg w/combine driving, no air conditioning - yet....I was expecting closer to 22-24. This is our 2nd honda, the 1st was an accord that ran for 200,000+ miles. We were real surpised at how poorly the car is overall and it is a shame, because the van has some real nice features....I just cannot stand the engine noise and it bugs me that I know it is a defective design and I did not catch it during the road test - my wife swears the dealers knew and made sure we did not get a car that made the noise - I tell her they probably aren't that smart. Funny, my wife really dislikes the van as much as I do, usually she is more tollerant.

    I agree, the model is a lemon - I just wish I had grounds to push that issue. Take care.
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Thank you for sharing this information about the Honda Odyssey. I am in the market for a new vehicle. Presently, I have a 2003 Honda Accord. Thank God, I have the 7 year 100,000 mile extended warranty on this vehicle. To date the warranty has paid for the following: ---1.) An AC compressor, 2.) Motor mounts, 3.) Power window assembly (driver's door) 4.) Radio display. The total cost of the repairs under the extended warranty is just about $3,000.00. I am looing at either the Honda Odyssey or the Toyota Sienna. My Honda dealer is outstanding in terms of service. There was never a problem with any of the warranty work that was performed on the vehicle. I don't know if I will be able to find a Toyota dealer that will give me the same high quality service. On the other hand, I do not want a vehicle that has a droning noise at 2500 rpms, a brake grinding problem, poor radio reception, road noise, a sliding door problem and poor fuel mileage. In the past, some Odyseey vehicles also had a transmission issue. ----(I wounder if that issue still exists? I guess "time" will tell if there is a problem in this area.) Today, I will be visiting a Toyota dealership that a friend has recommended. If I take a test ride today, I will be sure to pay very careful attention to the operating characteristics of the Sienna, so I can compare them to the Odyssey at a later date. If I had your Odyssey, with the problems that you have listed, I would use the "lemon law". With the "droning noise at 2200 rpm, the "grinding brake noise" and the problem automatic doors,I would think, that it would be easy to prove "diminished value"! You could also get a small magnetic sign make up stating; --- "Another Honda Lemon" --- and put in on the back of your vehicle, next to the dealer's name sticker. That should get their attention real quick! Sometimes you have to get "peoples attention" to get a problem solved. ----- Best regards. ---- Dwayne ;)
  • 05ody05ody Member Posts: 103
    We have had to get the same recalls fixed as you (except the MIL light). But they did it all free when we brought our Odyssey in for the air bag sensors to be replaced. They said all 2005 Odyssey's have this problem, and are recalls free of charge. We would have bought the leather, but we thought that $3000 more (Canadian) was abit much for leather, but now realize you get alot more. The engine noise I always thought was just normal, because all I feel was just abit of viberation and its a deep noise but it seems fine. My breaks actually work well, asides from the annoying noise. We dont actually calculate our gas milage, but it doesnt seem to bad in mixed driving. Our Odyssey now has 37 000km's on it has never let us down in any kind of weather and we have reached tempatures as low as almost -40, and eather the Accord or Odyssey were plugged in and thye both started fine. I think I am the most annoyed by the grinding noise from the rear breaks :mad: !
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    Dwayne,

    My advice to you is to drive both vans back to back and buy the vehicle that you like the best. While it is true that there have been several recalls on the 05 Odyssey, the 05 was the first year of a completely new design. I am not saying this as an excuse, but twice in my life I have made the mistake of buying a brand new model year vehicle, and in both occasions, I regretted not waiting 1-2 years for the manufacturer to work out the kinks and to see what the reliability is going to be.

    Several months ago we (wife and I) went shopping for minivans and I had almost completely made up my mind to buy a Toyota Sienna XLE. I had always felt that Honda was overrated and overpriced. Then when we drove the vans, compared the features and prices, we quickly realized that the Honda was the better van based on our needs. Here was a list of our areas of concern:
    - Safety. Both vans are safe but the Odyssey has more standard safety features and received better ratings per IIHS.
    - Performance/Handling. This is the biggest difference between these two vans. The Toyota has a very soft ride. It reminded me of the previous generation Camry. The Honda handles and accelerates more like the Accord. While you "feel more of the road" with the Honda, I felt more in control of the vehicle and also felt the vehicle was more responsive. While the Toyota had a "smooth" ride, I also felt it to be somewhat "numb". Again, this is more of a preference thing than anything. I am quite sure that many people would prefer the soft ride of the Sienna over the more firm ride of the Odyssey.
    - Reliability. I think that the Sienna may be the more reliable vehicle of the two, but I also do not believe that the Honda is very far behind. So far my 2 month old 06 Odyssey has had zero issues. I do not seem to have (maybe I cannot hear it, but we checked for this when we test drove and we ended up driving three different Odysseys) the droning noise, or have had issues with motor mounts, or any other issues, and I cannot complain about my MPG on a van which is not broken in yet (I am averaging 18/25MPG with the A/C on the whole time). If you look through the problem boards for both vans you will see they both have issues. It seems to me that no vehicle is defect free, but I leaned toward the Honda based on the dealer experience I received. That fact that you have experienced good dealer service should not be taken lightly. My advice is to listen for the "droning" noise when you test drive the 06 Odyssey. Neither my wife nor I could hear it.
    - Resale. Both vehicles have great resale value, but the Honda is slightly better (at least here in the Northeast).
    - Price. We had right around 27-28K to spend on a minivan. At that price range I was able to purchase an Odyssey EX-L for $27,699 (before TT&L). A comparably equipped Sienna XLE was going to cost over $1K more. The Honda dealer also gave me $500 more for my trade than the Toyota dealer. When the 05 Odyssey came out this was simply not the case in Northern VA. Most Odysseys were going anywhere from $500-2000 OVER MSRP! I was ablt to get mine at close to $600 under invoice and many folks have been able to get an Odyssey even lower ($1000-1300 under).

    I was honestly surprised that we ended up with the Honda. Going into it I wanted the Toyota and my wife wanted the Town and Country. I would also recommend driving the 06 Kia Sedona/Hyundai Entourage. We have not regretted buying our Honda for one second..

    Good luck and keep us posted.
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