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Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna

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Comments

  • olavanmanolavanman Member Posts: 12
    Hello,
    We just got the 2009 Odyssey EX-L with RES and I cannot detect when the VCM goes on or off (except for the "ECO" Indicator). It does make me feel good when the "ECO" light shows up :) . When I am driving down the highway, it comes on quite often.
  • oddyshopperoddyshopper Member Posts: 8
    New EX-L owner.

    VCM: For me I can not tell when it goes on and off.

    For those with VCM issues, in 2007 or 2008 I believe Honda switched to VCM 2 which should be smoother than the old VCM. So unless you are testing the latest and greatest, your experience does not apply to new ody shoppers.

    What surprised me about VCM: it goes on/off .... a lot. I thought once you where up to speed, the ody would think about it and then decide to switch a cylinder off, something that would happen a couple times a trip. But in reality iyou let up on the gas just a little, or go down a bit of a hill and it's shutting down cylinders.

    I posted this above but it bears repeating: The Sienna gets a poor rating from IIHS on rear crash protection. It's amazing that consumer reports and parents magazine would pick as a top minivan something that has good safety ratings only on 3 sides.....

    http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_restraints/headrestraints.aspx?toyota
  • coupedncalcoupedncal Member Posts: 252
    This has been discussed here and on other forums a few times. Please know the green ECO light does not mean your VCM has kicked in. If you read the owner's manual, you will see VCM actually has no indicator and ECO light simply means you are in "economy" mode. You could well be running on all cylinders (literally and figuratively) while the ECO light is on. Others have gone through great pains to put LED lights to their cylinder bank to get noticed when VCM kicks in. :D
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    My Sienns simply shuts fuel off in those conditions (coasting, braking, going down hill), so it effectively saves the same amount of fuel.

    Look at real-world tests - CR got the same mpg for the Ody and Sienna, and C&D got 3mpg better in their Sienna driving on the exact same roads.

    As soon as I let off the gas to coast or brake my trip computer immediately jumps to 99mpg on the "instant mpg" readout. Works just as well (better?).

    The rear crash protection you cite is really just an evaluation of the head rests.

    Infants, toddlers, and little kids in boosters don't even use them - you would have to evaluate the child safety seat they are in instead, to see what sort of whiplash protection they offer. If you want your kids to be safe make sure you research how well their safety seats are rated, not a headrest several feet too high to be of use to them.

    You're better off taking those off completely to increase visibility - your van will be safer that way.

    Think about it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Found the details, link:

    http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_restraints/head_restraint_info.html

    The dummy used is an average-sized adult male, so these ratings do not apply for kids or even my wife.

    Also, they have not even performed the dynamic test at all on the Sienna, so the ratings are based on static measurements only on the front driver's seat only. That doesn't take the seat frame into account at all.

    Third, for the Ody they specify "EX model seats (AHR)", so the results don't necessarily apply to all models.
  • toyojunktoyojunk Member Posts: 19
    Since Honda dealers are selling Odysseys with nice discounts, will the resale value of the Odyssey drop?

    While shopping for a new minivan, I discovered I can buy an Odyssey for thousands of dollars less than a comparable Sienna or Town and Country.

    Has resale value of Odysseys been much better than Siennas because Odysseys have few options that depreciate faster than the base vehicle? A less expensive used Odyssey LX costs more than a used Sienna LE.
  • yatesjoyatesjo Member Posts: 186
    You've been debunked already toyojunk/Hansienna. Please quit trying to spread misinformation.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    In the other thread your quote for a Sienan XLE well over $30 grand, meanwhile four others offered quotes of out-the-door prices under $30 grand.

    It's not that the Ody costs thousands less, it's that you just got a terrible price quote on the Sienna.

    Keep shopping. Everyone got better prices than you did, by far.

    And with a handle like "toyojunk", do you honestly think people believe you're seriously shopping for another Toyota? I don't.
  • toyojunktoyojunk Member Posts: 19
    Are yatesjo and ateixeira examples of Toyota owners who praise the over priced Sienna but wish they owned the superior Odyssey which handles much nicer and has a much better resale value? :confuse:
  • toyojunktoyojunk Member Posts: 19
    Wise decision. People who closely compare the Odyssey and Sienna will buy the superior Odyssey which handles better than the Sienna and has a better seating arrangement.
  • hause7hause7 Member Posts: 153
    The Odyssey is not Superior to the Sienna.

    Handling? haha were talking about minivans here, besides my Sienna handles just as well as any Odyssey I driven, but I have tons more power and can get better gas mileage.

    By the way dumping the stock tires on the Sienna improves handling tons, we have a set of Yokohama Avid's on ours and it's like night and day.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Hans,

    As Hause points out, the Odyssey isn't superior, but instead, different. The Sienna offers more usable power, better fuel economy, and a more family-oriented soft ride. I do disagree with him about the handling being as good in the Sienna, but hey, disagreements are allowed, right? ;)

    The Odyssey has better seating options, more carlike handling, and in my opinion, better styling inside and out.

    We know you dislike your Sienna, but putting words in other people's mouths is going a little far, hans. Neither is the "Best" or the "Worst." Both are excellent options, which appeal to different people.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I wasn't looking for the best handling, to me the comfortable/quiet ride from the Sienna was a far higher priority in a family trip vehicle. I made the right choice for my family.

    For all the hype about Ody handling you would think Honda would at least include a dead pedal. Seriously, how can you even talk about handling when there is no real deal pedal for your left foot?

    A deal-killer omission, IMHO, even if I had been shopping for handling vs. ride comfort.

    Unless Honda has fixed that since I last test drove one? :confuse:
  • yatesjoyatesjo Member Posts: 186
    Hans, speak for yourself. I'm quite happy with my Sienna and have no desire for a Odyssey. I tested them both thoroughly before I bought my Sienna as my discussions and reviews posted on this site while making my purchase decision attest to. The Honda is a good van, but not the van for my family.

    You are the one who didn't do their research. You are the one who failed to negotiate a good deal. You are the one who continues to lie and spread misinformation disparaging the Sienna. What you are doing is wrong. Stop it!
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    We went with the Ody, but they are both the best of the minivans and we thought also nicer than a lot of the comparable sized SUV's. I found pricing pretty similar, so I'd just drive both and select the one you like better. Either way, I think you'll be happy.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    He paid more for his LE than people are paying for XLEs now.

    Don't take my word for it, read the Prices Paid thread.
  • backwoodsbackwoods Member Posts: 12
    I have a 04 Sienna with 65,000 miles, I may have gotten a lemon? I intended to keep for some time but now I'm looking to replace ASAP. Third set of tires, brakes are spongy and have been since day-one, been replaced and worked on various times. Terrible in cross wind and in and around truck traffic at hi-speeds, more so than any other van. Slightest dust on door seals and it squeaks badly. Transmission shifts erratic in city traffic and has caused some safety issues. Many are having problems with door retainers cracking, requiring major repair or door replacement. Alum. rims are trash/corroded (at 11,000 miles, lost arbitration on this issue). Latest issue is the A/C need repairs to the tune of over $2000.

    There are many positive attributes in the Sienna but the problems tend to obscure this fact.

    AND, someone commented on lack of a foot rest!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reading the various forums, would indicate I am not alone with the these issues. Many with far more than I have stated.

    I sure hope the next van will fair much better. Odyssey is at the top of the list but I still want to check out the VW Routan which uses the Chrysler chassis. Nor have I ruled out the T/C. Had a Dodge Caravan which had over 120,000 and had less service bay time than the current Sienna.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    What, you don't think 04 Odysseys have any problems?

    Seriously? :D

    My 07 has been trouble-free and that was me that mentioned the dead pedal, which is more than a foot rest BTW.
  • speterson1speterson1 Member Posts: 228
    Juice, what exactly is a 'dead pedal', I honestly don't know.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's the imaginary pedal to the left of the clutch (in manuals) or brake (in automatics) pedal where you put your left foot to brace yourself in the driver's seat during cornering or aggressive driving.

    Without a Recaro-style seat with big side bolsters it's all you've got to hold you in place, especially with flat seats and slippery leather.

    Best pic I could find had an aftermarket cover on it but here goes, it's the left-most in this pic:

    image
  • toyojunktoyojunk Member Posts: 19
    You are not alone. Tires and other items wear out much more quickly on the Sienna than the Odyssey or Chrysler minivans. Cross winds affect the Sienna much more than with either Odyssey or Chrysler minivans. Routine maintenance is also more expensive than with Chrysler minivans. Front door stop welds are defective in 2006 and 2007 Siennas. Earlier Siennas had engine sludge problems.

    Buy the Odyssey.
  • siennamisiennami Member Posts: 116
    Here we go again with the generalizations.....you cannot say that these items wear out more quickly on the Sienna because they don't on ALL Siennas. To be honest, the tires and brakes on my '03 VDub Passat wore out within the first two years that I owned the vehicle, which truly disgusted me, and the tires were Michelins, which I thought were pretty good tires. Shows what I knew! Now about the door welds: as I understand, there is a TSB on this defect. So, if your vehicle has this problem, can it not be repaired? And, again, does it affect ALL Siennas? Yes, earlier Siennas had engine sludge problems, but not ALL Siennas. You are making it seem as if every Sienna that leaves the factory has those problems. If yours has those problems and you can't get Toyota to fix them, for Heaven's sake, please trade it! I am so tired of reading your complaints about a perfectly good vehicle. You know what? My Sienna's brakes have developed some worrisome squeaking. Yeah, the vehicle is only 2 years old and has only 20k miles on it, and I'm the only driver. Yes, I know that they need to be checked, which they will be when I get the oil changed. Do I think this is inherent to this vehicle? I don't know. When you decide to purchase a vehicle, look everything over carefully, check prices carefully, test-drive carefully, and MAKE YOUR CHOICE CAREFULLY. If you then choose the wrong vehicle, it is time to eat that decision and move on! Stop complaining so much and enjoy your vehicle. If you can't, please buy your OdyT&CRoutanWhateverTheHeckPleasesYouBetter! :shades:
  • hause7hause7 Member Posts: 153
    Stop posting ignorant posts about the Sienna. Unless you owned all 3 how can you make these statements. We have owned a Chrysler van is it was effected way more by crosswinds than either our 04 & 07 Sienna's. LOL Stock tires wear out on just about every car pretty quick including the Odyssey. As I said before in other post my neighbor has an 06(or 07 I forget) Odyssey and they had to replace there tires with under 30,000 miles on them. We just replaced our brakes and got a respectable 40,000 miles out of them, can't complain we do a lot of city driving and drive in hilly areas, plus we think the previous owners towed with it.

    Actually 07 Sienna's aren't affected by the door weld problem, only 04-06 Sienna's and they replace it free of charge. Our 04 didn't have the problem and our 04 had 90,000 miles.

    Sludge affected only a handful of 1st generation Sienna's.

    I agree with siennami please just trade your Sienna in, if you really own one, so you can stop annoying everyone.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The sludge issue affected engines THREE GENERATIONS ago.

    The current 3.5l 2GR engines series has been excellent.

    The prior 3.3l V6 engines were also very reliable.

    Sure, if you go back 3 generations, to the long-ago phased out 3.0l V6, you will find cases of sludge.

    Funny thing is he probably knew that when you purchased his 2006 Sienna, so he didn't care then. Actions speak louder than words. ;)
  • toyojunktoyojunk Member Posts: 19
    According to the Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc Mailing titled:

    "2004 THROUGH 2007 TOYOTA SIENNA DOOR CHECK MOUNTING PANEL WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT".

    Why didn't all 2004 thru 2007 Toyota Sienna Owners receive their copy - or, do some who claim to own a Sienna NOT actually own a Sienna?
  • siennamisiennami Member Posts: 116
    I don't know why I'm responding to this, since you are very determined to find something wrong with your Sienna, but here goes. I have an '07 Sienna; I have no reason to lie, neither does Hause or Juice, but I digress. As I understand it, the reason why SOME owners haven't received that notice is because the weld problem affects those vehicles with certain VIN numbers. My vehicle doesn't match that number. Now, if you've received that number, GO GET YOUR VEHICLE FIXED.....and stop complaining!
  • hause7hause7 Member Posts: 153
    I completely Agree with Siennami. Go get your Sienna fixed and stop complaining. Oh and I do own a Sienna, had an 04 as well. I have pics of our 07 on Siennachat.com go check them out. I have no reason to lie about owning a minivan lol.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    My 07 is also unaffected.

    I wish it was, though. Free warranty. Think about it.

    And it's not like other vans haven't had sliding door problems, including early Odys.

    Someone just asked volvomax the trade-in value of an 07 Ody in the RWTIV thread so this should be interesting. What triggered hansienna's rampage against the van he chose to buy and previously regarded well was the low-ball offer to trade his van at his dealer.

    You buy at retail, you trade/sell at wholesale, and EVERY seller will be disappointed with the offer.
  • kcdude1kcdude1 Member Posts: 5
    I need help making decision between 2008 Sienna LE(Salsa Red) vs 2006 Honda Odyssey(Silver) EX-L. My neighbor is willing to sell me his Honda Odyssey at a good trade in price of $14000 which has 62500 miles on it . It has all the standard features of EX-L with sunroof but does not have GPS or DVD player which is not a big deal for me. It has new tires which were installed few months back. The other car I am comparing to is from a small time dealer who is willing to sell me the 2008 Sienna LE with 38,200 miles on it for $16500. So basically for $2500 more I will get a 2 year newer model with 25,000 miles difference minus the bells & whistles like no leather seat, sun roof and single power door on Sienna LE vs dual power door on Odyssey. Consumer reports shows problems with transmission for 05 & 06 models for the odyssey. The Sienna LE was a rental vehicle which was bought at an auction by the dealer. So that concerns me a bit as compared to buying my neighbors Odyssey. Please help me make a better decision for buying the used van.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    A rental is a rental. Noone who used it cared about that van.

    You know the history of your neighbor's car, in this case, so I think that's your better bet.

    See if you can still buy an extended warranty to cover the Ody. They would be under a grand if it were new, the catch is you're over the 60k mile powertrain warranty so you may not get the same good pricing on the warranty.

    I the Sienna were a one-owner used car I'd lean towards the newer van that's still under the powertrain warranty, but I believe the fact that it was used commercially as a rental voids that warranty anyway.

    I would pass on the rental and buy your neighbor's Ody.
  • yatesjoyatesjo Member Posts: 186
    Tough call with the Odyssey tranny troubles versus a newer, but off rental Sienna. There is always the third option: none of the above and keep looking.

    If you really don't want to take option 3, Then I say go with the Ody. It is better equipped, you know and (presumably) trust the previous owner and the price is lower.

    I never would go near a rental vehicle. Everyone I've know who thought they were getting a deal buying a car off the rental lot ended up paying through the nose for repairs.
  • minniemouse27minniemouse27 Member Posts: 7
    We are on our third rental/fleet vehicle and haven't had any problems yet (although we've only had the third vehicle for 3 days so far!).

    We purchased an 03 Mitsubishi Galant from Enterprise in 2004 w/ 30K on it and it worked great... no major repairs at all. We had it until 12/07 when I was the center vehicle in a 5-car pileup on the highway... which I walked away from!

    Two weeks later we purchased a 10mo 2007 VW Jetta that had been part of a fleet program. We have yet to do anything w/ it other than change the oil and purchase a new set of tires (just last month). The car had 11K on it when we bought it, I have a 50mile commute each way round trip and it has been an excellent car.

    On Monday we picked up a certified used 2008 Sienna LE from a Toyota dealership. We are really happy w/ it so far but it's only been 3 days! :)

    Interestingly, every Sienna on their lot was classified as a former rental car according to their CarFax reports.

    I definitely wouldn't dismiss a former rental car when purchasing a used vehicle!
  • kcdude1kcdude1 Member Posts: 5
    Thank you all for the advice. My neighbour not being a good driver had few scratches one dent on the left passenger door and few inches crack in the front bumper. The body shop gave a quote of $3700 to fix it out of which parts was $700 and rest all was labor and taxes. The mechanic checked it out and said everything was fine with it.I am ok with few scratches and dents and probably that is the reason my neighbor is giving it to us at that price since 06 odyssey EX-L's on craigslist in kansas city area are going around for $20,000 with some of them having less miles.As far as rental cars go I had bought a five year old toyota corolla which was a leased/rental vehicle from a dealer and never had a problem after having owned it for over 6 years now. My wife had got a mazda protege from carmax with around 15,000miles on it way back in 1999 and she never had any problems on it. So it just depends on the car you get I believe and normally you will not have problems with honda,toyota's,nissan or mazda.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You can add Subaru to that list, mine gave me 9 trouble-free years, and still sold for 40% of what I paid for it...nine years later!

    If the neighbor banged up that Ody and didn't bother to fix it, that may raise a bit of concern. Then again the price is good and at least you know the history. If you're OK with the cosmetic damage, it could be seen as a bargain. If you have to fix it, not so much...

    Good luck either way. Let us know what you decide.
  • toyojunktoyojunk Member Posts: 19
    # 1. A Sienna LE is halfway between an Odyssey LX and EX in desired features. Power sliding doors on both sides and a power liftgate are "nice to have" but the Sienna LE has the right side power sliding door which is the one most often used.

    # 2. To get comparable features, compare an Odyssey EX-L to a Sienna XLE. To get the comparable features, forget a Sienna LE because the Sienna XLE has to have the optional leather and sunroof package to be comparable to an Odyssey EX-L.

    # 3. IF you buy a used vehicle with scratches and dents, you won't have to worry about them in the future.

    # 4. Depends on your needs: The Sienna LE has THE most space behind the 3rd row seat if you need to take a lot of luggage on trips BUT the Odyssey has the MOST comfortable seats for all passengers with separately controlled temperature for the driver and front passenger.

    # 5. Most people do NOT have problems after buying a former rental or fleet vehicle.
  • kcdude1kcdude1 Member Posts: 5
    We have decided to go with the 2006 Odyssey EX-L. We will have to wait on my neighbor to buy their new Highlander before we can get their van. Thanks again to all of you for your knowledgable advice.

    Lionel
  • delthekingdeltheking Member Posts: 1,152
    Sienna is much better than the Odyssey in MHO.It is quieter and has a comfy ride.Odyssey has good handling but has a lot of road noise that can get tiring.
    Also 60k miles odyssey for 14 k which needs work done..Seriously,avoid it.A used 2 year newer Sienna with 25k less miles is definitely better.You can negotiate with the dealer for 1k or1.5k less
    And it still has powertrain warr..A rental car is well maintained by the rental agency.Most used cars on dealers lots nowadays are ex-rentals.Dont worry too much about it being a rental..
    So my advice--Go with Sienna ..Just MHO.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's a bit tough to get the exact equipment from one van to the other, but I found a few rough equivalents when I was shopping:

    Ody LX ~= Sienna CE pkg 2
    Ody EX ~= Sienna LE pkg 3 (this is what I got)
    EX-L ~= XLE pkg 6
    EX-L-RES ~= XLE pkg 7
    EX-L-RES-NAV ~= XLE pkg 8

    Toyota shuffles the packages each year, so it's hard to get an exact match, but you can come close.

    A lot of folks assume an Ody LX = Sienna LE, but that's not the case at all. The LX is the base Ody, and the LE is the mid-line Sienna, so it comes with more equipment (6CD changer, steering wheel audio controls, puddle lamps, power 3rd row windows, roof rack cross bars, lumbar, fold flat passenger seat, heated mirrors, etc.).

    Not to mention, I'm not even sure that Toyota builds a Sienna LE without at least package 1, and that would add one power sliding door, a trip computer (only on the Ody Touring), and a universal garage door opener. So in reality the LE pkg 1 is about half way between the Ody LX and EX, probably closer to the latter.

    This was true in 2007, at least, though of course Honda and Toyota change content slightly (adding and removing stuff, by the way) each year.

    We should have a cost-cutting police thread. For 2008 Toyota deleted daytime running lights from some models, though all you have to do is insert a fuse. The Tow Prep package (a pair of oil cooler) also became an option, rather than standard. They did add Bluetooth, but IMHO they cost-cut more than they added.
  • joyrider2joyrider2 Member Posts: 1
    Being owners of both Honda and Toyota vehicles, you would be a lot happier with the Sienna. Toyota parts are more durable and the ride is much quieter.

    I would not buy another Honda. Why do you think your neighbour is buying the Highlander?
  • phil78phil78 Member Posts: 4
    Hi all,

    I'm new to the group and have a few questions. My wife and I are looking for a minivan and thought we had settled on the Odyssey. However, my wife is very tall and can't get comfortable in the Odyssey; it has a "hump" where her left foot needs to rest, and the edge of this hump is not wide enough to properly support her foot. She tried adjusting the 8 way driver's seat, steering wheel, etc, and still could never get comfortable. Someone suggested putting an angled block of wood in this area and velcroing it to the floor (apparently gluing or nailing it in might void the warantee). My concern is that this may possibly slip or rotate and compromise safety.

    By contrast, my wife was easily able to get comfortable in the Sienna, but I am concerned over both its poor rear crash test ratings and its 4 star driver protection rating (whereas all other new vans I have read about had a 5 star rating here).

    Any thoughts?

    Thanks!

    Phil
  • hause7hause7 Member Posts: 153
    I don't know why it got a 4-star rating the IIHS gave it a good rating, which is the highest they give for both front and side. It did really well in both impacts. We were rear-ended in our previous 04 Sienna and walked away, they only test the actual seat and headrest. Starting with the 2009 Sienna Toyota put in a new headrest design which I think are the active kind so it is just as safe as an Odyssey.

    I would go with what makes you and your wife more comfortable. :D
  • bobber1bobber1 Member Posts: 217
    Buy the Toyota or you're going to hear about it for 20 years. :P

    Seriously it's a good van. I love my Honda, but there is nothing wrong at all with Toyota. Their safety record is nearly equal.
  • dbtdbt Member Posts: 298
    I have a similar problem with the Odyssey (I'm tall also), also on the passenger side. The "dead pedal" that's not a dead pedal is something that should be changed, imo. I instead have a Pilot, and find it more comfortable than the Odyssey.

    The rear crash test depends substantially on headrest design. To score well, many have adopted headrests that tilt forward substantially (see the new Outback / Legacy, for example). Many find these a bit uncomfortable, and some end up turning the headrest around, defeating the design. The Sienna headrest design is a bit old, and should be updated with the redesign (due early 2010). But, rear whiplash, while more common than other injuries, is also a much less significant risk than damage from front or side impact. One site I like is informedforlife.org, who takes the different safety ratings and combines them into one statistic (driver fatality risk). The Sienna scores well (63, median of 100, lower is better; this is best 10%), but Odyssey is a little better (53, best 1%).

    So, I'd say they're pretty close safety wise, and would go more for comfort.
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    I'd say this is an easy deccision. They are both pretty close, but have a few driving differences. Test drive and pick whichever you like driving and riding in better.
  • odyssey_stinxodyssey_stinx Member Posts: 1
    An important factor in any decision to buy is the willingness of the automaker to back their product and on this point Honda is the clear loser. We have a 2001 Odyssey with just over 95k miles and we just installed our 4th transmission!!! I have owned Honda's exclusively since 1979 and all other vechicles were fine...it seems Honda didn't think through the engineering issues related to producing a large minivan very well and have sufferred a tremendous loss of reputation as a result. Honda settled a class-action litigation against them years ago and expect another one soon...all related to this poorly-designed, poorly-made transmission. Try googling "honda odyssey transmission problems" and see what turns up.

    Due probably to a sour economy and mounting losses related to the Odyssey, Honda now refuses to stand behind their product. You can only assume their are trying to stop the bleeding. Their customer service people are about as rude, harsh and disrespectful as any group I've ever encountered...likely because of the constant pressure of dealing with hacked-off Odyssey customers.

    I can only give one piece of advice: Do not buy an Odyssey. Run, don't walk, from the dealership. Do not buy a Honda of any kind...you will be sorry. Believe me, you will be sorry. It may not be immediately, but you will be sorry. Honda has gone the way of GM - fat, complacent and now flipping the middle finger to the people that made them what they are.

    There are some good new crossovers that do what the minivan does....do some research and purchase one.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Also beware of "trolls," people who swoop in, make a few very opinionated posts (in this case, the poster has only made one post) and never come back. I'd buy whichever you and yours are more comfortable driving.
  • andy603andy603 Member Posts: 59
    Hi all, Hoping to provide some of my personal experiences here with Sienna (we had 2 of them 05 and 07) and why we're going for an Odyssey this time around: (reason's are in order of most agitating to least)

    1) Navigation- on ALL Siennas you can't operate the nav while moving (much to our surprise all 4 of the Toyota dealers we spoke to 'didn't realize that'. I'm sure someone else has posted this here, but I'm just conveying my personal experience. So long as I or my wife sitting in the PASSENGER seat can't enter a destination while moving, its a dead deal. Our finding are that only Acura and Honda allow that. Ya'd think if safety was that much of an issue that they'd put a sensor in the passenger seat to allow use of the nav while driving IF someone was sitting there. Secondarily, many times said, the nav controls S**K vs Honda/Acura.

    2) DVD controls. Even in the 2010 Sienna the ONLY way you can put a DVD in is REACH BACK and bend like a Circque du Soleil performer. Ody- right in front of you in the front. And Toyota wants to talk safetly!? Up to 2009 Sienna the remote control for DVD required us to REACH back again to control the DVD vs in Ody just hold the control and point anywhere in car. HOW CRAZY is that! 'nuff said

    3) Lastly, run-flats, I'm sure many times mentioned here: BOTH of our Siennas had run flats and got about 12-15k miles per tire. That is INSANE.

    4) 2010 Sienna, NO apparent solutions to ANY of our top 3 issues.

    Just my personal experiences. You decide. Don't hesitate to comment and I'll provide responses. thx!
  • minniemouse27minniemouse27 Member Posts: 7
    We solved all the problems that you outlined by opting for a Sienna w/o the nav or DVD system and got regular tires instead of the run flats.

    We have a dual screen DVD system that works great and this way each child (we only have two) has their own screen. It also allows one or both of them to use them w/ headphones. It has a remote control, but there are also controls on the "main" screen of the player, and dd can handle them just fine.

    Our nav system is one we can move from car to car and doesn't require the car to be still before reprogramming.

    FWIW, we make our decisions on which vehicle to buy based on how reliable the engine is, the safety features and how it drives. The "extras" are just icing on the cake....and obviously can be obtained elsewhere!
  • andy603andy603 Member Posts: 59
    Great ideas that people should be aware of to make their decisions. From my research, Honda has as good safety& realiability record as Sienna. The reason I like the factory installed Nav and DVD is for convenience/look but obviously thats a personal decision. I suspect your DVD has to be loaded from the back seats too? To me, thats a safety concern. Also, the build in Nav has a rearview cam, not sure if you can do that with yours. At the end of the day maybe I'm just burned out on Sienna and frustrated that for 7 years now they have done a single thing to fix the problems I've mentioned. I must say however, mechanically I've had ZERO problems in nearly 7 years.
  • minniemouse27minniemouse27 Member Posts: 7
    Our DVD player attaches to the backs of the front row headrests (very securely...I'm a geek about safety) and one of the screens pops forward to load/unload the DVDs. I was able to take care of it from the passenger seat in our Jetta ... not sure if I could in the Sienna but that isn't important since dd can swap them out herself now.

    Another upside to not having the player installed is that we only put it in the car when we are planning trips 1hr or longer.... so the kids can't ask to watch it when we are just running around locally!

    No we can't do the rearview cam unless we do something aftermarket...but we weren't all that interested in it ....it would of have been nice but it wasn't all that important of a feature. I was more interested in the side airbags and how many upper tether anchors were available (for car seats). Oh and I'm loving the full "eighth" seat too!
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