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Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna

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Comments

  • hansiennahansienna Member Posts: 2,312
    Pacific Northwest has lovely, moderate weather 12 months of the year. Meanwhile in most of the United States the temperatures vary drastically from winter to summer.
         Rear vent windows are very nice in HOT weather to push the hot air out the back. They are closed once the interior of the van has cooled off.
  • soyyo1soyyo1 Member Posts: 18
    DATE: November 4, 2004

    TO: All Honda Sales, Service & Parts Managers

    FROM: American Honda Service Division

    RE: Campaign Announcement and Stop Sale Order

    Today, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., announced to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) its intention to recall selected 2005 Odysseys equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS) in order to inspect/replace the rear wheel speed sensors.

    Basic Problem: Some rear wheel speed sensors may not be installed correctly, which causes the sensor to report an incorrect wheel speed to the anti-lock brake system (ABS) control unit. The on-board diagnostic system quickly identifies this error under most normal driving conditions and activates numerous warning lamps and disables the ABS. Brake application below the ABS threshold, or after ABS is disabled, is not affected. However, if brake application exceeding the ABS threshold occurs before the malfunction is detected, the ABS control unit may reduce brake force to all wheels. An unexpected loss of brake force can cause a crash.

    Stop-Sale Order: Applies to all 2005 Odysseys equipped with ABS between VIN 5FNRL38***B000192 and VIN 5FNRL38***B019361 in your vehicle inventory. Vehicles with VINs below or above those listed are not affected and may be sold.

    NOTE: Only a small number of vehicles in the above range are affected. Your District Sales Manager will give you a list of vehicles in your inventory that need inspection/repair.

    Vehicles within the VIN range CANNOT be sold or leased with a known defect.

    NOTE: It is illegal to sell or lease a vehicle with a known defect. If any affected vehicle is sold/leased to a retail customer with a known defect, the dealership will be entirely responsible for all legal consequences, should an injury occur as a result of a failure of the defective part.

    Support Materials: American Honda will post its recall repair service bulletin on ISIS the evening of November 5, 2004 (visible 11/6/04).

    Campaign Parts: Less than one percent (1%) of the affected vehicles will need repair parts. Please refer to AH Parts Divisions iN Message for ordering procedure.

    Repair Strategy: The vast majority of vehicles will only need to have the two rear wheel ABS sensor to knuckle clearances checked with a feeler gauge. A small percentage (1%) of inspected vehicles will have excess clearance which will require replacement of the ABS sensor.

    Customer Notification: Approximately 2,465 vehicles are affected by this Recall Campaign. Notifications will be mailed to all known owners (approximately November 11, 2004). You will be notified of the exact customer mailing date by iN Message.
    .....
    ....Honda start with problem already
  • btk413btk413 Member Posts: 8
    I have a 2004 Sienna Limited. There is a transmission software upgrade that fixes the "pause". Siennaclub.org has the TSB for this issue.
  • suiosuio Member Posts: 42
    Other porblems reported by the 05 Odyssey owners:

    (1) Wind noises over 60 MPH
    (2) Steering wheel vibration
    (3) Sliding door rattling sound
  • mcase2mcase2 Member Posts: 160
    The measurement of the third row Sienna bottom cushion is 18 1/2" the distance between the cushion and the base of the second row seat below the hinge is 8 1/2" when the second row is moved all the way back. It is 13 1/2" when the second row seat is all the way forward.
  • yatesdyatesd Member Posts: 60
    Over the last few weeks I have been leaning towards the Odyssey EX, instead of the Sienna XLE.

    However, it seems the ground clearance is much greater on the Toyota (6.9 inches). What is the ground clearance on the Honda? I would think this would still be an advantage in the snow, even comparing FWD versions.

    In addition, I like the rear independent suspension of the Honda, but I have seen older Odysseys sag excessively when loaded up. I can't find the payload capacity of the Honda. I think the Toyota is rated around 1500 pounds and comes standard with a towing package. Is this greater than most?

    --
    Doug
  • wevkwevk Member Posts: 179
    "In addition, I like the rear independent suspension of the Honda, but I have seen older Odysseys sag excessively when loaded up. I can't find the payload capacity of the Honda. I think the Toyota is rated around 1500 pounds and comes standard with a towing package. Is this greater than most?"

    We occasionally load up the back of our van, a 2001 T&C equipped with load leveling rear suspension (and tow package). You can't tell when its loaded whereas out 1996 T&C dragged it's tail. We are also considering a Honda to replace our 2001 T&C. Another consideration
    WVK
  • baileybradbaileybrad Member Posts: 33
    We can't see the logic in paying the kind of money you paid and not getting 2 power doors. We looked at the 2 vans and needed to compare an XLE Sienna to an EX Ody to have a somewhat fair comparison. We, too, could get an '05 Sienna for pretty much invoice but the deal we got on the Ody (around $1000 off of invoice depending how you factor our trade) made the Ody a much better deal. We were only going to upgrade the XLE with the basic safety features that come standard on the Ody....poor idea by Toyota. Hope you enjoy your van.
  • baileybradbaileybrad Member Posts: 33
    I would think that a ton more hot air can be forced from the vehicle from the mid seat windows being lowered in either the Sienna or Ody...compared to the samll amount of hot air that the Sienna can force out with the still functioning vent windows. I'll take the side curtain airbags and front shoulder airbags as standard over the vent windows.
  • truckguytruckguy Member Posts: 15
    Back row vent windows sure are handy when your two boys decide to imitate the campfire bean-eating scene from Blazing Saddles!!!
  • jsb16jsb16 Member Posts: 64
    I bought a '99 Odyssey and am looking to replace it with either the 05 Odyssey or Sienna. The Honda NAV and RES look much nicer than the Toyota counterparts but my Lexus is so much more reliable than my Honda that I am scared to buy another Honda. I have had the door motors repaired at least three times and the transmission replaced in 69K miles so far. Fortunately I bought the extended warranty. Does anyone know when the Sienna is getting its next upgrade to match the batter electronics on the Honda? Even compared to my Lexus LS430 DVD based NAV system which is reported to be among the best, the Honda system with 6CD changer looked very nice.
  • grant2grant2 Member Posts: 30
    May have agreement with dealer to purchase XLE for $27,000. $25,831 invoice + $565 freight + $96 floor mats + $332 regional advertising + $176 profit.

    Is this as low as anyone else is getting?

    We were close to purchasing the '05 Odyssey EX, but am concerned about the alleged wind noise at high speeds. It seems a Odyssey EX is greater value than Sienna XLE based on the standard safety features. How important are the safety features, like side airbags and vsc? Should I look to add those safety features on the Sienna XLE?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    To find out what others are paying, try the Prices Paid & Buying Experiences board.

    Steve, Host
  • chiawchiaw Member Posts: 92
    Wrong. If consumer report is bogus, then your post is a lie.

    #1. Odyssey does not have better leg room for all three rows.
    front Sienna 42.9 vs Ody 40.8
    2nd row both are 39.6
    3rd row sienna 39.5 vs 41.1

    The problem with Ody is that 3rd row is narrow.
    In fact all three row, the ody are narrower than Sienna. Hence Odyssey space is actually smaller than Sienna.

    #2. Wrong on temperature control. Sienna XLE and XLE limited has true 3 zone automatic temperature contorl. However, Odyssey Touring is the only one with true 3 zone automatic control. Therefore it's other way around. Odyssey only has true 3 zone control on the most expansive Touring, while Sienna has it except the CE and LE.
  • chiawchiaw Member Posts: 92
    Toyota already upgrade the navi for 2005 Sienna. And if you get the limited, your car already pre-wired for voice command.

    The 2005 Navi has POI search feature and it matches Odyssey in terms of search capabilities. The biggest draw back on the toyota navi are as follows-

    1. No navigation input access when moving.
    2. Less voice command.

    The difference between odyssey navi and sienna navi is not that big any more. Although Odyssey screen is still better and some menu are still more logically designed.

    Toyota navi has some advantage as well. It's now easier to program multiple destinations at once. So you can pre-program your entire day trip.

    For RES. Honda screen is better for the rear passenger. But honda does not allow front passenger to watch the DVD in park. But honda DVD is easier to control from the front.

    As far as honda quality goes, i have never had good luck with Honda. Honda quality is way over rated.
  • chiawchiaw Member Posts: 92
    there is a couple things that Edmunds probably did not spend time to look into.

    1. Navi is bigger and better. Well this is only true to some extent. However toyota did upgrade the navi for 2005. In terms of navi function, its actually slightly better and more powerful than Odyssey. Although voice command and menu design still lags. Therefore this should be much closer for 05.

    2. DVD RES is better. Well, the screen is better. But functionally speaking Toyota allows DVD to be played on the screen up front. So it's really a wash. However Odyssey dvd control from the front is much better.

    The biggest gripe i have with edmunds choice is probably that none of the editor has to live with the van for a long extended period and has to make a pick based on paper and limited experience.

    For example, the HID with manual height control on the sienna is a must. It offers driver to see 3 times further than Odyssey with much brighter light as well. Especially useful when driving in total darkness. Odyssey light are decent but are totally outclassed by Sienna's superior design and use of HID. For this point, Odyssey would take a huge hit in active safety.

    No one probably bothered to fit the van to max capacity as they would find out how narrow odyssey's seats are (espeically the 3rd row).

    Not to mention the lesser quality of plastic and leather in the odyssey.

    Sienna is not perfect either. It's dvd control is horrible from the front. The steering response is poor. But it's better executed minivan than Odyssey.

    Minivan is used to transport 7 to 8 people in comfort for long distance. It's not suppose to be a sports sedan.

    IMHO, honda paid too much on things that really is not minivan priority. It gave one of the best honda steering response to a minivan (while gave one of the worse to the TL). It gives owner a special designed wheel/pax tire package that is more of a problem (try to replace that special tire and wheel combination when you had a damaged tire plus rim in middle of nowhere). honda did not design the interior space well in the new odyssey. It does not include HID. All this for price identical to a better designed van in Sienna limited.

    Yes, i know that picking the latest van to be winner is easiest thing to do. However, is that really the truth? Probably not. Espeically you have to live with it for a long period of time and you will be more aware what is truely needed in a minivan.
  • jm38jm38 Member Posts: 27
    After reading all of these comments on the comparisons of these two vans, I have a question about the navigation system. I have never had one in any of my vehicles, is there a monthly charge like On Star? If so how expensive is it to have this technology? It seems unless it is free, you would have to do a lot of traveling to make it worthwhile.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    none of the editor has to live with the van for a long extended period

    Last I checked our Editor in Chief owned an Odyssey, and both the Odyssey and Sienna have been in our long term fleet. The Ody was a '99 and an '04 is still in the fleet, going on a year.

    Steve, Host
  • chiawchiaw Member Posts: 92
    Like i said, since there is no long term test done on the 05. My point still stands. None of the editor has lived with the new odyssey for a long period of time. So i really fail to see the conclusion that the editor made.

    Odyssey has smaller interior room across all 3 rows. It does not offer true 8 passenger seating. It does not offer HID with height adjustment control which is active safety feature. I simply don't see where Odyssey has any kind of advantage that would take lead. Odyssey has great steering response, marginally better handling, better electronic throttle setting, and better navi/res combination. However, it's not a huge difference.

    But edmunds article failed to mention that toyota has better warranty. Bigger interior room. Upgraded navi for 2005 which makes it nearly as good as on the honda. Available HID that provides 3 times more range than Odyssey's headlight at night. Overal better plastic and leather. It's hard to see where Odyssey is heads and above competition.

    Both van has its draw backs. But a minivan is still a minivan. Space and safety should be priority. Unless editors at edmunds decide not to drive in the dark where head light does not matter. I fail to see how much safety improvement that Odyssey has made and making it the best minivan out there.
  • noburgersnoburgers Member Posts: 500
    I'm leaning towards the Odyssey over the Sienna to replace my '00 Odyssey. I drove both vans, and found the gas pedal very touchy on the Odyssey during parking maneuvers, but was getting adjusted to it. Found that I really needed to compare the XLE with all the optional safety equipment to the EX trim level. I am disappointed by the lack of rear vent windows on Ody which we DO use to eliminate odors (that come from inside or outside the van). Also surprised that EX still does not have power passenger seat. The XLE had some std features that are extra on the Ody like cassette, fog lights, lthr wheel, cross bars, etc. and had a power pass seat not on the Ody. I hated the shifter location and mechanism and found myself leaning and fumbling over it. The folding seat mechanism was also a big pain. Even the sales person couldn't work it easily. Also has anyone else had an issue with rearward visibility in the Sienna? Those 2nd row headrests are HUGE and block the side windows, and the rear window is much narrower than the one on the Ody. I think the shifter and visibility issues may sway me over all other differences. It will be up to how well my wife sees it.
  • tbilltbill Member Posts: 5
    Now that our 2nd is on the way, my wife and I are in the market for a van. I tested both the fully loaded '05 Touring Odyssey and the fully loaded '05 Sienna XLE FWD Limited. In summary:

    Odyssey:
    - Liked the acceleration
    - Liked the gas mileage
    - I prefered the exterior looks
    - Liked the RES and the Nav better

    Sienna:
    - Liked the interior looks much more
    - Wife liked the exterior looks
    - Liked the seats better
    - Liked the better warranty

    In summary, we liked both cars. The clincher for our decision to go with the Sienna - price. The best price that I could get for the fully-loaded Honda Touring was $38,310 ($500 off MSRP after Destination). The Sienna price from 2 differenet dealerships $34,500 (with the Running Boards and Rear Spoiler - $34,000 without).

    Given this $3-4K difference, I can live with a slightly slower car that gets 1-2 less MPG but has a better warranty and more rear shoulder room.
  • odysmithodysmith Member Posts: 3
    Was VCM ever your consideration?
  • tbilltbill Member Posts: 5
    I only considered VCM in terms of the gas mileage and liked that as part of the Odyssey. Unfortunately, 2 mpg for the amount that I drive yields less than $150/year in benefit which is not enough to offset the $4K difference in starting price.
  • trojanlighttrojanlight Member Posts: 2
    Recently tested both '05 Odyssey LX, EX-L, Touring and '05 Sienna XLE..

    Both wife and I liked Sienna's interior design, dashboard. Wife specially liked the availability of colors (interior and exterior).

    Sienna runs quieter than Odyssey even with EX-L and touring.

    We wanted to have Nav and DVD.. thus it came down to price..
    Received offers for :
    Odyssey EX-L RES/NAV @ $34,000 (including the delivery fee).. Initial offer was $34650
    Sienna XLE HQ (#8) package 36,000 (initial offer was $38000.. I think they will/can come down to $34K-35K range).

    we put $500 refundable deposit on Honda Odyssey.. wife had to choose her second choice colors since the colors she wanted would have us wait for more than 6 months..She is still thinking if Sienna comes down to $33-34K we should go for Sienna..

    I prefer Odyssey because it has all kinds of new features that are already blended into the the card design.. i.e. voice recognition and more controls on the steering wheel.. also noticed the baby seat hookup in Sienna XLE is very rudimentary/after thought: they cut the leather seats and left the interior sponge exposed with no finish on the sides of the leather. Odyssey is different.. the hinge for the child seat hook up is a hook that comes out without cutting the leather seats..
  • lobsenzalobsenza Member Posts: 619
    There are 2 types of leather on Siennas (except limited): Factory installed and port installed. One may be better quality and be finished better than the other.
  • tbilltbill Member Posts: 5
    Trojanlight:

    You should be able to get a much better price on the Sienna. Depending on your location, I could see you getting sub-$33K easy. However, even if you do, that price on the Honda seems like a solid deal and I would still take it.

    Tbill
  • cpstarcpstar Member Posts: 31
    is there a monthly charge
    Nope, it is "free." No monthly charges are involved. The data is derived from a disc-driven unit and the satellite. The disc can be replaced periodically, say 2-3 years to include additional features that may be added in the future. The cost is typically $200-$250 to upgrade the disc, which is available through the respective manufaturers.
    Another point is that in the case of Ody NAV, the voice command also controls other systems such as A/C and radio. Overall, the Ody NAV is state-of-the-art, and in an Acura TL one can also get real time trafic reports (n/a on Ody).
  • cpstarcpstar Member Posts: 31
    Touring was $38,310 ($500 off MSRP after Destination). The Sienna price from 2 differenet dealerships $34,500
    Tbill, are you sure you are comparing the fully loaded (assume RES+NAV)XLE Ltd FWD to Touring (fully loaded). The numbers I have worked out give the INVOICE price of ~$36.5 K for the XLE LTD. Maybe you are comparing the price of a LTD with different options or XLE (not LTD) with RES and NAV. Just wondering.
  • odysmithodysmith Member Posts: 3
    Anybody looked into the reliability of VCM. Any documented evidence on this type of technology? My thought was more moving parts more problems in the future. Am I right on this?
  • doug889doug889 Member Posts: 60
    I just bought a 05 Sienna XLE Ltd. with NAV/RES for $36,500, $2900 off the sticker. Love the ride and the HID, but hate that it lost the cd changer because of the nAV.
  • carzzzcarzzz Member Posts: 282
    The interior design of both cars are impressive!
    Odyssey seems to have "cheaper"(doesnt look good) plastic inside.
    Sienna has the worst minimal third row leg room, the horizontal legroom (hip to knee) is about 23.5 in, and Odyssey has about 27 in.
    Odyssey 3rd row hiproom is not smaller than sienna, the 3 seats has a total size of 46 in while sienna has 49 in.
    I found that Odyssey seats are so much easier to operate than sienna on both 2nd and 3rd row cuz its lighter and easier to "move".
    btw, the +1 seat in Odyssey is very comfortable, it is higher than two seats beside it, the seat itself is 12 in, but it can fit a hip-width over 18 in.
    Also, notice that Sienna has the controllable gear from 1 to D(5), the "4th" gear, which can be useful for downhill or passing that Odyssey could not manually adjust to! Also, like the 3rd row fip-out window, fog-light
    Odyssey has better safety such as side-air bag, curtain air bag, traction, Vechicle Stability assist!
    If two vechicle has all the best feature combine, i am sure it is going to beat the 2007 BMW minivan! hahaha.......
  • chiawchiaw Member Posts: 92
    So a 3.5" less minimal room is worst??
    hmm, the 2nd row seat can be moved to give more room. Just because sienna's 2nd row seat can move further back do not mean it's 3rd row leg room is significantly poor. In reality ios about 1.5" difference.

    In addition, 3" narrower 3rd row seat on the odyssey means its not smaller than sienna? This logic is absurd. A 3.5" minimal leg difference (which can be adjusted) is a demonstration of worst. While the non-adjustable 3" narrower 3rd seat is odyssey is not smaller than sienna?? If you have a bias, admit as such.

    Also, 12" plus one seat is comfortable for an adult? You said yourself, the plus one seat cushion is higher than the seat next to it. So how can anyone feel comfortable with only 12" width?? Also it can magically expand to 18"??

    Moreover, last time i check LE is available with pax SRS/3row SRS and VSC. Therefore this should not be advantage for Odyssey.
  • carzzzcarzzz Member Posts: 282
    Odyssey is longer! and Sienna is Wider! yes indeed that Sienna has a 1.5 in(horizontal) advantage over Odyssey!
    The seat belt position(slot) on each side are 2 to 3 in away from the +1 seat, which can fit a bigger person!
  • carzzzcarzzz Member Posts: 282
    i mean on the second row MAX leg room! 1.5 in more than Odyssey!
  • denver5357denver5357 Member Posts: 319
    Wife and I are expecting second child so we have been looking hard at minivans. Quickly narrowed it to 05 Honda and Toyota. Test drove both. Have a couple price quotes on both (though still working two of them). It is a virtual tie! Argh!

    There are plusses and minuses both ways, but two things stood out to me and I wondered if anyone had any comment:

    1. When I test drove the Ody uphill, there was a low thrumming noise that you could hear when you pressed the accelerator. Foot off, noise gone. I didn't hear it in the Sienna. Anyone hear this? It sounded at first like a car was behind me that had a bad muffler and I was hearing that car, but no, it was the Ody.

    2. AWD. What does everyone think about the need for AWD in a minivan? We live in Denver, which gets some snow though it melts fast.

    This decision is driving me crazy. I'm trying to even get accessories thrown in, but the dealers are pretty firm. Thanks for any input! Our target price is $31-34K, and the offers we are getting are $34K and somewhat above.
  • rockygalrockygal Member Posts: 4
    denver5357,

    What are the quotes for ody and sienna. I live in Denver too and unable to decide between the two.
    I am thinking whichever is cheaper i would go for that.
  • denver5357denver5357 Member Posts: 319
    The prices are heavily influenced by our specific needs, of course. We looked at the Honda EX-L with RES & NAVI and $1200 worth of accessories and ended up with a quote of $38,503 INCLUDING tax and dealer handling fee. That is basically 1000 below MSRP with NO breaks on anything else, which irked me. I think I am getting a better price outside Denver but am still working on it. Toyota has been a little slow to respond. Initiall a comparable vehicle without the accessories and the tax was going to come in around 35K, which seemed high to me. Where have you gone and what have you found? We are not in a hurry and can wait for a wile, so I'm not rushing into this. How do you feel about the two vans? Any impressions?
  • hansiennahansienna Member Posts: 2,312
    The Odyssey EX is MORE attractive inside and out than the Sienna LE and has more horsepower and torque.
         The Odysey 3rd row folding seat is more easily operated than the Sienna. Odyssey 2nd row seats are more comfortable than 2nd row seats of the Sienna. Honda salesmen tend to be more friendly with less pressure than Toyota salesmen.
         I have never hear of that noise in the Odyssey that you mentioned. Test drive another Odyssey for a 2nd opinion.
  • andrewtran71andrewtran71 Member Posts: 840
    Oh, yeah, I'm sure there are a million comments on which one to get and why AWD is important and why it's not.

    But if I live in Denver, and I've seen their hilly ice streets, I would get AWD and Run-Flat tires. But that's just one opinion.
  • samnoesamnoe Member Posts: 731
    "The Odyssey EX is MORE attractive inside and out than the Sienna LE..."

    For me, the interior of Sienna is much more attractive than Odyssey. Just my taste.
  • tbilltbill Member Posts: 5
    No, it is a Sienna Limited FWD. However, I still haven't completed the purchase yet because the car hasn't arrived so we'll see if they try any bait and switch on me. If they do then I will go for the Odyssey Touring at $500 off MSRP.

    Tim
  • hpanhpan Member Posts: 61
    We almost bought a 2005 Odyssey EX-L DVD & Navigation but at the last minute went for a 2005 Sienna FWD XLE DVD & Navigation. We would have to pay MSRP for the Ody or wait for a few more days to save $500. We got more than $4K off MSRP on the Sienna. We previously owned a 2001 Ody EX.

    A few factors in our choice of Sienna over Ody:

    1. 2nd-year model of Sienna vs. 1st-year model of Ody. We don't want to deal with any 1st-year bugs.

    2. Sienna has longer power train warranty (5-year/60K-mile vs. 3-year/36K-mile).

    3. quite a few useful features on Sienna (power tail gate, power front passenger seat, power 3rd-row vent windows, 3rd-row sun shades, auto 3-zone climate control, fog lights, auto on/off head lights, day-time running lights, tire pressure monitor, programmable power door lock/unlock, etc.) which the Ody lacks.

    4. We couldn't wait.

    After owning it for almost 4 weeks (over 1K miles now), we really like its luxurious interior and comfortable ride. It reminds us the Lexus GS (current generation) we once owned.

    The regrets I have with it are:

    1. It doesn't handle as well or sporty as our 2001 Ody. We test drove the 2005 Odys (both EX-L and Touring). They handle better than Sienna but not as well as the 2001 Ody. Maybe the tires on the 2005 Odys were over inflated.

    2. It doesn't have a CD changer, which is replaced with a CD player because of the navigation. The CD player is behind the navitation screen, and it makes it more inconvenient to change CD.

    3. No voice command for the navigation.

    4. DVD screen is smaller than 2005 Ody. The DVD player is ceiling-mounted behind the 1st row, and we often bump our heads on it even when the screen is closed. It also makes it very difficult (if not impossible) to change/control the DVD from the 1st row.

    5. DVD external audio input can't be played on the JBL speakers. Although the input is at the 3rd row and you can't control your external input from the 1st row, it would still be nice if I could play my MP3 on the speakers. Not sure whether the 2005 Ody can do this.

    6. Horsepower/torque, which is sufficient but not as powerful as 2005 Ody.

    7. premium gas for performance. The first tank from the dealer was regular. I filled premium after that and felt (but not really sure) some improvement in performance. Gas here hovers around $2.50, and I can save over 20 cents per gallon if I use regular.
  • denver5357denver5357 Member Posts: 319
    You were looking at exactly the models we are looking at. I had wondered about the DVD player. I wish the Ody had 3rd row windows that open. And the 1st year bug thing makes me think. I had hoped I could get the Sienna quote down, but so far it isn't down enough!
  • motmot Member Posts: 19
    denver5357-
    We found ourselves in a similar situation trying to decide between the Odyssey and the Sienna. Offers for both vehicles were nearly identical in price. We got a sitter for the kids and spent a good hour or so really looking at each vehicle and basically test driving them back to back. Ultimately we went with the Odyssey for a number small reasons that others might not even care about. We still felt we would have been happy with the Sienna as well. We gave the Toyota dealership a chance to beat the price of the Honda. They very reluctantly beat it by $50 and acted like they were making the ultimate sacrifice in doing so. We didn't like this tactic on their part and also felt a $50 savings on a $27,000+ purchase wasn't nearly enough for us to go with our 2nd choice (albeit an extremely close 2nd).

    If AWD ends up being important then the Sienna wins out (maybe at that point you want to consider a Pilot, MDX, RX330, or other car-like SUV but with baby carriers, car seats, and small kids the higher step-in height is not as convenient.)
  • heywood1heywood1 Member Posts: 851
    In a July issue of 'Forbes' magazine I just read, there is an article about Toyota's change to its manufacturing system to accomodate (some) special ordering. Mentioned in the article is that Toyota underestimated demand for the AWD Sienna in the California market. Some of you left-coasters in search of the AWD model may want to look to dealers in other parts of the country for better pricing.
  • carnutscarnuts Member Posts: 12
    They both excellent minivan and have the same resale value after 3 years, I will go with the best deal.

    http://www.edmunds.com/news/regularnews/articles/103564/article.h- tml
  • chiawchiaw Member Posts: 92
    Odyssey's biggest advantage over sienna is on its navigation system with better voice command. In addition, Odyssey's electronic throttle initial response is better. Odyssey is not really more powerful than Sienna. However the electronic throttle at initial get go is better, hence drive perceive it to be more powerful. But based on true numbers, Sienna has more HP/toque per lb of weight. Odyssey steering response is better than Sienna. But handling is not much better.

    Sienna is has better and bigger interior. Sienna is quieter than Odyssey. The HVAC control is also placed much better than Odyssey. Sienna has better warranty. Plus for the price you are looking at on the EX-L navi+RES, you could get a Sienna XLE limited already.

    If i were you, I would go with Sienna. For 05, Sienna navi is actually more powerful than Odyssey's navi (other than smallish screen, and less voice command- You can activate voice command on the Sienna, requires a $50 mic to be added to the back of navi- no splicing of wires, plug-n-play).

    In addition, you might want to look into a sienna xle limited. On the limited, the HID control offers manual height adjustment. It gives Sienna head light 3 times more coverage than Odyssey's headlight (degree setting 0). This is an excellent feature if you do a lot of driving at night.

    XLE limited with HO package could be find at $500 to $1000 over invoice. Call around, you should be looking at $36k for limited FWD with pkg 6 +tax and fees.

    Sienna is a better van than Odyssey. If you had a chance go for a longer test drive. You will find that toyota switches are more logically placed and more ergnomical. You also get power door swich on the B-pillar (which honda does not have). True 3 zone automatic a/c (only available on the Touring in Odyssey).

    I was going to trade in my 2004 Sienna XLE limited for Odyssey touring. But i was able to retrofit 05 navi into an 04 navi. I spend almost a month looking into the Odyssey. Spend several weeks going back and forth. I liked Sienna better. Simply because the design is better other than crappy navi that 2004 Sienna comes with. I was happy when i find out that 2005 navi was retrofittable into my 04. I have not looked back since.

    There really is not comparison between Odyssey and Sienna. Although both has draw backs. Sienna's draw back are minor as compare to Odyssey. I can live with more soft steering response, less voice command, and smaller screen. But I don't want a van that has no HID (great safety feature- go test drive a limited at night and change the head light height setting, and drive an Odyssey, you will be amazed). I don't want a van that has smallish 3rd row. I don't want a van with super cheap interior (go compare a touring odyssey and limited sienna, compare the leather, the plastic). I don't like small and cheap a/c control buttons.

    It's up to you. However, IMHO, Sienna is a step above Odyssey in many areas, which is hard to overlook.
  • chiawchiaw Member Posts: 92
    such a biased comparison. The original post made no mention of comparing an EX-L navi+res vs a LE. So why bring up useless comparison?

    EX-L navi/RES should be compared to XLE with navi+RES. Which XLE also has more feature. Such as power liftgate.

    XLE with pkg 8 is around $38k MSRP, about $34k on invoice. He probably could find one at $34.5k to $35k. But it comes with extra not found on Odyssey.

    17" alloy wheels, 2nd and 3rd row sunshade, power liftgate, 2 115V outlet.

    Odyssey EX-L with navigation+RES MSRP is $34600. So he can find one at around $33500 (1k off MSRP is about normal right now). So for about 1k more, to get bigger tires/wheels, 2 outlet (not available on the odyssey EX), 3rd row sunshade (couple hundred accessories on the Odyssey EX). No power lift gate. Hmm, which one is less attractive now?
  • chiawchiaw Member Posts: 92
    Longer in what sense? just because it's longer on the outside does not mean it's bigger on the inside. Sienna has longer wheel base. Has better leg room (except 3rd row, but sienna has a bigger advantage in the 1st row). More interior room by volumne. Therefore, Odyssey is not bigger. PERIOD. Sienna has more usable space than Odyssey. Simple truth. Odyssey is not as efficient as Sienna in its interior space design.
  • carzzzcarzzz Member Posts: 282
    Sienna is Wider than Odyssey and therefore it has larger volume! I agree with you that Odyssey interior is smaller than Sienna (noticable), esp the 3rd row width. but when the 3rd row 60/40 seat fold flat, odyssey has 62in of space from 2nd row to every back, but sienna only has 58 in! 4 in LONGERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR<-- this sense!

    btw, IF YOU WANT VOLUME, go buy a Nissan Quest, 6000L of passenger volume!
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