2013 Odyssey vs 2013 Sienna vs 2013 Town And Country
These are the three vans I am considering and I was recently able to drive all three vehicles (Odyssey EX-L and Touring, Sienna XLE V6 FWD, and T&C Touring L model back, to back, to back. The Toyota and Honda dealers are literally attached to each other making it very easy to compare vehicles, and the Chrysler dealer is about 3 miles down the street. For disclosure purposes, we currently own a 2006 Odyssey EX-L, but I am anything but a Honda fanboy. My other car is a Hyundai, and I have owned Mazda, Nissan, BMW, VW, Saturn, etc.
Here are my experiences with all three vehicles:
2013 Odyssey:
Stopped at the Honda dealer first, and had an great experience (which has not always been my experience with Honda dealers). Salesman was not pushy and really knew his stuff. Off the top of his head he recited the major revisions vs the 2006 model and was easy to talk to and helpful. Not pushy at all. I told him I was interested in an EX-L with RES as well as a Touring. Within 10 minutes he had both models waiting for me outside and he did a quick 10 minute walkthrough of both vehicles to highlight their differences. He gave me both sets of keys and told me to take my time and come see him when I am done. I really prefer this approach vs a salesman sitting next to me asking me questions. Here are my thoughts:
Appearance:
Sigh. I have to be honest. I like the Odyssey except for that rear side view with the door track.. It just looks odd to me, and the van literally looks like two different vans merged together. I like the front half. I like the rear view if facing the back of the van. I just hate that last 1/3rd of the van. I would rate outside appearance a 7 out of 10. I know, it is a minivan, and I do give Honda some credit for trying to be different. This could have easily been an 8 or 9 had they been able to hide the track under the side windows..
Interior and features:
I was impressed with the interior and features. Seats in all three rows were very comfortable. Plenty of legroom. I really liked some of the newer standard feautures vs my 2006 EX-L such as the large display, the backup camera, the power lift gate, the drink cooler (we will use this for sure). Plenty of storage compartments and drink holders. The Touring model was equally impressive with the addition of the NAV, 6 speed tranny, and rear sonar. The DVD player in both models does the trick. I was not excited about the Nav (not a fan of the dial), but the voice commands worked well and I really liked that you can use voicecommands to control the temperature of the van, make phone calls, turn on the radio or DVD player, etc. Our current Garmin GPS is just touchscreen and does not accept voice commands. I had no issue making it work. Worked well. Hated the dial though, and wished the screen was touchscreen.
I did think the cockpit was a little busy with all the buttons but it seemed pretty intuitive. I also wished the DVD screen in the touring model was a little larger, but the Odyssey had the biggest nav/display screen of all three and with three little kids and a neighborhood full of kids.
Driving Impressions:
Hmm.. The minute I started to drive the 2013 Touring model (the EX-L was the same) I noticed the more electronic steering at lower speeds. The steering was quite numb at low speeds, I much preferred the steering feel of my 06 at lower speeds. Once you get up past 20mph or so the steering is much tighter and responsive. Aside from that, the vehicle handled like a Honda Odyssey which is a good thing It really does feel like a smaller vehicle and is very easy to maneuver and park. Turning radius is tight and the van has good acceleration. I was impressed with the 6 speed transmission, it really responded when I went to pass and there was no hesitation as I have sometimes noticed with my 06 5 speed. I also noticed right away how much more quite the Touring model was vs my 06. The 13 EX-L was also considerably quieter than my 06, but, and I am not sure if this is the Touring model or not, but the Touring model seems a little bit quieter and that could be due to the extra gear of the transmission. At highway speeds I thought the van was still quieter than my 06 but there was some wind noise.
I was actually surprised at how responsive I felt the 6 speed was vs the 5 speed. I was really thinking if we went with an Odyssey we would go with a 5 speed EX-L with RES, but the 6 speed, to me, felt more responsive. 1mpg better gas mileage is nice too. I also like the idea of the rear sonar that beeps when you are going to hit something with the Touring. We have lots of kids in our neighborhood and I like the extra safety (the camera is great too).
The pricing difference between the EX-L with RES vs the Touring was roughly $4K.. This seemed a little steep to me. But you get the better transmission, front/rear parking sensors, NAV.. Worth $4K?? Tough one, and I am still sleeping on it... The transmission and extra safety features are definitively nice to have.. The NAV is nice, but not as much of a deal for me.
2013 Sienna Review:
Easy enough the Toyota dealer was attached to the Honda dealer. I rolled in after driving both Odyssey models and worked with an Internet sales consultant whom I had previously emailed and spoken to on the phone. Seemed like a nice guy, knowledgeable, but he literally did not have a single XLE with rear entertainment and/or nav van on the lot. He told me the nearest Sienna XLE with rear entertainment (and no nav) was over 500 miles away, and he would not have an XLE with nav and entertainment package in for about 2 weeks. So he brought a V6 FWD XLE around for me to drive. He spent about 10 minutes going over the features and functions of the van and sent me on my merry way (again, he stayed back like the Honda dealer which I preferred).
Appearance: Again, being honest, I liked the external appearance of the Sienna more than the Honda. It has some masculine features without going too far. A little more boxy than the Odyssey, but I can live with that. That said, I am not a fan of the external old school metalish antenna that sticks up from the van on the passenger front... On a $30K+ vehicle I would expect an integrated antenna like the Odyssey. Nevertheless, I think Honda did a good job with the overall design of the exterior. I would rate it an 8.5 out of 10.
Interior features: Well, while the Toyota designers did a good job on the exterior they really missed the mark on the interior... Big time. While I appreciated less buttons, the overall fit and finish, for me, was very disappointing. Hard, cheap looking plastic is evident throughout the van. A really cheap faux wood looking trim piece really looks out of place along the front of the cabin. What were they thinking? The buttons in the main cabin felt cheaper than the Honda. The really tiny display screen is a joke for the rear camera. It is like a 3" by 3" screen and is pretty useless and looks comical ne
Here are my experiences with all three vehicles:
2013 Odyssey:
Stopped at the Honda dealer first, and had an great experience (which has not always been my experience with Honda dealers). Salesman was not pushy and really knew his stuff. Off the top of his head he recited the major revisions vs the 2006 model and was easy to talk to and helpful. Not pushy at all. I told him I was interested in an EX-L with RES as well as a Touring. Within 10 minutes he had both models waiting for me outside and he did a quick 10 minute walkthrough of both vehicles to highlight their differences. He gave me both sets of keys and told me to take my time and come see him when I am done. I really prefer this approach vs a salesman sitting next to me asking me questions. Here are my thoughts:
Appearance:
Sigh. I have to be honest. I like the Odyssey except for that rear side view with the door track.. It just looks odd to me, and the van literally looks like two different vans merged together. I like the front half. I like the rear view if facing the back of the van. I just hate that last 1/3rd of the van. I would rate outside appearance a 7 out of 10. I know, it is a minivan, and I do give Honda some credit for trying to be different. This could have easily been an 8 or 9 had they been able to hide the track under the side windows..
Interior and features:
I was impressed with the interior and features. Seats in all three rows were very comfortable. Plenty of legroom. I really liked some of the newer standard feautures vs my 2006 EX-L such as the large display, the backup camera, the power lift gate, the drink cooler (we will use this for sure). Plenty of storage compartments and drink holders. The Touring model was equally impressive with the addition of the NAV, 6 speed tranny, and rear sonar. The DVD player in both models does the trick. I was not excited about the Nav (not a fan of the dial), but the voice commands worked well and I really liked that you can use voicecommands to control the temperature of the van, make phone calls, turn on the radio or DVD player, etc. Our current Garmin GPS is just touchscreen and does not accept voice commands. I had no issue making it work. Worked well. Hated the dial though, and wished the screen was touchscreen.
I did think the cockpit was a little busy with all the buttons but it seemed pretty intuitive. I also wished the DVD screen in the touring model was a little larger, but the Odyssey had the biggest nav/display screen of all three and with three little kids and a neighborhood full of kids.
Driving Impressions:
Hmm.. The minute I started to drive the 2013 Touring model (the EX-L was the same) I noticed the more electronic steering at lower speeds. The steering was quite numb at low speeds, I much preferred the steering feel of my 06 at lower speeds. Once you get up past 20mph or so the steering is much tighter and responsive. Aside from that, the vehicle handled like a Honda Odyssey which is a good thing It really does feel like a smaller vehicle and is very easy to maneuver and park. Turning radius is tight and the van has good acceleration. I was impressed with the 6 speed transmission, it really responded when I went to pass and there was no hesitation as I have sometimes noticed with my 06 5 speed. I also noticed right away how much more quite the Touring model was vs my 06. The 13 EX-L was also considerably quieter than my 06, but, and I am not sure if this is the Touring model or not, but the Touring model seems a little bit quieter and that could be due to the extra gear of the transmission. At highway speeds I thought the van was still quieter than my 06 but there was some wind noise.
I was actually surprised at how responsive I felt the 6 speed was vs the 5 speed. I was really thinking if we went with an Odyssey we would go with a 5 speed EX-L with RES, but the 6 speed, to me, felt more responsive. 1mpg better gas mileage is nice too. I also like the idea of the rear sonar that beeps when you are going to hit something with the Touring. We have lots of kids in our neighborhood and I like the extra safety (the camera is great too).
The pricing difference between the EX-L with RES vs the Touring was roughly $4K.. This seemed a little steep to me. But you get the better transmission, front/rear parking sensors, NAV.. Worth $4K?? Tough one, and I am still sleeping on it... The transmission and extra safety features are definitively nice to have.. The NAV is nice, but not as much of a deal for me.
2013 Sienna Review:
Easy enough the Toyota dealer was attached to the Honda dealer. I rolled in after driving both Odyssey models and worked with an Internet sales consultant whom I had previously emailed and spoken to on the phone. Seemed like a nice guy, knowledgeable, but he literally did not have a single XLE with rear entertainment and/or nav van on the lot. He told me the nearest Sienna XLE with rear entertainment (and no nav) was over 500 miles away, and he would not have an XLE with nav and entertainment package in for about 2 weeks. So he brought a V6 FWD XLE around for me to drive. He spent about 10 minutes going over the features and functions of the van and sent me on my merry way (again, he stayed back like the Honda dealer which I preferred).
Appearance: Again, being honest, I liked the external appearance of the Sienna more than the Honda. It has some masculine features without going too far. A little more boxy than the Odyssey, but I can live with that. That said, I am not a fan of the external old school metalish antenna that sticks up from the van on the passenger front... On a $30K+ vehicle I would expect an integrated antenna like the Odyssey. Nevertheless, I think Honda did a good job with the overall design of the exterior. I would rate it an 8.5 out of 10.
Interior features: Well, while the Toyota designers did a good job on the exterior they really missed the mark on the interior... Big time. While I appreciated less buttons, the overall fit and finish, for me, was very disappointing. Hard, cheap looking plastic is evident throughout the van. A really cheap faux wood looking trim piece really looks out of place along the front of the cabin. What were they thinking? The buttons in the main cabin felt cheaper than the Honda. The really tiny display screen is a joke for the rear camera. It is like a 3" by 3" screen and is pretty useless and looks comical ne
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After extensive time with the two Odyssey models and then the Sienna, I drove straight away to the Chrysler dealer a few miles down the street. I did not even make it all the way out of my car in the parking lot before I was approached by a salesman on the lot.. Uh oh, I thought (a pushy one). We chatted about what I was looking for (having done my research ahead of time I wanted to look at and drive a 2013 T&C Touring L with dual DVD screens). This dealer had a ton of T&C's on the lot and the salesman (he was new) worked with another salesman and the three of us found a white one. We spent about 15 minutes going over the vehicle and the older salesman (not the new guy, I will call him salesguy1). knew a lot about the van. He had been in the business for a long time and quickly pointed out the advantages of the Chrysler (more powerful engine, stow and go, more features for the money, price, etc).
Appearance:
Hmm. I really don't think neither good nor bad thoughts about the T&C. It is shaped like a toaster. A big square. Too be honest, it does nothing for me, but at the same time, it is not offensive either and at the end of the day these are all minivans are the most important aspect, to me, is the interior, features, and how the vehicle drives. That said, like the Sienna, the T&C has the metal antenna sticking up on the front passenger side. Again, we are talking about an expensive modern day minivan here, not a $14K econocar. I would give the appearance a 6.5. Close to the Honda, but so bland and toaster like that I give the Honda a slight edge for being different.
Interior/features:
This was my first surprise with this minivan. Chrysler, since I last drove one in 06, did a great job with the interior. More upscale looking than either the Honda or Toyota with tasteful chrome accents and nice black leather and more expensive textured plastics than the Toyota. The cabin was nice. If I were to nitpick, I did not like that the shifter was not labeled P, R, D, etc. You had to look at the dash to verify what gear you were in. I also did not love the analog clock in the center stack above the vents. Aside from that, the front seats were comfortable. Very impressed and was not expecting this level of fit and finish in the cockpit. I would rate it very close to the Odyssey and ahead of the Sienna. Where I started to notice corners being cut were on the plastics in the rest of the cabin. Vents felt really cheap, the center console was wobbly and cheap feeling, the doom reading lights looked chintzy and cheap. I really liked the dual DVD players for the 2nd and 3rd rows. Very cool. I also liked the center radio/display. Quite functional. This van had a nice backup camera, rear parking sensor, powered liftgate, blind spot indicator, heated second row seats, and even remote start. Very impressive list of features and all for about $7700 cheaper than the Odyssey Touring and about $5000 cheaper than the Sienna! Wow. Aside from some of the cheaper plastic materials, I have to say I am not sold on the stow and go. I rarely remove the 2nd row seats in my 06 Odyssey, and the 2nd and 3rd row seats in the T&C felt cheaper than their competitors. You don't get a middle seat for the 2nd row due to the stow and go either, so if you ever want to haul eight people you are out of luck. Still, overall I was impressed for the money. You get a lot, and the quality is impressive for $30K.
Driving impressions:
Again I was surprised. The steering feel at lower speeds on the T&C is the best of the three for me. It did not feel nearly as numb and electronic. At higher speeds, it was on par with the other two, but I did think the transmission was hesitating a little more. The engine is very powerful and all three vans felt about the same to me in terms of acceleration and performance. Very close. The T&C engine was louder than the Odyssey's during hard acceleration and about on par with the Sienna. The T&C felt a little less forgiving over rough pavement and the turning radius was not as good as the other two. Handling wise, I thought this van may have had the best driver feedback for me. Kudos to Chrysler on this. Like the others, this van had plenty of available power and toque for passing. Even with the heat blasting The van felt a little less refined than the Odyssey and Sienna to me in terms of the transmission and engine, but I am being picky.
Honestly, at this point in the test drive I was very pleased. Both salesman came along for the ride, but they were not annoying and encouraged me to drive the van like I owned it. Brakes were good. Probably on par with the Sienna, but slightly below the Odyssey for me. Would need to drive them again to confirm. I honestly thought I could buy this van. Yeah the exterior is boring, but you get so much for your money and it drove very well. Then I remembered it was a Chrysler. And I remembered the poor reliability ratings and issues (my brother/sister in-law own a previous gen one that is always having issues). I realize the Chrysler changed out the van in 2011 and this one seems to be better made, but my Odyssey had zero issues in 7 years. None. Nada. Do I really want to take a chance? Resale value is also not as good, but if you keep the van for 5-7 years and factor in the price, so what? Again, it came back to reliability to me. My wife, who will drive this vehicle much more than me, was concerned about the reliability of Chrysler and we both are worried about the overall state of the company.
Where does this leave us? I think we need to give Chrysler more time to prove they have turned the corner in terms of reliability, and prove they will still be around for sometime to come without needing government assistance. If I had a tighter budget? I would buy this van most likely. I take my hat off to Chrysler though, and would consider them again in the near future once we see how this model holds up over the next few years.
But I am seriously leaning towards the T&C Limited. With the Limited you get much more "bells and whistles" than even the Oddy Touring has.
My big beef with the Chrysler is the reliability as you stated also. Chrysler is actually ending the T&C after the 2013 model year. As you mentioned, the current generation, 2011 +, is a better vehicle than the past and from what I have read, has better reliability.
I think I may go with a used or CPO 2012 Limited due to the depreciation.
Let us know what you decide to buy. Great review...thanks!
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/03/04/chrysler-minivans-fare-poorly-in-consume- - r-reports-2013-best-cars-list/
The "below average" reliability rating and the "not recommended" by CR has me worried. In the article Chrysler admitted they need to fix the reliability issues, I just don't think I want to deal with the hassle. I have owned two vehicles that had extensive time getting fixed (VW and Saturn) and I don't want to go through that again. That said, there is no question it is a nice van with tons of features and options for the money. A 2012 slightly used makes a lot of sense, but you may want to spring for a bumper to bumper extended warranty if you plan on keeping it awhile. Peace of mind
It is between the Sienna and Odyssey for us, and we will be deciding soon. Getting all my ducks in a row and have emailed lots of dealers for pricing.
I was able to drive a Quest LE late yesterday. I had been emailing with an internet salesman and he was easy to work with. The Quest's were buried into the bowels of the dealer lot and they had about 10 or so LE models (all of them 2012's with 4-12K miles). Salesman explained that these were driven by Nissan executives and he had paperwork to confirm that (they were not demo cars driven by hordes of people shopping). We got in one that had under 5K miles. Here are my thoughts:
Appearance: I have to be honest here, I am not a huge fan of the uber boxy very Asian looking shape of the Quest (I am not a fan of the Ford Flex either, and this van reminds me of that design). On appearance it seems to sit up higher than the other vans, but also seems narrower (even though it really is not). The more I was around it, the more is seemed to warm up to me. But one thing I noticed right away was the angle of the windshield and the narrow windows throughout the cabin. Visibility in this van, for me, was the worst of the three and I am concerned that my wife, who is 5'5" would have a hard time seeing out the cabin. Because the vehicle looked much taller to me, the wheels on the LE looked smaller too. They just looked off. That said, it is a minivan, not a sports car. I would rate the exterior about the same as the T&C a 6.5. Nissan wanted to be a little different, but I am just not sure it worked for me.
Interior and features:
Okay, this is when things started to get good for me The cockpit of the Quest LE is absolutely gorgeous. There is tons of legroom and headroom in the front seats, and if you are tall, you should give this van a look. I am just under 6', so not overly tall, and the front cabin seemed really spacious to me. The overall fit and finish was very nice, I would say the nicest yet. We are talking Infinity grade cabin materials. However, there were some things to nitpick. Biggest issue I noticed was the placement of the shifter did get in the way of the driver when reaching for controls. I noticed it right away. No sunglasses holder. The storage in the front cabin seemed lacking compared to the other vans, and the cup holders seemed really tiny. And while the front seats were spacious, the third row was much more cramped for me than the other two vans. I am not sure how easy it would be to have adults seated comfortably in the captains chairs and in the third row. For me, it was noticeably more cramped than the Odyssey and Sienna in the third row when I had the captains chairs set for adults. IF you have kids in the 2nd and 3rd rows, I don't see this being an issue. I also noticed the van was only dual climate control, not tri-climate control like the Odyssey. And since my son almost always sits in the third row, it is nice to be able to control his climate separately. All of the seats were very comfortable. I thought they were on par (if not better) than the Odyssey and superior to the other vans. While legroom was a little lacking vs the other vans in the rear seats, headroom is excellent. Again, this van is a little taller and if you are a tall family, this van should be on your short list to drive. Feature wise, the van is loaded. Push button start with keyless entry is a nice touch. With groceries and kids in tow, there are little buttons on the door handles and a simply push will open the doors automatically. Nice with little kids The DVD player was a good size, and the NAV screen was a nice size and was intuitive to use. The rear seats could be automatically lowered or raised via a button in the back, with the caveat that you have to hold the button down the entire time to raise or lower the rear seats.
Which brings up the question of cargo space. The 2nd and 3rd row seats do fall flat but not into the floor like the rear seats like their competitors and the 2nd row cannot be removed or lowered into the floor like their competitors. Personally, I don't know why Nissan went this route. There were so many times I needed to lower the rear seats into the floor to haul something large, or remove the 2nd row seats. Also keep in mind the Quest will haul 7 people and not 8 vs the Toyota and Honda. For many, this might be fine, but I know for us, we have used the 8 seating capacity several times and there will be situations where we would need to take 2 vehicles vs 1 if we go with a Quest. You also are not going to fit a sheet of plywood in the back of this van if you expect to close the rear liftgate. Overall, I am mixed on this van. Fit and finish is top notch, lots of useful and solid features. Lacking cargo and capacity of some of it's peers, which for me, is important since we are talking about a minivan here..
Driving impressions:
I was very reluctant to drive this van for one reason. CVT. I have driven several Nissan vehicles in the last two years that have CVT transmissions and loathed them. I have to say, in the Quest, the CVT worked for me. It is responsive. It does not hesitate. Nissan has always had strong V6 motors and the Quest is not exception. Handling wise, the Quest was responsive, but I thought it lacked some of the handling that the other vans had. It tended to have some body roll in turns, but overall, I thought the van drove well. Of all the vans, I thought this van was the quietest at low and higher speeds. Unlike the Sienna and T&C, they engine did not sound as strained when pushed and the interior noise level was much more like a sedan to me that a minivan. As I mentioned above, visibility in this van is not as good as the others, and I felt that there were more blindspots.
The Quest is a nice van overall. A contender for sure if you are looking to haul 7 people or less (and not planning on having adult or full-grown teens in the third row often) and don't mind less cargo and capacity of the others. I really enjoyed how the van drove and the fit and finish was excellent. For us, I think the more limited storage and capacity (people moving) is a dealbreaker. It is one of the main reasons why we want a van. I am nost sure if we will consider if vs the Toyota or Honda. I have concerns about the longevity of the model. Sales are really poor and I am not sure if either Nissan will do a major refresh or kill it off. A major concern for me as Honda and Toyota have great resale value and are not going anywhere.
The Sienna and Odyssey get "Good" ratings across the IIHS site (which I don't trust as much) whereas the Quest gets a lower score for roof strength. Which is concerning to me since the van is somewhat taller and, I would assume, would be more prone to a rollover.
Ughh...
My experience with Honda has been different though. We bought an 03 Odyssey and have had it in the transmission shop 5 times (not counting when it had to go back to have steering wheel realigned due to being screwed up, etc.). It has been rebuilt twice and finally redesigned to add a cooler to get it to work. The transmission design on at least 03 was flawed. Now I'm scared of the Odysseys for that reason. The Chrysler has a 100k mile powertrain warranty vs the Honda 60K powertrain. That's a big deciding factor for me. Also the Honda was not perfect - shortly after we got it had to get a new battery, replaced the passenger window motor when it failed among other things. So I believe the perception of the "perfect" Honda is for others, not me ;-). Unfortunately I'm thinking that probably all cars have issues that get improved in newer models as they get redesigned.
I think we are going to give the T&C a try - it is a better value for our family. The transmission and other parts cost half as much, and we save 10K up front for comparable features. We found your review very helpful, thank you! Hope you find the right van soon for your family!
One of my wife's friends just traded their T&C in for an Odyssey (it was a 2008 T&C which seems to be a more problematic model vs the newer ones) and she had lots of issues with theirs, so it does not help. They are announcing the mid cycle refreshed 2014 Odyssey late next week, so I may try to hold off on buying to see what the refresh offers. Rumor is 6 speed transmission will be standard along with the new Earth Dreams engine (more power, better gas mileage) and some more amenities. I would love to see the Odyssey get 21mpg City, 30 highway with an average of about 25mpg. Might be close.
I am a gadget freak and early adopter of most major tech. When I shopped for my last SUV, the tech was so important that when I went to test drive the GMC model and they said it didn't offer Bluetooth integration I walked out without a test drive and scratched it off the list. The dealer couldn’t believe it was so important to me but I said I couldn’t believe they were so behind the times that they didn’t understand many drivers care about the technology now. Before each test drive I called ahead to make sure they had a model with a working navigation and wouldn't go unless they did, then I spent at least 30 minutes trying navigation features on each test -- driving the dealers crazy. I pretty much ruled out the Toyota at the time for the specific reason that it's navigation had a "nanny" feature that locked out using it while in motion -- ignoring the fact that there are often people in the passenger seat perfectly able to handle that.
When I first tried the dial I was skeptical and even after my half hour test I wasn't convinced. But I got the car and got to know it. By the way, I had had an integrated touch screen nav in my previous car and have owned several Garmin portables that we take with us on trips to use with rental cars. Combined with the test drives and using other rentals, I have used almost every nav system out there.
Anyway, after a few weeks I decided I would never NOT want a dial nav again (which pretty much limits me to Honda, Acura, BMW, Audi, etc. – note mostly high-end brands). I agree that it is inferior for typing a specific address or the name of a waypoint, but honestly I don’t have to do that often. In every other regard, the dial is superior. For example, the most common function I do during a trip is to zoom the map in and out of different magnification levels. I never bothered doing this with my touch screen because it’s only relevant while driving and it’s too distracting to find the right place to touch. But dozens of times on long trips – zooming out to see the path ahead during long stretches on freeways, zooming in when I want more detail for off-ramps or city streets, etc. Sometimes medium zoom in is fine for streets so I can still see the next couple turns, but sometimes super zoom is better when the streets are close together, etc. I can do all this without looking at the screen because you quickly memorize the position of the dial and how to handle it. So I need only glance at the resulting map, far less distracting than a touch screen. And that is but one example – most of the menu features can easily be used by the driver because of minimal distraction and voice response. Sure with touch screens – which the Honda has too – you can use voice commands but after the gimmick wears off you realize those are way more trouble than they are worth in most cases.
Also, of the three brands you mention, the Honda is the only one that won’t disable virtually all functions on the nav system while in motion. It’s up to drivers to exercise common sense but more importantly it doesn’t prevent my wife from being “the navigator” without us having to pull over to add waypoints or check alternative routes during traffic, etc.
Wow, great feedback on the Nav systems. It is one are that rarely gets discussed, but I agree, the technology is really important to us as well. My car has bluetooth phone support and my wife loves it. It is so critical for us with kids in the car and being able to take calls or stream music from our devices.
Definitely good feedback on the dial. We have a top of the line Garmin now, and I hate it. It is constantly buggy and routing us the wrong way, or the longest way. I have a cheaper Magellan that is quite old that does a much better job.
We will be able to test drive a Sienna that has the Nav tonight back to back with the Odyssey and I will definitely compare the two features. The Nav, for me, is a must have with the Sienna since the normal display screen is so tiny it is almost pointless to use as a backup camera screen. I give Honda credit for their big screen.
Yep, the rear screen camera on the Sienna is much better using the large navigation screen. I also liked the Totoya’s voice command system overall – though as I say after a while you stop using any of them because it’s annoying when it doesn’t get it right the first time versus more quickly just doing it with touch/dial. I thought the Toyota was fine for direction too, but haven’t tested it in several years (same basic design now from the few minutes I spent with it recently) so I can’t speak extensively to accuracy. For me the killer, besides my now bias toward dial over touch, is the nanny-feature. Once moving you will only be able to use voice commands. It doesn’t matter whether you have a passenger who could safely use the touch screen or not. There are third party websites dedicated to selling people expensive after-market products to try and defeat this legal liability cop-out, but you pay for that and have to be willing to tinker. Honda just flashes a screen when the system first turns on that releases its liability and you move on.
I also agree about the Toyota’s cheapness of interior finish and for me I am frustrated that they don’t offer an 8th seat option in their higher end models like Honda does.
Good luck with your purchase.
The pluses for the Odyssey:
- She thought it was noticeably the quieter of the two vans driving around the city. I agree. The Sienna is fine once you get up to speed, but the engine is louder and cabin is louder in the city.
- We both like the NAV better. The Odyssey will take voice commands to change the radio station, manage the climate control, etc. It had a larger screen and seemed more refined overall in terms of useablility and functions, and had a hard drive to store music. The buttons and controls seemed more substantial whereas the Sienna's felt really cheap. We also liked where the Odyssey DVD player is vs the Sienna. Minor stuff, but it adds up.
- Better backup camera and screen.
- The cooler is kinda cool (no pun intended). We do lots of long trips as a family, and it is nice to be able to keep drinks cool on a long drive.
- We both thought the seats in the Honda were more comfortable. Especially in the front and third rows.
- The third row magic seat in the Honda is easier to operate.
- The overall fit and finish of the Honda is nicer. The dash looks and feels better to the touch. The Sienna is really cheap feeling and looking and has an odd texture on the dash. The light beige color of the dash is not really our preference either.
- I thought the Honda handled a little better around corners.
- Honda gets better MPG
- Honda had better safety ratings
- I hated that you cannot remove the center console in the XLE for the second row. With three kids my son will be in the third row and will always be stepping over or on the second row console to get to the back. With the Honda you can remove the middle seat completely and slide both captains chairs to the side and have a nice clear entry and exit point for the third row for a child.
Sienna Pros:
- Wife and I both liked the Sienna exterior styling better.
- Wife REALLY liked the keyless perimeter entry on the Sienna. Very useful with little kids.
- The blind spot monitoring was a nice safety feature.
- DVD screen was larger than the Touring Odyssey.
- We both felt the Sienna had less buttons on the dash and was simpler to use.
- My wife felt the Sienna had more pickup and power.
- Sienna was about $1600 cheaper vs the Odyssey Touring
- Toyota 2 year 25K free maintenance is a nice to have.
- Like the storage cubby in the back that fits the third row jump seat.
We really struggled to decide. I think we both felt they were great vans, each with pros and cons. We came home and listed all the pros and cons we liked for each vehicle and then discussed which van we see ourself owning for 5+ years. My wife loved the permitter keyless entry feature of the Sienna, but we both hated the cheap second row middle console that could not be removed. We both were concerned about the 3 star front crash rating for a female in the front passenger seat for the Sienna vs the 5 star for the Odyssey. We did not like the idea of compromising on safety to get a van that we felt was so close to the other one.
But, the Sienna had its merits for sure. I was leaning towards the Odyssey but did not tell her and we both decided to sleep on it and then discuss it in the morning. This morning my wife said she just felt better about the Odyssey. It was a little more money, but she was concerned about the frontal crash ratings and hated that middle console for our son to step on and over. In Minnesota that means snowy/dirty/slushy boots and that means the console (which was a cheap beige plastic) would be impossible to clean. We even discussed me cutting the console out, but I am reluctant to do that on a brand new vehicle that would most likely void the warranty on the seat if there was an issue.
Some great choices out there. The Sienna could have gone either way. If the front crash ratings were 5 stars on it, we probably would have gone with the Sienna.
The Honda dealer gave us a much better trade-in on our 06 Odyssey (about $1200 more, and $1200 over KBB blue book value which was really solid) which really helped with the deal, and I was able to get all weather floor mats for thrown in for free ($225 value). The price of the vehicles was basically a wash at this point with Honda offering .09% financing as well (we were going to take the $750 Toyota cash back vs the 0% finance).
We pick it up today and I was able to do almost all the paperwork via email and online, easiest dealer experience I have ever had. No pressure on any other accessories, paint protection, pin stripes, extended warranty, etc.
Very happy, hopefully we will still feel that way in a few years
I have negotiated with a local dealer to $34,370 for the 2013 Limited minus Luxury Group and before taxes. Will visit him this weekend. Hope I get a good trade on my 2006 Oddy as you did.
I cannot believe how much smoother/quieter the 13 is vs the 06. Very happy with our decision
Pic I took while taking delivery:
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I'm heading to the NY Auto Show this coming week to see the new 2014 Odyssey before deciding whether to pursue a 2013 model...
Very cool your going to the NY Auto Show, that should be exciting. We have a 2000 mile road trip coming up in a few months and were looking at $3-5K bill to get our 06 Odyssey where I would feel safe taking the family on such a long trip. The 2014 does have some really nice features, particularly the push button start and perimeter smart key. While I actually like the look of the touchscreen audio system in the 14, I am old school and find it easier to use the buttons when driving.
Have fun! I believe they are going to debut the 2014 Honda Pilot at the NY Show as well.
To top it off, I bought the Maximum Care Package for around $2,300.00 that gives me Life Time bumper to bumper warranty on everything but wear items. The package includes shocks, small dent repair, towing/roadside assistance, with $1,000.00 trip interrupt protection and car rental allowance up to $175.00. With only a $100.00 deductable.
I got so much more than I ever got on my 2005 Dodge GC for almost the same price. I had good luck with the Dodge. I only had to replace the window washer container, as it got a crack in it from a flying stone and one wire broke on the rear fold down seat leg, that pulled one leg of the seat into the floor when stowed.
...just maintain your van and drive it the right way...when i bought my 2001 pontiac montana se ext in 2001 the reviews made by edmunds as compared to that of odyssey and previa (sienna) was not good but fortunately my montana had passed the test of time now at 250,000 km (156,250 mi) with the same never been repaired 3.4 liter engine and auto-transmission while my neighbours 2002 honda odyssey's auto-transmission failed at 150,000 kms (93750 mi) that cost him almost $4000.I'm still using my montana during winter time and my newer 2011 town and country touring after winter.
My wife really loves the 13 Odyssey vs our 06. It is so much quieter and really has more of a luxurious feel. The kids love it too. My daughter already has some juice boxes stored in the built-in cooler. I suspect this is our last minivan (if I have my say at least) and the next vehicle will be an SUV.
While others can talk up the Toyota and Honda, have fun. Pay those thousands more to get what the Chrysler has. You still won't have stow-go. You won't have all the storage I have. In most cases, you'll have to pay extra to have those bigger items delivered that I can get in my minivan. While some may say they'll make up for the difference in paying the higher price for their Honda or Toyota come trade in time. As long as I keep my vehicles, trade in value will be a mute point. My last two cars before my 2005 mini van, I kept for over 11 years. I would have kept the Dodge longer, but I fell in love with this Chrysler TC L and I couldn't beat the price I got it for.
The inside of my new Chrysler takes a back seat to none as far as looks and fit and finish. It has a great console in it with all kinds of storage.
Here are the trade in value for a 2006 Odyssey EX-L vs a 2006 T&C Touring:
2006 Odyssey EX-L w/65000 miles = $13,400
2006 T&C Touring w/65000 miles = $7400
I got these numbers via kbb.com with a "good" trade in condition for both. Pretty big difference in price there, and you can see the Honda holds their value much better over time and you make up the savings when you buy at resale. Honda comes out even further ahead if you sell privately. Reliability is a factor, but all those fleet sales on the Chrysler and Dodge vans (about 60% of their sales are fleet) are the killer. It pulls the value drastically down.
If you keep your vehicles for 12+ years, probably does not matter as much. If you are like me and keep them 5-9 years or less, the resale value is not something to overlook.
As for acceleration, you are correct that the T&C and Caravan has the terrific Pentastar engine, that has more output than the Honda or Toyota vans, but the problem is their transmission is not as efficient with shift ratios. Per Edmunds:
"In Edmunds testing, the Town & Country accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds, about a half-second slower than the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna."
The Odyssey also gets better MPG. So quicker, and better gas mileage
If you are someone that constantly is hauling things and needs to take out the second row seats, stow and go system is a big plus for Dodge/Chrysler, IMHO. But, again, there are trade-offs. You lose a third seat in the second row (Toyota and Honda can seat up to 8 adults, Chrysler and Dodge 7) and another drawback is the 2nd row seats are not as comfortable as the Honda or Toyota because they are thinner to support stow and go. Since I might remove the second row seats from my minivan to haul things maybe 3 times a year tops, I would prefer the more comfortable seats and the option to seat 8. With three young kids and hauling friends and neighbors that extra seat gets more use for me than stow and go would. Trade-offs.
One trade-off my wife refused to make was safety ratings, and the Odyssey got a better overall score than any other minivan out there.
Chrysler definitely made some big improvements starting in 2011, but so did the other players.
Buy what fits your needs and makes the most sense.
But I'm sure much has to do with how you use your mini van. If it's mostly a people hauler, with the softer 2nd and 3rd row seats, Honda or Toyota would be better. Also if you some times need the eighth seat and will trade it in earlier. All good reasons to buy either of those mini vans. My needs are just the opposit. There is only my wife and I. Some times we carry the kids and grand kids or friends. Never needed eight seats. I do haul a lot moving family and could get more in my Dodge van than I could in my old pickup truck.(I could stack things higher.) When my brother and I drove back to Ohio from Phoenix, I stowed one second and third row seat and put down a air matteress and one would take turns sleeping while the other drove. When My Mom and Sister needed electric carts to get around, like Park and Swap, I bought a metal ramp and was able to get two at once into my van. I delivered my own hot water tank and installed it. Same with a new dishwasher. Saving a $60.00 delivery fee on both. I got a 4x8 sheet of plywood in it to fix some siding on my shed. Took an old refrigerator to the recycle station. So you see, stow and go is important to me. But I wanted a mini van that also looked nice and had all the goodies I never had before, like back up camera, DVD, radio with a screen and hard drive. I loaded up all my music CD's and loaded them up on it and put the CD's back in the house. Remote start, auto headlights and windshield wipers, etc. etc. and the new 5th generation Chrysler fits that bill perfectly. The inside is beautiful. I just have to be more carefull now what I haul and cover it real good. Didn't worry that much about it with the 2005 Dodge GC. Not much to hurt in that one and it was far from pretty in the inside. Not so with this Chrysler Town and Country. I finally got my cake and can eat it to. I'm a happy man.
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc168/Marine011956/th_100_0062.jpg
and buyers just forgot about quality and reliabilty concerns.A neighbour of mine had a 2002 honda odyssey and having transmission problem at around 150,000 kms (93,750 miles) that cost him around $4000 for the repair done in 2009.Now it's the engine that's leaking in his driveway and to add to that the almost every year brake problems.
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I don't know where Edmunds got their acceleration times for the Chrysler minivans, but it's obvious they never actually drove one! The 3.6 engine with the six-speed trans will run away from any other minivan out there. I've got a neighbor with a new, 2013 Toyota..., and it's nice..., but very 'plasticky', (to coin a word), all over the inside. I will admit it may be a touch quieter, but it has more wind noise than my Chrysler and my brothers 2012 Honda Odyssey that he used to brag about doesn't seem so quick to him anymore, and he does have the one with the six-speed trans.!
It's not that any of these three vehicles, or the others from Nissan and a couple of others that don't come to mind, are 'sport sedans', but they are far better than most people realize. Back when I was a lot younger, I used to race an A Production Corvette in the SCCA..., so I DO know what I'm talking about.
As for resale value..., yes it is less, but you also pay much less for a vehicle with the same or better content than the Honda and Toyota that some of the 'consumer magazines' just love to rave about!
Fiat just announced a new engine for their Maserati line..., a 3.2 liter V-6 that puts out over 410 HP. It's based on the Chrysler Pentastar!
They made the middle fold down seats softer and wider and they fold down easier.
I could care less about seating for 8. Have yet to even carry 7 in my van. But With 3 children and 11 grand kids, I use Stow N Go a lot. That is something none of the others have and what sets Chrysler mini vans apart from all the rest. I could care less if one can go from 0-60, one or two seconds faster. I try and drive mine as easy as I can to save gas. I only stomp on it when I need that extra get up and go and Chrysler has that too. This is the best mini van Chrysler has ever made. I can't think of anything they left out that I'd want.
What they are going to do in the mini van field, I'm not sure, but I am sure Chrysler will have one to offer. I'd rather see it be a Chrysler mini van than Dodge. They are classier looking. It could be that Chrysler is planning to drop the Dodge name, as they now call the Doge trucks, Ram trucks.
But as what to buy, I think that depends on how you want to use your mini van and how long you want to keep it. If it's just hauling people and you want to keep it only a few years, Toyota or Honda would be your best choices. Same thing if you need seats for eight. They hold their value longer. Although I think these new Chrysler mini vans will keep their value better than the older ones did and you will get more for your money with a Chrysler mini van.. My choosing Chrysler mini vans is because of stow and go. I don't use my van to just haul people. I have put dressers, chests, 4x8 pieces of plywood in them, I even carried my new dishwasher and refrigerator I keep in the garage in it. It's an apartment size refrig. It saves me time and money paying delivery fees. My old Dodge was a work horse. I bought a steel ramp since my Sister began using a wheel chair to get around. I have easily been able to put that in my new Chrysler mini van and take her places she wants to go, but can't walk it. So I really think it depends on what your going to use your mini van for. Let that be your deciding factor, not whether Chrysler will be around or not. They will be.
www.theautochannel.com/news/2011/12/09/017829-chrysler... Cached
Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 cited for exceptional fuel economy, emissions and power Chrysler's Pentastar engine once again recognized by the editors of Ward's Automotive ...