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if only people trying to purchase a Toyota were that fortunate. if they can navigate the dizzying matrix of options, they must then endure the realities of what is actually available in their region.
remember the SNL luncheon skit with the famous "Cheesburger Cheesburger Cheesburger" line?
It may be on the menu, but that doesn't mean you're going to get what you want.
I thought it was pretty funny when Dan Akyroids character repeated John Belushis request...i.e " cheeseboygee, cheeseboygee, cheeseboygee !!!"
I'll take an Ody...and hold the onions.
He looked at some 2006 Odysseys and ten 2006 Siennas and narrowed it down to an Ody EX or Sienna LE. The Odyssey dealers required a $ 500 NON-refundable deposit to get on a waiting list while one Sienna dealer had 10 each 2006 Siennas on the lot available for immediate sale. He bought the Sienna LE on September 23 that had the exact color and options he wanted...and for a price slightly lower than Edmund's TMV .
IF the situation had been reversed and the Odyssey dealer had an Ody EX on the lot ready for sale of the exact color he wanted and the Sienna dealer had been playing games, he would have purchased an Ody EX.
I decided to wait on buying a car at all, so I'm still in my 96 Accord, wondering why I shopped at all since I only have 152,000 miles and no difficulty keeping it running (only regular maintenence!), and at 27mpg (today I filled up), I cant complain too badly about the price of gas ($2.91 for me today @ Chevron)
There are plusses to simplicity and plusses to having many individual options and packages. Your friend is quite the lucky one to have found the right allotment of options for his money.
One thing she did right, I believe, is, she took the advice from HONDA sales person to buy a TOYOTA Sienna when she could not make a pick from Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.
She ended up getting a Sienna XLE Limited with DVD and Navigation system at $34500. I took a ride with her, the ride is quite and comfortable. The size is huge though.
Wow. She picked up a loaded XLE for more than $600 UNDER invoice? No wonder her Honda salesman told her to buy the Sienna.
I got a quote from local honda dealer for an 06 Ody EX-L at $29200. The local Toyota dealer gave me $32500 for a 06 Sienna XLE with Package number #6. He's quite firm. Feature by feature, they comparable, not that different.
We test-drove both. My wife is fine with either one. We're leaning towards Ody for the price. But I'm frustrated by the $3K delta. I'm expecting a much smaller difference.
Any idea? Bob
For us, the delta was closer to $4k by the time you included the difference in taxes.
I think it comes down to what features you want in a minivan. For us, we wanted all the side airbags, Traction/VSC, leather, CD changer and sunroof. The EX-L fit our feature requirement to a T without many extraneous features. When you pick the EX-L first, and then try to find a comparable Sienna, you end up with the XLE w/#6 and a fairly large price delta.
But, if you start with the XLE w/#6 and key on some features it has that the Ody doesn't (power rear hatch, power passenger seat, console between the seats, etc.), then you might start looking at an Ody Touring by comparison and suddenly there ISN'T a large price delta.
It is almost impossible to have a Sienna and Odyssey equipped exactly the same. Each of us chooses the minivan that has the most of the desired features at the best price. Neither my friend nor I want ALL of the luxury features contained on the higher priced models of the Odyssey or the Sienna. For my friend, the 2006 Sienna LE with option pkg # 2 at sellling price of $ 25,698 was his best choice for $ 2,508 LESS than a 2006 Ody EX and was well worth the $ 488 it cost more than a 2006 Ody LX would have cost.
You can't go wrong with either one. I was quickly frustrated with the inflexibility of dealers and non-availability of '06 Toyotas about a month ago, probably getting better daily. Team H wasn't any better but at least you have a chance of locating one (or a dealer that has one inbound) in the color you want with fewer choices, I had to go 350 miles and wait a week to get our Slate Green w/Olive (putty) one in GA but saved about $1,500 over the local dealer. Honda uses the KISS concept, keep it simple stupid. Purchasing an Ody gives you six choices total in '06 if I count right, Toyota clouds that with some of what I consider essentials in a matrix of packages that spell profit, why six packages when 3 might do? You need a spreadsheet and a calculator in hand to determine invoice and my head hurt enough without this aggravation. Good luck in whatever you choose.
Wow. She picked up a loaded XLE for more than $600 UNDER invoice? No wonder her Honda salesman told her to buy the Sienna.'
I was able to verify with her that the Honda sales person didn't get any Toyota prices from her. But, this was a good guess.
I like the Ody LX better than the Sienna CE but like the Sienna LE better than either the Ody LX or EX. The Ody middle row seats are the best but I feel the Sienna instrument panel is more attractive. Neither has award winning exterior styling in my opinion.
thanks to the competition between honda and toyota making consumers difficult to make decision
the flip side is, more choice
both are nice vehicles
>
what about customer service?
Thanks!
Here's how I handle it:
Our Toyota dealer offers a shuttle service and is near my husband's office - we'll probably do that most of the time for longer service calls. They also have a play area for keeping kids busy and a nice juice/coffee bar, so I'll take the kids for shorter things when it can't be avoided. We don't plan on being there very often - that's why I bought a Toyota. (Plus, I work full time now, so logistics get very complicated sometimes.)
Back in the good old days of preschoolers, my friends and I would just take care of each other. We all stayed at home then. So it was easy to find another mom with a free day who could pick us up at the dealer, and we'd have a long play date.
Finally, Toyota (and probably Honda) offers service plans that include rental cars, in case you decide that one of their vans or SUVs is the best choice for you.
Does anybody know if the middle seat of second row can be provided as aftermarket?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Good luck, it's a crowded playing field.
First, how do I send email to you?
2nd, I suppose your solution is for DLRs is for Siennas. Could this be applied to Ody's since they don't offer DLRs.
Thanks,
The 06 Sienna brochure (inside back cover) has Footnote # 4 for features and specifications which states: " 8 passenger seating is not available on LE AWD, XLE and Limited" .
Footnote # 5 states that Power folding/adjustable 60/40 Split & Stow 3rd Row seat is available on Limited 2WD model only. Available late Fall 2005.
Also on any destination, you can select a preview on the sienna which actually goes along the entire route on the screen using the scale you selected as if you were driving it. It is nice to see exactly the entire route before you leave. I also don't see this on the odyssey. Again, comments?
Is there any way to notify Alpine or Honda to see if they would add these features?
http://www.hwysafety.org/news/2005/iihs_news_091805.pdf
My two son are both over 6 feet tall, and I am concerned that they may not get adequate protection from whiplash injuries in case of a rear-end collision with the current 2006 Sienna's seat/head restraint.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do about this? Is it possible to replace the current 2006 Sienna head restraint by something better?
http://www.hwysafety.org/news/2005/iihs_news_091805.pdf
Agree though...adjust the head restraint to proper level and don't worry about it.
A semi presents another problem, try honking intently at the last minute & pray hard.
How can an unsafe vehicle that has a door fly open in a crash test be rated # 1 for safety?
from another poster, but from you?
Here is the note:
"The minivans, including carryover vehicles from Model Year 2004, that earned the top rating of 5-stars for all seating positions in frontal and side crash tests were: Chrysler Town & Country long-wheel base (later release); Dodge Grand Caravan (later release); Kia Sedona; Mazda MPV and the Nissan Quest. The Honda Odyssey also received 5-stars for all seating positions in frontal and side crash tests; however, the driver’s door unlatched and opened during the side crash test and thus a safety concern is noted."
If a door unlatching and opening during the side crash test does not cause any concern for you, get the Odyssey.
I prefer to have all doors remain closed if I get in a crash so to use CR terminology, the Honda Odyssey is "NOT Recommended" . :sick:
The door didn't "fly" open as you like to say. It simply opened a bit.
Granted, it shouldn't have but a belted in driver wouldn't have gone anywhere.
Still, FIVE STAR ratings!
As for snow handling, you will need snow tires regardless if you have FWD or AWD. And, I've read studies (consumer reports?) where a FWD with snow tires is MORE effective than AWD without snow tires. So, if this is the case, then go with FWD and snow tires. Just my two cents...
I'm with hans and whoever else ....a door shouldn't "fly", "sway", "creak" or just "open a bit" in an accident. IT SHOULD STAY CLOSED.
Without that bear attack saftey data in yet, I'd be concerned. All it takes is a slightly ajar door for that bear to get his razor like claw inside.
Then you'll be thinking " FIVE STAR" saftey rating.
how many vehicles do you think honda already crunched and survived? i think this is a small N phenomenon myself... i don't think the testers would attempt to extrapolate between one failure of this type, and the likelyhood of similar failures.
however, we aren't privy to all the high-speed camera and accelerometer information, but I bet they shared it with honda.
you'd probably have to run a lot of mini-tests (ie don't waste an entire production vehicle) and perform some modelling to fit the data to also increase the number of scenarios "tested" at least virtually, ultimately to try to get at the root cause of this failure.
of all the companys out there, i don't doubt honda will take it very seriously and investigate it in-depth.
i'm willing to bet a bear will have greater success getting the door of a locked odyssey (or any mini-van for that matter) open than by ramming it with a test sled. i'd expect those marks to be low.
So your seat belt is on, right? You aren't going to "fly" out of that door.
Bears...yeah, right!
BTW, the Mazda MPV was the ONLY minivan to get all 5 Stars with no qualification like the Honda Odyssey door unlatching and flying open in the side crash test.
NOT recommended is MY OWN statement using CR terminology.
My quote was in reference to a posting that the Odyssey was # 1 for Safety...which to any person who reads the entire report is inaccurate. Which minivan to buy? Each of us can make an intelligent decision when we know all the facts. For me, at this time, the Sienna LE would be my first choice having bumped out the former first choices Odyssey EX and Grand Caravan SXT. (Toyota reliability with all other factors being equal being a trade-off).
But, when it comes to doors "flying open"
Plus, ya never know. You wouldn't want to be laying in the woods somewhere unconsious after an accident with the door ajar. A hear bears are particularly fond of car salesmen. :P
Seriously, the bear attack safety data test is no more ridiculous than some of the other government mandated programs.
Isell makes an excellent point that a person wearing a seat belt would not be ejected even if the door unlatched and opened.
There was a roll over of an 18 passenger van in northern Utah recently where all 11 people in the van were ejected when it rolled many times when a tire blew out while the van was going between 95 and 100 MPG. Nine were killed because the doors flew open and all the windows broke. NOT one person was wearing a safety belt. Another incident where there were 17 or 18 people inside a Grand Caravan (middle row seats had been removed) and only a few were killed as it did not roll over as many times.
Wearing seat belts is more important than whether the door opens or not in a crash.
As a side note, I can think of a few situations where I WOULD want my doors to open in an accident so that all my crap might fly out of the car instead of pinballing me in the head or something. When all is said and done though, it doesn't make me worry about having recommended the Ody (or if it were any other vehicle for that matter). If you do enough crash tests on any vehicle I'm sure you will see some strange things happen regardless of construction.
PS - If the bear knew how much the Sienna or Ody cost, I'm sure he/she would cut us all a break and attack a Santa Fe instead. (and yes, I have a friend who owns one of those.....shaddup)
The van was going 95 to 100 Miles Per Hour and was probably getting 7 or 8 miles per gallon at the time.
The Odyssey or Sienna does get 95 to 100 Miles Per Gallon when going down a long steep hill like entering Nevada from California on I-15.
If you can have it for just above $30,000, that would be great price. Since I can tell from your postings, you push Odyssey alot, can you tell us where we can get this low price?