Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna

andrewtran71 · October 2004

You can get $1.5K off MSRP on Ody already in OKC.
In some states, you can get $2K off MSRP already.
Seems like Honda has made the Ody very available everywhere. I see about 5 Odys at every Honda dealer in OKC, even a Touring w/NAV+RES, and it looks awesome.
The NAV screen is so huge, and the RES ceiling mount is so SLIM (yet huge 9" screen), it hardly takes away any headroom, unlike most DVD RES out there.

dulnev · October 2004

You can get a great aftermarket overhead DVD entertainment system with built-in DVD player (DVD is inserted right into the overhead system) for about $1,000-$1,200 installed. And you can put it in pretty much any minivan/SUV.

ateixeira · October 2004

With 2 factories, seems like supply is much better this time around.

Good for customers, bad for dealers. Sort of.

-juice

andrewtran71 · October 2004

"You can get a great aftermarket overhead DVD entertainment system with built-in DVD player (DVD is inserted right into the overhead system) for about $1,000-$1,200 installed. And you can put it in pretty much any minivan/SUV"

Yeah, but you won't get a direct audio line with that. Instead, you get the not-so-good RF modulated sound.

Factory-installed RES are better.
1)You get the dash-mounted dvd player, instead of UNDER the 2nd row seat.
2) You get Direct-Line Audio.
3) You get Audio/Video/Headphone jacks/inputs on the 3rd row.
4) You get Bumper-to-Bumper warranty with everything else. And if you get a 7yr ext. warranty, it covers the RES also.
5) You don't to worry if those 3rd party people will screw up the installation or SCRATCH your van!

chiaw · October 2004

Andrewtran71 is correct that the deals can be had on the new Odyssey. Even at silicon valley deals now can be had.

Inventory is quiet abundant. Just search around. Odyssey is not selling as well as the hype.

chiaw · October 2004

Not true.

Sienna has HID with manual heigt adjustment. Which has about 2-3 times more coverage than Odyssey's headlight. This is a great safety feature if you drive where there are no street light.

Sienna has wider 3rd row seat, thus has better seating area for 3rd row.

Sienna's interior material is much better in quality.

On top of that Sienna has better power train warranty.

Odyssey does not match Sienna's quiet ride especially hihger speed. Although the engine is is a bit smoother and quieter at higher RPM, at low end sienna is quieter.

beemer4me · October 2004

"Yet for some strange reason I like the idea of BMW minivan. I hope that BMW would make it soft and easy to ride and forget about cornering. I definetly do not want to see BMW M van."

Have you ever driven a bmw w/out the sports package? I drive an 530 and it is waaaaay quieter than my 2001 Ody at ALL speeds and delivers a well damped ride while delivering the cornering Bmw's are famous for.

beemer4me · October 2004

and the Sienna back to back. The Ody was an ex 8 seater and it felt quieter and handled better than my 01 Ody. The Sienna was an Le 8 seater and it drove like, well, a Toyota - the variable assist left the steering numb at times and me going : Oh crap, what are the tires doing?*&^% Numb steering is one of my pet peeves so to make a story short, this disqualified the Sienna in my book.

my 2 cents

danda · October 2004

Where were you able to find deals on Siennas at just $500 above invoice?
I live in New Mexico and have found local dealers not very willing to move much at all from MSRP for the Sienna 2004 or 2005.
Honda dealers here are also asking full sticker (full MSRP) for the 05 Odyssey.
PLEASE HELP. I am willing to travel up to 4-5 hours.

soyyo1 · October 2004

i travel from California to Mass...call if you want to acton toyota. in mass best price ,,,sorry i can't give you the sale person name.
Edmunds don't want it/....But will be essay to find out
just say the person from CA send you you...SOme one know.

Good luck,,,

starlightmica · October 2004

>Factory-installed RES are better.

For $2k, they had better be. But, are they?

>1)You get the dash-mounted dvd player, instead of UNDER the 2nd row seat.

Something wrong with having the DVD in the headliner, with the flat screen? Also, depends on how much space you have in your vehicle's dashboard. The DVD player can certainly be installed elsewhere, such as the 2nd glovebox.

>2) You get Direct-Line Audio.

Just takes a =<$100 adapter with any CD-changer compatible head unit.

>3) You get Audio/Video/Headphone jacks/inputs on the 3rd row.

Available aftermarket, too.

Advantages of non-factory systems:

1) price, over 50% less
2) headrest monitors
3) ridiculously big monitors available, to the point of impairing rear vision if you so desire
4) multiple monitors possible if you don't want/have a Quest
5) available touchscreens and VGA connectors on certain models in case you want to plug in a carputer or laptop

But, what do I know? My wife and I are opposed to giving our kids DVD-RES for many reasons, and didn't splurge.

yeahwhat · October 2004

are you sure about that and not trying to make yourself sound like a real big tough negotiator. these cars don't really exist yet, well, not the way we would like them to be. I remember the first re-design when the odyssey was going for over sticker price, and people had to take a number to be on a waiting list. they are hyped, you have just been in front of the screen too long.

lstufleb · October 2004

I talked to a dealer today because I am considering the Ody and Sienna. I would prefer Ody but the EXL/RES does not have a automatic tail gate. At any rate he was suggesting that Honda has a much higher resale value which would off set any deals or incentives from Toyota. Any thoughts from anyone would be appreciated.

One more thought, I noticed that the Accord is going to be coming out as a hybrid in November. I asked when he thought the Ody would become a hybrid. He thinks within the next five years. My loan will be for five years, in which case it might not matter which van I own because everyone will want a hybrid. Hmmm?

hifisoftware · October 2004

I do not think that resale value would be affected by Hybrid. I do not think that Civic resale value was much affected when Hybrid came out. Hybrids are usually much more expensive.

player4 · October 2004

I wouldnt be surprised if Honda mounted the Accord's Hybrid engine on the Odyssey. As a matter of fact i've already seen and read rummors about a Hybrid Odyssey. Temple Of VTEC's Model Release Matrix has the Odyssey and for 2005 which is actually for MDY 2006 it says "IMA?". So like i said dont be surprised to see Honda do this specially if Toyota is also thinking about a Sienna Hybrid.

revit · October 2004

that is the difference between the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna. Both are good minivans, but one of them receives the highest rating.

Not only is it disappointing that Toyota has not made side curtain airbags standard, but they are very difficult to find on the Sienna. The Sienna with all the options you have to add is just too expensive and you still might not get the added safety that Honda makes standard in the Odyssey. Toyota needs to get rid of the numerous variations and make it simple for the consumer. When you go to a Toyota dealership is nearly impossible to find a vehicle equipped the way you one and they force the consumer to either pay for even more options they don't want or need or forgo them all together.

Toyota needs to stop compromising on safety and start making all of typical options consumers want as standard equipment. The problem with this then would be that the Sienna would be even more expensive than already exists the price difference.

Thank you Honda for keeping things simple. When all you have to do is pick the color of a 2005 Honda Odyssey EX costing $28,510, while on the Toyota Sienna XLE costing $29,025, here what you have to consider:

13 different option packages which are expensive (one of them actually costing $8,555) and brings the Sienna to a total grand price of $38,145.

Just look on this site at the comparison of the two vehicles and the demand is accurately reflected in the TMV (What Others Are Paying). The Honda Odyssey is selling at MSRP, but the Toyota Sienna is well below MSRP.

If you need further consideration of value, simply refer to Intellichoice or ConsumerGuide to note who get the best value rating...once again, the benchmark of minivans...the 2005 Honda Odyssey.

The Honda Odyssey receives the highest ranking, while Toyota Sienna receives "recommended" rating as it is on par, but may lack refinement, have a high price, or appeal to limited audiences.

floridacritic · October 2004

Thanks for the lesson on economics. Not everyone has the luxury of waiting for Odysseys to multiply to the level where supply bests demand. Personally, I do not think this is going to happen soon with respect to desireable models such as Touring with DVD/NAV and/or EXL with DVD/NAV. My wife is due with third child in one week! We ordered a 2004 Sienna XLE Limited with NAV/DVD back in July which, at the time, was without question the best van on the market. I was curious about the 2005 Honda Odyssey, but had no clue what the van would be like due to Honda keeping it under wraps. One week before Sienna was due to arrive at Toyota dealer, Honda dealer received five 2005 Odysseys. Two touring models (one with NAV/DVD and one without) and three EX (all without NAV). We drove the Touring with NAV/DVD and both liked the ride slightly better than Sienna. We both liked the exterior look of the Sienna better and how it hid the side door channels. We both liked the interior much better in Odyssey, especially the seats which are much more comfortable and not too small. I also like the fact the DVD player was not in the roof, making for better visibility. My kids will probably appreciate the larger DVD screen 9 vs. 7 inch. I hated the fact Honda would not budge off sticker. Never in my life have I paid sticker. I even negotiated $3k sticker of Wife's Lexus RX 300. I made up my mind the Odyssey was a better deal, given the added features and comfort even at sticker. Unfortunately, the local Honda dealer did not have the right color so we decided to go with Sienna, even though gut told me Odyssey was better van. Called Honda dealer three hours away two days later and surprisingly they actually had the van we wanted (silver Touring with black leather interior). This dealer wanted $2k over sticker. Paid $500.00 over sticker, but dealer gave me more $800.00 more on trade than Toyota would give and personally drove vehicle to my house to do the deal. I still ended up paying $1,500.00 less for 05 Odyssey Touring than 05 Sienna XLE Limited with NAV/DVD. I am still pissed at paying sticker and probably will always be, but what can you do when these vans are scarce? The only reservation I am having at this point is the discussion about these PAX tires. Why does everyone seem to rip these tires?

4usfishers · October 2004

Sorry, I know the Honda is a great buy, but I said the exact same thing to my spouse. It is boxy and the chrome trim around the windows makes it look just like the Sedona.
We drove both the Sienna and Ody today. Hands down the Ody has more power (smother acceleration) and more comfortable seats, but I cant get past the boxy exterior, black dash top and visible slider door tracks. The Sienna (in my opinion) just has a more pleasing look -smoother edges and no visible slider tracks, plus nicer alloys -16"and 17".

hansienna · October 2004

....when it was dismissed as a gimmick when DaimlerChrysler introduced it?
The "Magic Seat" was wonderful when introduced by Honda and 60/40 split "Magic Seat" wonderful when Toyota introduced it.
Praise all brands when a great idea is brought to market even if it is DaimlerChrysler.

isellhondas · October 2004

The rear power tailgate is a "gimmick". I mean, who REALLY needs this?

isellhondas · October 2004

I respect your opinion. Looks are, indeed subjective.

But, it's a MINIVAN! It's going to look "boxy".

I know we are all different but, for the life of me I'll never understand why the "looks" of a utility vehicle are that important.

I guess it's true..." the hand buys what the eye sees"

jsmath5 · October 2004

I love you man, you see it for what it is, with Honda safety is standard from the smallest to the largest price tag, so the LX buyer has the same safety as the Touring R & N. Toyota 27 packages, Honda 7 packages, safety is standard on all 7 Hondas.

jsmath5 · October 2004

Congradulations on the New Odyssey, you will love it. Best deal is to buy what's on a particular dealer's lot. Glad Honda came through, wouldn't like to see you driving what you thought was the 2nd best van, get the BEST!!!!!

People rip PAX tires because they don't have them and also don't understand how they work. They are just fine. BTW, resale value is better on the Honda, so even though you unfortunately paid sticker, if you trade, sell, get wrecked in it, it will return more money to your pocket.

jsmath5 · October 2004

Go to a dealer, if the van you want (color, model) is on the lot, say I will buy this van for $1000 off sticker RIGHT NOW, see what the salesman says, if it's me; you may have just got a deal on a new Odyssey.....SOLD!!!!! Timing and some luck go a long way.

midwestfan1 · October 2004

Does anyone have "real world" mpg experience with the 05 Odyssey yet? Is the new engine helping gas mileage?

Thanks.

andrewtran71 · October 2004

"But, it's a MINIVAN! It's going to look "boxy"

So by definition, a minivan MUST be ugly?

Would a vehicle measuring 200" length x 77" height that looks exactly like a BMW X5 with dual sliding doors and power liftgate be an "SUV" or a "Minivan" ?

Or I guess it could be huge wagon?

I wonder why BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have wagons in the US, but Toyota/Lexus & Honda/Acura do not.

Subaru is releasing a 7 seater wagon in the US in 2006. But no word of Lexus or Acura.

lghong67 · October 2004

Starlight:

Where do you live? Do you know of any reliable / trustworthy providers of aftermarket installation services in CA? My experience, having of a number of friends and acquaintances who have had some non-fact. mods installed, is that the results have been mixed.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

Best, LH

jsmath5 · October 2004

The odyssey is getting about 25 in town, but you have to drive it like it's supposed to be drived, cruise or coast down to stoplights and signs. Also idling cuts gas mileage.

heywood1 · October 2004

Good thing you think that, because the van you're selling doesn't offer it on anything but the top-of-the-line 'Touring.'

The power lift gate is a wonderful thing for people who are short and have trouble reaching the rear door when it is up. Also, the feature keeps your hands clean, as we all know the rear door of any van gets dirty very quickly--especially in the winter.

Also, it allows you to approach your vehicle with an armload of groceries, and open the door without putting them down.

A power rear door is a convenient and useful option. PAX tires are a gimmick.

cpstar · October 2004

Midwestfan1, Here is one report:
2005 Honda Odyssey EX-L
EPA Mileage 20 mpg city 28 mpg highway
MotorWeek's mileage loop 22 mpg mixed city/highway

REF: MotorWeek Road Test Program # 2407

ewt · October 2004

Heywood -

Just remember the Honda lover's mantra:

"if the Odyssey doesn't have it - it's not important!"

and the corollary:

"if the Sienna doesn't have it - it's a must have!"

People who don't think power liftgates are convienent don't have them. Much easier to open while holding your kids' hands in busy parking lots, and no need to get your hands dirty pushing on a dirty tailgate.

PAX wheels/tires a dumb idea no matter how you slice it. A flat tire leaves you dead in the water unless you happen to be near an open Honda dealer. Get a flat on Saturday night in the boondocks, and you're going to be waiting awhile to get back on the road. The RFTs on AWD Siennas aren't ideal either, but leave you with the option of replacing a damaged run-flat with a normal tire, and can be changed or repaired by a tire shop.

hifisoftware · October 2004

I completely agree with heywood1 and ewt.

I am 6'6 and I do not care for power liftgate, but my wife is... well I do not remember but much shorter. She really likes this idea.

Adjustable pedals or telescoping wheel might look like unheeded item for you, but for me it's an important safety item (let's leave alone "safety for everyone" as it hardly means anything). Both (or ether) of these items might allow to sit further from the wheel.

And PAX is indeed horrible. With Toyota you can choose not to use run flats, not so with PAX.
PAX is a great technology, but it going to be owner nightmare until somebody decide to support them for real.

dulnev · October 2004

1. You get a player BUILT INTO THE OVERHEAD SYSTEM with the systems that I described. Andrew, you need to learn how to read the posts before responding to them!
2. You get an audio that is just as good for movies. There's nothing wrong with RF modulation.
3. You have line-in on the overhead system. You get wireless headphones.
4. A five year extended warranty on an after-marked DVD system will cost just an extra $100.
5. I don't know which incompetent installers you've used, but all reputable shops will perform a flawless install that doesn't introduce any problems. Your Honda dealer is much more likely to scratch your precious van while changing oil.
Bottom line: don't just shoot off your mouth before getting some facts!

andrewtran71 · October 2004

"You get a player BUILT INTO THE OVERHEAD SYSTEM with the systems that I described"

1) still not as convinient as a dvd player on the front dash
2) a dvd player built into the overhead system will reduce some headroom compared to an extremely slim system in the factory Ody RES

andrewtran71 · October 2004

"There's nothing wrong with RF modulation"

Yes there is.
1) You have to turn UP your volume, WAY UP.
2) You get static if you turn the volume up.
3) You get radio interference & a lot of static if you drive to a location that has radio stations close to your frequency. When I drive to Dallas, there's always some locations that won't even let me hear anything from the RF modulated system; all I hear is the severe static noise.

andrewtran71 · October 2004

"You have line-in on the overhead system"

Oh, yeah, that's great having wires hanging all over from the ceiling!

With the factory RES, you get inputs from the 3rd row side and away from everything. Again, more convinient.

andrewtran71 · October 2004

"I don't know which incompetent installers you've used, but all reputable shops will perform a flawless install that doesn't introduce any problems"

I used Best Buy. Most of these installers will do a nice job, but they are humans, and humans do make mistakes.
If they make mistakes at the factory, they will have to redo them so that it looks absolutely perfect. If a 3rd party screws up (because he is human), what will they do to fix that? Repaint your interior?

andrewtran71 · October 2004

"Your Honda dealer is much more likely to scratch your precious van while changing oil.
Bottom line: don't just shoot off your mouth before getting some facts!"

And you should not shoot off your mouth before getting some facts!
Do you have statistical evidence that Honda dealers are morely likely to scratch a vehicle changing oil than Best Buy, Circuit City, and other 3rd party installers? NO. You are just shooting off your mouth and made that up.

Last thing, quit being cheap and try to convince other people to be cheap like you.

I suppose you are going to try to convince everyone that an LX is just as great as a Touring model, right?

Factory installed is always better. If it's not perfect, you don't buy the van in the first place.

There's NOTHING WRONG with aftermarkets, but just don't say it's JUST AS GOOD as factory installed RES like you quoted:
"You get an audio that is just as good for movies"

revit · October 2004

dulnev, too funny!

ncguy1 · October 2004

Curious about mileage on 05 Ody w/VCM. Anybody realizing the 28 highway mpg as advertised? On what grade of gas?

mikechen · October 2004

Ody only need regular grade

hansienna · October 2004

Agree that aftermarket items are NOT as satisfactory as those installed at the factory.
Question: Do you get as much chrome with aftermarket items as with factory installed?

hawaii1 · October 2004

I am looking at the 2005 Odyessy or Sienna. I leased a 2002 Odyessy and when lease ran out, we got a SUV. Do not like the big SUV for around town, kids, gas etc so now I am looking at new 2005 Odyessy. Really like it but am worried if there is enough back support in this van, this was a problem with other Odyssey. I had back pain with it though the new one seems better. Any advice would be appreciated!!

andrewtran71 · October 2004

"Agree that aftermarket items are NOT as satisfactory as those installed at the factory.
Question: Do you get as much chrome with aftermarket items as with factory installed?"

Okay, now I know you're just kidding around!

But the answer is, you usually get more chrome aftermarket.

andrewtran71 · October 2004

If you have not test driven the new Ody, then test drive it.
If your back hurts, don't buy the Ody and buy the Sienna instead.
Gadgets are great, especially Ody NAV, but your back/health is number one priority.

stickguy · October 2004

IMO, the new seats in the '05 Ody are a big improvement. One of the reasons i didn't get one in '99 was the front seats didn't feel right to me. Not enough support and the shape wasn't comfy.

The new ones (I think I have only tried leather) seem to be much improved. There is also an adjustable lumbar support.

But, since you are so familiar with the old ones, go to the dealer, and take a test sit/drive and decide for yourself.

ewt · October 2004

"Ody only need regular grade"

Hey, just like the Sienna. Good news!

hansienna · October 2004

Odyssey is the BEST choice for a spacious, comfortable vehicle with decent fuel economy.
Recently rode in a friend's Lincoln LS with V8 engine. Lots of luxury items such as separately controlled temp for driver and front passenger, heated AND COOLED driver and front passenger seat, NAV, etc.
However at MSRP $48,000 + the Lincoln LS costs too much when a nice Ody EX-L-NAV costs just over $30,000. I can do without heated and cooled driver and front passenger seat of the Lincoln LS for all that extra money even if the Lincoln does have more chrome on the front than the more practical Ody EX-L-NAV. (I would actually get just the Ody EX and forget leather and NAV).

stickguy · October 2004

But, you can get a slightly used LS for the 30K price of the Ody. You can probably get a brand new one for the cost of an Ody Touring.

despratehswife · October 2004

I currently own a 4x4 Tahoe and have recently been looking the the Toyota Sienna now that it has AWD, split 3rd row seats and more cargo space. I wasn't even considering the Honda because it does not come with AWD. However, some salesman told me that the traction control in FWD vans is just as good as the AWD. Is that true? I used to own a 4Runner when my husband and I did a lot of backcountry skiing and hiking, and found ourselves on steep dirt, gravel and snowy roads miles from any main road. But with three kids we don't do that kind of driving anymore. Mostly I engage the 4x4 for going over snowy mountain passes, up and down snowy/slushy roads and the occasional gravely, muddy, steep backroad. If the Honda was just as good as the AWD Toyota in these conditions, I may take a look at it. Any recommedations?

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna

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