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Vans & Minivans Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna
5137 messages, Last post on Nov 10, 2009 at 9:11 PM
You are in the Honda Odyssey Forum. Your Host is Karens
| I had a 2000 Ford Focus a few years ago. It was one of the neatest cars to drive. I loved driving it. But got rid of it after one year and bought the Dodge truck. Why? The monitor went out on my computer and when I went to buy another, I couldn't get it in the trunk of the car because the trunk lid opening was to small. | |
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"As a matter of fact, a few days ago, I said as far as vans go, and a people mover, Toyota was the king of the hill." So, you pick Toyo over Ody....why? Just curious and maybe I'll learn something. Thanks.
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"Rorr, If he wants to put two car seats in the second row, that's no problem with any van. All can do that." I may be mistaken, but I think this whole discussion began by comparing the possibilities of 3 across seating in the Toyota 8-seater vs. the Ody +1 system, which is something that NOT all can do. "But even if she had both in the second row and one dropped a toy on the floor, I would like to see her pick it up from the floor from the front seat and hand it back to the child without getting up to do it." Interesting. My wife does this all the time in our Ody, chasing down any number of dropped sippy cups, toys, crayons, etc. etc. If I were to suggest that we put the kids in the 3rd row, she'd probably look at me as if I had 3 heads and wonder, quite loudly, why force her to get up and move all the way to the back everytime somebody dropped their whatever. Perhaps my wife (approaching 40 quickly) is simply more limber than average, but I doubt it. Or perhaps you simply don't have a high opinion of the average woman's capabilities. Weren't you proposing that the average double stroller was too heavy for a woman to load in the rear of a van and that it was much better to load it in the side door with one 2nd row seat stowed? "You seem to only think unless your going to haul furniture or a bunch of junk around, stow-n-go has no value at all." Guilty as charged. Of course, YOU are the one always talking about how great sto'n'go is if one must unexpectedly haul something large and must, on the spot, fold the seats. Otherwise, EVERY instance in which you have espoused sto'n'go could also be duplicated in a standard van with removable seats. So, perhaps you could clarify: what does sto'n'go offer that an Ody/Sienna with removable seats CAN'T offer which does not include unexpected hauling? "I had a 2000 Ford Focus a few years ago. It was one of the neatest cars to drive. I loved driving it. But got rid of it after one year and bought the Dodge truck. Why? The monitor went out on my computer and when I went to buy another, I couldn't get it in the trunk of the car because the trunk lid opening was to small. Don't they make a hatchback version of the Focus?
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Replying to: rorr (Jun 14, 2005 8:22 am) We are constantly reaching back onto the floor in our Escape's second row to get at cups, books, etc. So yes, we want the two youngest in arm's reach... and yes, you want to pull over whenever you see us on the road because we are always stretching backwards reaching for stuff instead of driving. To stay somewhat on topic, we are comparing the Ody/Toyota against each other first... they are generally regarded as #1/#2 in reviews. The two appear to compare pretty even on most points... usability, safety, child friendliness... with the Ody having what is rumored to be better handling and the sensitive point of improved braking performance. After that, we're going to compare against the T&C. Which brings us back to the $$$ and haggling. I know the GM thing is a marketing thing for the most part.... but originally hailing from Ohio gives us relatives that work for Chrysler and Ford (not GM). So we get employee discounts on those brands plus their regular incentives. So it would be a fixed below-invoice price then ~$3500 in rebates for Chrysler. I now have some use cases in mind for our test drives with the middle seats and the folding 3rd row. Any other Ody/Toyo input for kid use? ... but I digress, we should get back to the Focus hatchback discussion and Stow N' Go on this Toyo/Ody board. 
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Replying to: 96corolla (Jun 14, 2005 8:02 am) That's not to say others are not close, they are. Quality has been going up on many makes, but Toyota is still the best. |
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1 - you are right, this discussion did start regarding putting 3 kids accross the 2nd row in oddy and Sienna. It was my question and it is still my quandry. 2. Thanks for your input on Toyo being king. I would agree. I bought my Carolla new in 96 and it still drives like a dream. At 102K, it is just a puppy!!!! My problem is that on first analysis, we tend to like the Ody more...but have the problem on possibly not getting the 3 seats in row 2. So, I'm just trying to figure out what the he#  to do! rorr - I think Marine2 is in a different boat them some of us as he seems to be a grandpa with grandchildren who are above toddler age. For him, it's easy/nice to throw the kids in row 3....the older kids may actually think it's cool cause it gives them their own little area and keep them further away from the adults. So, for him, it works great. For me, with kids 0 - 4, it is not practical for the same reasons you mention and I agree that you could accomplish the same things in Toyo/Ody by removing seats. Different demographics lead to different perceptions of what is useful and valuable feature. For Marine2, it works. For me and you, probably not. Either way, it is interesting to get the different perspective. |
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Replying to: rorr (Jun 14, 2005 8:22 am) Well I'm glad to see your wife is lucky enough to have all those things fall into her reach and not go under the seat or roll over by the door in a moving van. Either that, or she has very long arms not to have to get out of her seat for anything. My wife at only 5'1" is not that lucky at all. Neither am I. Guilty as charged. Of course, YOU are the one always talking about how great stow'n'go is if one must unexpectedly haul something large and must, on the spot, fold the seats. Otherwise, EVERY instance in which you have espoused stow'n'go could also be duplicated in a standard van with removable seats. Yep, you would have to remove the seat or seats Not always an easy chore for a lot of women. But of course I'm sure your wife would have no problem doing it. I'm afraid mine would. So, perhaps you could clarify: what does stow'n'go offer that an Ody/Sienna with removable seats CAN'T offer which does not include unexpected hauling? Not a thing. Take your seats out of the Ody and it can do all that the Dodge/Chrysler can do. We are talking of convenience though and making life easier.Stow-n-go makes life a lot easier, no matter what comes up. You know as well as I, your not going to keep one or two middle seats out of your van most of the time, or hardly at all. It would not be all unexpected to go shopping some place and see something you like and decide to buy it. Maybe it's to big to fit in the rear hatch or to high to lift it. It would be a cinch to drop one seat down and put it in the side door like I did with my air compressor. You don't get that convenience with any other van. Nor do you get the storage space with any other van. Don't they make a hatchback version of the Focus? They sure do. But like many other people, I didn't look at everything that I would use the Focus for. I didn't see the advantage of the hatchback over the four door sedan. The sedan had a large trunk and the rear seat backs folded down. I thought I could get just about anything I wanted in it, that would fit in a car. I was so wrong. A 17" monitor wouldn't fit in it. It just barely went in the side door. It's a shame too. That Focus was so much fun to drive. But the dash lights on the Civic won the wife over. |
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"Different demographics lead to different perceptions of what is useful and valuable feature." Agreed. I need to stop coming across so heavy-handed re: marine2 and the DCX seats. I know it is just perception on my part but I always get the impression that he 'invents' uses for the seats just to highlights how much 'better' they are than the competition. Unfair on my part. I know he is a fan of the DCX vans, is happy with his choice, and I don't begrudge him for that. To get back to the original question (3 across seating in the 2nd row of Ody and Sienna): The Sienna 8-seater is only available on the 'lower' trim lines (LE and CE). Which means if you want factory leather, you are out of luck. However, aftermarket leather is available, high quality, and affordable so this should not be a factor. The 2nd row seats in the Sienna do not have armrests whereas the Ody does. This may or may not be a factor. The middle seat in the Sienna can be positioned much closer to the front row. With a newborn, I personally think this is a huge advantage. My wife and I don't have a newborn so this was not important to us. For us, the 3rd seat would only see occasional use and we thought the outboard seats in the Sienna were not quite as comfy as the captains chairs in the Ody. The +1 seat in the Ody looks ridiculous, no argument there. However, I've sat in (on) it for short drives (sandwiched between booster seats in the outboard positions) and it was much, MUCH more comfortable than it appears (I'm 6'1" and only 170 so I'm on the skinny side). I would have no reservations with sitting in the seat for a 2-3 hour trip. Regarding 3 across car seats in the Ody: the kids will sit in either car seats/booster seats, NOT the +1 seat itself. So all that matters is how the car seat is anchored and whether or not there is physically enough OVERALL hiproom from door to door. There is no LATCH anchor for the +1 seat, however, a carseat can be secured with the lap/shoulder belt and a tether over the seat back (there is an anchor point accessible in the floor at the rear of the +1 seat.) As far as if there is adequate space, nothing beats a trial fit. I would suggest taking any/all seats you intend to place in the 2nd row and try them out.
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Replying to: rorr (Jun 14, 2005 10:19 am) Maybe marine2 is an impulse shopper or a garage sale junkie who routinely decides on a whim, to buy something large, like a used recliner or something! I can't think of too many times in my lifetime when I've suddenly been pressed for room to suddenly transport something I decided to buy all of a sudden.  We are, indeed, all different! |
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Can somebody suggest which of the following cars is better: Nissan QUEST S - on the road price $ 23, 000 (because of the Nissan's rebates and below invoice price bargaining) v/s Honda Odyssey EX - on road $ 28,000 Is the Odyssey worth that extra $5000.0 (i.e ~ 20 % price difference). I personally donot like to center console in the Odyssey. But in terms of driving and car exterior, it is not bad. As much as Honda looks good, it is difficult to justify the extra $5000.0
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