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Vans & Minivans Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna
5191 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 4:53 AM
You are in the Honda Odyssey Forum. Your Host is Karens
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Replying to: rpc3 (Feb 09, 2009 7:28 am) When it comes to straight-up people moving, vans still beat crossovers any day of the week! |
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Greetings fellow minivan drivers! I was the proud owner of a 2000 Odyssey EX which I recently replaced with a 2009 Sienna Limited AWD. I feel I am supremely qualified to comment on their differences, so please hang on to every word I say. The Ody was still running well at 9 years and 135,000 miles, but it seemed reasonable to replace it at this point. In fact, I kept postponing buying a new car because I wasn't particularly excited about it. I was hoping hard for a hybrid minivan, but the tyranny of the majority prevents it from happening, and I suppose we're lucky enough that there are minivans at all. Initially I was leaning towards replacing the Ody with another Ody, but it was only a small preference. But then my wife insisted we should get an AWD (for skiing) and that pretty much settled it. Interestingly, she would have preferred a Highlander Hybrid, but I wasn't ready for a smaller car yet, and this is "my" car. The Highlander Hybrid with comparable equipment also cost about $8,000 more, which I would have recovered in about 8 years at $4/gallon. The reasons for initially preferring the Ody were basically two: looks (I know, it's subjective, and they are both fairly ugly anyhow) and the removable 8th seat. In contrast, I felt the Sienna would have noticeably more power (I test drove both) and would be quieter. I agreed that the current Ody seems to handle better than the 2000 model, but I didn't think it would make much of a difference. Either of them still handles better than most SUVs (possibly excluding the sporty SUVs like the Porsche or the BMW, which I haven't tried). And now my impressions on the Sienna AWD. The first impression is that the Sienna handles better than I remembered. I don't know if the AWD has the same suspensions as the 2WD, but they are quite stiff, without being jarring. The lean on curves is minimal. I have driven large american sedans that leaned a great deal more. The tire grip is excellent. It probably helps that these are M&S tires (Mud and Snow) which will probably wear out in 20k miles. The steering is fairly detached, but even the current Ody's steering is much more detached than the old one. And now, about power. I am coming to the conclusion that our perception of power is more influenced by throttle response than the actual available torque or power. The Ody feels peppy starting from a standstill because, starting from a closed throttle, a small push on the accelerator pedal produces a large change in the engine load, so large that it is often difficult to control it precisely. As one keeps pushing, the load doesn't change as quickly. More specifically, after reaching an engine load of about 80% (or about 4 gallons per hour at 2000rpm), it takes a bigger push on the accelerator to increase the power. I know these numbers because I have a ScanGauge. In contrast, the Sienna throttle response is a lot gentler at low power. But when reaching, again, a load of about 80 (which is also about 4 gph), a small change in the pedal position produces a much bigger change in the Sienna than in the Ody. The Sienna is also a lot more willing to downshift than the Ody. One consequence of this is that I believe one's driving style has a much larger impact on the Sienna's mileage than the Ody's. I have noticed that on the Sienna it's much easier to find yourself at 2500 or 3000 rpm sipping 8gph than it was on the Ody. The fact that I am driving an AWD may have some impact on this. Gas mileage on the Sienna AWD is 10% to 20% worse than the 2000 Ody. Interior and controls. Folks usually say that the Sienna is more refined, but I don't see that much difference. One item I like better in the Sienna is the gear shift knob. Instead of simply moving up and down like in the Ody, the Sienna shifter zigzags up and down and left and right in an apparently random fashion. But it turns out that the zigzag is not random at all, and in fact is quite helpful at reducing confusion about what gear you're in. This may not matter much in the flats, but we live in the hills and downshift often to save the brakes. I also like the radar cruise control a lot. It works very well even in heavy traffic and doesn't get confused in curves. My only gripe, which is the same as for any cruise control I've tried, is that it is too aggressive at regaining its target speed. So if your target speed is 70 but you're following a car at 60, and the car moves out of your lane, the cruise control will put you at 4000 rpm and 10 gph to bring you back to 70 as quickly as possible. I wish cruise controls had a "take-it-easy" option. (Same for air conditioning, by the way.) This is all I have to say for now. If I may conclude with one word of wisdom: these two cars are very similar and we're a bunch of nitpicking whiners who should get a life. Thank you very much.
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Replying to: semenzato (Feb 12, 2009 11:50 am) Really like your sense of humor as well. I like to ski too, but am going to stick with my Honda and bring along tire chains. Have not decided yet if that's a good or bad idea? My theory is if the roads are that bad, I'm just going to find a motel. Thanks! 
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We are moving with two kids from Oregon to southwestern Wisconsin and upgrading from our small Saturn to a van. It seems Honda and Toyota make the top two vans. My wife feels strongly about getting the Toyota with AWD because of snow in the upper midwest. We do lots of things outdoors with the kids, and I do think we will be off the beaten path frequently for cross country skiing and other winter activities. Sienna vs Odyssey seems debatable from looking at the forums and professional reviews. The Odyssey seems slightly better reviewed but I'm on the fence. My question is whether I need the Toyota with AWD or could I just get by with a good pair of snow tires for the winter on the Odyssey? The small rolling hills of Wisconsin are not the Cascade range of the northwest. Would AWD really matter that much? |
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Replying to: newvanner (Feb 12, 2009 9:01 pm) You have to used a little common sense. When you get 12 inches of snow, you should wait for the snow plow to go through before driving too far, however I've driven in those conditions and done okay. I did buy a set of tire chains this fall, just in case. There's maybe 2 or 3 days in the whole year that 4WD is necessary. Is it really worth the extra cost? I don't think so, but I'm sure other people will disagree.
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Replying to: bobber1 (Feb 13, 2009 7:28 am) |
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Replying to: newvanner (Feb 12, 2009 9:01 pm)
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Replying to: jimbob1 (Feb 14, 2009 4:46 pm) We live in the mountains of Vermont - ski country. The last couple of miles to our home have an elevation increase of about 1000 feet. There are some very, very steep hills. We own a 2001 Odyssey EX with FWD. We've owned four-wheel drive SUVs - partially to address my wife's 'white knuckle' driving syndrome. She has always been a much better driver when she knows the vehicle she's driving can handle just about anything. However, she never liked the "feel" of the SUV....Always wanted something a bit more "passenger car" like. Hence, the Odyssey. This past winter, we put a set (4) of the new Hakkapalitta 5's, studded on the Honda. The combination of the FWD and Hakka's is incredible. I would put this against any SUV 99% of the time. We have some sections of road that with 2" to 6" of snow / slush / ice are pretty much impassable. However, we've yet to experience any difficulties. On the other hand, our neighbors have a 2008 Sienna AWD. They do not have the same level of snow tires as we have....Interestingly, there have been times, this winter, that our Odyssey has been able to make it up our hill but our neigbhbors have been stuck down the bottom - unable to get up.... The conclusion ? I would not say one vehicle is better than the other. In fact, we're just about ready to look for a new van and it will be between the Odyssey & Sienna. I will say that a great set of snow tires ($650 installed) can go a long way to evening out the AWD advantages.....The same could be said about having an SUV - without the right tires (equipment), you may not gain the traction or control advantages you'd expect. Over the life of vehicle, I would expect to buy 2 or 3 sets of winter tires. In our case, like many Vermonters, we swap our tires over in the Spring & Fall. The approach of going with FWD, investing in great tires and also experiencing the benefits of improved gas economy may outweigh AWD. Your mileage may vary. |
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Replying to: bobber1 (Feb 12, 2009 6:00 pm) |
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Replying to: newvanner (Feb 12, 2009 9:01 pm) |
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