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Vans & Minivans Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna
5193 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 9:19 PM
You are in the Honda Odyssey Forum. Your Host is Karens
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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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Replying to: semenzato (Feb 12, 2009 11:50 am) |
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Drove an 09 Odyssey EXL with RES & Nav and an 09 Sienna AWD XLE and an FWD Sienna today...all were nice vans. We had never owned a Honda or a Toyota before..nor been to either dealer previously. We ended up liking the Odyssey better..for a few reasons (and most are subjective).. 1) I'm very tall, and found the drivers seat felt "deeper" on the odyssey....there was more seat to support my legs. My wife had no preference on this one. 2) I liked the handling of the Honda better than either of the Toyotas...just felt better connected with the road. 3) We actually liked the fold-away aspect of the center console on the Honda better than the bulkier unit in the Toyota....will help with access to the backseat on trips (multiple kids in cars seats)..but can still flip up and be there to hold sodas, etc... 4) I liked the technology better on the Honda -- the navigation system was more intuitive for both of us. 5) I liked the sound system interface better on the Honda, but the sound quality seemed somewhat better on the Toyota. Didn't spend a lot of time on this though. 6) The Honda dealer was much lower pressure, and more professional. Obviously this will vary from dealer to dealer -- but we were much more comfortable with the Honda dealer. We will be buying an Odyssey this week....=)
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