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Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna

5509 messages,  Last post on Sep 20, 2011 at 6:39 PM

You are in the Honda Odyssey Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Car Comparisons, Van

Messages Page 484 of 552

#4822 of 5509 Sienna XLE vs Odyssey EXL by easternguy2

Apr 22, 2009 (11:34 am)

I came off a 06 Honda EXL lease and was on the fence between another Honda and a Sienna. In the end I bought the Sienna XLE with leather, roof for $27,000 because (1) it was $1k below the Honda EXL, and (2) wanted something different. However, after driving it for a few weeks, I cant wait to see the new Odyssey in the fall. In the end, I think the Honda is a better choice - if your on the fence. Aside from having a much higher resale, here are differences I have noticed. Hopefully this will help you decide, if you are stuck like I was. I can only compare the EXL to the XLE
 
1. EXL comes standard with a backup camera. Sienna you have to buy the NAV (which is a huge expense)
 
2. Honda uses Michelin Energy tires (which i had and were great) Toyota does on the LE model but for some reason switches to lower cost Bridgestone Turranzas on the XLE. I cant say how they will perform in the winter/rain, but the Energy's were awesome.
 
3. Honda has the variable cylinder management on the EXL. Toyota does not I got about 22 mpg all the time on the Honda. Sometimes 23-24. I just got back from a 2000 drive on the Sienna. highest was 23mpg on all highway. Lowest was around 19 combined. VCM is nice, but not a deal breaker.
 
4 Engine was considerably quieter in the Odyssey than the Sienna. Which is unusual. My toyotas have always been quiet. But mine sounds like a truck. I remember driving my Honda to the dealer to turn it in and the engine was silent. Hardly ever heard it. If i remember correctly, the EXL has an engine noise suppessor.
 
5. You loose the 8th seat in the Sienna. The XLE drops it. You get a center console that can move from the front to the middle section. I moved the center console to the 2nd row and just use the floor storage. It has worked out fine. But I miss having the 8th seat in the Odyssey
 
6. Seats seem to be more padded/comfortable in the Honda. My butt hurts faster when sitting in the Sienna
 
7. You will loose huge amounts of cool storage areas with the Sienna. Glove box is tiny. And the upper glove box is a joke. Who designed that. It flips up. So when i open it everything slides out. Honda's flip down, and was 2x the size. You also loose the pockets behind the passenger seat back. Not sure why Toyota did that. Its hard plastic. My kids used that area to put their stuff. You also loose the in floor storage that Honda has in the middle section. We used that on vacations to hold more items. The Honda has a slide out tray under the front passenger seat. Sienna does not. In fact the area below Sienna seats is almost closed off so you cant slide anything under them from the front.
 
8. 3rd row seats are difficult to fold down on the Toyota. I still have not figured it out. Honda is easy. No brainner. Even when i get it fold down in the toyota is not totally flat. Its 2" higher than the rest of the floor. Hard to explain.
 
9. You get a lovely antenna mast on the XLE. LOL. Who in the heck has those anymore! Especially on higher end models. Toyota better drop that one! Honda did not have this on the EXL
 
10. Slightly less foot room for the front two seats. I noticed why. The Sienna angles the sides, where the Honda doesnt. It gives you a few extra inches in the Honda.
 
11. 3rd row has less leg room in the Sienna. I never noticed until I had it a week, Who sits in the back row before buying a car? Try it out if you use it. I have to move the 2nd row seats forward if an adult needs to sit in the 3rd row. In the Honda, I never had to do that.
 
12. Sienna 2nd row seats flip up. This is really nice. Especially to clean under the seat. Honda does not have this feature
 
13. As someone mentioned in an earlier posting, Toyota switches are not illuminated at night. At night I have to fumble around if rolling down the windows.
 
14. Ride - I find the Sienna a little smoother.
 
15. This is not by design, but if you have DVD players that strap onto the headrests, the Honda has plastic handles towards the top of the seat backs in the 2nd row. It works great to also hold up DVD players that are strapped to the headrests.
 
16. You get a rear spoiler with the EXL. Sienna its a $500 option.
 
Thats about all I have noticed between the two models. You wont go wrong with either model. But dollar for dollar, I think the Honda is a better buy in the long run.
Hope this was useful.

#4823 of 5509 Re: Sienna XLE vs Odyssey EXL [easternguy2] by ateixeira

Apr 22, 2009 (11:43 am)

Replying to: easternguy2 (Apr 22, 2009 11:34 am)
I'll comment on a couple of those items..
 
#4 - the new 3.5l V6 in the Sienna has a timing chain, which is a bit noisier than a belt, but doesn't need to be replaced, either.
 
Overall noise levels are lower, so the engine may just stand out more to you.
 
#7 - my Sienna LE has a slide out tray under the passenger seat also, you may want to double-check that one.
 
Also, the space for the lazy susan in the Ody is used by the spare tire in the Sienna, but that's why the cargo area is about 4" wider (53" vs. about 49"), a useful advantage.
 
# 8 - there is a video that shows you how to use the seats, they will fold flat once you figure them out. It's not hard, IMO. Plus remember you can get power folding seats in the Sienna and that's N/A on the Ody.
 
#9 - I'm not sure about now but the JBL sound replaced the mast antennae with the one in the window. Oddly enough my LE came without the mast, they forgot to put it on, because most Siennas simply don't need them.
 
Just my $0.02.

#4824 of 5509 Re: - [dudleyr] by killmeister

Apr 22, 2009 (4:24 pm)

Replying to: dudleyr (Apr 15, 2009 12:11 pm)
I have had two Odysseys so far and they are great for highway driving especially.e were turned off a lot by the 14+packages that Toyota Sienna wants to force you to choose. Some free advice, albeit too late to help you. If you want things like Navigation, DVD player. do what we did and buy aftermarket devices. E.g., garmin Nuvi 260W for $200 or Panasonic DVD player for about $500. Honda wants 2-3 times what we paid. I hate it when they make you have leather seats (we don't like leather) in order to get cruise control......what a joke! Conversely, it's my belief that vehicles as big as the vans are should be required to include a backup device. Instead they all like to tell you how many cup holders they have. Only a moron would make cup holders a deciding factor in their purchase.
 

#4825 of 5509 Re: Odyssey after 8 years with Sienna [thegraduate] by olavanman

Apr 23, 2009 (11:03 am)

Replying to: thegraduate (Apr 13, 2009 9:32 am)
Hello Thegraduate!
Have you or anyone out there struggled with the fact that the Odyssey comes with only 3 LATCH connections? 2 in the 2nd row and 1 in the 3rd row.
We have two kids right now and when relatives come over, we are concerned this might be a problem.
 
The Sienna LE 8 Seater has 5 LATCH connections, 3 in the 2nd row and 2 in the 3rd row.
 
Any thoughts, opinions on this? any help would be much appreicated.
 
Cheers!
Ola Van Man

#4826 of 5509 Re: Odyssey after 8 years with Sienna [familyman] by olavanman

Apr 23, 2009 (12:39 pm)

Replying to: familyman (Apr 11, 2009 3:09 pm)
Hello Familyman!
Having fun with the new Ody?
 
Have you or anyone out there struggled with the fact that the Odyssey comes with only 3 LATCH connections? 2 in the 2nd row and 1 in the 3rd row.
We have two kids right now and when relatives come over, we are concerned this might be a problem.
 
The Sienna LE 8 Seater has 5 LATCH connections, 3 in the 2nd row and 2 in the 3rd row.
  
Any thoughts, opinions on this? any help would be much appreicated.
  
Cheers!
Ola Van Man

#4827 of 5509 Re: - [killmeister] by ateixeira

Apr 23, 2009 (12:51 pm)

Replying to: killmeister (Apr 22, 2009 4:24 pm)
I did that, too.
 
We got a 12" DVD player from Circuit City before they closed, it was $900 installed, plus it came with 2 wireless headsets.
 
Plus we got a Nuvi like you did, except ours is a Nuvi 200W. It was $200 at the time.
 
I'm sure from a manufacturer the two combined would cost a good $3-4 grand!

#4828 of 5509 Looking to make a direct cost comparrison by cimbriano

Apr 24, 2009 (1:09 pm)

Can anyone tell me what Sienna model/options would be the one to compare to the Odyssey EX-L with no nav, no dvd. I want to make sure that when I go dollar to dollar I am doing so with very similar vehicles. Thanks!

#4829 of 5509 EX-L w/RES is not much expensive than EX-L by pray4all

Apr 24, 2009 (1:49 pm)

Several ppl comments on using aftre market DVD player.
 
But if you are getting Ody now, the price difference between EX-L and EX-L w/RES is just over $1000, and it's facotry installed with wrty..

#4830 of 5509 Re: Looking to make a direct cost comparrison [cimbriano] by ateixeira

Apr 24, 2009 (2:02 pm)

Replying to: cimbriano (Apr 24, 2009 1:09 pm)
For the 2007 models it was closest to an XLE with package 6.
 
They shuffled the packages (EVP 2 is close to the old pkg 3 on the LE models) but grab a Sienna brochure and it shouldn't be too hard to find it.
 
I bet it's a XLE-5 or XLE-6 now as well.

#4831 of 5509 Re: Looking to make a direct cost comparrison [cimbriano] by easternguy2

Apr 24, 2009 (7:12 pm)

Replying to: cimbriano (Apr 24, 2009 1:09 pm)
Cimbriano,
 
Check out my posting a few above. I listed a lot of the differences between the models. You are comparing a Sienna XLE w/leather, roof, alloys, (option pkg 2 or 3 - cant remember - there are so many packages with Toyota) to the EXL. You might want to print off a comparison on line between the two models to see the exact differences. You wont go wrong with either model. I have owned both. Dollar for dollar I think the Honda is a better choice in the long run - considering residual, and the strong incentives Honda offers. I also think you should be able to get the Hondas for less. Their lots have been full around me. Overflowing. Toyota scaled back production, and it seems their lots are thinner. Both are coming out with new models in the fall if you can wait.

Messages Page 484 of 552

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