Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Vans & Minivans Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey vs. Hyundai Entourage vs. Kia Sedona vs. Toyota Sienna
206 messages, Last post on May 01, 2008 at 11:50 AM
You are in the Honda Odyssey Forum. Your Host is Karens
|
(Excerpt from a test drive review from this past weekend) We sat in an LX model first. The whole family really liked the plush, velvetty fabric on the seats. The model doesn't offer the 8th seat, or the power sliding doors, and a few other things high on our priority list, but the seats were great. They pulled up the EX-L NAV RES and we immediately fell in love with the power sliding doors. Touch two buttons and both kids piled in just like that. Plus you can close them from the driver's seat. I think all day long, this simple feature was what we liked most. I went to program the NAV, and it wasn't quite as intuitive as I expected. I'd heard great things about Honda's GPS systems, but this required use of buttons and touchscreen controls, and I'm used to touchscreen only. The voice was soothing and it re-calculated directions when I intentionally drove a different path effortlessly. The screen also serves as a backup cam. I thought I would love it. Nope. Found that visibility was pretty good already, and I looked back to back up anyway. In fact I did not use the backup screen at all. That was a surprise. It would help to line up a trailer, sure, but it's not at all essential for basic parking and backing up. The leather seats were a bit hard, 3 out of 4 of us found them *less* comfortable than the LX' cloth. That was a bummer. The driver's seat also had a lump in the lumbar support, even at the lowest setting. I was simply not comfortable in that seat, so right there I decided that would not be the model I got even if we did choose an Odyssey. It drove well, riding far better than the Pilot, as I recall it, and handling decently for all its size and mass. I did sense some torque steer, but I wouldn't be driving a minivan in that manner, so I think here it's acceptable. The engine was fine, and VCM was unnoticeable, doing its job quietly. Steering is Honda standard, i.e. way overboosted and a bit numb compared to what I'm used to. To be fair, I'm used to smaller, sportier vehicles. The kids saw the DVD movie player, and that deal for that item was sealed. We will get one, regardless, even if we have to go aftermarket. They loved it. The middle of the 2nd row is not very comfy. It's a seat for use in a pinch, not for a long trip. The armrests become the backrest, and it's just not wide enough for an adult. OK only in a pinch. I really wanted better seats, though, so we then asked to check out a regular EX model, with cloth seats. I was disappointed to find cheap looking mouse-fur style cloth. I have no idea why they put plush velvet in the LX, and recycled peach fuzz in the EX. At least the seats were better than the leather in the EX-L, and the lumbar support did not bother me with the cloth. Odd, but the cheaper the van, the more I liked the seats. Still, even though the fabric was a bit cheesy, we still left the dealership thinking the EX model was the best compromise for us. I say compromise because you can't get NAV or the RES with that model - you have to get the hard leather. Internet price quotes run in the mid $26k range. Not too bad, but I'd need to add the DVD movie player and a portable NAV system, so with tax and those two things we're getting close to $30k. It was informative and useful to drive it, because we established a benchmark. I can't talk my wife into even trying a Hyundai, which is a shame. We have a Kia test drive offer for a free gift card so I may sneak her into a Sedona.  As for pricing, what I'm finding the Koreans do have a big price advantage, but make sure you compare apples to apples. I have seen Entourage Limiteds for $24,100 with freight included, but that model doesn't come with a moonroof or a 6CD changer, which Honda includes at the EX level and Toyota includes even at the LE level. You do get a power tailgate for a price that's less than the EX from Honda or the LE package 3 from Toyota, and heated leather seats with memory, too, if you like leather. I'm sure the $11k "depreciation" on the Hyundai is off MSRP, so it's not nearly as significant as you might think at first. Let's look at an example. Sources are fitzmall.com and brownshonda.com, both no-haggle dealers local to me. I'm adding freight and processing fees to make them equivalent for comparison. Sienna LE 8 pass package 3 MSRP $29,484, on sale for $25,539. So the no-nonsense price is $3945 off MSRP. Entourage Limited MSRP $29,820, on sale for $24,200. So it lists for more, but you pay less. The discount is $5620. So the discount is nearly $1700 bigger. Ody EX MSRP $29,290, on sale for $26,883. Your discount is only $2,407. Going back to the Entourage, the discount off list price is $3,213 bigger. That explains a lot of the extra "depreciation". I put that in quotes because it's not the right term. It's actually the retail price minus the residual value, but nobody pays retail so it's not very meaningful. And we haven't even begun to talk about the opportunity costs of investing the money you save. Any how, buy what you love. It's worth paying more in the long-run for the Entourage if you like it better. You get all those extra features. Or, if you prefer the Ody, buy it and know that residuals will be high, even if you pay more up front. I'm shopping for all of these, and they all have compromises. It's pretty frustrating, actually. |
|
|
Afternoon everyone- I test drove the Entourage Limited (w/ ultimate package) this morning and was, to my surprise, very impressed. Deep down I thought for sure the test drive would rule this vehicle out but it has now made our decision harder. I'm used to driving a small, sport wagon w/ not much in the area of bells or whistles so the more "high end" features of the Limited were quite appealing to me. A few things that jumped out at me...I found the driver seat leather to be soft and very forming to the body. Lumbar was perfect for my "bad" back. The vehicle drove so much like my small sport wagon and the turning radius blew me away! I found the dash controls easy to find and reach and I liked how the auto shift was lower on the middle console and out of the way of the radio. I drove it on bumpy roads, railroad tracks and highway at 70mph+ and it didn't waiver. I found road noise to be average and visibility great. I was impressed with overall fit and finish, too. I had my infant son along so I didn't crank the sound system but I am curious to hear it when we return this weekend. I can't wait for my husband to drive this and see if he is as pleased as I was. The only things that jump out at me at first glance that Honda does better (for my interests) are the second row capt. chairs sliding to form a bench, second row built in sunshade, and easier 3rd row seat fold-into-floor function. I had difficulty lifting the Limited's seats using their tether system - seemed to not be as smooth and a bit heavy. We'll see. I guess we'll head to the Honda dealership within the next few days to give the EX-L a spin! 
|
|
|
Replying to: mom2ian (May 23, 2007 10:18 am) |
|
|
Replying to: mom2ian (May 23, 2007 10:18 am) I can understand your dilemma. I was in the exact same predicament last month. I almost signed on April 30 for an Odyssey EX-L with fog lights ($579 extra) = $28,579 + taxes + $250 fees. I searched reviews, read test drive reports, went to different dealerships to take closer look at cars .... Eventually bought an Entourage Limited with Ultimate Package on 05/05/07 with floor mats, covered cargo bins ($33,995 MSRP) for $28 + taxes OTD. Both Entourage & Odyssey are extremely fine cars. Sienna is overpriced according to me and their packages are extremely confusing. Also their interior styling is drab to me unless you opt for XLE and above. Also, the sienna engine bay is naked with hoses/wires/belts/fluids. You can see the road through the engine bay if you peep under the hood. That to me is pathetic for a $35K car!! I like Entourage headlights, rear end looks, and value for money proposition. The Entourage projector headlights look awesome at night. I like Odyssey front end styling, handling, dash design and 3rd row seats better. The Entourage is actually slightly quiter at 70 mph (66 decibels) as compared to (68dB) in Odyssey. Buy Odyssey if you keep your cars for 3 years or less. Otherwise go with Entourage and you could'nt be happier |
|
|
|
|
I agree with the above posters. Buy the car you like the best but if you keep a car for any length of time - they all are worth close to nothing. I traded in a 8 YO Voyager that was giving me some problems otherwise I may have kept it for another 2 or 3 years. I didn't test drive the Honda, I figured it was a really nice car based on what people have said about it and I did own a Honda so yes they are reliable. I do own a Hyundai and based on that car and the positive write ups I test drove and bought the Entourage. I probably saved approximately $4,000. It seems like a tight car with a lot of power and I haven't driven it enough to give a positive or negative opinion; I will say that the colors that are offered are lacking. I did have a problem with the battery and it was in the shop for a little over a week because the Entourage has a different sized battery than the other Hyundais (per dealer)and most dealers that I visited didn't have many Entourages on the lot and they wouldn't steal a battery from the ones that were there. But things do fail and at this point they did repair the car so I will see how it goes. This is my wifes car as was the Voyager and we bought the SE. My kids are 12 & 16, we have a portable DVD player, they now listen to their own MP3 players and we didn't think the difference in a Limited was worth the price. Money was the driving force of this purchase and we were happy with the level of comforts that the SE offered. I try to keep cars forever and resale value wasn't at all a concern with me. I have been impressed with my Sonata and hopefully will be equally impressed with the Entourage. I think either way you will be happy.
|
|
|
Replying to: 2hyundaifamily (May 23, 2007 3:23 pm) Granted the features on it are great, but this is a new model with no long term reliability studies done on it. You get what you pay for a lot of times.
|
|
|
with both the Entourage and Veracruz at NYIAS, but the depreciation factor scares me. However, rapidly aging 2002 Odysseys like mine with 100K+ miles can still fetch anywhere from $9K-$14K, and that is probably far more than what a 5 year old Entourage with 100,000 miles will fetch. That is certainly something to consider, especially if you're a person who trades in cars on a regular basis. (like myself) If you're going to drive it into the ground, then by all means the Entourage is a better deal. But, if you trade cars every once in a while (say, every 5 years or 100,000 miles) then the waters become murkier. |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: bobber1 (May 23, 2007 4:00 pm) I bought my Voyager based on driving a couple of company Voyagers and friends having Dodge/Plymouth minivans and loving them. I was unimpressed with this Voyager and the Caravan I drive now sold me off of the Chrysler product. But it is the best selling minivan out there. BTW, one of my friends had 165,000 miles on his Voyager ... pretty impressive. This was a 1999 and was nice for about 6 years and 80,000 miles. I then had to start putting some money into it and I did maintain the van. The seat back was leaning back and the air needed to be repaired and it had 102,000 miles on it ... so it was time. I only have 20,000 miles on the Sonata but other than regular maintenence - no big problems. I did have the inside drivers door handle start to chip off the chrome and they replaced it under warranty. The Kia Sedona has been out for years and I looked at this as a redesign just as other manufacturers redesign. The Honda may last longer but there is no proof that a Hyundai will not last as long. One bad experience is not an indication of a bad manufacturer IMO. Time will tell if my decision was correct! |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: bobber1 (May 23, 2007 4:00 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: davethecarnut (May 23, 2007 9:25 pm) The catch is, perception lags behind reality, by 5 to 10 years, even more. The average Hyundai on the road is about 7 years old right now. Most people are still driving the ones from before they made their biggest improvements. Any how, deals are so good, I've seen GLS models for under $20k. A one year old used Sedona LX goes for about $16-18k on Cars.com. That's as far back as we can go for this generation van. So far, so good. Right now we can only forecast what actual residuals will be. If the van turns out to be a hit, it could fare much better than previous Hyundais, as long as they can get the word out to enough people.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Vans & Minivans Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey vs. Hyundai Entourage vs. Kia Sedona vs. Toyota Sienna
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2010 Honda Odyssey
2008 Hyundai Entourage
2009 Kia Sedona
2011 Toyota Sienna
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
