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2011/2012 Odyssey EXL Vs Sienna XLE

22 messages,  Last post on Jul 02, 2012 at 7:03 AM

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

Messages Page 1 of 3

#1 of 22 2011/2012 Odyssey EXL Vs Sienna XLE by quizzer

Oct 23, 2011 (2:18 am)

I know lot of people would have considered both before buying one. Please tell my why you chose the EX-L instead of the Sienna XLE or the vice-versa?

#2 of 22 Sienna XLE vs Honda EXL by ldan

Oct 23, 2011 (9:39 am)

We looked at both.
here is what we saw.
 
Odyssey looked better on accessories and overall design. their fold down system flows better. more high tech. Priced higher.
Sienna is similar but on the styles and how thing flows together is a little bit lacking. lower priced.
 
We owned an Odyssey and had the transmission replaced at 50k. we had issues with it ever since. they changed 3 transmissions and torque converters within a year and we still end up with a noise that would not go away. I think it was their VCM that was causing it as the noise happens when Eco comes on.
Honda's final response was live with it or buy a new car. Saying it is normal vehicle noise. which really pissed us off as it was honda that cause this issue in the first place. If my 70 year old parents can hear the noise while we are driving, it is NOT normal.
 
Honda dealers said they would sell us the new car at a reduced rate. When we compare the deals with toyota, honda's deal does not seem so nice. They even wanted us to pay 10 grand for model 2 year newer than ours. but all in all, we end up buying an toyota because the deal was better than the honda. plus we were not about to be fool by Honda customer service for the second time.
 
This is just our experience. it might not happen to you. Good Luck

#3 of 22 Re: Sienna XLE vs Honda EXL [ldan] by samnoe

Dec 14, 2011 (11:18 am)

Replying to: ldan (Oct 23, 2011 9:39 am)
"...Odyssey looked better on accessories and overall design..."
 
OMG How can you say that. IMO the Sienna is just a beauty of a van while the Odyssey/Aztek is the ugliest design EVER.!
 
I guess to each his/her own...

#4 of 22 Re: Sienna XLE vs Honda EXL [samnoe] by kleiner

Dec 14, 2011 (12:30 pm)

Replying to: samnoe (Dec 14, 2011 11:18 am)
WOW!!! The Sienna is the UGLIEST van I've ever seen! It looks HORRIBLE.

#5 of 22 Re: Sienna XLE vs Honda EXL [kleiner] by isellhondas

Dec 16, 2011 (1:22 pm)

Replying to: kleiner (Dec 14, 2011 12:30 pm)
Looks are subjective. What is ugly to one person is fine for the masses.
 
For crying out loud...it's a MINIVAN! Not an object of beauty!
 
Both are great cars. Personally, I don't like the mushy typical Toyota ride but, again, some may find the Honda to be a bit firm for their liking.

#6 of 22 Re: 2011/2012 Odyssey EXL Vs Sienna XLE [quizzer] by patnic

Jan 03, 2012 (7:49 pm)

Replying to: quizzer (Oct 23, 2011 2:18 am)
I drove both, I have to say we haven't purchased yet, but if I had to choose from those two, I would go with the Sienna.
 
I actually like the look of the Odyssey better, but 1) we have a 2003 Ody with a new transmission at 83K, and I am waiting for it to bust again. 2) the one thing that drives me crazy about my current Ody and the new Ody is the internal noise. It is so loud. Toyota is so much quieter.
 
If my van broke down today, I would actually go with the Nissan Quest. The interior is great.

#7 of 22 Odyssey over Sienna, primarily for price by thegamper

Jan 09, 2012 (10:23 am)

I just recently picked up a 2011 Odyssey and wanted to share my impression of it and its competitors in general. I was determined initially to get the Quest. I love the quirky styling, interior is fantastic. Was a bit put off by the cargo capacity in that seats cannot be removed or folded under the floor, but it seemed a non issue as it is a rare occasion where I would need such a configuration. My wife drove it though and didnt like it. She preferred the Sienna as her first choice and we both preferred the Odyssey as our second choice. We were both put off by the Chrysler's exertior styling and a few nit picky things that we found seemed cheap about it. The Sienna is probably better looking of all, but lets face it, its a minivan, and the best looking minivan is still not stylish at all compared to a traditional sedan, coupe. So who cares, we are buying for utility first and formost, having a better looking minivan than competitors is really just softening the blow of owning a minivan in the first place. I thought Toyota had 2nd nicest interior, but Honda had bit more utility, better driving experience. In the end, we were shopping the Sienna and Odyssey, but Toyota wouldnt really deal on a lease. Tried a few different dealerships and Odyssey EX-L with RES still came out significantly cheaper to lease than a Sienna XLE with DVD. So that solved our dilemma for us.
 
I do like the Odyssey, have already taken it on multi hour trip. Kids love it. Much easier to lug 3 kids and stuff around than in our Ford Flex that we turned in. I think we got a reasonable price on it, but there are some aspects of the interior that feel cheap, such as the extensive use of faux aluminum bits that really just look like grey plastic. I wish automakers would nix faux aluminum from their parts bin, its not fooling anyone. A real gear indicator on the actual shifter would be nice rather than a sticker even though it is indicated on the display. Minor touch. Better intagration of the door tracks would also be nice, other manufacturers are managing it, but I suspect the lightening bolt effect of the side profile may prevent a hidden track. But here is my largest complaint, almost gives me buyer's remorse. No fog lights on a $38k car?? WTF. No Roof Rails?? No HID headlights??? A few other minor oversights on the equipment list is very bothersome. I realize that some of these are available as dealer installed accessories, but these things should be standard at this price point in my humble opinion. Its just another example of nickle and diming us to death.
 
Overall, I am pleased with the vehicle, decent price, would like a little more equipment as standard.

#8 of 22 Ground clearance by nathang

Jan 20, 2012 (8:53 am)

I've been going back and forth between the Honda and Toyota for the past month. The Odyssey seemed to be the winner with better fuel efficiency, a better ride, I actually like the exterior look and the interior felt roomier and of higher quality. I WAS leaning that way even though I am a bit disappointed in the lack of options (no back-up cam on EX and no roof rails on any) and the Honda salespeople are annoyingly over confident and not very knowledgeable about their product.
The Sienna on the other had did have some nice options on the LE including AWD, roof rails and backup cams. Their price is much is better (though my insurance company charges more for the Sienna than a comparable Odyssey) and the salesperson at Toyota could actually answer my questions.
The real kicker for me now is the GROUND CLEARANCE! Our family may not be the norm, but we do take our Vans on road trips, camping, dirt roads, snowy roads(sometimes) and our driveway. Our 2001 Odyssey has 6.5 inches of clearance which for most cases is enough, barely. The new Odyssey has lowered that to 4.5 (which was a hard number to come by and not well advertised). Sienna is at 6.5.
 
So my question is, has anyone had trouble with Ground Clearance? 4.5 inches doesn't seem like much especially when we're fully laden with bikes, racks and oh yes, kids! And NO I'm not interested in some big SUV, just a van that can do it ALL!!!

#9 of 22 2nd/3rd row better on Ody by su_a_ve

Jan 23, 2012 (2:46 pm)

Been looking at the Sienna XLE and the Odyseey EX-L. Some cons on the Sienna were the 2nd row middle seat can't become a console/arm rest. You have to take it out (and put it in the hole in the back) and use their floor console. Seats felt narrower than the Ody, however there was a lot more leg room on the Sienna. I think if you have a child on a car seat, you can literally stand in front of the seat.
 
Another neg was the console - the rear view camera is a small 3" screen vs the 8" on the Ody.
 
Both test drove nice however. We got an Ody in the end.

#10 of 22 Ride?? by lw11

Jan 30, 2012 (10:37 am)

Getting rid of an 01 Ody, so looking at both of these - Ody and Sienna. Test drove an LE and LE AWD and both had a constant road feel through the seats. Our 01 actually rides smoother. All the reviews say the sienna rides great but I didn't feel like that. Roads in Indiana are not great so the ride is important. I am looking for others' impressions. Thanks.

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