Toyota Sienna Vs. Honda Odyssey

Hi H.,

I don't have a recommendation, but wanted to thank you for posting the question as we are going through the same debate. Thanks also to all the thoughtful responders - this is very helpful!

Buy the ford taurus X it is much better and you can get all the seats

Sienna - we went with Sienna a few months ago. My husband did a lot of research and found that a lot of Odyssey owners complain about the transmission going on them often. Sienna will last for ever. No you don't need the all wheel drive.
We bought a used one and with Sienna we know we don't have to worry about it breaking down on us any time soon.
It's a great car.
I love my Sienna.

We tried both and preferred the Sienna, but ultimately went with the Nissan Quest. Better gas mileage, 3 sets of LATCH, and it can hold a double stroller easily without having to put the 3rd row down.

We bought the Honda last year and haven't noticed that we needed all wheel drive. I love my car!

I spent months researching this before my 3rd was born so I feel like an expert. I tried every large suv on the market for another solution but minivan was the way to go.
I had initially decided on the sienna bbecause of the awd option and I thought it looked sportier. The sienna has a slightly better responding engine but the comfort of driving is far better in the honda.
I almost bought the sienna without ever test driving the honda. When I finally did, it was hands down a better fit for me. It ended up being cheaper and I've had no issues in the snow. I am very nervous driving in the snow and would probably have been more comfortable knowing I had awd but I've never spun out or got stuck yet.
One last thing is the customer service. I think it would have been much better at toyota. Once the papers were signed at honda they were not so nice and seemed impatient when I asked for instruction for the features before driving off the lot. I've had a lexus before so the difference in customer service to me was almost shocking. I know toyota would have been better.
I'm glad I bought the honda because it is very comfortable to drive. I think the trunk is better and the way the seats move around is easier for me. The seats themselves are softer and seem more luxurious.
Good luck shopping!

I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. Great cars that will last a long time and hold their value well.

We've had our Odyssey for 7 years now and the traction-control works fine on icy city roads and highway. Unless you're driving out in the country or in the mountains, I don't see how 4-wheel drive would be necessary.

Hi H.,
I have a Toyota Camry and I love it! I would go with the Toyota because it is good on gas.

Happy New Year!

We looked at these two mini-vans when we made the plunge and we decided on the Sienna for these reasons: 1) Better resale value and 2) slightly better ratings re reliability. I think it feels better to drive and I've been really impressed with the storage space (good for those Costco runs!). We've had it for almost a year now with no regrets! Good luck.

Had to chime in on this one...we researched the heck out of both. My brother sells Toyota's and could give us a "deal" on a brand new Sienna and we STILL chose the Odyssey and here's why:

1. Everything on Toyota was a la carte and their "packages" for the models were very pricy.

2. Sienna's use premium gas. Do the math - it adds up in the long run.

3. Although the Sienna's had better resale value, they are usually more expensive up front too. Not a big consideration for us since we plan to drive it forever.

4. There was no "in floor" storage on the Sienna. The Odyssey offers a great turn table in the floor for add'l storage that is easy to get to. It's the old wheel well area. They made a great quick access panel as well as a lift compartment to open the whole thing up. It even locks away valuables. VERY cool and much used.

5. I thought the Sienna only offered bench seats or two captain's chairs for the second (middle) row. The Odyssey offers a third "jump seat" that can go between the two captains chairs and also functions as a little table. This too has been very handy for us and allows us the use of the captains chairs plus an extra seat on vacations/carpooling.

6. Another plus about the Odyssey that I don't think the Sienna offered - it has a gas saving feature where the 6 cylinder drops down to 4 cylinders automatically when you are cruising...so the car is more fuel efficient on long distance traveling/highways.

7. A little bird told me that when the DVD player screen is down on the Sienna it obstructs the rear view/rear view mirror. Maybe not a huge deal, but something no salesman would tell you.

We got the middle of the road Odyssey EX - DVD player, two captains chairs in the middle row, auto everything. DID NOT buck up for the auto rear lift gate, in dash GPS or rear sensors (touring).

I think service depends on where you go. We got ours at MotorWerks in Barrington and they are phenomenal. They price matched the best offer we got from any other dealer and give free car washes every Sunday. We LOVE them.

The ONLY complaint I have ever had about Hondas versus Toyotas (I've owned both) is that Hondas do have a little more road noise. Toyotas are very solidy built and I think do a little better job on sound proofing. The only time I really notice this is on long expressway drives - we just turn up the volume on the radio. No big deal in the grand scheme of things. (This may have been addressed since we bought ours in 2006).

Let us know what you decide!

We went through this debate last year. We were looking at the Sienna and the Odyssey, and my husband then went to look at Nissan. In the end we decided on the the Nissan Quest. I love it.

I debated both when I ultimately chose the Toyota 18 months ago. They were equal on so many levels, here are the few, petty reasons that swayed me to Toyota: better service (I visited two Honda dealerships and was ignored or left waiting for over an hour), easier access to third row (I have big dogs), and wealth of options (with Honda, there are fewer packages so you have to get the elite package to get the one key feature you want). My sister has the Odyssey and loves it. I have the Toyota and love it. You can't go wrong with either choice.

I have the Sienna w/o AWD but the van handles fine in the snow and I don't miss AWD. we are happy with the Sienna.

We researched both as well. I said I would never drive a mini van. well I am in love with my Honda my husband prefers it to his SUV. With Honda you pick a model and everything comes standard as oppossed to the toyota were everything is ala carte. I have never owned a foreign car before and it is fantastic. the seating is awesome it comes standard with the 8th seat. the dvd and navigation system are fantastic. We traveled this christmas 6 hours to Iowa and in the ice, snow and rain it was amazing. Our friends who have the toyota find the driver controls much more driver friendly on the Honda then the Toyota. the one thing I like best with the Honda is the bench inbetween the 2 front seats folds down in a snap. I can not tell you how many times at a stop light I jump to the 2nd row to stick a pacifer in the baby's mouth. the best part all is the automatic doors and trunk I open the door my big guy jumps right in. I put the baby in and off we go. what a treat. especially in this weather. Good Luck we live in the city and drive to Mueller Honda in Highland park they are great. When I take the car in if it is anything other than an oil change they give me a free loaner and are very respectful and pleasant to deal with . good luck