We took both the Sienna and the Odyssey for a spin. We actually found the Sienna to have a smoother ride, but one thing I absolutely need is memory seats and parking sensors. Both my wife and I will be driving it, and she’s much shorter than me, so adjusting the seat constantly will be a pain. The Odyssey Touring has memory seats, and so does the Sienna Limited. Honda said they could give me a 3-4k discount depending on which trim I choose. So, I could get the Odyssey Touring for 44k before taxes, while the Sienna Limited would be around 54.5k before taxes. I mentioned this to the Toyota dealer, and they’re offering me a better trade-in deal, though. The Odyssey Touring also has a TV and cabin video, which might be handy for the kids. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Which one would you choose?
edit: I forgot to mention, the price is for the AWD Sienna, and parking sensors are on the Odyssey Touring and above.
Do you have young kids in rear-facing car seats? What’s the weather like where you live?
We live in a hot area, and the Sienna won us over because of the ceiling vents. The Odyssey didn’t have them, and our kids in rear-facing seats got too warm during the test drive. The front-facing kid was okay, but still warm. The Sienna kept all three of our kids cool after a short drive. If you’re in a colder area, maybe it won’t matter as much, but I’d bet the Sienna would still keep the back seats better heated. We don’t have the rear entertainment system, and honestly, our kids have been fine without it. They just read. If we do go on a long trip, we might consider getting tablet holders.
@Dayton
That’s exactly why we went with the Sienna. Those roof vents are a lifesaver, especially with rear-facing seats. We like having air on our faces, too, no matter the weather. Honda really should fix that.
@Davis
The Odyssey’s AC system is also weaker. It only has one blower in the front. I was thinking about getting an Odyssey because Siennas were super hard to find, but I’m glad I managed to snag a Sienna in the end.
@Davis
It wouldn’t be such a problem if the air actually got really cold. One of our cars, a Santa Fe, only has vents in the center console, which are awful for car seats. But the air gets freezing, so I end up turning it down after five minutes.
@Dayton
Same here. We live in Texas, so with the Odyssey’s AC being what it is, it’s just not an option until they add a second unit for the back, like other three-row cars.
Floyd said:
The Sienna has AWD. Living in New England, AWD is non-negotiable for us.
I’m in New England too, and I’ve been using a FWD Sienna for the past six years. AWD is definitely helpful, but with careful driving, FWD does just fine in the snow.
Floyd said:
The Sienna has AWD. Living in New England, AWD is non-negotiable for us.
I actually went for 2WD. I didn’t want run-flat tires, plus I wanted a spare tire and the extra seat for an 8-passenger setup. I run winter tires during the colder months. Honestly, give me 2WD with winter tires any day over AWD with all-seasons. Winters in New England haven’t been that harsh lately, anyway.
I just traded my Odyssey for a 2024 Sienna XSE AWD. The Sienna is on another level. The fuel efficiency blows my mind, and having AWD is a huge plus. Sure, the Odyssey has a more powerful engine, but the small power bump doesn’t compare to how much better the fuel economy is. I mean, no one’s buying a minivan for track days.
@Yule
Odyssey’s magic sliding seats are cool for car seats, but Sienna’s super slide seats have their perks, too. I do think Honda’s version is more practical, especially since you can remove the second row seats.
We just bought a 2024 XLE AWD Sienna. Had to fly up to Maryland from Florida to get it. The roof vents are amazing, and we averaged 35.5 MPG, almost 600 miles on a tank. My partner and I talked it over and agreed we won’t be upgrading for at least 10 years. Toyota’s reliability is just that good. Our old 4Runner and Avalon both went past 300k miles before we sold them. Some takeaways from our road trip: the van is really quiet, it has decent acceleration even on the highway, and it handles surprisingly well for a minivan. We paid $53k all-in and have no regrets.
The magic seats on the Odyssey are fun, but we went with the Sienna because we wanted a hybrid or EV. Also, the lack of third-row overhead vents in the Odyssey is frustrating, especially with kids riding in the back. At the end of the day, it depends on how much the 11k difference means to you. I do like the idea of getting a deal, but the Sienna’s dealer markups and general craziness around pricing are a downside. That said, both are great vans.
Getting a better trade-in offer is good, but you’re still looking at a 10k difference between the two vans. I’d recommend selling your old car on your own. I was offered $1,400 for my 2010 Altima as a trade-in, but I ended up selling it privately for $3,900.
Have you thought about looking for a 2024 Limited around the holidays? Or maybe even a 2024 XLE with the plus package? Shop around nearby dealers, and be patient with your search.