Odyssey vs Sienna - Page 2

[leavemealone]

We pretty much had the same comparison between the two vans. DH liked the Sienna better and I like the Odyssey better. Since I was going to be the one driving it, we got the Odyssey. We currently have three kids with one more coming in April. I have never even thought about using the extra seat in the van (2005 model so we have the removable seat), but I also don't transport people other then my own kids very often. I don't think I even know where the seat is right now so that is not an important feature for me. The power doors were a more important feature for us. I love them and don't want to have a van without them. It is so easy to drop my nine year old off and be able to open/close the door with the button. We also thought the Odyssey was more comfortable. Our closest family is about four hours away with my family being about 10 hours away and the Odyssey is so comfortable to ride in.

In the end, go with the one you like better. If you and your DH disagree, I'd suggest going with the one the main driver of the van likes better as well. I would still get the van inspected at an independent mechanic even though it's been inspected by the dealer from which you are buying the van. It will cost a little bit, but it would make me more feel better if I were buying the van. One reason we didn't buy the 2003 Odyssey last year is b/c the dealer tried to stall and not let us have the van inspected independently.

[nascarbebe]

Originally Posted by sbrinton

So I think we are down to two vans:

2004 Sienna CE with 8 seats and the safety package (side curtain air bags, traction/stability control) with 80,000 miles for about $12,000.

OR

2004 Odyssey EX with DVD player and lots of extras with 100,000 miles for $10,500. That price includes the full 105,000 mile service (which would cost about $1300) as well as a very thorough inspection (buying from a trusted dealer).

Here are the main differences:
-Sienna has 8 seats, Ody has 7 (both styles would work for our family of soon to be 6)
-Ody has power doors, moon roof, better sound system, and DVD player; Sienna is very basic
-Sienna has great visibility, but other than that, I like how the Ody drives more
-I like the outside of the Sienna better, I like the inside of the Odyssey more

What do you all think? We can sell our current car for about $9500, so with the Odyssey we don't have to pay much out of pocket. With the Sienna, we might need a small loan, but we could pay of either within the year...

Unless you have $4K-$6K on reserve in case your transmission goes out I'd get the Sienna. There have been serious issues with the transmission going out on Odysseys made before 2005. We just bought a Sienna last month but we had also been looking at Odysseys also and were only considering 2006 or newer. Besides the Sienna with 80K miles for $12K is sounds like a great deal to me. You should be able to drive that for years. Our Sienna had 50K miles and we paid around $15K (can't remember the exact price) and it's a 2008.

[thriftyqueen]

I had an Odyssey van with transmission problems. It happened at just over 100,000 miles. I think I would go with the Sienna purely for that reason. You don't want to buy the van and in less than a year's time have to put a new tranny in. The Sienna has 20,000 less miles for only $1500 more. That is a matter of probably being able to drive it for several more years than the Odyssey. Go with your gut feeling, but I think money wise, the Sienna is a better investment.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by nascarbebe

Unless you have $4K-$6K on reserve in case your transmission goes out I'd get the Sienna. There have been serious issues with the transmission going out on Odysseys made before 2005.

Just asked hubby about this - it's more the luck of the draw. It's the Odyssey's before 2004 that had tranny issues. They changed the tranny that year. OP - If it's the 5-speed transmission, you should be good. Definitely get it inspected and such, but still.

Hubby says the Odyssey.
It includes the 100K service (make sure that includes the water pump!!). Which guess what? You're going to have to shell out for with the Sienna, too (later on, but that's still going to be on top of the higher sticker price). You're going to live in the inside of the vehicle, and you're going to be driving the vehicle, correct? Make sure you like (not tolerate) those things about the car - I know with my 3.5 kids here I've got a fair amount of drive-time logged over the years, and we don't even do a ton of extra-curricular-type activities yet.

[infosense]

We have 2 Siennas

We have two Siennas, 2000 and 2005. The 2000 Sienna has over 150k on it and runs beautifully. We have a friend who has a 2001 Sienna with over 200k on it and an earlier Camery with over 250k on it. They both are running smoothly without much problem.
Years ago, we had a Honda Accord, and after 120k, it just went down hill quickly. We had another friend who had another Honda which also went down hill quickly at around 120k. My sister just traded in her Honda Pilot due to transmission problem last month. The Pilot had 140k on it. She now drives a Honda Odyssy and is happy with it.
We are frugal, want something that is reliable and fairly priced, and Toyota Sienna is just the car that fits the category and makes sense.
Both Honda and Toyota are reliable brands. A Honda will drive like a Honda, and a Toyota will drive like a Toyota. Go test drive both cars and make a decision.
Good luck!

[nichole]

Infosense-i know this is an old thread, but that is sooo cool. I keep saying I'm keeping my sienna until it has 300k miles and then I'm getting rid of it for a hybrid. Maybe by then I can save up enough money to buy the hybrid with cash. People think I'm crazy, but I think I can do it. I'll have about 20 years to save

Also, we went to 7 dealerships before buying. Each dealership came down on price from the last one. Hehe! It was exhausting, but worth it. They play this game where they say "what is the deal I can offer you to get you to buy your car today?" Then if you walk out, every single one called me back with a lower offer than what we haggled. I just took that price to the next dealership and asked them to beat it.

[my2girlz]

We have a 2005 Odyssey and love it. We were also struggling between the Ody and Sienna. We test drove many of both. The Sienna seemed cheaper to me. I had never driven or owned a toyota or honda so I wasn't biased on the brand. We are only a family of 5 so I only need the lil seat when we have extras. In the Ody the captain's chairs in the middle are the same size as the front seats so that's a plus unlike the sienna. That's how they can fit a bigger seat in the middle. My only issue with the Ody is that some of the features that were standard on my GM vehicles were not standard with Honda.

Good Luck with your decision!