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Honda Odyssey vs Toyota Sienna

Bog33y

Bog33y

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Baby #2 is on the way and we're heavily considering a minivan...

We have a Honda Pilot, but with 2 car seats accessing the 3rd row for our parents will be cumbersome. Any THP-ers provide any feedback on getting to the 3rd row for either? Brand new is out of the question so CPO is more than likely the route we'll go. Looking forward to your thoughts!
 
My bro/sis in law just did their research this past weekend and decided on the Honda.
 
Both are tanks but I prefer the Honda, drives much nicer.
 
Went through the same thing a few years ago. Came down to a few different things at the time. We ended up with a 2013 Honda Odyssey EX-L with rear entertainment. My overall thoughts are below, but on the 3rd row, it isn't easy. You can remove the middle seat in the middle row and get through there. With a car seat attached using the seat belt, the seat cannot move forward, so you can't slide it, but that is the same with pretty much any vehicle. If you were using latch, it can be done.

Overall thoughts on the two and why we chose the Odyssey:
- At the time, don't know what it looks like now, but the Odyssey had a 5 star crash test in all areas. Sienna was 5 star, but 3 star for the front seat passenger.
- In the trim level we wanted, you couldn't get a Sienna in a 8 seater without going to the $45K version. Only had 2 captains chairs in the middle, no center seat, which has been a big deal for us.
- In the Odyssey, you can fit three car seats in the middle row, not possible in the Sienna.

Overall, we have been happy with the Odyssey after about two years. Decent mileage, great ride. The only drawback that we have found is that the road noise is a little loud overall at highway speeds. Not something you really notice a lot unless you are trying to talk to someone in the third row. The rear entertainment system is awesome for my 5 year old daughter. Just loves it.

Good luck.
 
We liked the odyssey. I think the Sienna is a little overdue for an update. The only issue you should consider is that with two car seats in the outboard 2nd row seats, there is no easy way to get to the third row unless you remove the 2nd row middle seat. The car seats prevent the 2nd row seats from moving out of the way for access to the 3rd row. We remove the middle seat which allows the 3rd seat passengers to walk to the back but you do lose one seat. Despite these limitations, I'm sure either of the vans will be significantly more convenient than your pilot. Good luck with the purchase. Buying a minivan can can be a tough pill to swallow but they serve their designed purpose much better than the large SUVs.
 
We have a 2011 Honda Odyssey EX. Honestly, we normally ride around with the third row of seats folded down into the floor (which provides a ton of cargo space). The middle row of seats move easily, but with a car seat installed, some of the options that would make the access to the third row easier are just not available. I've gotten back into the third row though, and it is comfortable enough to ride back there.
 
icedevil said:
Buying a minivan can can be a tough pill to swallow but they serve their designed purpose much better than the large SUVs.
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You got that right lol! Really learning to accept where we are in our lives now... the minivan just makes more sense! One thing I do like about the Sienna is their "SE" trim... has a bit of an edgier/sportier look compared to the rest of their trims. But based on the feedback here the Odyssey is slightly ahead.

Kutros said:
With a car seat attached using the seat belt, the seat cannot move forward, so you can't slide it, but that is the same with pretty much any vehicle. If you were using latch, it can be done.

- In the Odyssey, you can fit three car seats in the middle row, not possible in the Sienna.
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Great points, we use the Latch system instead of seat belts. Seating 3 in the middle I think is a must for us... 2 car seats plus an adult to help if something is out of reach while we're on the road.

Howzat said:
Believe it or not there is actually a really good thread already on the subject: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?49464-The-Incredible-Minivan-Thread
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Not surprising at all... I'm usually pretty good about searching before posting, but I honestly did not even think to search this time around.
 
No worries 33. I would not have expected it to be there myself, just wanted to make sure you got a look at it.
 
Howzat said:
No worries 33. I would not have expected it to be there myself, just wanted to make sure you got a look at it.
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Really do appreciate it... Found some funny stuff in that post too. All shows how much information is kept here on THP.
 
Bog33y said:
Really do appreciate it... Found some funny stuff in that post too. All shows how much information is kept here on THP.
Click to expand...

Occasionally I'll mention a topic that is being discussed on here to my fiancé that had nothing to do with gold or even sports and shell comment, that is a really informative site. LOL

Sometimes she even ask me when we see a news story, "what are the guys on the golf site saying about this?"

THP members really have a wealth of knowledge about so many different things.
 
The Osyssey is a really nice minivan. If I ever needed one that would be the direction I would go
 
So I've never done CPO and I'm wondering how much wiggle room is there from the dealer's asking price?

I know my SUV's trade in value ($6200 - $8100), and I know the ceiling for how much I'm willing to finance ($22000 - based on loan amount and interest rate from my credit union).

If I can get max trade in at $8000 and we finance $22000, that's a total of $30k. If CPO's are listed at $33k at the dealer, should there be room for the dealer to come down to my $30k? I just want to be realistic in what I'm presenting to the Mrs as options.
 
Bog33y said:
Baby #2 is on the way and we're heavily considering a minivan...

We have a Honda Pilot, but with 2 car seats accessing the 3rd row for our parents will be cumbersome. Any THP-ers provide any feedback on getting to the 3rd row for either? Brand new is out of the question so CPO is more than likely the route we'll go. Looking forward to your thoughts!
Click to expand...
Were I you, I would just P.M. Michigan Slice...AKA Van Man. Get the info straight from the expert. He is always available for all of your vaning needs.
 
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