bought a van

[jacal]

Although I have not been active on the forum for a long time now, I still lurk. I have my 03 4runner and really love it. However, with the twins and the toddler (3 under 3yrs old) deep down I knew I needed a minivan.

Yes, the kiddies fit 3-across the 2nd row of the suv, but sometimes separating them looked like a good idea. I also wanted the ability to "get everyone inside" when the temps are fridgid here. The right tool for that job is a van. The seating and sliding doors are better than any suv for my family at this time. I will miss having something that can tow like a champ. I will miss not being able to take the van out to the lake. (might have to transfer car seats and load em all in the suv for that rare occassion). I will miss the amazing traction, braking, and bulletproof build quality.

I went shopping for a used Sienna, because of how much I'd fallen in love with my Runner. After 3-4 months I determined that the used market is not reflecting the current pricing reality (imo). Reluctantly I started to look at new vans. I was ready to purchase a Sienna. It was Toyotas deal to loose. Sadly, due to limited stock, poor dealers, and the usual wonky Toyota "Canadian" feature combinations I gave up (i.e. can only get the moonroof in limited trim). I ended up purchasing the Odyssey in EX-L RES trim. It is nice. I hope it holds up because I have never been a Honda fan for a variety of reasons.

To satisfy my off-road cravings, I also picked up a sweet Can-Am atv a while back.


J

 

[peter78]

My parents had a Toyota Previa and really liked it. When it came time to buy a new van, they looked at the Sienna, it was 2004 and the current generation just came out. After looking they ended up with a Honda Odyssey. They really like it. When I drive it, it drives almost like a car, almost.

When I drive them to Florida or back to Georgia we get 25 MPG and the car is full. I have also driven the new Odyssey and I think you made the right choice. That is if you have to buy a mini van.

 

[MikesToy]

You'll love that Odyssey. :bigok:

 

[jacal]

You'll love that Odyssey. :bigok:

Only if I can learn to spell "odyssey". Not sure why that is so hard for me!


J

 

[CJ3Flyr]

You did well...:bigok: I have driven both several times. I give the nod to the Honda over the Sienna. I prefer the ride/handling and I especially like the engine/transmission combo. I'm not saying it's faster I'm saying it's more harmonious; it just works better together.


:cheers:

 

[Thai]

Congrats on your Ody!! It is a great van!! My brother just got an '08 Ody Touring (without PAX). I have an '08 Sienna Limited. Both of us love our minivans!! In fact, strangely, my Sienna is the most valuable vehicle for my family in my garage!

The Ody is the BMW of minivans with BMW-like steering. The Sienna is the Lexus of minivans...it is comfy and quiet. That is the way i see it. Both are excellent...it just depends on your preference.

Chris, as for powertrain, you may want to check out both the Odyclub and Sienna forums.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Chris, as for powertrain, you may want to check out both the Odyclub and Sienna forums.

Will do... Maybe my 'taste' differs from the norm. Are you inferring reliability issues or pleasantness to drive?

:cheers:

 

[jacal]

Congrats on your Ody!! It is a great van!! My brother just got an '08 Ody Touring (without PAX). I have an '08 Sienna Limited. Both of us love our minivans!! In fact, strangely, my Sienna is the most valuable vehicle for my family in my garage!

The Ody is the BMW of minivans with BMW-like steering. The Sienna is the Lexus of minivans...it is comfy and quiet. That is the way i see it. Both are excellent...it just depends on your preference.

Chris, as for powertrain, you may want to check out both the Odyclub and Sienna forums.

Sienna LTD was what I thought I would buy. I agree that it is the lexus of the vans. I had some deals I was working on, but none came through before the Honda. It is fun to "turn down" the salespeople as they call saying that they can now meet my price!

The Ody surprised me. I'm happy so far, and love the rear view camera and dvd player. Our eldest just sits there grinning ear to ear when she gets the "treat" of a show in the new van. I love the steering...you can almost forget that you have room for 8. Too bad we didn't get the power trunk, which the Sienna had. Love the power sliding doors.

I'm dissapointed with the towing eventhough I don't even have the hitch on yet. Honda says "3500lb max"...but crack the manual and discover that is with 2 people on board. Oh - and they want a tranny cooler (okay) AND a power steering cooler (huh?) AND they want trailer brakes for >1000lb. Wow, in my area trailer brakes are not required <2000lb. I will keep the towing to a minimum, hopefully it will be more than capable of pulling my planned 1500lb. Further, honda's "towing package" only provides a 4 pin connection - useless if you want that electric brake they just asked for. I'll update once I actually tow with it.

The OEM michelin tires are not great for our cold, icy winter. Next fall I will have to pickup winter tires. That was another issue with the Sienna awd - I didn't want to be limited to run-flats , or face carrying a spare on the roof for out-of-town trips. On the flip side the awd Siennas I tested had lots of traction even with the all season rubber.


J

 

[Thai]

Sienna LTD was what I thought I would buy. I agree that it is the lexus of the vans. I had some deals I was working on, but none came through before the Honda. It is fun to "turn down" the salespeople as they call saying that they can now meet my price!

I'm dissapointed with the towing eventhough I don't even have the hitch on yet. Honda says "3500lb max"...but crack the manual and discover that is with 2 people on board. Oh - and they want a tranny cooler (okay) AND a power steering cooler (huh?) AND they want trailer brakes for >1000lb. Wow, in my area trailer brakes are not required <2000lb. I will keep the towing to a minimum, hopefully it will be more than capable of pulling my planned 1500lb. Further, honda's "towing package" only provides a 4 pin connection - useless if you want that electric brake they just asked for. I'll update once I actually tow with it.

The OEM michelin tires are not great for our cold, icy winter. Next fall I will have to pickup winter tires. That was another issue with the Sienna awd - I didn't want to be limited to run-flats , or face carrying a spare on the roof for out-of-town trips. On the flip side the awd Siennas I tested had lots of traction even with the all season rubber.

J

Actually, your situation is very similar to my brother's! He went in to buy a Sienna from a friend of a friend of his. But his friend was busy...so, my brother stroll over to the Honda dealership, which was right next to the Toyota's and bought the Ody. Similar to you, his friend called him back to Toyota while my brother was signing papers on the Ody.

As for towing, my Sienna has the "towing Prep" package, but i don't have a hitch. Supposedly, i have a HD radiator, along with auto tranny cooler (integrated within tranny or something like that). There was much debate about this towing package because some think that it is purely a marketing package without much substance.

You have the Michelin Energy LX4, right? Well, i just bought those same tires for my Sienna! Because of the stock size, there were not many choices for me when it came time to replace the worn stock tires. My brother's ODY LX4 sidewall reads: Treadwear 500, Traction A, Temp B. My aftermarket LX4 reads: Treadwear 500, Traction A, Temp A. Slight differences only. From reviews, i hear that the LX4 are not good in snow/ice. Thank goodness i live in Texas! So far, i have been impress with the LX4...they are quiet, comfy, and maintains my fuel economy.

Yeah, the runflats on the AWD Sienna sucks from what i understand. I like to have a spare too.

BTW, are we cool or what?! We're trading minivan war stories! People in SUVs are posers!!

 

[Mark86]

Congrats on the new purchase! I highly doubt you will have problems with a Honda product. They are built very well. Definitely as reliable as Toyota.