Advice: Odyssey or Sienna?

[Indydriver]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
We faced this decision in 2012 and went with Toyota (we have a 2011 Accord in the class action). Now, with 52,000 miles, the Sienna has been flawless. The drivetrain is very well matched and the car drives "light on its feet". Avoid AWD with run-flat tires. Our FWD XLE goes great in the snow anyway. Only downer I can think of is the silly canister type oil filter making changes more involved than need be. 10,000 mile OCI spec'd. Another plus for us is "built in Indiana". Take the plant tour if you're ever in the area. Fascinating.



Why? I am assuming maybe the run flat tires affect ride quality? I looked at one and told the salesman it's easy to be 50 miles from nowhere in Utah (the distance of a "flat" run flat tire). Personally, I would order a spare right away-and buy the needed tools/jack. There is space to carry a spare behind the rear seat on road trips. Then, after I used up the life of the OEM tires I would buy some good all seasons. AWD is a MUST on the street where I live.

The driveshaft to the rear adds weight and eliminates storage space for a spare (hence the RFTs). Driving them back-to-back was like night and day in terms of steering response. FWD gets around fine in deep snow in Indiana but if it's a deal-breaker where you live and you can put up with the compromises Toyota made to offer AWD then, you've got your decision. The point is, AWD is not a free lunch. Compromises are made that change the nature of the vehicle.

 

[Barwich]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: Barwich
- I have thought about the Kia Sedonna, going to check out a demo this weekend at the dealer.


Any updates on the Sedona?


I test drove the Ody, Sienna, and Sedona all last weekend. A few observations:

Handling:

The Ody felt the most light on it's feet. Followed closely by Sedona and Sienna.

Braking:

Sedona felt it had the best brakes. I went home doubled checked online to confirm it. 70mph - 0mph in 167 feet @ 4800 lbs. That's good.

Interior:

Sedonna has the best interior and it's not even close. Soft touch trim everywhere with real wood. Ody was second followed by Sienna. I think the latter two are showing it's age in the cycle.

Power & Fuel Economy

Butt dyno tells me Sedona is marginally faster but all 3 are pretty much the same on paper.

Seats:

Front seats wise, all 3 vans are fairly comfortable. No clear advantage. Middle row (2 captains) and it's Sedona by miles. Full size recliners with over 30 settings. I cannot stress how comfortable these seats are. Middle row (3 seats) and Ody is the most comfortable. Third row, the Ody has the most head room and padding.

Tech:

I didn't really care for Ody's blind spot warning system. Sedona comes with 360 degree camera views that were very convenient. All 3 vans had front collision warning systems. Sienna was the only one that applied the brakes. Infotainment ease/layout goes to Sedona. Of course I have to mention the vacuum in the Ody, and it's definitely a game changer.

Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
We faced this decision in 2012 and went with Toyota (we have a 2011 Accord in the class action). Now, with 52,000 miles, the Sienna has been flawless. The drivetrain is very well matched and the car drives "light on its feet". Avoid AWD with run-flat tires. Our FWD XLE goes great in the snow anyway. Only downer I can think of is the silly canister type oil filter making changes more involved than need be. 10,000 mile OCI spec'd. Another plus for us is "built in Indiana". Take the plant tour if you're ever in the area. Fascinating.



Why? I am assuming maybe the run flat tires affect ride quality? I looked at one and told the salesman it's easy to be 50 miles from nowhere in Utah (the distance of a "flat" run flat tire). Personally, I would order a spare right away-and buy the needed tools/jack. There is space to carry a spare behind the rear seat on road trips. Then, after I used up the life of the OEM tires I would buy some good all seasons. AWD is a MUST on the street where I live.

The driveshaft to the rear adds weight and eliminates storage space for a spare (hence the RFTs). Driving them back-to-back was like night and day in terms of steering response. FWD gets around fine in deep snow in Indiana but if it's a deal-breaker where you live and you can put up with the compromises Toyota made to offer AWD then, you've got your decision. The point is, AWD is not a free lunch. Compromises are made that change the nature of the vehicle.


I refuse to use RFT ever again. Had them on my 335i and hated them.

 

[Vikas]

Looks like you have made up your mind on Sedonna!

Since you talked about the sucking ability of the Odyssey, I presume you are looking at the higher trim level of it. Were all the three vans comparable in terms of out the door deals that you could expect to get on them?

 

[VeeDubb]

I recently shopped for the same three vans. They are all great so I was mainly shopping for the best deal. One thing I noticed is that on the slightly used market, Hondas are way over-priced. Sedona are the cheapest but they are also harder to find (I limited my search to a 2016 because the 2015 is a first year redesign and I avoid those). Slightly used Siennas at a good price are abundant so you can probably find one with the color and trim you want fairly easily.

I ended up with a 2015 LE Sienna with 35k miles for $21k which is about 11k off MSRP. I also liked that with 35k miles it had to be highway driven. I couldn't find a 2014 or newer Honda for less than $24k. So if I were buying an Odyssey, I would just get a new one.

But the Sedona with that 100k power train warranty is really appealing. Wish I could have found a slightly used 2016 in my area.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: Barwich
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: Barwich
- I have thought about the Kia Sedonna, going to check out a demo this weekend at the dealer.


Any updates on the Sedona?


I test drove the Ody, Sienna, and Sedona all last weekend. A few observations:

Handling:

The Ody felt the most light on it's feet. Followed closely by Sedona and Sienna.

Braking:

Sedona felt it had the best brakes. I went home doubled checked online to confirm it. 70mph - 0mph in 167 feet @ 4800 lbs. That's good.

Interior:

Sedonna has the best interior and it's not even close. Soft touch trim everywhere with real wood. Ody was second followed by Sienna. I think the latter two are showing it's age in the cycle.

Power & Fuel Economy

Butt dyno tells me Sedona is marginally faster but all 3 are pretty much the same on paper.

Seats:

Front seats wise, all 3 vans are fairly comfortable. No clear advantage. Middle row (2 captains) and it's Sedona by miles. Full size recliners with over 30 settings. I cannot stress how comfortable these seats are. Middle row (3 seats) and Ody is the most comfortable. Third row, the Ody has the most head room and padding.

Tech:

I didn't really care for Ody's blind spot warning system. Sedona comes with 360 degree camera views that were very convenient. All 3 vans had front collision warning systems. Sienna was the only one that applied the brakes. Infotainment ease/layout goes to Sedona. Of course I have to mention the vacuum in the Ody, and it's definitely a game changer.

Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
We faced this decision in 2012 and went with Toyota (we have a 2011 Accord in the class action). Now, with 52,000 miles, the Sienna has been flawless. The drivetrain is very well matched and the car drives "light on its feet". Avoid AWD with run-flat tires. Our FWD XLE goes great in the snow anyway. Only downer I can think of is the silly canister type oil filter making changes more involved than need be. 10,000 mile OCI spec'd. Another plus for us is "built in Indiana". Take the plant tour if you're ever in the area. Fascinating.



Why? I am assuming maybe the run flat tires affect ride quality? I looked at one and told the salesman it's easy to be 50 miles from nowhere in Utah (the distance of a "flat" run flat tire). Personally, I would order a spare right away-and buy the needed tools/jack. There is space to carry a spare behind the rear seat on road trips. Then, after I used up the life of the OEM tires I would buy some good all seasons. AWD is a MUST on the street where I live.

The driveshaft to the rear adds weight and eliminates storage space for a spare (hence the RFTs). Driving them back-to-back was like night and day in terms of steering response. FWD gets around fine in deep snow in Indiana but if it's a deal-breaker where you live and you can put up with the compromises Toyota made to offer AWD then, you've got your decision. The point is, AWD is not a free lunch. Compromises are made that change the nature of the vehicle.


I refuse to use RFT ever again. Had them on my 335i and hated them.



Understand. But the mini vans don't have the performance potential of a 335i.