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2015 ODYSSEY TOURING vs 2015 SIENNA SE PREMIUM

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rcabatic

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Help!!!

Can't decide on which mini-van to purchase. Can anyone please specify their top 5 points to steer me into us (wife wants sienna) into buying an Odyssey?

Also, can't find it anywhere on the internet....BUT....do either the new Odysseys or Siennas use a traditional timing belt OR do they use a chain?

Any help or forward links would help.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Odyssey using a belt. Not sure about Sienna. As for which to pick, watch this review with her: 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite vs. 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE Comparison Test

For me the interior is what did it. Especially the way the rear seats move and fold. The Sienna has tracks that will have gunk in them in no time. The rear hinges in the third row are especially bad. Imagine how much sand and crud is going to accumulate in the Sienna's third row hinges!

I also love the Odyssey's styling over the Sienna. But then you ARE on a pro Honda site!
 
#3 ·
It looks like for 2015 the Sienna addressed the complaints about the interior look. I saw some photos and I thought it was a clear improvement.
With the update I still would pick the Ody. The tracks for the 2nd row seats are one thing and the overall looks. I personally am not a fan of the new Odyssey dual screen setup, but I still prefer the interior over the Sienna.
Regarding your question, I believe Sienna uses a chain, ody uses a belt for timing. Also, based at what I read, Sienna no longer has a transmission oil dipstick.
 
#4 ·
Either one

Hard to say which is the better choice. I had a Sienna for 10 years and loved it. When I sold the Sienna it had 160,000 miles on it and had only been in the shop for breaks. The drive train is rock solid. I got the Odyssey this year and it is good too, but the drive train is questionable (my warranty takes care of the worry on it, but not the aggravation of chugging at low speeds). You can read all about the drive train in various places on the web. I bought the Odyssey because it has a removable center console and the Sienna does not. I need a removable console, because I make furniture as a hobby and need to haul long boards. Three pet peeves I have with the Oddy is the plastic trim on the dash, which runs the full width of the dash and encloses the air vents The plastic looks cheap and produces a glare from the sun. The next one is that when the rear seats are folded down, the floor is not anywhere close to flat. The Sienna floor was very flat. I never had a problem with dirt or grease in the tracks, There was no grease used on the tracks and yet the seats slid very smooth on the Sienna. An finally I don't like the fact that the wallpaper screen does not have the information ribbon at the top.

 
#5 ·
IMO, the best thing about Sienna is the superior powertrain. The engine and transmission perform very well compared to the Odyssey. Also, AWD is available for the Sienna, the only only minivan currently on market with this option.

For Odyssey, the interior space utilization is far better. There are 3 lower LATCH anchors in the middle row (compared to 2 in the Sienna) and also 2 lower LATCH anchors in the 3rd row (compared to 1 for the 2014 Sienna. I believe 2015 also has 2). If you are going to carry 8 passengers, Odyssey is better because you can actually fit people and car seat in the middle 2nd row. I don't really count the 2nd row middle row on the Sienna as a real seat. To me, Sienna is 7 passenger only.

With that said, everything else is pretty subjective. Both with similar features just designed to look differently.
 
#6 ·
ishtori said:
For Odyssey, the interior space utilization is far better. There are 3 lower LATCH anchors in the middle row (compared to 2 in the Sienna) and also 2 lower LATCH anchors in the 3rd row (compared to 1 for the 2014 Sienna. I believe 2015 also has 2).
Click to expand...
This might be the deal breaker for your wife right here. Imagine that she wants to go out with a friend and their kids. Rather than take two cars, you decide to take the van. If you have younger kids, and they are all in car seats, they will all need a LATCH anchor. In that case only the Odyssey would be able to accomodate them all.

In another scenario, what if you were taking a road trip and wanted to fold the third row. Since you will soon have 3 kids, you would need them all in the middle row and they would all need a LATCH anchor. Again, you couldn't do that with the Sienna and you CAN with the Odyssey.

I had forgotten - this was the reason we picked the Ody over Sienna when we bought our 99 and we haven't looked back since.
 
#7 ·
For me it was the Ody all the way. I didn't even consider, research, or testing out a Sienna.

I agree with everything said. Sienna drivetrain to me is more solid and smooth. If you're looking for a reliable and traditional minivan, the Sienna is tough to pass. Other pluses are already mentioned, like timing chain and seal transmission (though some Toyota/Lexus owners are debating if they should change their tranny fluid even when not required; I am a firm believer in changing the sealed CVT tranny fluid of the Prius first at 30k, then every 60k thereafter).

But everything else I give to the Odyssey. It beats all other minivan in terms of smart interior utilization design and features, and this being a family vehicle utilization/versitility is my deciding factor, given Honda dependability. The cool, distinctive, non-traditional exterior styling makes this the only van I would drive.
 
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#8 ·
Wife wins

A final note on why you should get the Sienna. Its the wife stupid. Why buy something she will use against you when things go astray with the Oddy? Its not worth the aggravation. Cars are cars and wives trump everything.;):smile:
 
#9 · (Edited)
One of the main reasons that we were considering the Sienna was for the AWD. However, to get the AWD, you lose the little jump seat in the middle of the second row. Our 3rd girl was on the way and with 2 other young ladies already in tow, we needed that middle chair seating and the Odyssey had the best fit for that. The two outer seats in the middle can be repositioned and moved out an inch or two so that really does make a difference with the baby in the middle. We also just felt that the interior was better in the Odyssey overall.

With that said... it really came down to how my wife felt driving each van. My wife felt that the Odyssey handled better... similar to a car whereas in the Sienna, it felt big for her and not as responsive. So, that's really how the Ody won!
 
#10 ·
I am having a tough time deciding between the Sienna and Odyssey as well, with the drivetrain being the point to focus on. I love Honda engines. But the sealed Sienna transmission makes me nervous, and the unwillingness of some Toyota dealers to change the tranny fluid out earlier (for my peace of mind anyway) makes me nervous as well. The 6 speed tranny is much more reliable now, and maybe I would do better with a traditional tranny with a dipstick where I can check the color of the fluid and do whatever interval of transmission fluid changes I want. I am just having a tough time "believing" in a sealed transmission that doesn't require fluid changes. I plan to keep my van to around 250,000 miles.
 
#11 ·
We looked at both. While I like the new dash in the Sienna better than the 2014 it still is not as nice as the Ody.

I found the screen controls on the 2015 Sienna to be more confusing and cluttered. A personal preference, but I prefer the two screens in my Ody.

Also, Sienna did not fix the seat issue, and interior issues. Especially, when the middle seat in the second row is removed there is a console that is permanent that my oldest would step on to get into the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] row. We prefer her to step on the floor, not on or over a console.

My farther in law has Sienna, so we originally favored the Sienna. But after shopping we said no way to the Sienna and we favored the Ody.

Also, the Sienna looks more like a traditional minivan,. While I think the Ody has some more style. Especially when you add door sill trim and body side molding.
After owning a Honda for 11 years, the new van also feels familiar and new at the same time.

Anyway, I think it is personal preference. For us we did not look at the technical aspects of either van, and engine is an engine as far as we are concerened.
 
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#12 ·
dr33m said:
With that said... it really came down to how my wife felt driving each van. My wife felt that the Odyssey handled better... similar to a car whereas in the Sienna, it felt big for her and not as responsive. So, that's really how the Ody won!
Click to expand...
I think you brought up a very important point here. Somehow, Honda has been successful in engineering its bigger vehicles (Odyssey, Ridgeline) drive and feel more like a smaller car. Honda's driveability is well known for.
 
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#13 ·
We recently looked at both and decided on the Odyssey. The BIG feature for us on the Sienna was the available AWD system. But that desire quickly faded as soon as we realized the AWD Sienna had runflat tires. There is a lot of positive hype about runflats but I had a car with them and found two very negative issues with them. First they drive like rocks, you feel every bump, crack and joint in the road. However the real issue with runflats are their design / purpose. They are highly advertise as allowing you to drive upto 50 miles at 55mph on a flat. What they don't tell you is that if you do, ie you use them for their purpose, once you get to the tire shop you'll be buying a new tire! Runflats can't be patched if you drive on them as they self destruct to give you those 50 miles. Many shops won't patch them at all and others will inspect the insides for damage before patching. Those lovely runflats cost me $500 for what could have been a $25 fix on my old car.

ok sorry for that rant but it pisses me off that they "fine print" that "minor" detail about runflats. The other items that swayed us were the dash, overall looks and space which seemed better in the Odyssey. The Honda Vac was a minor plus too and it works surprisingly well. :)
 
#14 ·
I rented a sienna for over 1k miles and had it for a month over a variety of styles of driving conditions. It has more grunt down low but at mid rpms it is not as smooth as the odyssey drivetrain. Also mpg were far worse than the odyssey. So drivetrain is. It necessarily a win for the sienna.
 
#15 ·
I am also considering both and find the insight from others helpful. Here is my assessment based on my subjective opinion:

-Powertrain: Sienna feels more powerful and delivers it more smoothly.

-Handling: Odyssey more nimble.

-Reliability: Sienna appears to be more reliable based on owners' feedback, known issues, Consumer Reports. None of these are definitive however.

-Safety: Odyssey. Performs better in crash testing.

-Interior Quality: The former model Sienna had a terrible interior, but the 2015 interior quality is ~equal to the Odyssey.

-Interior Layout: I prefer Odyssey's middle row center seat, but the fore/aft travel distance of the Sienna middle row. The seat slides further back than the Odyssey providing generous space for comfort and access. It is convenient to have the additional LATCH in the Odyssey, but I view LATCH as a convenience only. I see many experts say that a properly installed car seat using a seat belt is actually safer than LATCH.

-Exterior: Neither look great. I detest the exposed sliding door rails on the Odyssey (Didn't designers learn how to hide those years ago?). The side profile of the Odyssey looks disjointed--like two vehicles were combined. The Sienna SE is the best looking of the bunch.

I would choose the Sienna over the Odyssey if the crash results were equal. I am interested in seeing the crash results for the 2015 Sienna. Toyota claims to have added 142 additional weld points and I would like to see if this effects its crash test results. In the end, safety trumps everything for me; if the Odyssey retains its safety advantage, I'll choose it.
 
#16 ·
Externally the Siena looks like it's overweight. Don't like the Honda lightning strike yet the Ody has an almost sporty appearance from the front especially in darker colors.
In contrast a recent Dodge rental surprised us on fit and finish. Streets ahead of its 2005 counterpart which was the last time we bought anything. Drive well nice drivetrain.
 
#17 ·
Joma1 said:
It is convenient to have the additional LATCH in the Odyssey, but I view LATCH as a convenience only. I see many experts say that a properly installed car seat using a seat belt is actually safer than LATCH.
Click to expand...
Just one thing I want to point out - NEITHER is going to be safe if the car seat is not installed properly. I used to inspect car seats in my previous job (I'm certified to do so by St. Johns Ambulance) and I was amazed at the mistakes people make. For example, not using the top tether anchor or using it improperly (ie attaching it to the LATCH anchor point). Also having twisted belts, belts that were too loose, seats that were out of date - all kinds of issues. So LATCH or seatbelt doesn't matter, just please read the instructions and make sure your kids are safe!

Oh and Odyssey FTW :D
 
#18 ·
A Sienna vs. Odyssey thread, subscribing! :p

J/k, I just saw a few 2015 Siennas at the dealer nearby. I just can't believe that in this day and age Toyota has managed to sell exactly the same car announced in 2009 as a 2011 (started to sell in February 2010?) as a 2015, just with tweaks. Exterior-wise I noted the different taillights (except the SE), the front looks exactly the same as the pre-refresh, even as they advertise updated grille. as per the LED DRLs... OK. I guess that is the minivan market all about, let's see how KIA fairs

Sorry, off-topic
 
#19 ·
IMO

Honda built a very good Odyssey. The exterior design is not my cup of tea. I've driven a 2005 Odyssey and I like the way it drive and feels. Issue with the engine and the hassle of getting it repair from dealership makes my step back a bit.

Toyota Sienna LE, XLE and Limited springs and shock is for comfort. I didn't like it too much. I went and test drove the 2015 SE this weekend. The drive and feel is very similar to the Odyssey and my 2011 Rav4 V6 with 3rd row(better spring to accommodate the weight). I like the exterior design, the new update on the dash is fine. I like the AWD due to the winter season. Is a good feature to have in case you get stuck. With AWD, you can runflats. This is a feature I don't like, but I can live with it. I can replace the runflats and put on regular tires. Get a spare tire if you feel uncomfortable.

The Sienna SE is a good comparison to the Odyssey. I know this a Honda forum, I expect readers recommending Honda. For me, I am more focus on exterior looks than interior. If the interior is cheap and crappy, i can live with it. I don't want to pay an arm and leg to great interior and my kids destroy it.

If you have multiple family going out and require more anchors in the van, i think the other family might have a minivan also. This is for the the discussion for lack of anchors. The 2015 have 4 anchors. I have a 15 month old son and another one is set to arrive next month. Going out with small kids is no fun. If you have triplets sitting on a car seat and thinking of going out, good luck.
 
#20 ·
HomeyNow said:
If you have multiple family going out and require more anchors in the van, i think the other family might have a minivan also. This is for the the discussion for lack of anchors. The 2015 have 4 anchors. I have a 15 month old son and another one is set to arrive next month. Going out with small kids is no fun. If you have triplets sitting on a car seat and thinking of going out, good luck.
Click to expand...
Good point. I do not need 5 car seats, but the 5 latch positions give us more flexibility to accommodate 3 car seats in different ways. Also, the middle row center flexible width, latch and tether was a big factor for us. The Sienna 2nd row center seat is still a joke.
 
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