[Cntrtwnltd]

There have been talks about the new Quest having it, and keep in mind that all AWD Siennas come with runflats.

 

[Cntrtwnltd]

Well if you want the original explanation Honda gave back in 90's (I still have the article) it is because of the storage space. Specifically the storage well behind the third row seat and the spare tire that, at that time, was stored under the floor in the second row. Now the Sienna has a third row well and AWD, but it has been established that the Sienna has a greater rear overhang and therefore the well is behind the wheel assembly. However the drive chain did cut through the spare tire compartment, thus the need for runflat tires. This is also important to remember that "depaxing" a Sienna is not the same as depaxing an Ody since Tourings still had the empty space for a spare. I personally know someone with a "depaxed" Sienna that is now driving with nothing but a can of fix-a-flat and a AAA card for a spare. On another note, if I lived in a place like New Hampshire, I'm not sure I'd even want the Ody I have now and it has nothing to do with the drive wheels. It has to do with ground clearance. It always is hitting snow drifts and last winter I tore off that sagging stone shield because of it. Another reason why I cannot understand why Honda made the 2011 even lower.
I'm sure it has been established by now, but I'm pretty sure the spare tire has been relocated for 2011 and is now residing in the floor somewhere and there for blocking the potential AWD drive chain. Unless Honda were to offer some sort of run flat tire system to compensate for it............But I think they learned their lesson

 

[Cntrtwnltd]

Although I didn't follow it, I don't believe the Siennas had the problems with their run flats the way the Ody did with PAX. They have the thick sidewalls instead of the inner ring and I think can be serviced more places than the dealer.

 

[Cntrtwnltd]

One thing you have to keep in mind is that its not always the places that get pounded with snow that you need to worry about. Just on this thread it looks like there are a lot of canadians and northern residents where snowfall is very significant. If you live in a place with only a few storms a year and it doesn't get super cold, like almost anywhere in the northeast corridor, maintance is going to be the biggest problem. Here in PA the mountains and western area get a lot of snow in the winter, however the local municipalities know how to clear a roadway and do a thorough promt job of it. Here in the south east however, road maintance is a disgrace and getting around is going to require fording through snow drifts. Thats the only reason I would consider AWD. Another thing often forgotten is that in places that get a lot of snow, the temperature is usually well below 30 degrees. Around here when it snows it is usually just around 30 so we get a lot of ice and freezing rain instead of the fluffy stuff. Personally, I can handle snow, but ice is something entirely different and I stay home. These are just my observations from traveling all around the state at all times of the year. I'll take a blizzard in the mountains over 3 inches of snow and ice in the suburbs.

 

[Cntrtwnltd]

In the snow belt, I don't know what the hesitation would be.

Well I wouldn't buy a AWD Sienna Limited, but its because I want the added features of a FWD.

Also, I do have to share one story that now that I think about it was the only time I desperatly could have used power to the rear wheels. As I mentioned earlier, around here we get a lot more ice than snow sometimes and one time we got this perfect mixture of snow and ice so it was like walking on sand. The next morning you couldn't shovel the driveway because it was frozen solid. It was so solid that you could drive on top of it and barely make a tire imprint. So I backed out to the street that was coated with salt. The back tires went down onto the road and the front came about a foot from the road and sank. There was now 12 inches of sheer ice and snow blocking the drive wheels and hugging them in tightly. Now I wouldn't have found it to be that big of an emergency except that the back end of the Ody was completely blocking the street with cars lining up on either side. Now in a situation like that I wished I had had AWD.