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2025 Buick Enclave vs Honda PilotBudget Buy Under $20K: Honda Odyssey vs Toyota Sienna
We’ve compiled the facts on the Honda Odyssey vs the Toyota Sienna. Find out what we think in our article here.
Minivan Matchup
These days, it is more important than ever to have a vehicle that provides comfort to the entire family. There’s nothing worse than being on a road trip and feeling like you’re crammed in the back seat. What might be worse is being crammed into the back seat with a bunch of luggage.
Enter the minivan.
Two great options are the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna. They both offer ample room for passengers and luggage while keeping the ride comfortable for everyone. If you’re the type who likes to travel with the family, we suggest reading what you can get for $20k or less.
Honda Odyssey vs Toyota Sienna Specs
For this article, we’ve found an example of each right on Carsforsale.com. We decided to compare the 2016 model year because you can get some fairly recent technology on them. You can’t expect the latest and greatest in this price range, but we’ve managed to find some great deals.
The 2016 Honda Odyssey example is an EX-L model which is one model in their lineup of six trims for that year. It is powered by a 3.5L V6 engine that produces 248 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. It has a six speed automatic transmission to deliver the power to the road, and it comes in a FWD configuration.
The Honda Odyssey offers drivers 19 MPG highway/28 MPG city. This is slightly better than the Toyota Sienna which gives drivers 18 MPG highway/25 MPG city.
The 2016 Toyota Sienna example is a XLE model which is one out of 5 possible trims for that year. It offers a 3.5L V6 and a six-speed transmission that pushes 266 horsepower and 245 lbs.-ft. of torque. While you can find AWD XLE models on the market, this example is FWD. If you choose an AWD model, you can expect a 2 MPG loss on fuel economy.
Driving and Performance
Both of our competitors offer great handling which makes it hard to pick a clear winner. They are both some of the best minivans that we have ever driven. This is good news if you’ve been looking at either model. Both the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna offer some surprisingly good attributes to drivers.
First, the handling on both models is amazingly car-like. If you’re going to a minivan from a car, then you will feel right at home in either model. Curves are smooth and they both maneuver through heavy traffic with ease. Drivers will feel confident and will forget the fact that they are driving a minivan.
If we have to pick, the Honda Odyssey very narrowly beats the Toyota Sienna in the handling category simply because of the fact that the Toyota Sienna feels just a bit more heavy. This is a very small difference, and most drivers most likely wouldn’t notice it even if they were driven on a daily basis.
When it comes to power, both of our examples are still neck-and-neck. They both offer ample power to accelerate to highway speeds quickly. Neither of them feels like you’re pushing too hard to get them up to speed when passing vehicles. In fact, we were quite surprised that they were peppy and robust. There are many small cars that could learn a lesson from these minivans.
Ride quality is where the Honda Odyssey wins. The Honda Odyssey not only provides a smoother ride on rough road than the Toyota Sienna, but it also offers a much quieter ride. We found the Toyota Sienna to be quite loud on smooth roads without a lot of insulation from the outside. If you’re wanting a quiet ride, then the Honda Odyssey should be the one that you pick.
While it isn’t usually something that you would look for in a minivan, both models will comfortably tow up to 3,500 lbs. This is great for families who want to tow a small camper while storing their gear inside the van.
Comfort and Interior
Perhaps the highlight of any minivan is the cabin. After all, it isn’t worth looking into a minivan unless the interior is top-notch. Both deliver in this category.
The Odyssey offers a lot of interior space with several seating options. There is a multifunction second-row seat that can adjusted to make a middle aisle or a side aisle to better access the third-row seating. The Honda Odyssey also offers a center console that contains cooling storage (for drinks) and a nifty trash bag holder.
There is a large touchscreen that provides easy access to the rearview camera and radio features.
The Honda Odyssey offers a total of 148.5 cubic feat of storage with all seats down. Even with all seats up, it offers 38.4 cubic feet of storage. Fold down the third-row seat and you’ll get 93.1 cubic feet of storage – more than enough for most families to carry a week’s worth of luggage comfortably.
The Toyota Sienna offers some high-quality materials on the inside. High-quality fabrics and plastics abound in the XLE trim. Other trims will have leather and real wood accents. The dash has been thoughtfully laid out and offers a large touchscreen. This is used to access the Scout GPS system, radio, and smartphone operations.
The rear entertainment system allows for passengers to pick different media on two different screens. This is a great feature for those with kids who can never seem to agree on what to watch.
Our example is a seven-seater with second-row captain’s chairs. These have a wide range of adjustment to make it easy for passengers to sprawl out or to accommodate additional cargo. You’ll have to remove the captain’s chairs (which can be quite heavy) and fold down the third-row to gain access to the 150 cubic feet of overall cargo space.
Overall, the Honda Odyssey offers more space in the rear than the Toyota Sienna, so space-conscious drivers should take this into consideration.
Trims and Features
The 2016 Honda Odyssey can be found in six different trims: EX, SE, EX-L, Touring, and Touring Elite. Here is a breakdown of the trim levels.
EX – This is the base model that comes with Smart Entry, tri-zone automatic climate control, second-row sunshades, audio touchscreen, HomeLink Remote System, Honda LaneWatch, and a seven-speaker 270-watt audio system.
SE – Includes everything in the EX trim along with the HondaVac system, a 115-volt outlet, the Honda Rear entertainment System with wireless headsets, and SiriusXM radio.
EX-L – Includes everything in the SE with an added cool box in the center stack’s lower storage bin, a leather steering wheel, auto-dimming rearview mirror, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and either a DVD Rear Entertainment System or navigation.
Touring – includes everything in the EX-L plus a 10-way power driver seat, lumbar support, memory front seats, one-motion abilities, and a folding center armrest to the third row.
Touring Elite – includes everything in the Touring trim plus HD radio, surround sound, blind-spot monitoring system, 12 speakers, and an ultra-wide rear entertainment system with HDMI inputs.
The 2016 Toyota Sienna was available in 5 trims:
L – This is the base model for the Sienna. It includes tri-zone automatic climate control, height adjustable driver’s seat, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, automatic headlights, cruise control, rearview camera, USB port, auxiliary audio jack, Siri, four speakers, and a 6.1-inch touchscreen.
LE – All of the features of the L trim plus Entune Audio Plus with the Connected Navigation app, satellite radio, 7-inch touchscreen, and HD radio. Available in seven passenger or eight passenger configurations.
SE – Includes all of the LE trim features plus sport instrumentation, LED daytime running lights, and an app suite with navigation.
XLE – Includes everything in the SE trim plus leather trim on the front seats, multi-stage airbags, Smart Key System with push-button start, and a dual-view Blu-ray Entertainment Center. You can find seven-passenger and eight-passenger configurations available.
Limited – This is top of the crop for the Sienna. It includes everything in the XLE trim plus leather front seats, parking assist, multi-stage heating, and a JBL audio system.
Honda Odyssey vs Toyota Sienna: The Verdict
This was a tough decision! These two models give each other some tough competition. When you look at them on paper, they nearly mirror each other.
We must get picky on this one. When it comes to superb handling and a quiet ride, the Honda Odyssey wins hands down. The Toyota is much too noisy for longer rides and is a little heavier on the steering.
The Toyota’s base model interior seems much more plush than the Honda Odyssey and offers some great standard features that make it stand out – especially when it comes to technology.
In the end, we have to pick the Honda Odyssey. It does exactly what a minivan is supposed to do: get to the destination comfortably and quietly. The Toyota Sienna is just too noisy to do that, and it really detracts from the driving experience.
