SW17LS

I wonder if they were talking about keyless remote unlocking. The 2014 Enclave I drove before I got the Jeep was fully loaded and did NOT have smart key entry and start.

The other would be the Pathfinder/QX60. At 6' I can sit comfortably in the third row. It and these lambda SUVs are the best I agree.

They're getting pretty long in the tooth though, all new vehicles should be imminent.

WillK

I have no opinion on mini-vans. We have a Sequoia for family trips as the boys are now older teenagers.
But if you're considering the Odyssey, I'd say research the engine on it. Seems like I've read//heard about quite a few owners with complaints about excessive oil usage and the cylinder deactivation system on their engine. Honda may have addressed it, I'm not sure as this was a few years ago when we were looking at the Pilot.

BTW, Congrats to you and your wife on your upcoming adventure!

rxonmymind

Having owned Sienna for 8 years here are the finer details that I liked.
Ingress & exiting. This cane in handy when hauling the extra neighborhood "troops".
Heating & cooling were fast. Especially welcome in the most extreme seasonal part of winter & summer. What impressed me most was sitting in the very back center seat, one could feel the blower from the vents in the front reach you. Why is this important? In addition to the side ceiling vents the fronts were able to assist in cooling or heat up the entire van quickly.
Turning radius was great! Loved getting in & out of tight spots.
Hauling stuff in that was amazing. I was able to move a 96" couch.
Power was pretty good for being a Camry engine.
Maintenance was a breeze. Also getting to the spare tire was easy as it lowered it via a cable.
Visibility was excellent.
Cup holders galore! As well as cubby holes.
I really can't think of a negative except from a superficial point. Status. At the time I could give a rip as nobody was paying my bills so convince trumped. A GREAT van.

SW17LS

My sister in law has a 2010 model with like 60k on it, no problems with the engine or using oil. She did have a weird issue with one of the sliding doors hanging up on the track, but Honda fixed it. They beat that thing TO HELL too, and its never had a problem.

1111GS

Get the GX, Steve.

Sulu

But what is the size of the cargo area behind the 3rd-row of the Enclave? Will it fit a stroller (much less a double stroller)?

Nothing can beat a minivan for 3 rows of seating that fits adults AND a fair-sized cargo area behind the 3rd-row with that well in the floor.

That said, what is the cargo area like at the back of the Quest? Its 3rd-row folds forwards (rather like the Enclave and other SUVs) rather than tumbling back into an under-floor well like on the Sienna, Odyssey and Grand Caravan / Town and Country.

kyo7878

Quest is taller but a lot narrower and shorter than the odyssey, especially when 3rd row is reclined that really eat up the already small cargo space. Where as in ody with a deep well it doesn't sacrifice the cargo space much when seats are reclined.

SW17LS

Bringing this back.

We're getting closer to doing this, the Jeep is just too small, and too hard for my wife to get them in and out of with the normal doors, one is mounted in the center and the other on the pass. side. We went and drove the Odyssey and the Sienna today and took the babies and their carseats.

Interestingly enough...we have crossed the Odyssey off the list! The Sienna's second row slides back and forth a huge degree on tracks in the floor. The Odysseys seats slide a few inches, but are otherwise hard anchored. With the drivers seat adjusted the for my comfort the rear infant carseats we have fit no better than they do in the Jeep! Once they are forward facing they will be able to kick the seat too. To us, that negates the whole point of buying a van...so its out. What a shame.

The Sienna with the seats installed is great, plenty of room, our seats up front like we want them, still room in the third row. The Sienna isn't as sharp as the Odyssey, and its a little more expensive. They're working on numbers for me for a Limited Plus and the Jeep trade. Getting out of the Jeep will be the challenge...1 year into a 3 year lease.

We weren't able to drive a Kia Sedona (easter, not every dealer was open) but we stopped and looked at them on the lot. My wife loved the styling, and the second row has the same rail type system as the Sienna. Looking to drive one too.

If the numbers work and we can decide between these, may do it this week. Sad to see the Jeep go because we love it, but its just not for us with the twins

mmarshall

The Sienna, unlike the Odyssey, also gives you the option of AWD.....something that you probably got used to with Grand Cherokees, and would miss on the Odyssey.

SW17LS

Yeah...the AWD is a plus.

TangoRed

Bummer you can't wait until January for the new Chrysler Town & Country. Some great things are in the pipeline. When you test the Sedona make sure you hit some rough roads- I think you'll find the suspension tuning to be less than complete. Not a big deal if the roads are good where you are though.

Nextourer

Is the rail length similar in all Siennas? I wonder if it's because of the ottoman option the XLE & Limited models that require the extra length to allow the ottoman to clear the front seats. That's definitely a bonus.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i don't think the sedona is anywhere near as big as the sienna but i do think the sedona is very nice, better looking, and easier to park.

but kia's trim levels are a bit weird, and fully loaded it's not that cheap.

RXSF

We have a sienna in the family that is our work horse for work. It is a '12 model so it is the current gen (we also had the previous Sienna) and I find it fits our needs for hauling things, but is really a step down in from the previous. The interior use of materials has been addressed in the refreshed model, but I am not sure if the following things have been remedied, so be on the lookout when you go for a test drive.

1) rear tailgate does not open tall enough. At 6 feet, I can't stand under the opened hatch without hitting my head.
2) touchy gas pedal. Very difficult to drive off smoothly and the gearbox and engine don't always seem to be in sync. Surging power, very difficult to modulate
3) small brake pedal. Maybe a non issue for those who dont live in hilly areas, but it is very hard to use two feet to begin a hill start. Easy for your foot to slip off.


The kia minivan is quite a looker, I think it looks the best out of all the minivans

mmarshall

Even so, the average Sedona will probably undercut the average Sienna's price, though Kia still doesn't offer AWD on the new Sedona, which could be an issue with some buyers.

Kia also tends to offer nice incentives to repeat-buyers and/or those who trade-in certain specific competing brands. My brother took advantage of that when he bought his Soul.