Neither

I drove a Sienna with only 15k miles so it couldn't have been a neglected that bad At least the sienna with 3.5 isn't as bad as the older 3.3. That one shared the same funky shift that most other 3.0/3.3 at the time.

 

Failed!!! I won't buy.

Swagger Wagen failed too (after I inspected the interior built quality and material use ), I won't buy.

I am waiting for the new Nissan Quest now... (It looks appealing to me but I just have to see the real deal inside)

 

I respect your opinion, and agree that one should not just pick an arbitrary figure out of thin air and stick to it like glue, but, in most cases (I can't think of any exceptions myself), 6 properly-spaced gears are all you need, at the very most, for a good balance of flexibility, close-ratios, economy, performance, and complexity/cost-of production. The M-B, Lexus, and BMW 7 and 8-speeds, as I see it, are just marketing figures on paper.

 

These advanced 6/7/8/9 speed trannys are beyond marketing figures in the premium car business for the following reasons. (Although it's unlikely that Subie 4 banger 4 speed auto tranny customers will agree or demand this kind of technology or performance.)

If the automakers had picked arbitrary limits we would be stuck with 2 or 3 speed automatics still, lol. In some cases today, the newer trannys with more speeds are lighter with fewer parts due to better designs, nice progress.

1. EPA gas mileage ratings (a fact of life in US for the automakers whether they like it or not, not that gas expenses are a significant part of the premium car buyers budget)

2. Performance (measurable acceleration improvements, no impact on top speed)

3. Smoothness in all driving modes (via closer ratios in normal driving speed ranges).

Yes, it's they are nice numbers to show in marketing campaigns, but the reality is most buyers won't know/count/care the number of forward speeds.

Items 1,2,3 above are the main reasons for the advanced trannys.

Item 1 is the most important reason for the minivan discussion by far (on-topic would be 5 vs 6 speeds).

With multispeed tranny they can have the super tall overdrive top gear and close ratios below for smooth efficient operation.

 

+1

I like the interior of the Honda, but the exterior of the Toyota. I was really hoping to replace my Odyssey, but there doesn't seem to be a clear winner.

What was particularly disappointing was the poor materials used in the Sienna. That much cheap plastic should not be in a car that goes for $45,000! Given that you can get a FX35 (loaded), Q5, RX350, or Cayenne for that kind of money, I was expecting much higher quality. (Yeah, I know they are luxury SUVs and not minivans, but still if you don't need to seat 7, then a luxury SUV seems to be a much better deal than a Sienna.)

 

its hard to have good quality of materials is a 45K car when the base price starts at $25K. Optioning up the Sienna to the gills doesnt include a nicer dash. They had to meet a price point, and it was smart for Toyota to lower the msrp with the 4 banger option during this economy.

 

I've been reading the reviews and it shocks me that the Odyssey is getting better mpg than the Sienna, topping both of its engines. Even the 4 cylinder of the Sienna does not match the Odyssey mpg...19/28 vs 19/26. It seems like an embarrassment to Toyota. I mean the 4 cylinder was suppose to be the choice for fuel sippers, but now it gets topped by a bigger, more powerful V6. You have to hand it to Honda for being able to get those mpg numbers and beating Toyota at its own game.

 

FYI it has cylinder deactivation. From what owners report they rather lose that feature for a better engine. Seems MPG claims are just that, claims.

Not even sure why Toyota offers the 4 cylinder Sienna as the V-6 has nearly the same MPG. Price leader I suppose.

 

Honda Pilot owners are making same complaints about engines with cylinder deactivation.

 

I am aware it has cylinder deactivation, but what are the owners complaints about it? The transition between the number of cylinders not smooth?

 

No, the transition is not smooth, and the cylinder deactivation system takes too long to "decide" what to do. If you are on the highway, or even in the city in 3 cylinder mode and decide to punch it, the vehicle will hesitate for about a second. It makes Honda engines feel even more lethargic than they already do with their low torque characteristics. In real-world driving VCM does not deliver great gains. Also people keep in mind the Sienna V6 is faster 0-60 than what Honda is claiming for the 2011 Odyssey.

I would expect to see a Sienna hybrid soon, and that should crush the Odyssey's fuel economy, or the fuel economy of any other van for that matter.

 

At an elevated price point that makes the MPG savings moot

 

We don't know the price point of the Sienna hybrid yet. Speaking of elevated price points, the 6-speed in the new Odyssey is moot since it's only available in the high-end model trims.

 

1. Never noticed any deactivation problems in my 07 Odyssey. And it was widely considered the driver's minivan amongst the last generation.

2. The Sienna is already WAY overpriced for the top versions. If they added a hybrid option to the Limited, it would push $50K. And for that kind of scratch, you get a POS dash that liberally uses hard, cheap plastic I would expect in a base Versa or Yaris.

 

I have not examined the 2011 Sienna's interior thoroughly yet, although I did sit in one for a quick moment, and the quality seemed acceptable. I was never impressed with the 3rd gen Odysseys' interior quality myself (having thoroughly driven and examined that model) and I don't see this 2011 model being much different. I noticed cylinder deactivation in the 3rd-gen Odyssey on numerous occasions, but I guess not everyone would.

As for being a "driver's" minivan, who cares? I mean really? If a "driver's minivan" means a nervous suspension that rattles the subframes and chassis, and a stiff bouncy ride on anything but glass smooth roads, you can have it. The Sienna's ride always felt more confident to me on rough roads, which in real terms is the majority of roads out there, especially in areas that have cold winters with freezing and thawing.

Also in terms of handling, I think the 2011 Sienna SE will have something to say about being the "driver's van" of this generation.