r/minivan

We are torn between the Toyota Sienna and the Honda Odyssey. We slightly preferred our test drive of the Odyssey, but we want to be able to drive the van on the beach a few times a year, and through some hills in the winter. We live in the PNW, so not crazy ice and snow, but we want to feel comfortable doing long drives in the winter through a mountain pass.

Does that rule out the Odyssey? Anyone have experience using their Sienna on the beach?

Having a hard time deciding between these two. Price is within a couple thousand with the sienna being cheaper.

I love the tech of the Carnival and the interior feels nicer whereas the sienna’s interior feels a bit cheap/overly plastic but the fuel efficiency and reliability seem hard to beat. I also enjoy driving the sienna a bit more (the carnival feels rubber bandy off the line).

Have a 2 year old and am expecting twins so we’ve landed on a minivan being a must but our budget is 42k. Fuel efficiency is pretty important to us.

Thanks for helping us out!

I have 18 month twins and my car is getting a little too small. I love SUVs, but I’m told the Sienna is more practical. I never envisioned myself driving a minivan. Please tell me why you love your Sienna so I can feel good and not regret my purchase! I know about the sliding doors but are they the only reason you love your car?

Hi minivan community! We are trying to choose a minivan, and are likely to either go with a used Honda Odyssey or a used Kia Carnival. The used Siennas are just too expensive. And the Pacificas just have too risky of a reputation. We have a two year old and a four month old. It does not get very cold where we live, but summers are HOT. Please share your experiences! Thank you!

Gas and Trim or Hybrid and Trim?

My husband got the paperwork started today, got an offer from Carmax for our trade-in, and I go to sign tomorrow to finish the process. He was offered extended warranty 10 years/150k miles for 2.2k. Is this a reasonable price? Did anybody go for it? I’m excited but also very nervous about reliability. I want this car for the long haul and I not sure if we made the right decision. Originally wanted a Sienna but after test driving the Carnival, I fell in love.

Hello! What’s the highest miles you’ve heard of on a Pacifica? I’m looking into buying one that already has 67k on it. A little nervous how long it may last me. My 2016 Ford Explorer has 220,000 miles and it’s still going strong.

I'm 6ft 1in, so legroom is important to me. I test drove both the Sienna and the Odyssey, and could pretty much stretch my legs out in both the driver and front passenger seats of the Sienna while the Odyssey felt a bit more cramped. Seat was fully back and down in both cases. So I was pretty surprised to read that the Odyssey actually has more legroom?!

Any idea what's going on? And any fellow mildly tall people have a preference for one car over another?

For anyone that takes the time to answer thank you so much!!

Hi all! I was looking into getting a 2020 toyota sienna, they seem to be about 30k for lower mileage ones. I would like a hybrid however the sienna hybrid does not allow the 2nd row seats to be removed and this is a MUST since we plan to camp out if it. So anything post 2021 is out since they all seem to be hybrids. I see I can get other brands of minivan that almost new for not much more than 30k so it had me questioning. Maybe the toyota should be out!? What are your suggestions on minivan I should get and year? Here is some criteria:

-2 adults, 1 infant

-third row must stow and go, ideally the same for middle but at least must be able to remove them

-ideally around 25k

-would love hybrid

-We currently drive a 2012 accord, and its currently 2026 lol so all the bells and whistles are NOT important to us

-would love it to be super reliable

-more niche but if anybody knows, when your floors go down how flat are the floors? we plan to sleep out of it with trifold mattresses so curious how the sleep is lol

Thank you!!

I have the opportunity to buy a clean title 2021 odyssey touring with 45k miles. I’ve been looking for a minivan for my family for a while, and I would prefer a sienna due to AWD and fuel economy, but this Odyssey is being offered to me at a very good price from a family friend, especially considering the current prices of siennas.
But I have some concerns and wanted to know people’s experiences.

I hear that the AC sucks. I live in a climate where we have dry 90-100F heat regularly in the summer. The van is dark red, and I am planning to do ceramic tint so that might help. Is the AC that bad?

Is VCM still advised to be muzzled? Or have they improved with that technology so it’s no longer that big of an issue.

I also heard the engines on this generation Odysseys had problems to the point of some being recalled, although I don’t know if it affected this 2021 model.

I do know that timing belt and its accessories need to be changed at 90k.

Anything else I should be aware of?

Looking at replacing my 2013 Odyssey. I was a huge Honda fan (and owned multiple over the years), but fell victim to peeling white paint issue (no warranty) and have sworn off Hondas going forward.

I need an 8-seater so I think that only leaves the Sienna and Pacifica (gas). Looking for best price-to-value but also reliability.

Would have loved to get a Pacifica hybrid but heard about all the problems plus no stow-and-go. I don’t think Carnival comes in 8-seater version.

Hello all!

I’m in the market for a minivan in the next couple months. My current ride is a fifteen year old BMW X3 I got from my mom with over 200k miles. It’s just me and my husband right now, but we are planning to have a baby in the next year or so. Also, my parents are in their 70s and like to come visit once or twice a year. We have the funds to buy in cash, so cost is not a huge issue, but I’d like to come in under $40k for a low mileage used model.

Here’s where I’m at:

* Odyssey: Pros are it’s a Honda, highly rated for safety, could have a tow hitch installed, and the Magic Slide in the center row. Cons are no hybrid, and the second row doesn’t fold flat.

* Pacifica: Pros are Stow n Go and it could have a tow hitch installed. Con is that it’s not a Honda, no sliding second row, and not a hybrid.

* Pacifica PHEV: Pro is the PHEV. Cons are no second row sliding or fold flat, not a Honda, not rated for towing (not even sure if it could hold a hitch mounted bike rack?), and not a full EV.

Thoughts? Which features have you found most useful for car seats and aging family members? My best friend has a Town and Country that she absolutely loves, so her vote is the Pacifica or Pacifica PHEV. My husband doesn’t really care as long as I’m happy. We will of course test drive all three, but I’d like more opinions than just me, my husband, my best friend and her husband, and the salesman. Everyone else I know has a car or an SUV.

ETA: I’ve ruled out the Sienna, the Carnival, and VW’s new bus.

We were in the market for an Odyssey and test drove a 2018 recently. The car itself was in great condition but there was an odd suspension feeling that made me sick. It almost felt like the car was floating too much around the road - something I could see being a benefit for some over a potential alternative of being very stiff in response to road bumps. It reminded me a bit of the drive on a Tesla (not sure which model/year) that also makes me extremely sick.

Has anyone else experiences this or know what I’m talking about?

I’ve found a few mentions of people disliking the drive starting in 2018-today’s model but it’s sparse and I mostly see praise of how it drives. The dealer mentioned this might be a quality of Japanese suspension. I’m not sure if we should keep testing or if that’s typical for all Odysseys.