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Bklyngirl
Citizen
Username: Bklyngirl
Post Number: 17
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 8:25 am: | 
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We're looking to buy a minivan and so far, we're leaning towards buying a Toyota Sienna. If you own a Sienna, or know someone who does, please share any positive/negative feed back. Thanks.
bklyngirl |
bmpsab
Citizen
Username: Bmpsab
Post Number: 214
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 8:34 am: |
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We are looking at minivans too, and are considering the Sienna and the Honda Odessy. Bklyngirl, why do you prefer the Sienna? |
Bklyngirl
Citizen
Username: Bklyngirl
Post Number: 18
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 8:50 am: |
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For 4 reasons:
1) I don't like cars/minivans that are low to the ground like the Odessy is;
2) I don't like cars/minivans that are too "boxy." The Odessy looks like a big square box, while the Sienna has more shape, which I love;
3) My brother-in-law owns an Odessy and hates it (not sure why, though); and
4) Consumer Reports and other magazines that rate vehicles have rated the Sienna highly. The Odessy is still rated the best family vehicle overall, but the Sienna is a very close second. I think it's because the Odessy did slightly better in the crash tests than the Sienna. (Of course, the latest crash test ratings rated the KIA minivan the safest minivan above all, because it excelled in the crash tests. However, Toyota is a more reliable car maker overall, so KIA isn't an option for us.)
bklyngirl
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13967
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 9:01 am: |
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My cow-orker has a Sienna and loves it. He said more equipment came on it standard than on the Odyssey. Equipping an Odyssey to the same level would have cost him a ton more.
I rented a Kia Sedona for a weekend. It doesn't drive well at all, in case you need another reason not to buy it.
You might want to consider also a Ford Freestar. It's an excellent vehicle with a stupid name. What the heck is a freestar? It reminds me of a free radical (in chemistry). I rented one for a week and drove it a lot. I can't tell you how much I liked it. It probably costs less than the Toyota.
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doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 1378
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 9:05 am: |
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I have an Odyssey...would love all-wheel drive, which I think the Sienna has (can get) but not yet true with Honda...hoping this will change... |
Tofugrl3
Citizen
Username: Tofugrl3
Post Number: 16
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 9:44 am: |
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I drive both the Toyota and Oddysey at work. I love the Honda and highly recommend it to anyone buying a mini van. It is a lot more comfortable than the Sienna. The April issue of Parents magazine has the annual best car guide and they compare the Honda to the Toyota, as well as another minivan. You might want to check that out. You should test drive both before making the decision. |
finnegan
Supporter
Username: Finnegan
Post Number: 342
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 9:53 am: |
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I've had a Sienna for years and love it. (It's a '99, bought it new.) It has great pick-up which is good for highway merges from those lovely entrance ramps which have Stop signs at the end of them. (GSP 156 to 46E, for example.) Also a very smooth ride at high speeds - I regularily look down at the speedometer and think, holy cow! I'm going 78mph?! It has been very reliable.
It is kind of high off the ground for little kids getting in and out of the sliding side doors. I think some of the upper end versions include some sort of step-up side bumper-like attachment, making it easier for kids to get in and out, but our stripped down model doesn't have one. If the sales guy had mentioned it to me, I would have sprung for it (I did have a baby and a 4 year old with me when we bought the car.) It's still a challenge for my 7 year old (who's disabled, but not physically) to get out easily on his own. |
cppkqp
Citizen
Username: Cppkqp
Post Number: 117
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 10:05 am: |
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We have a '05 Sienna and are very pleased with it. Woudln't have bought a mini-van, but few other vehicles can fit three car seats and attendant baby gear. (We really loved our Subaru Forrester, but I digress...)
FWD is available on the Sienna, but not worth the $$ in our opinion. We plan to get snow tires instead. According to a car dealer with NO vested interest, the Sienna is heavy enough, particularly in front, under the engine, that the snow tires' deeper treads under the weight of the vehicle should be as good, if not better than, FWD (with regular tires).
Although we would love to have power doors on both sides, we were not up for the additional $$ for the XLE version, (which also has a DVD player and other amenities).
Before buying we compared several minivans on paper, but ultimately only test drove the Odyssey, the Mazda MPV, and the Sienna. Safety-wise, they are all close as I recall. The Sienna won in the test drive, handling most like a car, despite its size. We felt it had the most pick-up for a vehicle of that size (it may have a slight horse-power advantage).
We got the best price from West Caldwell Toyota, however they have been difficult to work with for routine maintenance. Only problems we've had are: our hubacaps seem to disappear and the computer for the passenger side of the vehicle had to be replaced because the passenger airbag sensor was not working (parts and labor covered by warranty). |
Bklyngirl
Citizen
Username: Bklyngirl
Post Number: 20
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 10:51 am: |
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Thank you, all, for your comments.
cppkqp: We have an '04 Subaru Forrester as well and it was one of the best purchases we ever made. I don't think we'll ever give it up.
bklyngirl |
Shanabana
Citizen
Username: Shanabana
Post Number: 329
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 12:15 pm: |
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The Odyssey rocks (there is a rivalry, you know...) . Sienna looks good, but the new Odyssey not a bad looker either. Also, lower might just equal safer...just a thought. |
melicious
Citizen
Username: Melicious
Post Number: 418
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 12:56 pm: |
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I got a 2000 Sienna and I got the leather seats and power everthing trim line.
I drove an Odyssey and felt like the Sienna drove better, was higher up and
(for some reason) was cheaper at that point.
Also, I have found, owning both Hondas and Toys, that Toyota repairs are cheaper - again, don't know why.
Just my opinion,
m
PS. When I was forced to buy a mini-van, I ordered a GREAT BIG cow magnet for the door - it was my way of saying, "hate that its come to this, but I'm still gonna have fun..." |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11376
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 1:16 pm: |
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The difference between the Odyssey and the Sienna are pretty minor and come down to personal preference and price. I think the "street price" for a Sienna is noticeably lower than for the Odyssey. |
Bklyngirl
Citizen
Username: Bklyngirl
Post Number: 21
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 1:22 pm: |
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You hit the nail on the head, Bob k. Although the differences between the Sienna and Odyssey are minor, I really dislike the Odyssey.
bklyngirl |
meluga
Citizen
Username: Meluga
Post Number: 85
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 4:55 pm: |
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We have a 2000 Sienna and are very pleased w/it. Go out of your way not to buy it from either of the dealers on route 22. They were horrible to deal w/ so we took it to Morristown while under warrenty and now go to our regular mechanic (Nelson's) for routine care. No problem driving in the snow. |
bmpsab
Citizen
Username: Bmpsab
Post Number: 215
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 4:59 pm: |
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Can anyone recommend a Toyota dealer who is reasonable to deal with? On our last car shopping go-round, we tried the Route 22 dealership and the one in Morristown and we were so horrified at how rude both were that my husband vowed not to look at Toyotas anymore. Now that we are considering minivans I have been pressing him to look at the Sienna in addition to the Odessey, but a good dealership would go a long way... Thanks in advance. |
cppkqp
Citizen
Username: Cppkqp
Post Number: 118
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 5:14 pm: |
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Melicious - I am jealous! Heated leather seats were on my wish list, but alas, not in my budget.
We also found the dealers on 22 to be horrible. One of them (the "AutoMall" near Sports Authority) called us a few days after our visit - some sort of quality control follow-up call - and I made it clear that we would never consider buying any vehicle from them and that we would discourage others from doing so as well because we were treated so poorly.
We bought from West Caldwell largely because they offered us the best price. In fact, it was August '04 and our original plan was to buy an '04. They only had a white one in the lot, so we asked if they could get one for us in a dark color. They said it would not be a problem. When they were unable to do so they ordered an '05 an sold it to us for the price agreed upon for the '04.
West Caldwell has been a little difficult with maintenance. Speaking up about dissatisfaction and asking to speak to a manager definitely caught their attention and brought a swift remedy. |
moving soon
Citizen
Username: Movingsoon
Post Number: 101
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 5:28 pm: |
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Sienna offers an All Wheel Drive model, As of '06 model year, I don't think Honda offered that. We liked that option (though it costs) for icey hilly roads. We have been happy with our purchase, but I'd be happier if I didn't need such a large (as in feul-hungry) vehicle.
Re: dealers...
Go to cars direct.com.
I would have bought from them (you end up picking it up from local dealer) but I made a few calls and got the internet sales manager at Hudson Toyota to beat their price by several hundred dollars. Did all of it over the phone. All I had to do at the dealership was take a test drive (which I could have declined) fill out some papers, wait much longer than I would have liked, and get a little bit of hard-sell on adding an alarm and service plan. I said no, that was the end of it. Much, much less painful/stressful than typical auto dealer experience. Again, this was because I had a good baseline price from carsdirect on exactly what I wanted, and I did my negotiating over the phone.
Hudson is far away, so I do my regular servicing locally.
Good luck |
Debby
Citizen
Username: Debby
Post Number: 2286
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 6:07 pm: |
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It's a little bit of a hike, but for an honest and decent dealer go to Westchester Toyota in Yonkers. It's about 20 -30 minutes north of the GWB, straight up 87. I think it's worth driving an extra hour once or twice to have an honest experience and possibly save a few hundred dollars. |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 885
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006 - 11:28 pm: |
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In 2002, I bought a brand new Odyssey and loved it -- until the winter. Slip-sliding away with little kids in the car was terrifying! I bought $500 snow tires from the Honda dealer and still slipped around!
Bought a brand new Sienna XLE Ltd AWD in 2004 and loved it in the sun, loved it in the rain, loved it in the snow and loved it most of all when I was rear-ended by a @%&#& on Rt 78! The car was TOTALLED, but I was perfectly fine (well, except for the super adrenaline rush - very surreal!)
I replaced my 14 month old wrecked van with a brand new 2005 with same features except in red. Love it still.
PS. We bought the latest from a dealership in Wyoming - we saved over $2K including one way airfare and a hotel stay - well worth the 800 miles put on the car. The dealers around NJ are heartless SOB's - I couldn't even get a decent price from the dealer that'd sold me the first Sienna only 14 months before!
Check out www.wildetoyota.com and speak to Maximilion Smith. You'll be amazed at the deals you can get on a Toyota vs around here (and I checked prices by phone at dealers in CT, PA, MA and NY states!) |
Czele
Citizen
Username: Czele
Post Number: 92
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 8:16 am: |
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We bought a Toyota Highlander out at Crystal Auto Mall on Route 22 in Green Brook. It's about midway between Maplewood and Somerville. I did that "blast fax" method and they played along...and agreed to my offer. Two other dealerships were annoyed enough to give me a bad price and then shocked that I didn't want the car at their lousy counter-offer.
Crystal seemed happy enough to make a sale without seeing me in person. There were no problems when I went to sign the papers and take delivery. The car was detailed, gassed up and ready to go before we had even signed for it.
Can't remember who sold us the car though. |
crabby
Citizen
Username: Crabbyappleton
Post Number: 578
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 8:35 am: |
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We ahve the new Sienna. I like the fact that the 2nd seats can be placed on the floor "bench" style or seperate. Bench style allows kids in carpools easy access to the way back seat without climbing over everyone.
I also like the 1/3 2/3 seat in the way back when it comes to hiding the seats down in the well. Very convenient.
The only thing I don't like but am used to now is the visibility. I used to have A Grand Caravan and the windows must go lower than the sienna and I could see out better. Overall am happy, but wish we had the model with ALL the doors as automatic - but that package was too pricey. |
Bklyngirl
Citizen
Username: Bklyngirl
Post Number: 27
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 11:26 am: |
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AWD is very important to us, so I think we're going to have to spring for the Sienna XLE. It's pricey, but worth it, I think.
bklyngirl |
Bklyngirl
Citizen
Username: Bklyngirl
Post Number: 28
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 2:12 pm: |
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So, I just called Caldwell Toyota re: my new Sienna. I spoke with Mike and our conversation went like this:
Bklyngirl: "Hi, I'd like to talk to someone about my buying a Sienna LE." Mike: "Well, we don't give quotes over the phone. Click!"
Caldwell Toyota just passed up making a great sale.
bklyngirl |
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