Town & Country vs Odyssey

V

venture195

Guest
I currently have a 2000 Camry which works great with one child (21mo). I am now expecting #2 and we have decided to move forward with purchasing a minivan. We are trying to decide between a used '06 Odyssey EX with 28,000 miles or a used '06 T & C Touring (w/side airbags) with under 20,000 miles. My 21mo is in a Britax Boulevard and we will reuse our Graco Snugride for the new baby. The main differences between the vehicles are as follows: The T & C comes with power liftgate and has the stow n go fold flat for both rows, the honda has the removable middle seat in the second row and allows for the two seats to be next to each other. I am so so conflicted between these two and have read much to much information that I am about to the point of not being to make a decision. For SOME reason I keep coming back to the Honda. I don't know if it's just a popularity issue or if its a better vehicle. My parents had a Dodge Grand Caravan (basically the same vehicle as the T & C) in the past and had NO issues with it. I am worried about the positioning of the children with the seats - is it safe to put them in the captains chairs or will they have to go to the very back row?? The T & C offers more luxury perks such as the power liftgate and stow n go......as a stay at home mom I keep coming back to this vehicle because of the monetary differences. As far as the ride goes, the T & C was a bit quieter and has a larger engine (3.8 vs 3.5) than the Honda. HELP!!!!:confused:
 
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SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
In terms of safety, the Odyssey would be the choice. In addition to better crash test results in both NHTSA and IIHS testing, stability control and side curtain airbags are standard on all trim levels. Plus, the side curtain airbags have a rollover deployment feature and sensors for side impacts in all three rows.

In either van, most child seats can be securely fitted in any rear seating position. Of course, there may always be some combinations that do not work well.

Keep in mind that the 8th PlusOne seat in the Odyssey is quite narrow and lacks a top tether anchor. So, it will be best suited for a narrow booster or an older child/young adult.

Also, I think the Town&Country may still lack a shoulder belt in the center of the third row seat, but this may have been added in the last couple years. I do know the T&C lacks a couple extra top-tether anchors that the Odyssey has in the third row.

Overall, both are very nice vans. Reliability should be similar. Only you can decide on which feature set you prefer the most for your situation. Performance-wise, the Odyssey gets better acceleration and the same or better fuel economy on paper, even though the T&C has a larger engine.

As for safety, I'd pick the Odyssey (and I did). The 2006 Sienna and Sedona are also very good choices for safety. You can pick up a base model brand new Sedona for about 20k... Also: http://www.suvsafety.info .
 

lovinwaves

New member
I have a '05 Odyssey. You are going to get better gas mileage with the Odyssey. Also I like putting both of my Britax Marathons's (same as Boulevard) in the captains chairs, and actually prefer that over a bench seat.

You are concerned with the power liftgate. I don't have one and really don't need the luxury of it. I think you will find you can live without that feature.

Safety wise your best bet will be with the Odyssey. It is popular for many reasons, and safety is one of them.

The Odyssey, is going to have more of Sports like suspension compared with the T & C. It's handling is going to be different also. For instance the T & C has more of cushy feel, which appeals to many people, and the Ody has more of a sensitive, if you will, steering. Just the other day I needed my Ody to react quickly because there was a big pipe going across my whole lane. I was able to quickly manuever the Odyssey to the passing lane without feeling a "Delay". The steering wheel is extremely responsive and almost "BMW" roadster like.

The Stow n Go is nice, but I don't know if you were shown the Lazy Susan feature on the Odyssey. I have to say, DH and I love that feature and will use that way more often than a "stow n go" feature. The Stow n go feature may appeal more to someone is hauling stuff often and needs the WHOLE cabin area. Someone like you probably won't need that feature much because you will have two babies in there most of the time, and carseats installed.

This post is obviously leaning more towards the Odyssey. Darren can give you more of a non bias opinion.

Feel free to ask more questions. If you go HERE you will find very valuable information about the Odyssey. I spent more than 6 months car shopping, and doing research. I am still learning about new and awesome safety features with the HOnda ODyssey.

Unfortunately, Dodge/Chrysler is behind in the minivan area, even though they invented the minivan. Safety too me is the number one concern, so if you can't make up your mind I would sway towards the safety of the Odyssey. No matter what, you can't go wrong with the Ody. It has great style, functional features, safety, and great resale value. Good luck car shopping!!

-Melissa- aka: car freak!!
 

twokidstwodogs

New member
We have an '05 Odyssey EX. I've never wanted a power liftgate or a feature like the Stow and Go. With carseats installed in the second row, you're not likely to be popping the seats up and down all the time. We did pick up a couch in our Odyssey not that long ago, but DH just removed both captain's chairs in advance and left them in the garage. No big deal.

That being said, we also don't use the Plus One seat or move the captain's chairs back and forth at all. Maybe other people use theirs differently, but I'm not sure that any of these features will be central to your life! I'd say, get the one with better safety ratings and that drives better. I'd get the Odyssey, but then, I'm biased.
 

TXDani

Senior Community Member
I would say the Odyssey would be a better pick overall...and they are so much better looking IMO. I have a Sienna with the power liftgate which I LOVE!!! But as much as I love it I would still choose a Odyssey witout one then a T&C with one. I also think the interior is a lot higher quality in the Ody then in it's American counterparts. But all this is just my opinion and I don't have an Odyssey or a T&C so who knows what they are actually worth! :p
 

lovinwaves

New member
The Toyota Sienna is the other van I would look at. I actually tell people that are in the market for a minivan that there is ONLY TWO minivans I would recommend. That is the Toyota Sienna, and Honda Odyssey. You can't go wrong with either one of them. The main reason being safety. :)
 

Lilsid

New member
My Mom had a Grand Caravan and I hated it and everything about it. It is slow and tub like. I felt like a grandma in a Buick. It is bad on gas and is very noisy with the back windows open. It has a very loud rear AC system too. I could not install my DD's snugride infant seat in the Drivers rear captains chair at all since the driver needed the seat all the way back and there is no room. The other side had another car seat in it at the time. It was a pain to install the Snugride in the third row and worry about the baby being so close to the back door. My DD is older now but we had such a hard time getting her Britax Convertibles in the, van that my DH and DD and I would just take our car also when ever we all went out. Oh and the transmission went out in CA while on vacation. It was just out of warranty.

I was driving it alone one day and was rear-ended at 45mph by a driver that never even slowed down (he was checking gas prices and claims he never saw me). He was driving a lifted 2004 F250 ford truck and it totaled the van and I was in the hospital for 3 days. I had my seat belt on but the whole van crushed and twisted. If my DD had been in the van she would have been hurt too since the third row was pushed up into the captain’s chairs, and the captain’s chairs bent forward.

I have test driven the Honda Odyssey and I loved it. What a different ride. It is stylish and so easy to see out of. I also think there is at least 6 more inches of legroom between the front and second rows. Hondas will go for almost ever.

The only reason we did not buy one was because we only have one baby now and so we bought an SUV instead since I thought the Odyssey was over kill, but as soon as we get pregnant with #2 that’s the Van I want.
 

lovinwaves

New member
Wanted to add....The Sienna is going to be a tad bit more roomier inside. Like an inch here and an inch there.

We also found that we got more Safety features for the money with the ODyssey over the Sienna, but that was in '05. Things may have changed in '06.;)
 

hsjwmom

New member
Btwn an Odyssey and the T&C I would definately go with the Odyssey. They seem to be a terrific vehicle. The only reason I got the Sienna instead of the Odyssey was that I had driven a Sienna for 5 1/2 years and loved it and was used to it. They were truly neck and neck for me!

Lovinwaves:
I have an '06 Sienna (Limited)...from what I understand (I may be wrong)...all Siennas now have standard side curtain airbags. I think though, Stability control is still only on the higher end models.
 

lovinwaves

New member
Lovinwaves:
I have an '06 Sienna (Limited)...from what I understand (I may be wrong)...all Siennas now have standard side curtain airbags. I think though, Stability control is still only on the higher end models.

That's good to hear!:) Yeah, that was one feature(side curtain airbags) we got with the Ody and not with the Sienna, because it was standard.

Those two vans were extremely neck and neck for us also!!! In the end they pretty much even out. You may get "x-feature" with Ody but you may get "y-feature" with the Sienna. Like for instance the power tailgate. It really comes down to personal preference, but we knew either way we would be getting a suberb driving machine.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
The 2006+ Siennas do have side curtain airbags standard. Stability Control is standard on the top trim(s), but you can get it in an option package on all trim levels depending on your region.

The 2006+ Kia Sedona also has side curtain airbags and stability control standard on all trims. For 20K brand new after incentives and top crash test ratings across the board, it's a bargain for a safe, family vehicle.
 

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