Odyssey vs Sienna 8 seaters 2005-2008

emilia

New member
Hello!

We are adding a fourth baby to our family in May and a van will be the only one of our vehicles that will fit everyone so we are considering upgrading our 2000 MPV that has multiple problems and possible safety concerns rather than try and fix it.

We need a large vehicle with as much room as possible (ie third row is more than occasional use) so I don't think the third row SUV's will do it for us. So I think with safety and reliability in mind the Odyssey and Sienna are the only choices.

We plan to put one booster in the back, with maybe a second booster since my second DS has technically outgrown his Radian in weight and it will be hard for us to strap him into the third row.

Second row I would have one RF Radian and one FF radian. I would like to have an 8-seater in case I want to sit next to the baby on long trips, etc. But it seems like a pain for accessing the third row regularly. I have heard that after 2006 the Odysseys had middle second row seats that collapsed into the floor and that seems ideal for occasional adult use. But I have also heard that the Sienna fits three across more comfortably and maybe be prefered overall to the Odyssey.

It is a big ordeal for us to go out shopping for vans, so I would like to narrow it down as much as possible. Any recommendations for model or year?

Emilia
 
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ADS

Pixels

New member
The 8-passenger Odysseys of that generation are not 8-passenger friendly at all. The 8th seat is tiny, meaning it is uncomfortable for an adult and difficult to fit child seats. For that reason, we got the 8-passenger Sienna.

I can put nearly any combination of three across I want in the second row. I can put my TrueFit (wide seat) in the middle and flip either outboard seat. If you are willing to play with sliding seats forward or back, or moving the middle seat to the "front and center" position, I doubt there is any combination that wouldn't work. Third row isn't quite so dreamy for three across but it is not difficult to find a combination that will work.

All seats have head restraint tall enough for me and lap/shoulder belts. Five of the six seating positions have tether anchors. Only the third row driver's side does not have an anchor. Actually the other five seating positions all have full LATCH, though the third row center LATCH is offset towards the driver's seat. If you are doing three across the back you'll want to use seatbelt for that center seat.

Side torso airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags for all three rows were optional on 2004 and 2005 Siennas. They became standard in 2006. If you want towing capacity then stick with 2007 or older.

Flipping the seats is mildly annoying for daily third row access but not terrible. You can drive with the second row seats tumbled but only if the entire third row is vacant, so that doesn't help. I only have two children right now and my DD prefers the "way back" and I let her ride there because it's not that big a deal to tumble the seat. Each of the second row seats is completely removable, so you could remove a seat but then of course you have to find a place to store it.
 

sheena

New member
I have 2 kids and drive a 2008 odyssey. The middle seat in the 2 nd row is tiny. Other than that i love my van.
 

Freekel

New member
I have a 2009 ody and think the seating for 4 kids is perfect (although I only have 3). I have the 8 seater but I removed the middle seat in the middle row and pushed the captain chairs together so there is an aisle to get into the 3rd row. This doesn't solve your problem of sitting back there on long trips, unless you put the seat back in, but it is pretty small.
 

Holly

New member
Pixels said:
Flipping the seats is mildly annoying for daily third row access but not terrible. You can drive with the second row seats tumbled but only if the entire third row is vacant, so that doesn't help. I only have two children right now and my DD prefers the "way back" and I let her ride there because it's not that big a deal to tumble the seat. Each of the second row seats is completely removable, so you could remove a seat but then of course you have to find a place to store it.

You can't drive with a 2nd row seat tumbled unless the 3rd row is empty? Why? Someone told me you could drive with them tumbled but didn't say that. We got an 8 passenger Sienna in October but it didn't have a manual. We drove a lot with a seat tumbled. We took it out about 2 weeks ago, it was bugging me that it was in the way for someone trying to get to the middle seat (ds's RF radian is in the other 2nd row outboard spot so no getting to the middle from his side).
 

Pixels

New member
You can't drive with a 2nd row seat tumbled unless the 3rd row is empty? Why? Someone told me you could drive with them tumbled but didn't say that. We got an 8 passenger Sienna in October but it didn't have a manual. We drove a lot with a seat tumbled. We took it out about 2 weeks ago, it was bugging me that it was in the way for someone trying to get to the middle seat (ds's RF radian is in the other 2nd row outboard spot so no getting to the middle from his side).

It is in the owner's manual, which is available online on Toyota's website. It may be dangerous for the third row occupant in a crash.
 

mkmama

Active member
You can't drive with a 2nd row seat tumbled unless the 3rd row is empty? Why? Someone told me you could drive with them tumbled but didn't say that. We got an 8 passenger Sienna in October but it didn't have a manual. We drove a lot with a seat tumbled. We took it out about 2 weeks ago, it was bugging me that it was in the way for someone trying to get to the middle seat (ds's RF radian is in the other 2nd row outboard spot so no getting to the middle from his side).

It may have been me...I had originally thought the owners manual specified only that the 3rd row behind the tumbled seat must be empty (and that the tumbled seat must be tethered) but Pixels mentioned it in another thread last week and I pulled my manual out and it does say:

Do not sit on the third seats when
the second seat is tumbled in order
to prevent personal injury in a collision
or sudden stop.

on page 72 of the 2008 Owners Manual. I have emailed Toyota verifying that this means NO passengers anywhere on the 3rd seat, but don't know how soon I'll hear back from them.
 
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lynsgirl

New member
I have a 2005 8-passenger Sienna. When we bought it new, we had 3 kids. We now have 6 kids. I've had someone, usually at least 2 someones, in the third row for years now. We don't tumble the 2nd row seat, but we fold it down, which works fine, even for me to get into the third row.

When ds4 was first born (June), my third row had a backless Turbo, a FF RA50, and a seatbelt-only kid (in that order). Right now, I have a RF RA50, backless Turbo, and seatbelt only kid (in *that* order lol). As Pixels mentioned, the possibilities for 2nd row 3-across scenarios are almost endless. I've done so many different things with different seats, including very large seats. The other thing I'm not sure was mentioned is the number of LATCH anchors in the Sienna vs the Odyssey. For the years you are talking about, the Sienna has 5 full LATCH sets (3 in the 2nd row and 2 in the third row). For 2005, the Odyssey only has 3. I'm not sure about the years past 2005, however, for the Ody.

If we had to get a different minivan right now, I'd either hunt for a great deal on a 2010 Sienna, or go with a 2011 Odyssey. I think it's ironic that all of the things that made the 8-passenger Sienna great have been done away with and showed up in the new Odyssey :cool:, from LATCH anchors to 8th seat shape/size, etc.
 

Dillipop

Well-known member
We got a 2008 8 pass Sienna in May for the versatility. We only have 3 kids right now but sometimes transport others. We also sometimes drive to Pennsylvania at the same time as my parents and having the van has allowed us to all travel in one vehicle.

When dh's parents were visiting, we had a safeguard child seat in the center of the middle row. We were able to tumble either side to let ds1 into the rear row. His booster was latched in on the passenger side and then we had dd rfing in the CCO using the center latch set. We loaded dd through the hatch, which was pretty easy.

Until today, we had the boys in the rear- ds2 in a regent on the passenger side and ds1 in his monterey on the other side. DD was drivers side in an EFTA in the center. We had the other seats empty for my parents, although we didn't end up needing them. The boys begged to come back to the middle, so we now have the regent passenger, CCO center, monterey driver across the middle. There is space between all the seats.
 

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