2012 Odyssey vs Sienna

sarabiz

New member
With child #3 on the way, we've come to the conclusion that its minivan time! We're currently between a 2012 Odyssey vs a 2012 Sienna, and I'm trying to figure out which will work best for our carseat configuration. When this baby arrives, we'll have her in an infant seat, our 2-year-old in a RF Boulevard (latch) and my 4-year-old FF in a Radian (seatbelt install). My 4-year-old is small, so a booster is a while off. What are some of the pluses and minuses of three car seats in these two minivans? I'm in a urban area, so there's plenty of parallel parking on busier streets, so anything that makes loading and unloading children easier is very much preferred. Thanks!!!
 
ADS

MamanMag

New member
Welcome and congratulations!! I think both are great choices!! Both would fit 3 car seats without any problem. I would base my decision on prices and I would test drive both to see which one you prefer. They are both safe cars but the Odyssey has slightly better crash ratings according to the NHTSA (www.safercar.gov). Both will have room to grow if you have more children down the road ;) but the Odyssey has more top tether anchors (5 or 6 depending if you buy a 7 or an 8 seater), the Sienna only has 3 (2 on the captain chairs and one off centered in the 3rd row).

Happy car shopping!

Mag
 

MommyShannon

New member
The Ody will be a lot easier to put all 3 kids in the 2nd row when you need to. Top tethers in each spot are nice to so you aren't limited with where forward facing seats can go. I know boosters are a ways off, but the Ody has 5 sets of LATCH (everywhere but 3rd row center) so you can use LATCHable boosters when the time comes.
 

lgenne

New member
We did this exact comparison except that we were looking at 2013s, which are essentially the exact same model from the previous year, at least as far as car seat configurations go. The 3rd row of the Ody is far more car seat friendly than the Sienna. And I'm not sure if you can put a car seat in the 2nd row center of a Sienna at all. The 2nd row center of the 8 seater Ody has some issues, but you can find RF, FF, and booster seats that will work in it.
 

smileyblue4

New member
If you plan on keeping your older ones harnessed for a long time, I'd go with the Odyssey because it gives you a lot more flexibility as far as where you can install the seats, and also if you'd like to do 3 across regularly or for road trips. I think the only thing I don't like about my Odyssey is the road noise on highway trips. Everything else is awesome. I'm currently trying a bunch of different ways to fit my 3 car seats in the car now that we're about to have a new baby. It's hard to decide what I like best because I have so many options of how I can do it. I'm sure the Sienna's great, too, but I love having limitless seating arrangement options. :)
 

luckyclov

New member
I've owned both; a 2011 Sienna and a 2012 Ody, both 8 passengers. I'm still driving the Ody, and honestly, it's the longest I've been in the same vehicle in over 13 years. Although there's pros and cons to both vans, with 2+ young children in the mix, the Ody is probably the better choice, with its "extra" top tether anchors vs. only 3 in the Sienna.

I really liked my Sienna and it was a good fit for my family when we got it, which included two children already in booster-ready, so I only had a need for one TTA (which wasn't used at all, actually, since he was RF). The Sienna did have more cargo room, all seats up, which I do miss. But all in all, I really like my Ody. No complaints, really.
 

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