| Xyzzy, Question on your Sienna vs. Pilot …
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| xcel |
Hi Xyzzy:
___I did not realize you owned both an 03 Pilot and 00 Sienna. Now that you have a few miles on your Pilot, how do you like its utility vs. the tried and true Sienna? Not the off-road utility or styling but its functionality as far as people mover, trip comfort, handling and safety? Have you had any problems with your particular Sienna to date?
___Thanks.
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
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| xyzzy |
Wayne,
No problems with the Sienna, we love it! Here is my comparison:
People mover
I would have to give the edge to the Sienna. We don't use the third seat very often, but if I know I'm going to be using it, I take the Sienna. Accessing the third row between the captains chairs in the second row is much easier than solving the Rubik's cube access method that the Pilot/X uses (ok, it's not that bad, but isle access is better). Once there, there is more legroom in the Sienna. The Pilot is wider, but I wouldn't put 3 back their in either case, so the legroom wins out. My decision here is also based on the age of our children (4 & 6) as sliding doors are just better with kids. If it's 4 adults going for a ride, toss up or slight advantage to Pilot.
Trip comfort
Sienna hands down. The Sienna is quiet and rides VERY smooth. This was one of the biggest reasons we chose it over the Odyssey at the time. The Pilot picks up some road noise (particularly from the tires) on the highway. It's not noisy by any means, but the Sienna is whisper quiet. Seating comfort for a long trip is probably a toss up. I do like the higher ride height of the Pilot. If I included our Pilot's RES feature that would make it a little closer, but the Sienna would still win in my mind.
Handling
Pilot hands down. While reported as softer than the X, the Pilot suspension is great in the corners for an SUV of this size. No real problems with over/understeer and it responds very well to quick movements. The Sienna has a bit of roll in the corners (not a problem, but much more than the Pilot). Of course, horsepower and torque come into play here and there is just no competition. While the Sienna has more power than we would ever need in a minivan, the Pilot just begs to be revved. The first time I felt the VTEC change-over at 4300 RPMs I got a really big smile on my face. Neat stuff! Also, VTM-4 giving us power to four wheels from go helps.
Safety
I can't say. The Sienna was the safest vehicle ever tested at one point, but advances are being made all the time. For example, the Pilot has side airbags (front row), but the Sienna does not. Overall I think that minivans are a better group from a safety perspective than SUVs. You have to remember that the ratings are based on vehicles within their class, not overall. So a highly rated SUV could score mediocre or low if it were compared to minivans.
Versatility (I added this one)
Advantage Pilot. We are a family of 4 and rarely use the third row (a few lunch trips or soccer runs with neighborhood kids). We typically have the third row folded down and have a cargo tray over it. In this configuration, there is a LOT more storage space than the Sienna with the third row either up, folded, or tumbled. We could take the third row out, but we wouldn't be ready when we needed to use it (Ody was better at this). I keep bungee cords in the headrest storage area, so the hooks available in the Pilot really help when strapping things down.
Overall, we are glad to have both of these vehicles. If we could only have one and have the other vehicle be a sedan, I would have still chosen the Sienna at the time (1999) because a minivan with sliding doors can't be beat with two children in car seats. Now that the kids are a bit bigger (one in booster, the other in straight seatbelt), I would choose the Pilot. It's more fun to drive, it's more versatile, the kids love the RES, and it's not as geeky (doh!). I would imagine that others comparing these two vehicles might state differing opinions based on their family size and/or primary uses. My wife drives the Sienna and I drive the Pilot, by the way.
So after all this, I'm curious as to why you ask?
Chris |
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| wmquan |
Not to mention that there is a new generation of Sienna around the corner. Supposedly it will be bigger to compete with the Odyssey. And the best part of it is that it will supposedly be available in an AWD version (together with Toyota's VSC stability control system). It won't make it an off-roader, of course, but it does present an excellent AWD minivan option (today you've got to look something like a Chrysler Town & Country, which is a non-starter with many folks).
True, it's still a minivan, and some folks would prefer to buy an SUV (true off-roading SUV, or a crossover SUV).
I have to admit that some of my future thoughts have been to eventually (2004?) replace the MDX with an AWD Sienna, and spend any price delta to get a better everyday sedan (though Siennas aren't cheap).
If an AWD Odyssey had been available when we bought our MDX, we would have very seriously considered it (of course, the trolls will chime in that the AWD Odyssey is called the MDX or the Pilot!). The minivan's sliding doors, especially when both are powered, are huge assets when handling kids! |
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| xyzzy |
quote:
Originally posted by wmquan
Supposedly it will be bigger to compete with the Odyssey.
Remember, this isn't always a good thing. We could be in the minority here, but we weren't after "big" when we got our Sienna. It was more about having the versatility that most any minivan provides, but still having a sedan-like drive. This was actually another one of the reasons that we chose the Sienna over the Odyssey at the time. Despite its sharper turning radius, the Odyssey just felt bigger and my wife wasn't comfortable with it. Whatever they do to make the Sienna bigger, I would hope they don't compromise the sedan feel to it. But then again, the more space the better for some families, so I can appreciate that as a deciding factor for some.
Chris |
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| xcel |
Hi Xyzzy:
___We still own the 92 Previa LE and it has been extremely reliable (168,000 miles now) as well as being an excellent vacation cruiser and all around people carrier. My 03 Corolla LE has 11,000 miles on it already and the only problem I have experienced to date was the vehicle started pulling to the left at highway speeds. Apparently the right front tire was pushing the vehicle in that direction? This problem was solved by replacing the right front Goodyear Integrity tire which was of course completed under warranty. I just wanted to get a first person review as far as comparisons are concerned between your Sienna and the Pilot. The 03 Sienna is currently being given away as far as Invoice is concerned. It still has the same shortcomings in the style, performance, and disappearing rear seat department vs. the Ody, X, and Pilot … Anyway, I have the feeling Toyota will attempt to compete against the Odyssey as far as features and directly as far as price is concerned with the newly redesigned 03-1/2 - 04 Sienna. If any of the new 4-Runner features make it to this minivan (Edmunds Town Hall rumor mill says that they are?), it may indeed become the “Best in Class” and another vehicle to consider as a competitor to the MDX. At least in my family anyway …
___The reason for the discussion is that my wife and I are having second thoughts about MSRP for the X and the ~ $1,500 + in accessories that I have planned for it. I simply have never paid MSRP for anything in my life … She went from my choice of a Camry LE to an XLE w/ Leather, to an Odyssey EX, to an RX300, to a Highlander, to an MDX … The Pilot was in there somewhere as well but after she saw it, she declined. The Toyota dealership saleswoman that sold us the Corolla mentioned that the new Sienna may be in the showrooms by late January and said she will be dealing if we could possibly wait another month or two past the arrival of our X. At the latest, the Chicago Auto show would be the release per her information? Of course no one has MSRP or invoice numbers yet but if Toyota is to compete against the Odyssey EX, $27,500 w/ Leather and a RES (this is an unobtainable Honda Invoice price) is similar to what I would expect to see on the yet to be released 04 Sienna similarly equipped. When I ordered the non-available Corolla, I still picked it up for just $200 over with just a two month wait. I trust this saleswoman to get me $500 or less over invoice on the 04 Sienna with a small wait as well.
___The MDX is the top of the mid-size/large size SUV class as far as features, overall value, and safety are concerned (its an extremely attractive vehicle as well ;)) but I still consider it to be just an OK value and just average quality vehicle compared to the Toyota offerings available to us in the not to distant future … Boy am I going to get flamed for that one :(
___Thank you for taking the time to give me a great overall comparison with two almost non-comparable vehicles.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
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