Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna Comparison: Which Is Right for You?

Who said minivans are out of style? No matter how popular crossovers become, there's no substitute for a minivan's ability to haul people comfortably and swallow up cargo. The 2020 Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna are two of the most popular minivans on the market, and they both offer plenty of family-friendly features to make life easier. Which one is the better bet? Find out how the two minivans stack up in this Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna comparison.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which One Is Safer?

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It shouldn't come as a surprise that both minivans perform well in government crash tests. The 2020 Odyssey and Sienna each earned five-star overall ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but the former comes up slightly ahead when you look at the individual tests. The Odyssey scored five stars in front and side crashes, and four stars in the rollover assessment. Meanwhile, the Sienna received four stars in the front crash test, five stars in the side crash test, and four stars in the rollover test.

Unlike the Sienna, the Odyssey was named a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2020 Odyssey scored "Good" ratings in all crash tests. In contrast, the 2019 Toyota Sienna, the latest model rated by the agency, did not receive an award. It scored "Good" ratings in most categories, but it received an "Acceptable" rating in the driver-side small overlap front test, which replicates what happens when the front left corner of a car crashes into an object at 40 mph. The Sienna also received a lower score of "Marginal" in the passenger-side small overlap test, which is the same test but conducted on the front right corner of the car. The top-rated headlights on both the Odyssey and Sienna are deemed "Acceptable" by IIHS.

Toyota has the advantage when it comes to standard safety features. On every trim level, the Sienna comes standard with pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beams. The base Odyssey, however, does not come standard with Honda's suite of safety features. You'll have to upgrade to the EX trim to get standard Honda Sensing, which includes collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation system, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which One Has the Best Performance?

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We know—you're not buying a minivan for its scintillating performance. But acceleration and handling are still factors you might want to take into consideration. Unlike the Odyssey, the Sienna is available with all-wheel drive. So if you're looking for a little more traction in poor weather conditions, the Sienna may be the better bet.

That said, we appreciate the Odyssey's smooth ride and nimble handling in everyday driving situations. The 10-speed automatic transmission shifts between gears seamlessly. The Sienna also boasts a comfortable ride, but we have complained about the extra steering effort required at low speeds in our Limited tester. The SE model offers a firmer suspension than other trims, so its ride quality is a little less compliant.

The Odyssey packs a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. With that engine, we've tested the Odyssey' 0-60 mph time at as little as 6.6 seconds. That makes it quicker than the Sienna, which we've tested at 7.1 seconds. The Sienna is slower despite more output—296 hp and 263 lb-ft—coming from its 3.5-liter V-6.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which One Has More Passenger Space?

Both minivans offer plenty of room for passengers to stretch out in the second and third rows. But the Odyssey provides a little more legroom, boasting 40.9 inches in the second row and 38.1 inches in the third row, compared to the Sienna's 37.6 inches in the second row and 36.3 inches in the third row. Both models offer a choice of seven or eight seats.

The Sienna's seats slide forward and back for easier entry and exit. But the Odyssey takes versatility one step further with second-row seats that slide forward and back, as well as from side to side. On eight-passenger Sienna minivans, the second-row center seat can be stowed in the left side of the rear-storage area when not needed. If you take out the Odyssey's center seat, however, you'll need to store it at home.

Which minivan has more overall passenger space? Well, it's a close race. Passenger volume totals 163.6 cubic feet in the 2020 Odyssey, compared to 164.4 cubic feet in the 2020 Sienna.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which One Has More Cargo Space?

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Overall, the Odyssey has more room for your gear. Total cargo space is 158 cubic feet behind the Odyssey's front seats, compared to 150 cubic feet for the Sienna. Whereas the Odyssey features more space behind the second row, the Sienna has the cargo advantage behind the third row.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Interior Comfort and Design

During our tests, we were impressed by the comfortable second-row seats in expensive versions of both the Odyssey and Sienna. Up front, the Odyssey's cabin is more modern; just look at the instrument display and buttons. The Odyssey boasts an 8.0-inch central touchscreen standard on all but the base model, while the Sienna gets a 7.0-inch screen even on the top model. Both vehicles feature space-saving gear shifters, with the Odyssey having a push-button setup. You'll also find high-quality materials on upper trims of either model. One minor complaint on the Sienna: We wish for more substantial cupholders.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which One Has Better Technology?

The Odyssey offers a number of unique technologies that the Sienna doesn't. First is CabinWatch, which lets you keep an eye on your kids in the rear via the touchscreen on the dashboard. With CabinTalk, you can talk to them with your voice coming through the rear speakers or connected headphones. There's also an integrated vacuum in the back of the van to clean up light messes. These three features are standard on the Touring and Elite trims.

Although the Sienna doesn't provide those features, it offers an Auto Access seat for people who can use help boarding and exiting the vehicle. The seat automatically lowers outside the vehicle upon boarding, swivels back into position in the second row for the drive, and lowers again upon exiting.

Both minivans offer rear-seat entertainment systems to keep kids entertained on the road. You'll find this feature on upper trims.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which One Has Better Fuel Economy?

Advantage: Honda. The Odyssey is rated at 19/28/22 mpg city/highway combined, while the Sienna tops out at 19/26/21 mpg. When paired with AWD, the Sienna drops to 18/24/20 mpg.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which one is more reliable??

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One key metric of vehicle reliability is the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. This survey measures the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles during the first 90 days of ownership, but it's also considered a key indicator of long-term reliability. The Kia Sedona reported the fewest problems, making it the winner of the minivan category. The Dodge Grand Caravan placed second, followed by the Toyota Sienna in third and the Honda Odyssey in fourth. Read more about the Initial Quality Study and look at the full minivan rankings here for a complete picture on Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna reliability.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which One Has the Better Warranty?

Both models offer a basic warranty of three years/36,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of five years/60,000 miles.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna: Which One Is Cheaper?

The 2020 Honda Odyssey is priced from $31,785, undercutting the Sienna's price of $32,685. If you go one trim level up, the Odyssey EX jumps to $35,785 while the Sienna goes from $35,505. Opting for the top-trim Odyssey Elite will set you back $48,415 while the Sienna Limited Premium skyrockets to $49,100.

Should I Buy a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna?

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If you're looking for a minivan with AWD, you'll definitely want to pick the Toyota Sienna. The Sienna might also be the best choice if you're looking for a base model, since it comes with tons of standard safety features. However, the Odyssey has the leg up over the Sienna in most categories, including crash test performance, rear legroom, cargo space, acceleration and handling, fuel economy, interior design, and available convenience features.

Honda Odyssey vs. Toyota Sienna Comparison

• Safety
• Performance
• Passenger space
• Cargo space
• Interior comfort and design
• Family-friendly technologies
• Fuel economy
• Reliability
• Warranty
• Price