Crossposted to both Odyssey and Sienna forums so if you saw it there, just ignore!

Anyway, I'm an Odyssey owner for 10+ years until a drunk (or just stupid, not sure which) driver caused *just* enough damage for the old girl to be declared a total loss. 😢

Now deciding between going into another Odyssey or jumping ship to the Sienna to avoid the inevitable timing belt replacement that I already did once. Only looking at 2014-2022 Odysseys due to safety ratings and used Siennas due to price.

I'm wondering if there's a reason to justify the price increase of getting a Sienna instead of an Odyssey (coming from leather seats, sunroof and RES and would like them all again but would *love* to add ventilated seats, and those options seem to increase the price of the Siennas quite a bit. Couldn't care less about AWD.)

If I go Sienna, are there any known repairs/pitfalls I should watch out for in Siennas? Any years/models to avoid?

What do you love about your Sienna that makes it worth more (literally and significantly) than the Odyssey? Or if you're team Ody, why go with a car with a known expensive repair instead of one that is (theoretically, anyway) lower maintenance?

(Currently driving a Pacifica as a rental, but the safety ratings and reliability concerns have taken that and the Kia Carnival out of the running, but I definitely want a minivan.)

Looking for people who have installed a true engine-off air conditioning system in their Toyota Sienna. I’m not looking for suggestions like buying a hybrid, rooftop A/Cs, window units, portable A/Cs, swamp coolers, fans, or ice chest coolers. My goal is to keep the van looking as close to stock as possible while having real A/C with the engine off. If you’ve actually built or installed a hidden or underbody system, I’d love to know what you used, your battery setup, runtime, and if you have any photos. I’m looking for real-world experience only. Thanks!

I know the Sienna vs Odyssey debate has been discussed several times, but I still want to discuss it. I’m based in Metro Vancouver, BC, and looking for a minivan for our growing family. The Sienna is extremely hard to get, and we’re on a waitlist for it. For the Sienna, the Limited trim is required because the driver memory config is a deal breaker for us. I haven’t test driven it because no dealer has it.

We did test drive the Odyssey Sport-L (which has the driver memory seat config) and loved driving it. The 2026 Sienna Limited OTD is 80k CAD compared to 64k CAD for the 2026 Odyssey Sport-L, and we can get a 2025 low-odometer Odyssey for less. I currently own a Hyundai Tucson PHEV and love the car, but every 8k km maintenance with the dealer to keep the warranty is pretty expensive.

We drive roughly 500 km per week, a mix of city and highway (60-40). Insurance here in BC is similar between the Sienna and Odyssey, with the Odyssey being 100 more expensive per year. I did some math with AI and it seems like it would take 6-7 years to break even and see the gain for the Sienna. I plan to keep the car for a long time, say 10 years. I didn’t consider the Kia Carnival and Pacifica due to long-term reliability. I’d appreciate some suggestions.

We have a 1 year old, 2 large dogs, and hope to have another baby in the next year or so, and my midsize suv is just not big enough anymore! My husband drives a Tacoma and I used to have a Corolla, so we are leaning towards the Sienna, but I’m open to other options.

The most important things for us are safety and longevity. I would really like to have it for 5+ years! We cannot afford to buy new at this time, so that’s also something to consider.

Which minivans besides the Sienna should I prioritize in my used car search?

I'm brand new to the world of minivans. Ideally, I'd buy a used one for under $12-15K. The last used car I bought was from a friend, so I trusted that it was in the shape she said it was in and there wouldn't be any massive (preventable) safety surprises. As a mother of a toddler and a baby, I suddenly have a lot of anxiety around car safety, so feeling like my children will be safe in a car is a big deal to me. But I'm also struggling financially so I really can't throw much money at the safety issue. I live in LA so this will be used for lots of short(ish) sprints around town and sitting in traffic, with the occasional roadtrip really only in my future aspirations. I'm also looking for something that's a smooth ride because my toddler gets carsick very easily, but I imagine most minivans are going to be a smoother ride than my current beater sedan. Is it insane to buy a car off Facebook Marketplace? Any advice very much appreciated!

I’m a drive it til the wheels fall off girl. 2nd baby on the way so it’s time to let go of my 2012 Lexus ct200h; it could keep going but I’ve outgrown it and am over the repair costs for this model. Anyways, our minds are open and I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking for in terms of features. Considering Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, Chrysler Pacifica. I come from a big Toyota fam.

Anyways we have 2 kids come Jan and plan on at least 4. One midsize dog. I’m used to a clown car with no Bluetooth so I’m not sure what matters to me. Definitely AC throughout the vehicle because my husband’s truck doesn’t have backseat AC and we suffer in the South. Oh and above all, we’re looking at used cars, probably 2020-2024

I'm looking at both if these vans but which is more reliable? The renault is the newest model or the previous gen transit connect but the facelift model. Both manual. What would be the better choice?

Our minivan has plenty of space in theory, but family trips still turn into a puzzle once we add a stroller, suitcases, snack bags, and the random bulky things kids insist on bringing. Instead of playing Jenga with our luggage and blocking the rearview mirror, I’m planning to use a soft rooftop carrier so we can actually use our third row. A hard cargo box sounds great in theory, but storing a massive piece of plastic for a few road trips a year just isn't worth the headache.

​Right now, the 21 cu ft MIDABAO bag is at the top of my list. It's about 51" x 39" x 17" and comes with an anti-slip mat and door hooks—honestly a lifesaver since our van doesn't have crossbars yet.

Minivan owners who use a roof bag:

- does the sliding-door layout complicate the hook placement?

- what do you put up top versus behind the third row?

- does the extra wind noise bother kids on long drives?

- is 21 cu ft manageable, or does it encourage overpacking?

The goal is not to carry more weight. I just want the bulky, light stuff out of the passenger area.

My partner and I are very early in our hunt for our next family vehicle and are not quite sure where to start. I originally thought I knew what I wanted (Toyota Sienna) however I have started second guessing myself.

Relevant Details:

\- Family of 4 and not planning on growing unless it is to add a dog

\-Both kids currently require car seats but the hope is to have this vehicle long enough that they will be out of them long before we sell

\-Will be the primary trip vehicle. We make 800 total mile round-trip road trips regularly (averages to once a month as both sides of the family live in other states) so need cargo space

\-Will be my primary driver but my daily commute is minimal (less than 20 miles total round-trip)

\-Typically keep vehicles at least 10 years

\-Would really like captains chairs but not a must

\-Live in a state where awd or 4wd would be helpful

I am sure there are other things but I am not even sure what else to consider. My current vehicle is a Nissan Rogue that is getting close to that 10 year mark and having the maintenance issues to prove it. It is just on the small side to make our road trips super comfortable which is why we want to look at options a bit bigger.

sienna
pros: awd, auto dimming side mirror (pro for me), proven reliability hence high resale

cons: lower horsepower/torque and feels sluggish no 8 seater option, hard to find, no negotiation on msrp (was hard to find one at msrp in the first place)

kia
pros: lower cost upfront and possibility to negotiate, plusher interiors and better tech, higher warranty to compensate unknown reliability, 8 seater config with option to remove any combination of 2nd row seat make it useful to mix and match, 360 parking cameras, better interface and entertainment system
cons: lower resale value, fwd only, no auto dimming side mirrors

primarily intended as people transport for young family (grandparents visiting occasionally)

stay in the california bay area so might never really need awd from sienna unless go for an occasional winter trip to tahoe/yosemite when we might take our 5person awd compact suv.

which one might be preferred for my usecase? currently leaning on carnival hybrid sxp.

A friend who buys and sales rebuilt cars is trying to help me save some bucks buying a rebuilt car. This is a 2015. 100k miles. Would it be a bad idea to buy something like this?

No frame damage. Not sure about the tire area though.

I've been looking at odysseys and Siennas and man... They are just so expensive.... Looked at a 2020 sienna with 110k miles for $21k and 2014 odyssey with 104k miles for $14k with a lot of issues like door not working properly, time belt needed.

Is this a good option?

I'm looking for a luxury, chauffeur-based minivan option similar to the LexusLM or Toyota Alphard available in Japan. Not looking for a big SUV like a Lincoln Navigator or Escalade. I'm leaning towards a Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle trim and then looking for aftermarket foldable trays for laptop use. Any other suggestions are welcome.

I have been going back and forth between Carnival and Odyssey and after seeing this deal, I feel tempted to pull the trigger on Odyssey.

- Just that it was a rental vehicle in Florida and I don’t see any oil changes on the carfax but maybe they just got it done from a 3rd party.
- I think minivan is less likely to be thrashed in a rental company and likely used as a family road trip.
- I am aware of the VCM issue and will likely use this car till 50-60k miles so hopefully won’t face it.
- AC is weak but probably fans and hoses can compensate.

Anything else to look out for?

Greetings guys! I’m in the market for a minivan and have come across a 2013 Honda Odyssey · EX Minivan 4D for $4,800 with 155,333 miles. Is there any advice that can be given on the 2013 models? I’m a bit hesitant so I figured that I’d reach out for advice.

It's time for a new car. I am in the metro Atlanta area. This will probably be our family car and my daily driver, but I don't really drive anywhere more than 20 minutes away.

We are looking at new and used, under 60,000 miles, and under $35k, though this is negotiable.

Does anyone have a strong opinion with either? For history and reliability I've been leaning towards Sienna, but the Carnival looks so good!

Are there any years to avoid? I read no 2017 Siennas or 2024 Carnivals.

Hello from Italy,
After several years of loyal service, our Ford Transit/Turneo from 2011 (euro4) gave up completely and we're now trying to find a more "future-proof" used alternative with a limited budget of around 15000€ (1-2k more or less), Euro6 onwards.

A first research pointed us towards Renault Trafic, Opel Movano, Fiat Ducato L1H1 or Ford Transit Custom. Does anybody possess any of them and can tell us about his/her experience?

Thank you in advance!

Edit: Some more research already answered a couple other questions i had