I'm in the process of moving and I had to transport a few bits of unneeded furniture to the Great Kelly Toepke Garage Saleapolooza 2011 that'll be taking place this weekend. While I used the Odyssey last time around for moving a whole heap of boxes, I took the Sienna this time to compare how it does as a moving van.
Simply put, I think it's superior. First, the second row center seat portion is easy to remove and there's a place to put it. Second, the second row seats have a greater range of sliding motion. Though the Odyssey's seats can slide just as far forward as the Sienna's, they do so for third-row access and then don't lock in place once in its forwardmost position. This is not only good for moving things, but I'd also think it would be good for keeping a kid locked in a child seat within closer arms reach for the administration of a sippy cup or whatever.
The Sienna's second row also slides much further rearward. This is not only good for "locking" big items in place (like my old chest of Ikea drawers), but for long-legged dudes who'd still be OK with somone administering a sippy cup to him (what, do you like spilling all over yourself? No, didn't think so).
Of course, the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country have Stow 'N Go, which is clearly superior for hauling stuff. Plus, the Stow 'N Go seats are no longer only slightly more comfortable than lawn furniture. They do limit front seat legroom, however.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 11,815 miles
tommister2 says:
01:44 PM, 05/17/11
My 2007 Odyssey has a place to stow the 2nd row center seat in the floor. I've noticed several comments that your 2011 does not have this anymore. Just wondering if you checked the manual? Storing the seat in mine involves removing the bottom cushion and folding the frame down, then it stores in the spot in between the 1st and 2nd rows. Kind of a bummer if Honda did away with this nice feature.
jriz says:
02:05 PM, 05/17/11
That storage bin is now the home of the spare tire, which used to be located on the left rear side of the cargo bay (sitting on its side like an old Jeep, but neatly stored behind a panel).
tommister2 says:
02:28 PM, 05/17/11
Thanks for the information jriz...that is a bummer.
jdmjunky says:
02:39 PM, 05/17/11
I had the opportunity to go to our local Toys R Us and found out they had a 60% sale and ended up with a swing set with slide, a sandbox with a picnic table & umbrella and a pool in the trunk of the sienna. This also included the wife and kid (with his oversized Recaro baby seat) and still had room for 1 more person. Can't beat the room a minivan can provide.
kingkhalas says:
05:27 PM, 05/17/11
Have you tried to take the middle seats out of a new Sienna?
They are ridiculously heavy compared to the Odyssey.
The 2011 Sienna we have has the middle seat attached to the middle center console and I think I almost killed myself carrying it out of the car.
By comparison, the 06 odyssey I have has separate second row seats that are heavy but come out separately and thus the weight is less than the Sienna version.
automaton says:
05:30 PM, 05/17/11
Great blog post - this is the sort of thing that gets missed in cross-shopping these vehicles in person, and may be missed in a short "shoot-out" comparison. I likely have a minivan in my future, and this info is great.
jdmjunky says:
12:00 PM, 05/18/11
King - I have taken it in and out many times. I don't find it heavy at all, but then that's me. My wife is not very small either at 5'8" so we have no problems with it. It is a little of a pain to put in though if you are not use to taking it in and out.