The Odyssey and Sienna finished in a near tie. The Odyssey had an edge in braking and emergency handling, although the Sienna has a quieter, more comfortable ride and a little more cargo space.
As part of its redesign, the Honda Odyssey got a slightly more powerful engine, standard electronic stability control, and a split folding third-row seat instead of the previous one-piece design. The 255-hp, 3.5-liter V6 in our EX-L version has a variable-displacement system that shuts off three cylinders when the vehicle is cruising on a light load, but activates all six cylinders when more power is needed. With this system, the Odyssey had a 1 mpg edge in highway fuel economy over the Sienna (28 vs. 27), but 1 mpg worse in the city, meaning both averaged 19 mpg.
The Toyota Sienna, which was redesigned for 2004, continues to be a nicely conceived and refined vehicle. Handling is responsive, though less agile than the Odyssey’s. The maze of option packages can be confusing.
